Organizing cross-sectoral collaboration in river basin management : Case studies from the Rhine and the Zhujiang (Pearl River) basins

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Silveira, André; Junier, S.J.; Hüesker, Frank; Qunfang, Fan; Rondorf, Andreas

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT: This paper analyses the drivers and constraints for effective cross-sectoral collaboration in river basin management and the extent to which factors identified in related literature determine success or failure of collaboration in selected case studies. Cases selected were from

Spatial and vertical distribution of bacteria in the Pearl River estuary ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In order to investigate the spatial and vertical change of bacteria community structure in the Pearl River estuary sediment, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and multivariate statistical analyses were carried out in this study. Results of multidimensional scaling analyses (MDS) were in good agreement with the ...

Detection of antibiotic resistance and tetracycline resistance genes in Enterobacteriaceae isolated from the Pearl rivers in South China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tao Ran; Ying Guangguo; Su Haochang; Zhou Hongwei; Sidhu, Jatinder P.S.

2010-01-01

This study investigated antibiotic resistance profiles and tetracycline resistance genes in Enterobacteriaceae family isolates from the Pearl rivers. The Enterobacteriaceae isolates were tested for susceptibility to seven antibiotics ampicillin, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, sulphamethoxazole/trimethoprim, tetracycline and trimethoprim. In Liuxi reservoir, with an exception to ampicillin resistant strains (11%) no other antibiotic resistance bacterial strains were detected. However, multiple drug resistance in bacterial isolates from the other sites of Pearl rivers was observed which is possibly due to sewage discharge and input from other anthropogenic sources along the rivers. Four tetracycline resistance genes tet A, tet B, tet C and tet D were detected in the isolates from the rivers. The genes tet A and tet B were widely detected with the detection frequencies of 43% and 40% respectively. Ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin resistant enteric bacteria were also isolated from the pig and duck manures which suggest a wider distribution of human specific drugs in the environment. This investigation provided a baseline data on antibiotic resistance profiles and tetracycline resistance genes in the Pearl rivers delta. - High rates of antibiotic resistance in Enterobacteriaceae from river water are attributed to wastewater contamination.

Detection of antibiotic resistance and tetracycline resistance genes in Enterobacteriaceae isolated from the Pearl rivers in South China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tao Ran [State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 511 Kehua Street, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510640 (China); Ying Guangguo, E-mail: guangguo.ying@gmail.co [State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 511 Kehua Street, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510640 (China); Su Haochang [State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 511 Kehua Street, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510640 (China); Zhou Hongwei [Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Southern Medical University, 1838 North Guangzhou Street, Baiyun District, Guangzhou 510515 (China); Sidhu, Jatinder P.S. [CSIRO Land and Water, Queensland Bioscience Precinct, 306 Carmody Road, St Lucia QLD 4067 (Australia)

2010-06-15

This study investigated antibiotic resistance profiles and tetracycline resistance genes in Enterobacteriaceae family isolates from the Pearl rivers. The Enterobacteriaceae isolates were tested for susceptibility to seven antibiotics ampicillin, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, sulphamethoxazole/trimethoprim, tetracycline and trimethoprim. In Liuxi reservoir, with an exception to ampicillin resistant strains (11%) no other antibiotic resistance bacterial strains were detected. However, multiple drug resistance in bacterial isolates from the other sites of Pearl rivers was observed which is possibly due to sewage discharge and input from other anthropogenic sources along the rivers. Four tetracycline resistance genes tet A, tet B, tet C and tet D were detected in the isolates from the rivers. The genes tet A and tet B were widely detected with the detection frequencies of 43% and 40% respectively. Ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin resistant enteric bacteria were also isolated from the pig and duck manures which suggest a wider distribution of human specific drugs in the environment. This investigation provided a baseline data on antibiotic resistance profiles and tetracycline resistance genes in the Pearl rivers delta. - High rates of antibiotic resistance in Enterobacteriaceae from river water are attributed to wastewater contamination.

Stationarity of annual flood peaks during 1951-2010 in the Pearl River basin, China

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Qiang; Gu, Xihui; Singh, Vijay P.; Xiao, Mingzhong; Xu, Chong-Yu

2014-11-01

The assumption of stationarity of annual peak flood (APF) records at 28 hydrological stations across the Pearl River basin, China, is tested. Abrupt changes in mean and variance are tested using the Pettitt technique and the Loess method. Trends of APFs are analyzed using the Mann-Kendall method and the Spearman technique. And then the stationarity of the APF series is further investigated by GAMLSS models and long-term persistence. Results indicate that: (1) abrupt changes in mean and variance have similar influences on the changing properties of APFs, such as stationarity. Abrupt changes in mean and variance are only field significant in the East River basin; (2) the change points have a considerable impact on the detection of trends, and these may be attributed to the fact that a abrupt increase or decrease in mean values will affect the trend variations. Besides, for the APF series being free of change points and trend, the GAMLSS models also corroborate stationarity of the APF series; (3) the nonstationarity in the Pearl River basin is mainly due to the existence of the change point. However, the APF series with change points in mean and/or variance are also characterized by long-term persistence, and thus it is infeasible to assert that the abrupt behaviors and/or trends of the APF series are the result of human activities or long-term persistence, especially in the East River basin. Results of this study will provide information for management of water resources and design of hydraulic facilities in the Pearl River basin in a changing environment.

Fate of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in the environment of the Pearl River Estuary, South China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guan Yufeng; Sojinu, O.S. Samuel; Li Shaomeng; Zeng, Eddy Y.

2009-01-01

Ninety-six riverine runoff samples collected at eight major outlets in the Pearl River Delta (PRD), South China, during 2005-2006 were analyzed for 17 brominated diphenyl ether (BDE) congeners (defined as Σ 17 PBDE). Fourteen and 15 congeners were detected, respectively, in the dissolved and particulate phases. These data were further used to elucidate the partitioning behavior of BDE congeners in riverine runoff. Several related fate processes, i.e. air-water exchange, dry and wet deposition, degradation, and sedimentation, within the Pearl River Estuary (PRE), were examined to estimate the inputs of Σ 10 PBDE (sum of the target BDE congeners, BDE-28, -47, -66, -85, -99, -100, -138, -153, -154, and -183) and BDE-209 from the PRD to the coastal ocean based on mass balance considerations. The results showed that annual outflows of Σ 10 PBDE and BDE-209 were estimated at 126 and 940 kg/year, respectively from the PRE to coastal ocean. Besides sedimentation and degradation, the majority of Σ 10 PBDE and BDE-209 discharged into the PRE via riverine runoff was transported to the coastal ocean. - Fate of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in the environment the Pearl River Estuary, South China.

Fingerprinting analysis and characterization of hydrocarbons in sediments of the Pearl River Delta in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, C.; Wang, Z.; Hollebone, B.; Yang, Z.; Brown, C.; Landriault, M.; Peng, X.

2009-01-01

This paper reported on a study that used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography flame ionization detection (GC-FID) to investigate and characterize the contamination in southern China's Pearl River Delta, with particular reference to contamination from petroleum,n-alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), biomarkers and diamondoid compounds. Forensic analysis of sediments was necessary in order to decode the contamination history and evaluate the contamination level of the aquatic ecosystem. The contamination of the Pearl River Delta sediment was derived from various inputs, including petrogenic, biogenic and pyrogenic sources. However, in addition to identifying PAHs and biomarker terpanes and steranes, the detection of trace diamondoid compounds in the sediments demonstrated that the pollution in the river was derived partially from petroleum sources. Diamondoids are a class of saturated hydrocarbons that consist of three-dimensionally fused cyclohexane rings. They occur naturally in source rocks, crude oils, intermediate petroleum distillates, and finished petroleum products. They are more resistant to biodegradation than most other petroleum compounds such as n-alkanes. As such, they can play an important role in identifying and characterizing petroleum contamination in the environment. It was concluded that the petroleum contamination in the Pearl River Delta is attributed to the mixture of medium to heavy petroleum residues. 31 refs., 6 tabs., 4 figs

Magnetic minerals in three Asian rivers draining into the South China Sea: Pearl, Red, and Mekong Rivers

Science.gov (United States)

Kissel, Catherine; Liu, Zhifei; Li, Jinhua; Wandres, Camille

2016-05-01

The use of the marine sedimentary magnetic properties, as tracers for changes in precipitation rate and in oceanic water masses transport and exchanges, implies to identify and to characterize the different sources of the detrital fraction. This is of particular importance in closed and/or marginal seas such as the South China Sea. We report on the magnetic properties of sedimentary samples collected in three main Asian rivers draining into the South China Sea: the Pearl, Red, and Mekong Rivers. The geological formations as well as the present climatic conditions are different from one catchment to another. The entire set of performed magnetic analyses (low-field magnetic susceptibility, ARM acquisition and decay, IRM acquisition and decay, back-field acquisition, thermal demagnetization of three-axes IRM, hysteresis parameters, FORC diagrams, and low-temperature magnetic measurements) allow us to identify the magnetic mineralogy and the grain-size distribution when magnetite is dominant. Some degree of variability is observed in each basin, illustrating different parent rocks and degree of weathering. On average it appears that the Pearl River is rich in magnetite along the main stream while the Mekong River is rich in hematite. The Red River is a mixture of the two. Compared to clay mineral assemblages and major element contents previously determined on the same samples, these new findings indicate that the magnetic fraction brings complementary information of great interest for environmental reconstructions based on marine sediments from the South China Sea.

Assessing impact of urbanization on river water quality in the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Ouyang, Tingping; Zhu, Zhaoyu; Kuang, Yaoqiu

2006-09-01

The Pearl River Delta Economic Zone is one of the most developed regions in China. It has been undergoing a rapid urbanization since the reformation and opening of China in 1978. This process plays a significant impact on the urban environment, particularly river water quality. The main goal of this present study is to assess the impact of urban activities especially urbanization on river water quality for the study area. Some Landsat TM images from 2000 were used to map the areas for different pollution levels of urban river sections for the study area. In addition, an improved equalized synthetic pollution index method was utilized to assess the field analytical results. The results indicate that there is a positive correlation between the rapidity of urbanization and the pollution levels of urban river water. Compared to the rural river water, urban river water was polluted more seriously. During the urban development process, urbanization and urban activities had a significant negative impact on the river water quality.

Dispersal of the Pearl River plume over continental shelf in summer

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Chen, Zhaoyun; Gong, Wenping; Cai, Huayang; Chen, Yunzhen; Zhang, Heng

2017-07-01

Satellite images of turbidity were used to study the climatological, monthly, and typical snapshot distributions of the Pearl River plume over the shelf in summer from 2003 to 2016. These images show that the plume spreads offshore over the eastern shelf and is trapped near the coast over the western shelf. Eastward extension of the plume retreats from June to August. Monthly spatial variations of the plume are characterized by eastward spreading, westward spreading, or both. Time series of monthly plume area was quantified by applying the K-mean clustering method to identify the turbid plume water. Decomposition of the 14-year monthly turbidity data by the empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis isolated the 1st mode in both the eastward and westward spreading pattern as the time series closely related to the Pearl River discharge, and the 2nd mode with out-of-phase turbidity anomalies over the eastern and western shelves that is associated with the prevailing wind direction. Eight typical plume types were detected from the satellite snapshots. They are characterized by coastal jet, eastward offshore spreading, westward spreading, bidirectional spreading, bulge, isolated patch, offshore branch, and offshore filaments, respectively. Their possible mechanisms are discussed.

Observational evidence for turbulent effects on total suspended matter within the Pearl River plume

Science.gov (United States)

Chunhua, Qiu; Danyi, Su; Huabin, Mao; Jiaxue, Wu; Yongsheng, Cui; Dongxiao, Wang

2017-12-01

We observed the structure of the Pearl River plume and its turbulent characteristics, and investigated the turbulent effect on total suspended matter (TSM) within its ;far-field; region, based on in situ and satellite data collected in June 2015. A significant northeastward plume was created under southern monsoonal conditions. The in situ data provided the width, depth, and velocity of the plume, as inferred by salinity. Weaker turbulence occurred at the front surface position than in the plume zone. Stronger turbulence induced greater turbidity in the bottom boundary layer; however, the surface mixed layer differed. By estimating the turbidity budget, we found the lateral fluxes term was the largest term in the plume, turbulent fluxes comprised the second largest term, and the settling terms comprised the smallest term. We quantified the turbulent mechanisms and found that stronger river discharge induced greater TSM turbidity. Tidal and buoyancy fluxes had minor regulatory effects on TSM. Our observations suggest that TSM in the ;far field; region originated from the Pearl River and the coastal region.

Late Holocene (~ 2 ka) East Asian Monsoon variations inferred from river discharge and climate interrelationships in the Pearl River Estuary

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Nan, Q.; Li, T.; Chen, J.; Nigam, R.

A sediment core from the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) was analyzed for grain size and organic geochemistry parameters (TOC and δ13C_org). The results showed that high mean grain-size value and increased sand content were correlated...

In-situ partitioning and bioconcentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons among water, suspended particulate matter, and fish in the Dongjiang and Pearl Rivers and the Pearl River Estuary, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Haiyan; Lu, Lei; Huang, Wen; Yang, Juan; Ran, Yong

2014-01-01

Highlights: • PAHs are relatively higher in marine fish than in freshwater fish. • PAHs respectively show significant correlations with DOC, POC, and Chl a. • The log K oc for PAHs is one order magnitude higher than the predicted. • The log BCF values in fish and their tissues are nonlinear in respect to log K ow . • Lipid is related to PAHs in freshwater fish, but not in marine fishes. - Abstract: The partitioning and bioaccumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in water, suspended particulate matter (SPM), and fish samples from the Dongjiang River (DR), Pearl River (PR), and the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) were examined. Although PAHs are much lower in PRE than in DR or PR, PAHs in some fish species are significantly higher in PRE than in DR or PR. Aqueous or particulate PAHs respectively show significant correlations with dissolved organic carbon, particulate organic matter, and chlorophyll a, suggesting that biological pumping effect regulates their distribution. The in situ partitioning coefficients (log K oc ) for PAHs are one order magnitude higher than the empirical log K oc –log K ow correlation. The bioconcentration factor (BCF) is slightly higher for the marine fish than for the freshwater fish. The above phenomena indicate that BCF may vary due to the diversity of fish species, feeding habits, and metabolism of PAHs in fish

[Residues and potential ecological risk assessment of metal in sediments from lower reaches and estuary of Pearl River].

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Wen-Ping; Wang, Shao-Bing; Zhu, Xin-Ping; Chen, Kun-Ci; Pan, De-Bo; Hong, Xiao-You; Yin, Yi

2012-06-01

In order to investigate the heavy metal concentrations and their potential ecological risks in surface sediments of lower reaches and estuary of Pearl River, 21 bottom sediment samples were collected from lower reaches and estuary of Pearl River. Total contents of Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Cd, Sb, Pb and Hg in these samples were measured by the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and the atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS) and using the index of geoaccumulation and the potential ecological risk index to evaluate the pollution degree of heavy metals in the sediments. Results indicated that the concentration of total Fe and total Mn were 41658.73 and 1104.73 mg x kg(-1) respectively and toxic trace metals, such as Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Cd, Sb, Pb and Hg were 86.62, 18.18, 54.10, 80.20, 543.60, 119.55, 4.28, 10.60, 20.26, 104.58 and 0.520 mg x kg(-1). The descending order of pollution degree of various metals is: Cd > As approximately Zn > Hg > Pb approximately Cu approximately Cr, while the single potential ecological risk followed the order: Cd > Hg > As > Cu > Pb > Zn > Cr. The pollution extent and potential ecological risk of Cd were the most serious among all heavy metals. The distribution pattern of Cd individual potential ecological risk indices is exactly the same as that of general potential ecological risk indices for all heavy metals. Clustering analysis indicates that the sampling stations may be classified into five groups which basically reflected the characteristics of the heavy metal contamination and sedimentation environments along the different river reaches in lower reaches and estuary of Pearl Rive. In general, the serious heavy metal pollution and the high potential ecological risk existed in three river reaches: Chengcun-Shawan, Chengcun-Shundegang and Waihai-Hutiaomen. The pollution degree and potential ecological risk are higher in related river reaches of Beijiang than that in other lower reaches and

Quantitative analysis and simulation of land use changes in the Pearl River Delta, China

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Honghui; Zeng, Yongnian; Zou, Bin; Xiao, Pengfeng; Hu, Deyong; Peng, Jianchao

2007-06-01

This paper analyzes and simulates the land use changes in the Pearl River Delta, China, using Longgang City as a case study. The region has pioneered the nation in economic development and urbanization process. Tremendous land use changes have been witnessed since the economic reform in 1978. Land use changes are analyzed and simulated by using stochastic cellular automata model, land use trajectories analysis, spatial indices and multi-temporal TM images of Longgang City (TM1987, TM1991, TM1995, TM1999, TM2003, TM2005) in order to understand how urbanization has transformed the non-urban land to urban land and estimate the consequent environment and ecological impacts in this region. The analysis and simulation results show that urban land continues to sprawl along road and fringe of towns, and concomitant to this development is the loss of agricultural land, orchards and fish ponds. This study provides new evidence with spatial details about the uneven land development in the Pearl River Delta.

[Microbial community in nitrogen cycle of aquaculture water of the Pearl River Delta].

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Xiaolong; Luo, Jianfei; Lin, Weitie; Tian, Guoliang

2012-05-04

In order to study the characteristic of nitrogen transport, the community structure and diversity of related microorganisms in aquaculture water of the Pearl River Delta. We established an artificial aquaculture ecosystem to study the microbial community of 15N-stable isotope probing (15N-SIP) labeled nitrogen transport microorganisms. The 15N-labeled DNA was separated by CsCl-ethidium bromide density gradient centrifugation, and was used to construct 16S rRNA gene clone libraries of bacteria and archaea. Phylogenetic analysis shows that 19 Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) from bacterial library were clustered in Proteobacteria and Planctomycetes. Proteobacteria (99.2%) was the dominant group, mainly consisted of Comamonas (15.7%), Nitrosomonas (12.4%), Enterobacteriaceae (11.5%) and Nitrobacter (11.5%). From archaeal library 9 OTUs were divided into 3 phyla: Thaumarchaeota, Crenarchaeota and Euryarchaeota. We successfully elucidated the microbial community of nitrogen transport microorganisms in aquaculture water of Pearl River Delta by using 15N-SIP. The data of the community will provide essential information for isolating nitrogen degrading microorganism, and provide scientific basis for creating a healthy aquaculture environment.

Crustal structure revealed by a deep seismic sounding profile of Baijing-Gaoming-Jinwan in the Pearl River Delta

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiang; Ye, Xiuwei; Lv, Jinshui; Sun, Jinlong; Wang, Xiaona

2018-02-01

The Pearl River Estuary area, located in the middle part of the southern China coastal seismic belt, has long been considered a potential source of strong earthquakes above magnitude 7.0. To scientifically assess the potential strong earthquake risk in this area, a three-dimensional artificial seismic sounding experiment, consisting of a receiving array and seabed seismograph, was performed to reveal the deep crustal structure in this region. We used artificial ship-borne air-gun excitation shots as sources, and fixed and mobile stations as receivers to record seismic data from May to August 2015. This paper presents results along a line from the western side of the Pearl River Estuary to the western side of the Baijing-Gaoming-Jinwan profile. A two-dimensional velocity structure was constructed using seismic travel-time tomography. The inversion results show that the Moho depth is 27 km in the coastal area and 30 km in the northwest of the Pearl River Estuary area, indicating that the crust thins from land to sea. Two structural discontinuities and multiple low-velocity anomalies appear in the crustal section. Inside both discontinuity zones, a low-velocity layer, with a minimum velocity of 6.05 km s-1, exists at a depth of about 15 km, and another, with a minimum velocity of 6.37 km s-1, exists at a depth of about 21.5 km between the middle and lower crust. These low velocities suggest that the discontinuities may consist of partly molten material. Earthquakes with magnitudes higher than 5.0 occurred in the low-velocity layer along the profile. The deep Kaiping-Enping fault, rooted in the crust, may be one of the most important channels for deep material upwelling and is related to tectonic movement since the Cretaceous in the Pearl River Delta tectonic rift basin.

2008 USGS/NPS/NASA Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL): Pearl River Delta, LA and MS

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — A bare earth elevation map (also known as a Digital Elevation Model or DEM) of the Pearl River Delta in Louisiana and Mississippi was produced from remotely sensed,...

The distribution and partitioning of common antibiotics in water and sediment of the Pearl River Estuary, South China.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Ximei; Chen, Baowei; Nie, Xiangping; Shi, Zhen; Huang, Xiaoping; Li, Xiangdong

2013-09-01

Antibiotics released into the aquatic environment play an important role in the spread of antibiotic resistance. In the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) and the coastal zone, the concentrations of antibiotics decreased from the Pearl River to the estuary, suggesting that antibiotics primarily originated from river tributaries and terrigenous sources. Within the PRE area, the concentrations of antibiotics in water were higher in the west coast than the east side, reflecting the high density of anthropogenic activities and hydraulic conditions along the west riverbank. Seasonal variations were also observed for most of detected antibiotics in water. The pseudo-partitioning coefficient of norfloxacin had a good correlation with the TOC content of sediments, as did erythromycin-H2O with the pH of water. The results suggest that environmental conditions can significantly affect the distribution of antibiotics between water and sediment. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Impacts of Climate Change in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tracy, A.; Trumbull, K.; Loh, C.

2006-11-01

Civic Exchange added climate change to their research agenda some time ago, recognising that it is a cross-cutting issue that will have substantial impact, not only on Hong Kong but on the entire Pearl River Delta. The Hong Kong region is the wealthiest part of China. Along with growing material wealth, Hong Kong's ecological footprint and particularly it's greenhouse gas emissions - have increased exponentially. Therefore, there exists a special responsibility to contribute to finding effective mitigation measures that can help to slow the process; as well as a pressing need to find ways to adapt to those effects of climate change that cannot be forestalled. This paper represents a first attempt to pull together the relevant materials, with the aim of providing a broad-brush view of how climate change may affect Hong Kong, Macao and the Pearl River Delta. The key recommendation is that more region-specific research must be carried out. Civic Exchange has also taken note of the recently published Stern Review, which was commissioned by the United Kingdom government, to assess the economics of climate change. The report calls for urgent action. In this respect, this report therefore doubles as a funding proposal

Development of upwelling on pathway and freshwater transport of Pearl River plume in northeastern South China Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Zhaoyun; Jiang, Yuwu; Liu, James T.; Gong, Wenping

2017-08-01

In situ observations, satellite images, and numerical modeling results have shown that the Pearl River plume axis extends alongshore and passes through two separate upwelling regions—one off the Guangdong and Fujian coasts (the Yuedong upwelling) and the other in the Taiwan Bank during the initial and medium stages of the Yuedong upwelling, while it is directed offshore when the Yuedong upwelling is strong. Model experiments are conducted to examine the effects of wind strength and baroclinicity on the upwelling and the corresponding pathway and freshwater transport of the Pearl River plume. The baroclinic effect is important to intensifying the horizontal velocity at the upwelling front and freshwater transport in the northeastern South China Sea. The freshwater transport flux is further decomposed into advection, vertical shear, and tidal pumping components, and advection is the dominant contributor. As the Yuedong upwelling develops, the zone with a relatively high-pressure gradient moves offshore due to offshore Ekman transport and the shift in the upwelling front, which is responsible for the offshore transport of the river plume. When the river plume is transported to the outer-shelf, sometimes it can be further entrained into eddies, allowing its export to the open sea.

Hydrological response to climate change: The Pearl River, China under different RCP scenarios

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dan Yan

2015-09-01

New hydrological insights for the region: Previous studies focussed on annual discharge and extreme flood events in the basin. However it is also important to assess variations in low flow across the basin, because it is suffering from water shortage and salt water intrusion in the dry season. Results indicate a reduction in average low flow under the five climate models. The reduction varies across the basin and is between 6 and 48% for RCP4.5. River discharge in the dry season is projected to decrease throughout the basin. In the wet season, river discharge tends to increase in the middle and lower reaches and decrease in the upper reach of the Pearl River basin. The variation of river discharge is likely to aggravate water stress. Especially the reduction of low flow is problematic as already now the basin experiences temporary water shortages in the delta.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in upstream riverine runoff of the Pearl River Delta, China: An assessment of regional input sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Kai; Liang Bo; Wang Jizhong; Guan Yufeng; Zeng, Eddy Y.

2012-01-01

Water samples collected from upstream tributaries of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) and from locations within the PRD (South China) were analyzed for 27 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Average concentrations (aqueous plus particulate) of total 27 PAHs (Σ 27 PAH), 16 priority PAHs designated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) except naphthalene (Σ 15 PAH), and the seven carcinogenic PAHs (Σ 7 PAH) classified by the USEPA were 260 ± 410, 130 ± 310, and 15 ± 12 ng/L, respectively. Riverine PAHs were predominantly generated from coal and vegetation combustion, coke production, vehicle exhausts, and petroleum residues, accounting for 28%, 25%, 22% and 21%, respectively, on average. Upstream riverine fluxes of Σ 27 PAH and Σ 15 PAH amounted to 38.9 and 12.9 tons/year, respectively. The net contributions of Σ 27 PAH and Σ 15 PAH from sources within the PRD were estimated at 21.4 and 21.0 tons/year, respectively. - Highlights: ► Upstream PAH levels were lower than downstream PAHs and pose low ecological risk. ► Riverine PAHs are predominantly pyrogenic. ► Parent PAHs in Pearl River are mainly derived from within the PRD. ► The 15 priority PAHs were mainly generated within the Pearl River Delta. - The 15 priority PAHs are mainly generated within the PRD while the other 12 PAHs from upstream areas.

Emergy and Economic Evaluations of Four Fruit Production Systems on Reclaimed Wetlands Surrounding the Pearl River Estuary, China

Science.gov (United States)

Emergy and economic methods were used to evaluate and compare a traditional tropical fruit cultivation system, for bananas, and three newly introduced fruit cultivation systems, for papaya, guava and wampee, on reclaimed wetlands of the Pearl River Estuary, China. The evaluations...

Determination of selected antibiotics in the Victoria Harbour and the Pearl River, South China using high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Weihai; Zhang Gan; Zou Shichun; Li Xiangdong; Liu Yuchun

2007-01-01

Nine selected antibiotics in the Victoria Harbour of Hong Kong and the Pearl River at Guangzhou, South China, were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. The results showed that the concentrations of antibiotics were mainly below the limit of quantification (LOQ) in the marine water of Victoria Harbour. However, except for amoxicillin, all of the antibiotics were detected in the Pearl River during high and low water seasons with the median concentrations ranging from 11 to 67 ng/L, and from 66 to 460 ng/L, respectively; and the concentrations in early spring were about 2-15 times higher than that in summer with clearer diurnal variations. It was suggested that the concentrations of antibiotics in the high water season were more affected by wastewater production cycles due to quick refreshing rate, while those in the low water season may be more sensitive to the water column dynamics controlled by tidal processes in the river. - Antibiotics were found at high concentrations in an urban reach of Pearl River in southern China with contrast diurnal variations between the high and low water seasons

Mercury profiles in sediments of the Pearl River Estuary and the surrounding coastal area of South China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi Jianbo; Ip, Carman C.M.; Zhang Gan; Jiang Guibin; Li Xiangdong

2010-01-01

The spatial and temporal variations of mercury (Hg) in sediments of the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) and the surrounding coastal area (South China Sea) were studied. In surface sediments, the concentrations of Hg ranged from 1.5 to 201 ng/g, with an average of 54.4 ng/g, displaying a decreasing trend with the distance from the estuary to the open sea. This pattern indicates that the anthropogenic emissions from the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region are probably the main sources of Hg in this coastal region. Using the 210 Pb dating technique, the historical changes in the concentrations and influxes of Hg in the last 100 years were also investigated. The variations in Hg influxes in sediment cores obviously correlate with the economic development and urbanization that has occurred the PRD region, especially in the last three decades. - The spatial and historical changes of Hg in sediment reflect the industrial development and urbanization of the region in south China.

Regional dynamics of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the Pearl River Delta, China: Implications and perspectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Kai; Zhang Baozhong; Li Shaomeng; Zeng, Eddy Y.

2011-01-01

The mass transport budgets of 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(chlorophenyl)ethane (p,p'-DDT) and decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) in the Pearl River Delta, South China were calculated based on previously collected data. Residual p,p'-DDT, mostly related to historical use, has largely settled into soil (780,000 kg), while the soil BDE-209 inventory (44,000 kg) is considerably smaller. Conversely, large amounts of BDE-209 currently used in numerous commercial products have resulted in a much higher atmospheric depositional flux of BDE-209 (28,100 kg/yr) relative to p,p'-DDT (310 kg/yr). The soil inventory of p,p'-DDT is predicted to decrease to half of its current value after 22 years, and the percent area containing soil p,p'-DDT at levels exceeding the effects range-medium (27 ng/g) will decrease from 40% to 20%. Finally, soil BDE-209 inventory will reach an equilibrium value of 940 tons in ∼60 years, when BDE-209 levels in 50% of soil will be above an equivalent risk guideline value (125 ng/g). - Highlights: → Transport budgets of p,p'-DDT and BDE-209 in the Pearl River Delta were built. → Dry aerial deposition is the dominant route to transport p,p'-DDT and BDE-209. → Soil inventory of p,p'-DDT is much larger than that of BDE-209. → Soil inventory of p,p'-DDT would decline to half of its current value in 22 years. → Soil BDE-209 inventory is expected to reach an equilibrium value in ∼60 years. - Regional dynamics of p,p'-DDT and BDE-209 in the Pearl River Delta (South China) are examined and used to predict temporal variances.

Comparative analysis of meteorological and hydrological drought in the Pearl River basin during the period 1960-2012

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, K.; Wu, C.; Hu, B.; Niu, J.

2017-12-01

Drought is one of the major natural hazards that can have devastating impacts on the regional environment, agriculture, and water resources. Previous studies have conducted the assessment of historic changes in meteorological drought over various regional scales but rarely considered hydrological drought due to limited hydrological observations. Here, we use a long-term (1960-2012) gridded hydro-meteorological data to present a comparative analysis of meteorological and hydrological drought in the Pearl River basin in southern China using the standardized precipitation index (SPI) and the standardized runoff index (SRI). The variation in SPI and SRI at four different timescales (1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month) is investigated using the Mann-Kendall (M-K) method and continuous wavelet transform (CWT). The results indicate that the correlation between SPI and SRI is strong over the Pearl River basin and tends to be stronger at the longer timescale. Meanwhile, the periodic oscillation pattern of SPI becomes more consistent with that of SRI with the increased timescale. The SPI can be used as a substitute for SRI to represent the hydrological drought at the long-term scale. Overall there is a noticeably wetting trend mainly in the eastern parts and a significant drying trend mainly in the western regions and the downstream area of the Pearl River basin. The variability of meteorological drought is significant mainly in the eastern and western regions, while the variability of hydrological drought tends to be larger mainly in the western region. CWT analysis indicates a period of 0.75-7 years in both meteorological and hydrological droughts during the period 1960-2012 in the study region.

Variation of phytoplankton community structure from the Pearl River estuary to South China Sea.

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Jiang, Zhao-Yu; Wang, You-Shao; Cheng, Hao; Sun, Cui-Ci; Wu, Mei-Lin

2015-10-01

The Pearl River is located in the northern part of South China Sea. The environment of the Pearl River estuary (PRE) is significantly impacted by nutrients from anthropogenic activities. Along the anthropogenic pollution gradient from the PRE to South China Sea, the phylogenetic diversity and biomass of phytoplankton was examined in relation to physic-chemical variables. The richness of rbcL gene was higher in the open sea than the estuary, while the concentration of chlorophyll a (Chl a) was higher in the estuary than in the open sea. The cluster analysis of the sequences data resulted in seven phytoplankton community types and the dominant species of phytoplankton changed from Cryptophytes and Diatoms to Prymnesiophytes and Diatoms along the gradient. The community structure of phytoplankton was shaped by nutrients and salinity. The phytoplankton biomass was significantly positively affected by phosphorus, nitrite and ammonium (P < 0.01) but negatively by salinity (P < 0.05); the phytoplankton diversity was highly positively affected by salinity (P < 0.05) but negatively by silicate and nitrate (P < 0.01; P < 0.05, respectively). Anthropogenic activities played a critical role in the phytoplankton distribution and biomass of the study area. Further research is necessary to reveal the influence mechanism of environmental factors on the phytoplankton.

Supply Chain Management for Sustainable Development: Perspective from the Greater Pearl River Delta (China)

OpenAIRE

Tsoi, Joyce

2006-01-01

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by the University of Hong Kong. This thesis investigates the application and implications of supply chain management as a modern management model in regulating corporate outsourcing activities within the Greater Pearl River Delta. Globalisation has accelerated the application of supply chain management as a mechanism to enhance corporate performance. At the same time this rapid economic development has also accele...

Carbonate system and nutrients in the Pearl River estuary, China: Seasonal and inter-annual variations

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, X.

2017-12-01

Located in southern China and surrounded by several metropolis, the Pearl River estuary is a large subtropical estuary under significant human perturbation. We examined the impact of sewage treatment rate on the water environmental factors. Carbonate system parameters (Dissolved inorganic carbon or DIC, Total alkalinity or TA, and pH), and nutrients were surveyed in the Pearl River estuary from 2000 to 2015. Spatially, concentrations of nutrients were high at low salinity and decreased with salinity in both wet and dry seasons although seasonal variation occurred. However, distribution patterns of DIC and TA differed in wet and dry seasons. In wet season, both DIC and TA were low at low salinity (600-1500 umol kg-1) and increased with salinity, but in dry season they were high at low salinity (3000-3500 umol kg-1) and decreased with salinity. Compared with the years before 2010, both values and distribution patterns of DIC, TA and pH were similar among the years in wet season, but they were conspicuously different in the upper estuary in dry season. Both DIC and TA were more than 1000 umol kg-1 lower than those in the years before 2010. For nutrients at low salinity, the ammonia concentration was much lower in the years after 2010 (200 vs. 400 umol kg-1 in wet season and 400 vs. 800 umol kg-1 in dry season), but nitrate concentration was slightly higher (180 vs 120 mmol kg-1 in wet season and 200 vs 180 mmol kg-1 in dry season). As a reference, carbonate system parameters and nutrients were stable among the 16 years in the adjacent northern South China Sea. The variations in biogeochemical processes induced by nutrients concentration and structure as a result of sewage discharge will be discussed in detail. The decrease in DIC, TA and nutrients in the upper Pearl River estuary after 2010 was due mainly to the improvement of sewage treatment rate and capacity.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in suspended particulate matter and sediments from the Pearl River Estuary and adjacent coastal areas, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo Xiaojun; Chen Shejun; Mai Bixian; Yang Qingshu; Sheng Guoying; Fu Jiamo

2006-01-01

The spatial distribution, composition, and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediments and suspended particulate matter (SPM) from the Pearl River Estuary and adjacent coastal areas were examined. Total PAH concentrations varied from 189 to 637 ng/g in sediments and 422 to 1850 ng/g in SPM. PAHs were dominated by 5,6-ring compounds in sediments and by 2,3-ring compounds in SPM samples. Assessment of PAH sources suggested that biomass and coal combustion is the major PAH source to the outer part of the estuary sediments and that petroleum combustion is the major PAH source to the inner part of estuary sediments. As for SPM samples, PAH isomer pair ratios indicated multiple (petroleum, petroleum combustion, and biomass and coal combustion) PAH sources, and significant temporal variations could exist for the sources of water column PAHs in the study area. The distribution of perylene in SPM samples indicated that the river was the dominant source of perylene in SPM and that perylene could be taken as an index to assess the contribution of river inflow to the total PAHs in SPM samples. The high concentration of perylene in the sediment was indicative of an in situ biogenic origin. - PAH were determined in suspended particulate matter and sediments from Pearl River Estuary

Distribution and speciation of metals (Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb) in agricultural and non-agricultural soils near a stream upriver from the Pearl River, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Silin; Zhou, Dequn; Yu, Huayong; Wei, Rong; Pan, Bo

2013-01-01

The distribution and chemical speciation of typical metals (Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb) in agricultural and non-agricultural soils were investigated in the area of Nanpan River, upstream of the Pearl River. The investigated four metals showed higher concentrations in agricultural soils than in non-agricultural soils, and the site located in factory district contained metals much higher than the other sampling sites. These observations suggested that human activities, such as water irrigation, fertilizer and pesticide applications might have a major impact on the distribution of metals. Metal speciation analysis presented that Cu, Zn and Cd were dominated by the residual fraction, while Pb was dominated by the reducible fraction. Because of the low mobility of the metals in the investigated area, no remarkable difference could be observed between upstream and downstream separated by the factory site. -- Highlights: ► Agricultural soils contain higher metal concentrations than non-agricultural soils. ► The site located in the factory district has the highest metal concentration. ► Cu, Zn and Cd are dominated by residual fraction, and Pb by reducible fraction. ► Cd pollution should not be overlooked in soils upstream of Pearl River. -- The mobility of four investigated metals is low but Cd pollution should not be overlooked in soils upstream of Pearl River

Construction area expansion in relation to economic-demographic development and land resource in the Pearl River Delta of China

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Liu, Zhijia; Huang, Heqing; Werners, Saskia E.; Yan, Dan

2016-01-01

Since 1979, the Pearl River Delta (PRD) of China has experienced rapid socioeconomic development along with a fast expansion of construction area. Affected by both natural and human factors, a complex interdependency is found among the regional changes in construction area, GDP and population. A

Role of photoexcited nitrogen dioxide chemistry on ozone formation and emission control strategy over the Pearl River Delta, China

Science.gov (United States)

A new hydroxyl radical formation pathway via photo-excited nitrogen dioxide chemistry is incorporated into a chemistry-only box model as well as a 3D air quality model to examine its potential role on ozone formation and emission control strategy over the Pearl River Delta region...

Contamination profiles of perfluoroalkyl substances in five typical rivers of the Pearl River Delta region, South China.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Chang-Gui; Ying, Guang-Guo; Liu, You-Sheng; Zhang, Qian-Qian; Chen, Zhi-Feng; Peng, Feng-Jiao; Huang, Guo-Yong

2014-11-01

A survey on contamination profiles of eighteen perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) was performed via high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for surface water and sediments from five typical rivers of the Pearl River Delta region, South China in summer and winter in 2012. The total concentrations of the PFASs in the water phase of the five rivers ranged from 0.14 to 346.72 ng L(-1). The PFAS concentrations in the water phase were correlated positively to some selected water quality parameters such as chemical oxygen demand (COD) (0.7913) and conductivity (0.5642). The monitoring results for the water samples showed significant seasonal variations, while those for the sediment samples showed no obvious seasonal variations. Among the selected 18 PFASs, perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) was the dominant PFAS compound both in water and sediment for two seasons with its maximum concentration of 320.5 ng L(-1) in water and 11.4 ng g(-1) dry weight (dw) in sediment, followed by perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) with its maximum concentration of 26.48 ng L(-1) in water and 0.99 ng g(-1) dw in sediment. PFOS and PFOA were found at relatively higher concentrations in the Shima River and Danshui River than in the other three rivers (Xizhijiang River, Dongjiang River and Shahe River). The principal component analysis for the PFASs concentrations in water and sediment separated the sampling sites into two groups: rural and agricultural area, and urban and industrial area, suggesting the PFASs in the riverine environment were mainly originated from industrial and urban activities in the region. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fractionation and ecological risk of metals in urban river sediments in Zhongshan City, Pearl River Delta.

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Jiannan; Cao, Yingzi; Tan, Haijian; Wang, Yanman; Luo, Jiaqi

2011-09-01

Surface sediments collected from nine urban rivers located in Zhongshan City, Pearl River Delta, were analyzed for total concentration of metals with digestion and chemical fractionation adopting the modified European Community Bureau of Reference (BCR) sequential extraction procedure. The results showed that concentration and fractionation of metals varied significantly among the rivers. The total concentration of eight metals in most rivers did not exceed the China Environmental Quality Standard for Soil, Grade III. The potential ecological risk of metals to rivers were related to the land use patterns, in the order of manufacturing areas > residential areas > agriculture areas. The concentration of Pb in the reducible fraction was relatively high (60.0-84.3%). The dominant proportions of Cd, Zn and Cu were primary in the non-residual fraction (67.0%, 71.8% and 81.4% on average respectively), while the percentages of the residual fractions of Cr and Ni varied over a wide range (43-85% and 24-71% respectively). The approaches of the Håkanson ecological risk index and Secondary Phase Enrichment Factor were applied for ecological risk assessment and metal enrichment calculation. The results indicated Hg and Cd had posed high potential ecological risk to urban rivers in this region. Meanwhile, there was widespread pollution and high enrichment of Cu in river sediments in this region. Multiple regression analysis showed that five water quality parameters (pH, DO, COD(Mn), NH(4)(+)-N, TP) had little influence on the distribution of metal fractionation. This result revealed that the ecological risk of metals was not eliminated along with the improvement in water quality. Correlation studies showed that among the metals, Group A (Cd, As, Pb, Zn Hg, r = 0.730-0.924) and Group B (Cr, Cu, Ni, r = 0.815-0.948) were obtained, and the metal contaminations were from industrial activities rather than residential.

Use of Reflectance Ratios as a Proxy for Coastal Water Constituent Monitoring in the Pearl River Estuary

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hong-Li Li

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Spectra, salinity, total suspended solids (TSS, in mg/L and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM, ag(400 at 400 nm sampled in stations in 44 different locations on December 18, 19 and 21, in 2006 were measured and analyzed. The studied field covered a large variety of optically different waters, the absorption coefficient of CDOM ([ag(400] in m-1 varied between 0.488 and 1.41 m-1, and the TSS concentrations (mg/L varied between 7.0 and 241.1 mg/L. In order to detect salinity of the Pearl River Estuary, we analyzed the spectral properties of TSS and CDOM, and the relationships between field water reflectance spectra and water constituents’ concentrations based on the synchronous in-situ and satellite hyper-spectral image analysis. A good correlation was discovered (the positive correlation by linear fit, between in-situ reflectance ratio R680/R527 and TSS concentrations (R2 = 0.65 for the salinity range of 1.74-22.12. However, the result also showed that the absorption coefficient of CDOM was not tightly correlated with reflectance. In addition, we also observed two significant relationships (R2 > 0.77, one between TSS concentrations and surface salinity and the other between the absorption coefficient of CDOM and surface salinity. Finally, we develop a novel method to understand surface salinity distribution of estuarine waters from the calibrated EO-1 Hyperion reflectance data in the Pearl River Estuary, i.e. channels with high salinity and shoals with low salinity. The EO-1 Hyperion derived surface salinity and TSSconcentrations were validated using in-situ data that were collected on December 21, 2006, synchronous with EO-1 Hyperion satellite imagery acquisition. The results showed that the semi-empirical relationships are capable of predicting salinity from EO-1 Hyperion imagery in the Pearl River Estuary (RMSE < 2‰.

Ground-level ozone in the Pearl River Delta and the roles of VOC and NO(x) in its production.

Science.gov (United States)

Shao, Min; Zhang, Yuanhang; Zeng, Limin; Tang, Xiaoyan; Zhang, Jing; Zhong, Liuju; Wang, Boguang

2009-01-01

In many regions of China, very rapid economic growth has been accompanied by air pollution caused by vehicle emissions. In one of these regions, the Pearl River Delta, the variations of ground-level ozone and its precursors were investigated. Overall, the ambient concentrations of NO(2) increased quickly between 1995 and 1996, but then slightly decreased due to stringent nitrogen oxide (NO(x)) emission controls. Nonetheless, ambient NO(2) levels in the Pearl River Delta remained high. The regional average concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were 290 ppbC in summer and 190 ppbC in autumn. Local emissions and long-distance transportation of pollutants play important roles in the regional distribution of VOCs. Ambient O(3) production is significant in urban areas and also downwind of cities. The relative incremental reactivities (RIRs), determined by an observation-based model, showed that ground-level ozone formation in the Guangzhou urban area is generally limited by the concentrations of VOCs, but there are also measurable impacts of NO(x).

Influence of the Pearl River estuary and vertical mixing in Victoria Harbor on water quality in relation to eutrophication impacts in Hong Kong waters.

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Kedong; Harrison, Paul J

2007-06-01

This study presents water quality parameters such as nutrients, phytoplankton biomass and dissolved oxygen based on 11 years of water quality data in Victoria Harbor and examined how the Pearl River estuary discharge in summer and year round sewage discharge influenced these parameters. Nutrients in Victoria Harbor were strongly influenced by both the Pearl River and sewage effluent, as indicated by the high NO(3) inputs from the Pearl River in summer and higher NH(4) and PO(4) in Victoria Harbor than both its sides. N:P ratios were low in the dry season, but increased to >16:1 in the wet season, suggesting that P is potentially the most limiting nutrient in this area during the critical period in the summer. Although there were generally high nutrients, the phytoplankton biomass was not as high as one would expect in Victoria Harbor. In fact, there were high concentrations of chl near the bottom well below the photic zone. Salinity near the bottom was lower in Victoria Harbor than at the two entrances to Victoria Harbor, suggesting strong vertical mixing within Victoria Harbor. Therefore, strong vertical mixing and horizontal advection appear to play an important role in significantly reducing eutrophication impacts in Victoria Harbor. Consequently, dissolved oxygen near the bottom was low in summer, but only occasionally dipped to 2 mgL(-1) despite the high organic loading from sewage effluent.

Heavy metals and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) sedimentation in the Lianhua Mountain Reservoir, Pearl River Delta, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Jingyu; Amuzu-Sefordzi, Basil; Li, Ming

2015-05-01

The Pearl River Delta is one of the biggest electronics manufacturing regions in the world. Due to the presence of abandoned industrial sites and the proliferation of large-scale electronics companies in the past four decades, it is therefore imperative to investigate the extent of heavy metals and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) contamination in the region. Spatial and temporal distribution of heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) and PCBs (PCB28, PCB52, PCB101, PCB118, PCB138, PCB153, and PCB180) in the Lianhua Mountain reservoir in the Pearl River Delta, Dongguan City, China were examined based on a sedimentary profile analysis. Higher concentrations of the heavy metals detected were recorded in bottom sediments whereas 70% of the detected PCBs recorded maximum concentrations in top sediments. The geo-accumulation indices (Igeo) indicate that the study area is uncontaminated to moderately contaminated. Also, the integrated pollution indices (IPI) were above 1, except Pb, which shows that the study area is contaminated with heavy metals from anthropogenic sources. The concentrations of individual heavy metals and PCBs over a period of 60 years were also analyzed in order to establish a historical trend of pollution in the study area. This study provides baseline information on the level and historical trend of heavy metals and PCBs pollution in the study area.

Top-down estimates of benzene and toluene emissions in Pearl River Delta and Hong Kong, China

OpenAIRE

X. Fang; M. Shao; A. Stohl; Q. Zhang; J. Zheng; H. Guo; C. Wang; M. Wang; J. Ou; R. L. Thompson; R. G. Prinn

2015-01-01

Benzene (C6H6) and toluene (C7H8) are toxic to humans and the environment. They are also important precursors of ground-level ozone and secondary organic aerosols and contribute substantially to severe air pollution in urban areas in China. Discrepancies exist between different bottom-up inventories for benzene and toluene emissions in Pearl River Delta (PRD) and Hong Kong (HK), which are emission hot spots in China. This study provides top-down estimates of benzene and tolu...

Rapid Urbanization and Implications for Flood Risk Management in Hinterland of the Pearl River Delta, China: The Foshan Study

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Xiang-rong Wang

2008-03-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to examine the linkage between rapid urbanization and flood risk in the hinterlands of the Pearl River Delta, P.R. China. Foshan, a typical hinterland city in the Pearl River Delta region, was selected as a case study. Land use and cover change in Foshan during 1988-2003 was analyzed using remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS techniques. Furthermore, analysis on historical hydrological data during 1962-2005 was performed. Results show that rapid urbanization has resulted in losses of farmland, forest and shrub since 1988. In addition, in order to compensate or offset the loss of farmland due to rapid urban expansion, more than 30 % of the forest and 20 % of the shrub areas were transformed into farmlands. Inevitably, both the urban and agricultural lands increased the pressure on the drainage systems. Furthermore, over the past decades human activities such as dredging up the floodways, excavating sand and building water facilities in the rivers, significantly changed the hydrological conditions, and therefore impaired the rivers’ capacity to buffer floods. Lessons from the Foshan case implied that, in addition to natural processes, human activities driven by socio-economic factors should be considered responsible for the recently increasing level of flood risks. Both economically and environmentally, it is irrational and impractical to encourage encroachment of lands vulnerable to floods. It is also realistic and urgent to effectively prevent and control the adverse ecological consequences of urbanization and economic activities for building their wealth and prominence.

Rapid Urbanization and Implications for Flood Risk Management in Hinterland of the Pearl River Delta, China: The Foshan Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hao; Ma, Wei-Chun; Wang, Xiang-Rong

2008-03-28

The purpose of this paper is to examine the linkage between rapid urbanization and flood risk in the hinterlands of the Pearl River Delta, P.R. China. Foshan, a typical hinterland city in the Pearl River Delta region, was selected as a case study. Land use and cover change in Foshan during 1988-2003 was analyzed using remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) techniques. Furthermore, analysis on historical hydrological data during 1962-2005 was performed. Results show that rapid urbanization has resulted in losses of farmland, forest and shrub since 1988. In addition, in order to compensate or offset the loss of farmland due to rapid urban expansion, more than 30 % of the forest and 20 % of the shrub areas were transformed into farmlands. Inevitably, both the urban and agricultural lands increased the pressure on the drainage systems. Furthermore, over the past decades human activities such as dredging up the floodways, excavating sand and building water facilities in the rivers, significantly changed the hydrological conditions, and therefore impaired the rivers' capacity to buffer floods. Lessons from the Foshan case implied that, in addition to natural processes, human activities driven by socio-economic factors should be considered responsible for the recently increasing level of flood risks. Both economically and environmentally, it is irrational and impractical to encourage encroachment of lands vulnerable to floods. It is also realistic and urgent to effectively prevent and control the adverse ecological consequences of urbanization and economic activities for building their wealth and prominence.

Source areas and chemical composition of fine particulate matter in the Pearl River Delta region of China

Science.gov (United States)

Hagler, G. S. W.; Bergin, M. H.; Salmon, L. G.; Yu, J. Z.; Wan, E. C. H.; Zheng, M.; Zeng, L. M.; Kiang, C. S.; Zhang, Y. H.; Lau, A. K. H.; Schauer, J. J.

Fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) was measured for 4 months during 2002-2003 at seven sites located in the rapidly developing Pearl River Delta region of China, an area encompassing the major cities of Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou. The 4-month average fine particulate matter concentration ranged from 37 to 71 μg m -3 in Guangdong province and from 29 to 34 μg m -3 in Hong Kong. Main constituents of fine particulate mass were organic compounds (24-35% by mass) and sulfate (21-32%). With sampling sites strategically located to monitor the regional air shed patterns and urban areas, specific source-related fine particulate species (sulfate, organic mass, elemental carbon, potassium and lead) and daily surface winds were analyzed to estimate influential source locations. The impact of transport was investigated by categorizing 13 (of 20 total) sampling days by prevailing wind direction (southerly, northerly or low wind-speed mixed flow). The vicinity of Guangzhou is determined to be a major source area influencing regional concentrations of PM 2.5, with levels observed to increase by 18-34 μg m -3 (accounting for 46-56% of resulting particulate levels) at sites immediately downwind of Guangzhou. The area near Guangzhou is also observed to heavily impact downwind concentrations of lead. Potassium levels, related to biomass burning, appear to be controlled by sources in the northern part of the Pearl River Delta, near rural Conghua and urban Guangzhou. Guangzhou appears to contribute 5-6 μg m -3 of sulfate to downwind locations. Guangzhou also stands out as a significant regional source of organic mass (OM), adding 8.5-14.5 μg m -3 to downwind concentrations. Elemental carbon is observed to be strongly influenced by local sources, with highest levels found in urban regions. In addition, it appears that sources outside of the Pearl River Delta contribute a significant fraction of overall fine particulate matter in Hong Kong and Guangdong province. This is evident

[Integrated assessment of eco-environmental vulnerability in Pearl River Delta based on RS and GIS].

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Qing-Yong; Huang, Mei; Liu, Hong-Sheng; Yan, Hui-Min

2011-11-01

Based on the remote sensing data and with the help of geographic information system, an integrated assessment was conducted on the eco-environmental vulnerability of Pearl River Delta in 2004-2008. Spatial principal component analysis was used to generate the evaluation indicators, and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was applied to determine the weights of the evaluation factors. The reasons causing the vulnerability of the eco- environment in Pearl River Delta were discussed. In the study area, its middle part was the most vulnerable region, occupying 34.0% of the total, eastern part was the moderately vulnerable region, accounting for 25.5%, and western part was the lightly and slightly vulnerable areas, accounting for 28.7 and 11.8%, respectively. Totally, the moderately and lightly vulnerable areas occupied 54.2%, indicating that a majority of the Delta was under moderate and light vulnerability. The natural factors affecting the eco-environmental vulnerability of the Delta were altitude, heavy rain days, water and soil erosion rate, flooded infield rate, normalized difference vegetation index (ND VI) and landscape diversity index, whereas the human factors were population density, waste discharge per unit area, exhaust emission per unit area, land use change, chemical fertilization intensity, pesticide application intensity, amount of motor vehicles possessed by ten thousands people, and index of environmental protection investment. The main characteristics of the extremely and heavily vulnerable regions were low altitude, high frequency of flood disaster, large flooded infield, serious vegetation degradation, high pollution level and low environment protection investment index.

Linear alkylbenzenes in riverine runoff of the Pearl River Delta (China) and their application as anthropogenic molecular markers in coastal environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ni Honggang; Lu Fenghui; Wang Jizhong; Guan Yufeng; Luo Xianlin; Zeng, Eddy Y.

2008-01-01

The average concentrations of ΣLABs (sum of C 10 -C 13 -LABs) in runoff samples collected from the eight major riverine outlets of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) of China ranged from 1.4 to 6124 ng/L in the dissolved phase and from 0.01 to 11.4 μg/g dry weight in the particulate phase during March 2005-February 2006. The annual riverine flux of ΣLABs from the PRD to the coastal ocean was estimated at approximately 14 tons/yr. The inventories of ΣLABs in agricultural lands of Guangdong Province ranged from 313 to 1825 kg/yr. The early and late rice fields were the major sink of LABs, accounting for approximately 68% of total LABs inventory in agricultural lands. The social-economically estimated annual discharge of LABs from household detergents in the PRD was ∼696 tons/yr, more than an order of magnitude higher than that estimated from field measurements (about 14 tons/yr), which was attributed to several factors. - Occurrence of LABs in riverine runoff of the Pearl River Delta (China) was examined

Tissue distribution of organochlorine pesticides in fish collected from the Pearl River Delta, China: Implications for fishery input source and bioaccumulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo Ying; Meng Xiangzhou; Tang Honglei; Zeng, Eddy Y.

2008-01-01

Fish tissues from different fishery types (freshwater farmed, seawater farmed and seawater wild) were analyzed for organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), with the aim to further our understanding of bioaccumulation, and reflect the state of different fishery environments. Significantly higher ΣOCP levels were found in seawater farmed fish than others, and among three freshwater farmed species, the lowest levels occurred in filter-feeding fish (bighead carp). Liver contained the highest ΣOCP levels, while no significant differences were found among other tissues. Among DDT components, p,p'-DDT was abundant in seawater fish, while for freshwater fish, p,p'-DDE was the predominant congeners, except for northern snakehead (34% for p,p'-DDE and 30% for p,p'-DDT). The new source of DDTs to freshwater fish ponds was partly attributed to dicofol, whereas sewage discharged from the Pearl River Delta and anti-fouling paint were likely the DDTs sources to seawater farmed fish. - Occurrence of organochlorine pesticides in fish tissues was examined to assess input sources and modes of bioaccumulation in the Pearl River Delta, China

Top-down estimates of benzene and toluene emissions in the Pearl River Delta and Hong Kong, China

OpenAIRE

Fang, Xuekun; Shao, Min; Stohl, Andreas; Zhang, Qiang; Zheng, Junyu; Guo, Hai; Wang, Chen; Wang, Ming; Ou, Jiamin; Thompson, Rona L.; Prinn, Ronald G.

2016-01-01

Benzene (C6H6) and toluene (C7H8) are toxic to humans and the environment. They are also important precursors of ground-level ozone and secondary organic aerosols and contribute substantially to severe air pollution in urban areas in China. Discrepancies exist between different bottom-up inventories for benzene and toluene emissions in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) and Hong Kong (HK), which are emission hot spots in China. This study provides top-down estimates of benzene and ...

A gradient analysis on urban sprawl and urban landscape pattern between 1985 and 2000 in the Pearl River Delta, China

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Erfu; Wu, Zhuo; Du, Xiaodian

2017-04-01

Urbanization is an irreversible trend worldwide, especially in rapidly developing China. Accelerated urbanization has resulted in rapid urban sprawl and urban landscape pattern changes. Quantifying the spatiotemporal dynamics of urban land use and landscape pattern not only can reveal the characteristics of social transfer and economic development, but also can provide insights into the driving mechanisms of land use changes. In this study, we integrated remote sensing (RS), geographic information system (GIS), landscape metrics, and gradient analysis to quantitatively compare the spatiotemporal dynamics of land use, urban sprawl, and landscape pattern for nine cities in the Pearl River Delta from 1985‒2000. For the whole study region, urbanization was obvious. The results show an increase in urban buildup land and shrinkage of cropland in the Pearl River Delta. However, the nine cities differed greatly in terms of the process and magnitude of urban sprawl for both the spatial and temporal dimensions. This was most evident for the cities of Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Gradient analysis on urban landscape changes could deepen understanding of the stages of urban development and provide a scientific foundation for future urban planning and land management strategies in China.

Investing for upgrading: the emergence of financial system of science and technology in China’s Pearl River Delta

OpenAIRE

XIAODONG WANG; CHRISTOF MORSCHER

2016-01-01

This article discusses the recent reform policy in China on setting up new financial system for supporting science and technology innovation. Based on the financial sector development in the Pearl River Delta in China’s Guangdong Province, especially Guangzhou, one pilot city of Chinese Science and Technology Financial System Reform, the article analyses the problems in financial system and makes some suggestion on how to restructure the financial system to meet the financial need of local em...

Measuring urban agglomeration using a city-scale dasymetric population map: A study in the Pearl River Delta, China

OpenAIRE

Wei, Chunzhu; Taubenböck, Hannes; Blaschke, Thomas

2017-01-01

The rates of urbanization and increase in urban sprawl that have occurred in China over the past thirty years have been unprecedented. This article presents a new city-scale dasymetric modelling approach that incorporates historical census data for 28 cities in the Pearl River Delta area of southern China. It combines Landsat imagery (from 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015) with a ‘limiting variable’ estimation al-gorithm to generate a gridded estimate of population density. These gridded population...

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and organochlorine pesticides in water columns from the Pearl River and the Macao harbor in the Pearl River Delta in South China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luo, X.J.; Mai, B.X.; Yang, Q.S.; Fu, J.M.; Sheng, G.Y.; Wang, Z.S. [Chinese Academy of Science, Guangzhou (China)

2004-06-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were measured in suspended particles and dissolved phase from the Baiertang water column and the Macao water column samples as collected from the Guangzhou channel of the Pearl River and the Macao harbor, where the sediments were heavily contaminated with organic pollutants. Total OCPs concentration varies from 23.4 to 61.7 ng/l in Baiertang water column and from 25.2 to 67.8 ng/l in Macao column, while total PAHs concentration varies from 987.1 to 2878.5 ng/l in the Baiertang water column and from 944.0 to 6654.6 ng/l in the Macao column. The vertical distribution profiles of pollutants and the partition of pollutants between particles and dissolved phases indicate that the sediments in Baiertang act as an important source of selected pollutants, and the pollutants in water of this region were mainly originated from the release and re-suspension of contaminants residing in the sediments. The sediments in Macao harbor act as a reservoir for organochlorine pesticides, such as DDTs mainly introduced by river inflow from Xijiang and PAHs input by brackish water from the Lingdingyang estuary. Combustion of fossil fuels and petroleum input are the main sources of PAHs in the Macao water column, while combustion of fossil fuels and coal is responsible for the PAHs in the Baiertang water column.

Aerosol profiles determined with lidar and sun-photometer over the Pearl River Delta, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Heese, B.; Althausen, D.; Bauditz, M.; Deng, R.; Bao, R.; Li, Z.

2012-04-01

The priority program "Megacities-Megachallenge - Informal Dynamics of Global Change" is a large interdisciplinary project funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). One of the subproject deals with mega-urbanisation in the Pearl River Delta, South-China, with special respect to particulate air pollution and public health. In the frame of this subproject the vertical distribution of aerosol optical properties are investigated by measurements with the multiwavelength-Raman-polarization lidar PollyXT of the IfT. The instrument can measure the particle backscatter coefficient at 355 nm, 532 nm, and 1064 nm, the particle extinction coefficients at 355 nm and 532 nm, and the particle linear depolarization ratio at 532 nm. These measurements are supported by a dual-polar sun photometer that provides height integrated data as the aerosol optical depth and the degree of linear depolarization. These instruments are placed at the East campus of the Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China. Guangzhou and the Pearl River Delta is a developing area with currently around 11 Million inhabitants. The measurements started in November 2011 and are supposed to continue for at least half a year covering the late autumn and winter season and parts of the spring season. Extensions of the measurements towards a whole seasonal cycle are planned. Thus, different meteorological conditions will lead to particle transport from several source regions. Different aerosol types are expected to be observed during the measurement period: urban particles from local and regional sources as well as dust from the deserts in Central Asia. The observed particles can be distinguished by analyzing their optical properties at several wavelengths. In particular, the depolarization measurements from both instruments promise a better determination of the particle shape.

Spatial and temporal variation of nutrients in groundwater and associated processes in the coastal zone of the Pearl River Delta, China

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, J.

2017-12-01

Rapid urbanization has occurred in the Pearl River Delta since 1980s, resulting in tremendous accumulation of population and material in an area of around 1.1x104 km2. Massive nutrients were released to the coastal zone either via the Pearl River or the aquifer, and effects of these nutrients on ecosystem and drinking water supply are a big public concern. Field campaigns to collect groundwater samples were implemented in rainy (April- September) and dry seasons (October - March) during the period of 2005-2016, and samples were analyzed for major ions, nutrients, multiple isotopes, N2O and microbiological DNA. Seasonal and spatial pattern of nutrients from the recharge to the discharge zone in two case study areas were identified and compared regarding relevant N transformation processes. Main sources of nutrients in groundwater and major mechanisms, e.g. denitrification, nitrification and etc., involved in these processes were raised by integrating microbiological, isotopic and geochemical evidences. Driven forces of the change in nutrients in the past 10 years were investigated based on statistical data, and total nutrient load in groundwater in the delta was estimated.

Urbanization effect on precipitation over the Pearl River Delta based on CMORPH data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sheng Chen

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Based on the satellite data from the Climate Prediction Center morphing (CMORPH at very high spatial and temporal resolution, the effects of urbanization on precipitation were assessed over the Pearl River Delta (PRD metropolitan regions of China. CMORPH data well estimates the precipitation features over the PRD. Compared to the surrounding rural areas, the PRD urban areas experience fewer and shorter precipitation events with a lower precipitation frequency (ratio of rainy hours, about 3 days per year less; however, short-duration heavy rain events play a more significant role over the PRD urban areas. Afternoon precipitation is much more pronounced over the PRD urban areas than the surrounding rural areas, which is probably because of the increase in short-duration heavy rain over urban areas.

Fate of linear alkylbenzenes and benzothiazoles of anthropogenic origin and their potential as environmental molecular markers in the Pearl River Delta, South China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ni Honggang; Shen Rulang; Zeng Hui; Zeng, Eddy Y.

2009-01-01

The mass emissions of linear alkylbenzenes (LABs), benzothiazole (BT), and 2-[4-morpholinyl]benzothiazole (24MoBT) from anthropogenic activities within one year were estimated according to the population and the number of automobiles in the Pearl River Delta (PRD), South China. Based on the estimation, the distribution of these compounds among various environmental media was simulated with a mass balance box model established in the present study. The results showed that 79% of LABs generated in the PRD was stored in sediment while only 1.3% of LABs was presumably transported to the adjacent South China Sea (SCS). On the contrary, 47% of BT and 77% of 24MoBT generated in the region were carried with riverine runoff to the coastal ocean. The results from the present study suggest that hydrophobic compounds tend to stay in the watershed of the PRD, whereas hydrophilic ones mainly outflow to the coastal ocean. - A simple mass balance box model examines the fate of linear alkylbenzenes and benzothiazoles in the Pearl River Delta, South China.

Over one hundred years of trace metal fluxes in the sediments of the Pearl River Estuary, South China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ip, C.C.M.; Li, X.D.; Zhang, G.; Farmer, J.G.; Wai, O.W.H.; Li, Y.S.

2004-01-01

The rapid economic development in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region in South China in the last three decades has had a significant impact on the local environment. Estuarine sediment is a major sink for contaminants and nutrients in the surrounding ecosystem. The accumulation of trace metals in sediments may cause serious environmental problems in the aquatic system. Thirty sediment cores were collected in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) in 2000 for a study on trace metal pollution in this region. Heavy metal concentrations and Pb isotopic compositions in the four 210 Pb-dated sediment cores were determined to assess the fluxes in metal deposits over the last one hundred years. The concentrations of Cu, Pb and Zn in the surface sediment layers were generally elevated when compared with the sub-surface layers. There has been a significant increase in inputs of Cu, Pb and Zn in the PRE since the 1970s. The results also showed that different sampling locations in the estuary received slightly different types of inputs. Pb isotopic composition data indicated that the increased Pb in the recent sediments was of anthropogenic origin. The results of trace metal influxes showed that about 30% of total Pb and 15% of total Zn in the sediments in the 1990s were from anthropogenic sources. The combination of trace metal analysis, Pb isotopic composition and 210 Pb dating in an estuary can provide vital information on the long-term accumulation of metals in sediments

Far-reaching transport of Pearl River plume water by upwelling jet in the northeastern South China Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Zhaoyun; Pan, Jiayi; Jiang, Yuwu; Lin, Hui

2017-09-01

Satellite images from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) show that there was a belt of turbid water appearing along an upwelling front near the Chinese coast of Guangdong, and indicate that the turbid water of the Pearl River plume water could be transported to a far-reaching area east of the Taiwan Bank. Numerical modeling results are consistent with the satellite observations, and reveal that a strong jet exists at the upwelling front with a speed as high as 0.8 m s- 1, which acts as a pathway for transporting the high-turbidity plume water. The dynamical analysis suggests that geostrophic equilibrium dominates in the upwelling front and plume areas, and the baroclinicity of the upwelling front resulting from the horizontal density gradient is responsible for the generation of the strong jet, which enhances the far-reaching transport of the terrigenous nutrient-rich water of the Pearl River plume. Model sensitivity analyses also confirm that this jet persists as long as the upwelling front exists, even when the wind subsides and becomes insignificant. Further idealized numerical model experiments indicate that the formation and persistence of the upwelling front jet depend on the forcing strength of the upwelling-favorable wind. The formation time of the jet varies from 15 to 158 h as the stress of the upwelling-favorable wind changes from 0.2 to 0.01 N m- 2. With the persistent transport of the nutrient-rich plume water, biophysical activities can be promoted significantly in the far-reaching destination area of the oligotrophic water.

Microplastics in oysters Saccostrea cucullata along the Pearl River Estuary, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Heng-Xiang; Ma, Li-Sha; Lin, Lang; Ni, Zhi-Xin; Xu, Xiang-Rong; Shi, Hua-Hong; Yan, Yan; Zheng, Guang-Ming; Rittschof, Daniel

2018-05-01

As a transitional zone between riverine and marine environments, an estuary plays an important role for the sources, accumulation and transport of microplastics. Although estuarine environments are hotspots of microplastic pollution, the correlation between microplastic pollution and aquatic organisms is less known. Here we investigated microplastic pollution in wild oysters Saccostrea cucullata from 11 sampling sites along the Pearl River Estuary in South China. The microplastic abundances in oysters ranged from 1.4 to 7.0 items per individual or from 1.5 to 7.2 items per gram tissue wet weight, which were positively related to those in surrounding waters. The oysters near urban areas contained significantly more microplastics than those near rural areas. Fibers accounted for 69.4% of the total microplastics in oysters. Microplastic sizes varied from 20 to 5000 μm and 83.9% of which were less than 100 μm. Light color microplastics were significantly more common than dark color ones. Based on the results, oysters are recommended as a biomonitor for the microplastic pollution in estuaries. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and organochlorine pesticides in water columns from the Pearl River and the Macao harbor in the Pearl River Delta in South China.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Xiaojun; Mai, Bixian; Yang, Qingshu; Fu, Jiamo; Sheng, Guoying; Wang, Zhishi

2004-06-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were measured in suspended particles and dissolved phase from the Baiertang water column and the Macao water column samples as collected from the Guangzhou channel of the Pearl River and the Macao harbor, where the sediments were heavily contaminated with organic pollutants. Total OCPs concentration varies from 23.4 to 61.7 ng/l in Baiertang water column and from 25.2 to 67.8 ng/l in Macao column, while total PAHs concentration varies from 987.1 to 2878.5 ng/l in the Baiertang water column and from 944.0 to 6654.6 ng/l in the Macao column. The vertical distribution profiles of pollutants and the partition of pollutants between particles and dissolved phases indicate that the sediments in Baiertang act as an important source of selected pollutants, and the pollutants in water of this region were mainly originated from the release and re-suspension of contaminants residing in the sediments. The sediments in Macao harbor act as a reservoir for organochlorine pesticides, such as DDTs mainly introduced by river inflow from Xijiang and PAHs input by brackish water from the Lingdingyang estuary. Combustion of fossil fuels and petroleum input are the main sources of PAHs in the Macao water column, while combustion of fossil fuels and coal is responsible for the PAHs in the Baiertang water column. The ratios of DDT/(DDD+DDE) for the Macao water column samples demonstrate that such chemicals were input into this region in recent times.

Corporate social capital, market orientation, organizational learning and service innovation performance: an empirical survey in the Pearl river delta of China

OpenAIRE

Jian, Zhaoquan; Zhou, Yu Lu

2015-01-01

Purpose: Service innovation performance (SIP) is an important driver of growth and wealth of service firms in wide range of industries. Yet, few research studies have been done to explore the influencing factors. The purpose of this study intends to identify the impacts of corporate social capital, market orientation and organizational learning on service innovation in the Pearl River Delta of China.Design/methodology/approach: The paper mainly adopted the empirical research. A Structure Equa...

Organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in riverine runoff of the Pearl River Delta, China: Assessment of mass loading, input source and environmental fate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guan Yufeng; Wang Jizhong; Ni Honggang; Zeng, Eddy Y.

2009-01-01

A large-scale sampling program was conducted to simultaneously collect water samples at the eight major riverine runoff outlets of the Pearl River Delta (PRD), South China to assess the importance of riverine runoff in transporting anthropogenic pollutants from terrestrial sources to the coastal ocean. The concentrations of Σ 21 OCPs (sum of 21 OCP components) and Σ 20 PCBs (sum of 20 PCB congeners) were 2.57-41.2 and 0.12-1.47 ng/L, respectively. Compositional distributions of DDTs suggested the possibility of new input sources in the study area, but contributions from dicofol seemed considerably low. The annual inputs of Σ 21 OCPs and Σ 20 PCBs were 3090 and 215 kg, with those of total HCHs and DDTs being 1110 and 1020 kg, respectively. A mass balance consideration indicated that riverine runoff is the major mode carrying OCPs from the PRD to the coastal ocean, and the majority of OCPs is further dissipated to open seas. - Mass loadings, input sources and environmental fate of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in riverine runoff of the Pearl River Delta, China are assessed

[Estimation of urban non-point source pollution loading and its factor analysis in the Pearl River Delta].

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Yi-Shan; Zhuo, Mu-Ning; Li, Ding-Qiang; Guo, Tai-Long

2013-08-01

In the Pearl Delta region, urban rivers have been seriously polluted, and the input of non-point source pollution materials, such as chemical oxygen demand (COD), into rivers cannot be neglected. During 2009-2010, the water qualities at eight different catchments in the Fenjiang River of Foshan city were monitored, and the COD loads for eight rivulet sewages were calculated in respect of different rainfall conditions. Interesting results were concluded in our paper. The rainfall and landuse type played important roles in the COD loading, with greater influence of rainfall than landuse type. Consequently, a COD loading formula was constructed that was defined as a function of runoff and landuse type that were derived SCS model and land use map. Loading of COD could be evaluated and predicted with the constructed formula. The mean simulation accuracy for single rainfall event was 75.51%. Long-term simulation accuracy was better than that of single rainfall. In 2009, the estimated COD loading and its loading intensity were 8 053 t and 339 kg x (hm2 x a)(-1), and the industrial land was regarded as the main source of COD pollution area. The severe non-point source pollution such as COD in Fenjiang River must be paid more attention in the future.

Distribution and Source Apportionment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Forest Soils from Urban to Rural Areas in the Pearl River Delta of Southern China

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Yihua; Tong, Fuchun; Kuang, Yuanwen; Chen, Bufeng

2014-01-01

The upper layer of forest soils (0–20 cm depth) were collected from urban, suburban, and rural areas in the Pearl River Delta of Southern China to estimate the distribution and the possible sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Total concentrations of PAHs in the forest soils decreased significantly along the urban–suburban–rural gradient, indicating the influence of anthropogenic emissions on the PAH distribution in forest soils. High and low molecular weight PAHs dominated in the urban and rural forest soils, respectively, implying the difference in emission sources between the areas. The values of PAH isomeric diagnostic ratios indicated that forest soil PAHs were mainly originated from traffic emissions, mixed sources and coal/wood combustion in the urban, suburban and rural areas, respectively. Principal component analysis revealed that traffic emissions, coal burning and residential biomass combustion were the three primary contributors to forest soil PAHs in the Pearl River Delta. Long range transportation of PAHs via atmosphere from urban area might also impact the PAHs distribution in the forest soils of rural area. PMID:24599040

Monitoring of Deep Foundation Pit Support and Construction Process in Soft Soil Area of Pearl River Delta

Science.gov (United States)

Weiyi, Xie; Pengcheng

2018-03-01

The deep foundation pit supporting technology in the soft soil area of the Pearl River Delta is more complicated, and many factors influence and restrict it. In this project as an example, according to the geological conditions and the surrounding circumstances, the main foundation using bored piles and pre-stressed anchor cable supporting structure + five axis cement mixing pile curtain supporting form; partial use of double row piles supporting structure + five axis cement mixing pile curtain support type. Through the monitoring results of construction show that the foundation pit, the indicators of environmental changes are in the design range, the supporting scheme of deep foundation pit technology is feasible and reliable.

Occurrences of dissolved trace metals (Cu, Cd, and Mn) in the Pearl River Estuary (China), a large river-groundwater-estuary system

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Deli; Lin, Wenfang; Yang, Xiqian; Zhai, Weidong; Dai, Minhan; Arthur Chen, Chen-Tung

2012-12-01

This study for the first time examined dissolved metals (Cu, Cd, and Mn) together with dissolved oxygen and carbonate system in the whole Pearl River Estuary system, from the upper rivers to the groundwater discharges until the estuarine zone, and explored their potential impacts in the adjacent northern South China Sea (SCS) during May-August 2009. This river-groundwater-estuary system was generally characterized by low dissolved metal levels as a whole, whilst subject to severe perturbations locally. In particular, higher dissolved Cu and Cd occurred in the North River (as high as 60 nmol/L of Cu and 0.99 nmol/L of Cd), as a result of an anthropogenic source from mining activities there. Dissolved Cu levels were elevated in the upper estuary near the city of Guangzhou (Cu: ˜40 nmol/L), which could be attributable to sewage and industrial effluent discharges there. Elevated dissolved metal levels (Cu: ˜20-40 nmol/L; Cd: ˜0.2-0.8 nmol/L) also occurred in the groundwaters and parts of the middle and lower estuaries, which could be attributable to a series of geochemical reactions, e.g., chloride-induced desorption from the suspended sediments, oxidation of metal sulfides, and the partial dissolution of minerals. The high river discharge during our sampling period (May-August 2009) significantly diluted anthropogenic signals in the estuarine mixing zone. Of particular note was the high river discharge (which may reach 18.5 times as high as in the dry season) that transported anthropogenic signals (as indicated by dissolved Cu and Cd) into the adjacent shelf waters of the northern SCS, and might have led to the usually high phytoplankton productivity there (chlorophyll-a value >10 μg/L).

Distribution and pollution, toxicity and risk assessment of heavy metals in sediments from urban and rural rivers of the Pearl River delta in southern China.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Rong; Bai, Junhong; Huang, Laibin; Zhang, Honggang; Cui, Baoshan; Liu, Xinhui

2013-12-01

Sediments were collected from the upper, middle and lower reaches of both urban and rural rivers in a typical urbanization zone of the Pearl River delta. Six heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) were analyzed in all sediment samples, and their spatial distribution, pollution levels, toxicity and ecological risk levels were evaluated to compare the characteristics of heavy metal pollution between the two rivers. Our results indicated that the total contents of the six metals in all samples exceeded the soil background value in Guangdong province. Based on the soil quality thresholds of the China SEPA, Cd levels at all sites exceeded class III criteria, and other metals exhibited pollution levels exceeding class II or III criteria at both river sites. According to the sediment quality guidelines of the US EPA, all samples were moderately to heavily polluted by Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn. Compared to rural river sites, urban river sites exhibited heavier pollution. Almost all sediment samples from both rivers exhibited moderate to serious toxicity to the environment, with higher contributions from Cr and Ni. A "hot area" of heavy metal pollution being observed in the upper and middle reaches of the urban river area, whereas a "hot spot" was identified at a specific site in the middle reach of the rural river. Contrary metal distribution patterns were also observed along typical sediment profiles from urban and rural rivers. However, the potential ecological risk indices of rural river sediments in this study were equal to those of urban river sediments, implying that the ecological health issues of the rivers in the undeveloped rural area should also be addressed. Sediment organic matter and grain size might be important factors influencing the distribution profiles of these heavy metals.

[Health assessment of Qi'ao Island mangrove wetland ecosystem in Pearl River Estuary].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shu-Gong; Zheng, Yao-Hui; Peng, Yi-Sheng; Chen, Gui-Zhu

2010-02-01

Based on the theories of wetland ecosystem health and by using "Pressure-State-Response" model, a health assessment indicator system for Qi' ao Island mangrove wetland ecosystem in Pearl River Estuary was built, and the assessment indices, assessment criteria, indices weighted values, assessment grades, and assessment methods were established to assess the health state of this ecosystem. In 2008, the overall health index of this ecosystem was 0.6580, health level was of grade II (healthy), and the pressure, state, and response indices were 0.3469, 0.8718, and 0.7754, respectively, suggesting that this ecosystem was good in state and response, but still had definite pressure. As a provincial nature reserve, this ecosystem was to be further improved in its health level. However, the research on the health assessment of mangrove wetland ecosystem was still young. Further studies should be made on the selection of assessment indices, long-term oriented monitoring of these indices, and quantification of the relations between ecosystem health level and ecosystem services.

Surficial and vertical distribution of heavy metals in different estuary wetlands in the Pearl river, South China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Honggang; Cui, Baoshan [State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing (China); Zhang, Kejiang [Xinjiang Research Center of Water and Wastewater Treatment, Xinjiang Deland Co., LTD., Urumqi (China)

2012-10-15

A total of 87 soil profiles sampled from five types of wetlands in the Pearl River estuary were analyzed to investigate the surficial and vertical distributions of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn). The results show that wetlands directly connected with rivers (e.g., riparian wetlands, estuarine wetlands, and mangrove wetlands) has much higher metal concentrations than those indirectly connected with rivers (e.g., pond wetlands and reclaimed wetlands). The river water is the major pollution source for all investigated heavy metals. The vertical distribution of heavy metals can be classified into three patterns: (i) linear distribution pattern. The concentration of heavy metals gradually decreases with an increase in soil depth (for riparian and estuarine wetlands); (ii) irregular and stable pattern (for pond and reclaimed wetlands); and (iii) middle enrichment pattern (for mangrove wetlands). In addition to river-borne inputs, a variety of vegetation composition, hydraulic conditions, and human activities also contribute to the variation in distribution of heavy metals in different wetlands. Soil properties (e.g., particle size, pH, salinity, and SOM) also affect the distribution of trace metals in each soil layer. The major pollution source of heavy metals is industrial wastewater. Other sources include agriculture and domestic premises, and atmospheric deposition. This study provides a sound basis for the risk assessment of heavy metals in the studied wetlands and for wetland conservation in general. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Flood Damage Assessment in Pearl River Delta Rural Area Application in Huashan Town, Huadu District,Guanghzou during the 2017 5.7 Heavy Rain Storm

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, X.

2017-12-01

The Pearl River Delta (PRD) in China, the summer rain storm occurs frequently, the flood damage is very serious. Damage assessment is the basis of scientific decision-making in disaster mitigation. All approaches of flood damage analysis contain uncertainties due to the inaccuracies and generalisations used, the lack of data aggravates this problem, making methods very rough. This study presents a detailed flood damage assessment framework in Pearl River Delta rural area, using 2017 "5.7" heavy rain storm event to simulate the process and estimate the flood loss in resident building and property, agriculture production. The framework integrates four modules,1) utilize the remote sensing and statistical yearbook and so on to construct the disaster bearing bodies GIS database; 2) using hydraulics model to simulate the flood extent and depth spatial distribution;3)through field investigation to obtain the flood loss data for all kinds of hazard-affected body, using statistical analysis method to get the damage curves;4)Integrate flood scenarios, disaster bearing bodies GIS database and damage curves to calculate the flood loss estimation value. Using this methodology, in the 2017 "5.7" heavy rain storm event, Huashan Town flood damage loss is underestimate compared with the government report, because of not considering the damage of water conservancy facilities. But the disaster loss value on the spatial distribution is consistent with actual situation. In terms of aggregated values in the whole town, the model is capable of obtaining figures that are within the same order of magnitude. This study produce a flood damage assessment framework taking into account the regional characteristics of PRD rural area, provide a template for future practice. This study only considers the current impacts, the framework should be improved by taking into account socio-economic and climatic changes, as well as implementing adaptation measures to be applied to assess the potential

International Trade, Pollution Accumulation and Sustainable Growth: A VAR Estimation from the Pearl River Delta Region

Science.gov (United States)

Zuo, Hui; Tian, Lu

2018-03-01

In order to investigate international trade influence in the regional environment. This paper constructs a vector auto-regression (VAR) model and estimates the equations with the environment and trade data of the Pearl River Delta Region. The major mechanisms to the lag are discussed and the fit simulation of the environmental change by the international impulse is given. The result shows that impulse of pollution-intensive export deteriorates the environment continuously and impulse of such import improves it. These effects on the environment are insignificantly correlated with contemporary regional income but significantly correlative to early-stage trade feature. To a typical trade-dependent economy, both export and import have hysteresis influence in the regional environment. The lagged impulse will change environmental development in the turning point, maximal pollution level and convergence.

Assessing Pearl Quality Using Reflectance UV-Vis Spectroscopy: Does the Same Donor Produce Consistent Pearl Quality?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul C. Southgate

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Two groups of commercial quality (“acceptable” pearls produced using two donors, and a group of “acceptable” pearls from other donors were analyzed using reflectance UV-Vis spectrophotometry. Three pearls with different colors produced by the same donor showed different absorption spectra. Cream and gold colored pearls showed a wide absorption from 320 to about 460 nm, while there was just slight reflectance around 400 nm by the white pearl with a pink overtone. Cream and gold pearls reached a reflectance peak at 560 to 590 nm, while the white pearl with pink overtone showed slightly wider absorption in this region. Both cream and gold pearls showed an absorption peak after the reflectance peak, at about 700 nm for the cream pearl and 750 nm for the gold pearl. Two other pearls produced by the same donor (white with cream overtone and cream with various overtones showed similar spectra, which differed in their intensity. One of these pearls had very high lustre and its spectrum showed a much higher percentage reflectance than the second pearl with inferior lustre. This result may indicate that reflectance is a useful quantitative indicator of pearl lustre. The spectra of two white pearls resulting from different donors with the same color nacre (silver showed a reflectance at 260 nm, followed by absorption at 280 nm and another reflectance peak at 340 nm. After this peak the spectra for these pearls remained flat until a slight absorption peak around 700 nm. Throughout the visible region, all white pearls used in this study showed similar reflectance spectra although there were differences in reflectance intensity. Unlike the spectral results from white pearls, the results from yellow and gold pearls varied according to color saturation of the pearl. The results of this study show that similarities between absorption and reflectance spectra of cultured pearls resulting from the same saibo donor are negligible and could not be detected

An ozone episode over the Pearl River Delta in October 2008

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Jin; Zhang, Yuanhang; Wang, Xuesong; Li, Jinfeng; Chen, Hao; Liu, Run; Zhong, Liuju; Jiang, Ming; Yue, Dingli; Chen, Duohong; Lv, Wei

2015-12-01

The north and east Pearl River Delta (PRD) is usually a clean, upwind area in autumn. Serious ozone pollution there in mid-late October 2008 was first discovered and then analyzed. Trajectory analysis, process analysis, ozone source apportionment technology, and sensitivity analysis were used to study this episode. Under the influence of a weak south wind, the precursors emitted in Guangzhou and Foshan were transported to the north and northeast PRD and formed ozone there, which resulted in high ozone concentration (>100 ppb). As the wind direction later transited to northerly, the precursors in the northeast PRD that originated from the central and west PRD were transported to the south, and caused severe ozone pollution in the southeast PRD. The ozone contributed by chemical processes reached >20 ppb/h in Jinguowan. More than 40 ppb ozone was contributed by the precursor emission in the central and west PRD during the episode. The ozone concentration was highly sensitive to the precursor emission in the PRD region in the high-ozone situations. This episode showed the complexity of regional pollution in the PRD. When the PRD is controlled by a low air pressure system and then cold air moves from northern China to the south, the risk of ozone pollution in the north and southeast PRD increases.

Extraction and Analysis of Impervious Surfaces Based on a Spectral Un-Mixing Method Using Pearl River Delta of China Landsat TM/ETM+ Imagery from 1998 to 2008

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renrong Chen

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Impervious surface area (ISA is considered as an indicator of environment change and is regarded as an important input parameter for hydrological cycle simulation, water management and area pollution assessment. The Pearl River Delta (PRD, the 3rd most important economic district of China, is chosen in this paper to extract the ISA information based on Landsat images of 1998, 2003 and 2008 by using a linear spectral un-mixing method and to monitor impervious surface change by analyzing the multi-temporal Landsat-derived fractional impervious surface. Results of this study were as follows: (1 the area of ISA in the PRD increased 79.09% from 1998 to 2003 and 26.88% from 2003 to 2008 separately; (2 the spatial distribution of ISA was described according to the 1998/2003 percentage respectively. Most of middle and high percentage ISA was located in northwestern and southeastern of the whole delta, and middle percentage ISA was mainly located in the city interior, high percentage ISA was mainly located in the suburban around the city accordingly; (3 the expanding direction and trend of high percentage ISA was discussed in order to understand the change of urban in this delta; High percentage ISA moved from inner city to edge of urban area during 1998–2003 and moved to the suburban area that far from the urban area mixed with jumpily and gradually during 2003–2008. According to the discussion of high percentage ISA spatial expanded direction, it could be found out that high percentage ISA moved outward from the centre line of Pearl River of the whole delta while a high ISA percentage in both shores of the Pearl River Estuary moved toward the Pearl River; (4 combining the change of ISA with social conditions, the driving relationship was analyzed in detail. It was evident that ISA percentage change had a deep relationship with the economic development of this region in the past ten years. Contemporaneous major sport events (16th Asia Games of

Estimation of chlorophyll-a concentration in estuarine waters: case study of the Pearl River estuary, South China Sea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Yuanzhi; Lin Hui; Chen, Chuqun; Chen Liding; Zhang Bing; Gitelson, Anatoly A

2011-01-01

The objective of this work is to estimate chlorophyll-a (chl-a) concentration in the Pearl River estuary in China. To test the performance of algorithms for the estimation of the chl-a concentration in these productive turbid waters, the maximum band ratio (MBR) and near-infrared-red (NIR-red) models are used in this study. Specific focus is placed on (a) comparing the ability of the models to estimate chl-a in the range 1-12 mg m -3 , which is typical for coastal and estuarine waters, and (b) assessing the potential of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) and Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) to estimate chl-a concentrations. Reflectance spectra and water samples were collected at 13 stations with chl-a ranging from 0.83 to 11.8 mg m -3 and total suspended matter from 9.9 to 21.5 g m -3 . A close relationship was found between chl-a concentration and total suspended matter concentration with the determining coefficient (R 2 ) above 0.89. The MBR calculated in the spectral bands of MODIS proved to be a good proxy for chl-a concentration (R 2 > 0.93). On the other hand, both the NIR-red three-band model, with wavebands around 665, 700, and 730 nm, and the NIR-red two-band model (with bands around 665 and 700 nm) explained more than 95% of the chl-a variation, and we were able to estimate chl-a concentrations with a root mean square error below 1 mg m -3 . The two- and three-band NIR-red models with MERIS spectral bands accounted for 93% of the chl-a variation. These findings imply that the extensive database of MODIS and MERIS images could be used to quantitatively monitor chl-a in the Pearl River estuary.

Estimation of chlorophyll-a concentration in estuarine waters: case study of the Pearl River estuary, South China Sea

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang Yuanzhi; Lin Hui [Institute of Space and Earth Information Science, Yuen Yuen Research Centre for Satellite Remote Sensing, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T. (Hong Kong); Chen, Chuqun [South China Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou (China); Chen Liding [Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (China); Zhang Bing [Center for Earth Observation and Digital Earth, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (China); Gitelson, Anatoly A, E-mail: yuanzhizhang@cuhk.edu.hk [Center for Advanced Land Management Information Technologies (CALMIT), School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (United States)

2011-04-15

The objective of this work is to estimate chlorophyll-a (chl-a) concentration in the Pearl River estuary in China. To test the performance of algorithms for the estimation of the chl-a concentration in these productive turbid waters, the maximum band ratio (MBR) and near-infrared-red (NIR-red) models are used in this study. Specific focus is placed on (a) comparing the ability of the models to estimate chl-a in the range 1-12 mg m{sup -3}, which is typical for coastal and estuarine waters, and (b) assessing the potential of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) and Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) to estimate chl-a concentrations. Reflectance spectra and water samples were collected at 13 stations with chl-a ranging from 0.83 to 11.8 mg m{sup -3} and total suspended matter from 9.9 to 21.5 g m{sup -3}. A close relationship was found between chl-a concentration and total suspended matter concentration with the determining coefficient (R{sup 2}) above 0.89. The MBR calculated in the spectral bands of MODIS proved to be a good proxy for chl-a concentration (R{sup 2} > 0.93). On the other hand, both the NIR-red three-band model, with wavebands around 665, 700, and 730 nm, and the NIR-red two-band model (with bands around 665 and 700 nm) explained more than 95% of the chl-a variation, and we were able to estimate chl-a concentrations with a root mean square error below 1 mg m{sup -3}. The two- and three-band NIR-red models with MERIS spectral bands accounted for 93% of the chl-a variation. These findings imply that the extensive database of MODIS and MERIS images could be used to quantitatively monitor chl-a in the Pearl River estuary.

Kinds of nucleus for effective pearl cultivation of the pearl oysters, Pinctada fucata

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kanjanachatree, K.

2007-07-01

Full Text Available Seeding is the most important aspect of pearl cultivation, and appropriate nucleus can determine the quality of a pearl : nacre secretion and accumulation around the nucleus. This affects harvest time, nucleus extrusion, survival rate of the pearl oysters and the production cost. In order to provide nuclei to substitute for those imported from China which are made from freshwater pearl oyster-shells, 3 kinds of the local shells of Pinctada fucata, Pteria penguin and Pinctada maxima were selected for seed production. The obtained nuclei have various diameters depend on the shell width at the hinge region. The average diameters are 5.44, 6.78, 7.54 and 6.10 mm, while their production costs are 5, 7.7, 18.5 and 7.5 baht per 1 nucleus, respectively, for Pinctada fucata, Pteria penguin, Pinctada maxima and freshwater pearl oysters (control group. After nucleus implantation into the gonad of culture pearl oysters, Pinctada fucata, and rearing in the sea, the obtained pearls using nuclei made from the shells of Pinctada fucata and Pinctada maxima (both belong to the same genus as the implanted culture pearl oysters have as good nacre formation as that from freshwater pearl oysters. In contrast, the pearl production using nuclei made from Pteria penguin-shells have significantly worse nacre formation. Survival rate of the culture oysters seeded with nuclei made from Pinctada fucata-shells is highest at 47%, nucleus extrusion 8% only, and harvest rate 31%; while with Pinctada maxima-shells, these values are 38%, 17.5% and 14%, respectively. So the nuclei made from local Pinctada fucata-shells are appropriate for pearl cultivation and are comparable to imported nuclei. Although the obtained pearls are small, the nuclei made from Pinctada fucata-shells have low cost, low nucleus extrusion and high productivity.

Effect of winds and waves on salt intrusion in the Pearl River estuary

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Wenping; Lin, Zhongyuan; Chen, Yunzhen; Chen, Zhaoyun; Zhang, Heng

2018-02-01

Salt intrusion in the Pearl River estuary (PRE) is a dynamic process that is influenced by a range of factors and to date, few studies have examined the effects of winds and waves on salt intrusion in the PRE. We investigate these effects using the Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment Transport (COAWST) modeling system applied to the PRE. After careful validation, the model is used for a series of diagnostic simulations. It is revealed that the local wind considerably strengthens the salt intrusion by lowering the water level in the eastern part of the estuary and increasing the bottom landward flow. The remote wind increases the water mixing on the continental shelf, elevates the water level on the shelf and in the PRE and pumps saltier shelf water into the estuary by Ekman transport. Enhancement of the salt intrusion is comparable between the remote and local winds. Waves decrease the salt intrusion by increasing the water mixing. Sensitivity analysis shows that the axial down-estuary wind, is most efficient in driving increases in salt intrusion via wind straining effect.

Determination of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzo-furans in the common fishes in Zhujiang area of China by isotope dilution HRGC/HRMS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang Jianqing; Zhuang Zhixiong; Jiang Yousheng; Zhou Jian [Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen (China); Jiang Jie

2004-09-15

Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins and Dibenzo-Furans(PCDDs /PCDFs) are important two kinds of persistent organic pollutants(POPs) in environment since their persistent, toxic, and bioaccumulative properties. The primary route of human exposure to POPs for the general population is through consumption of food. The dietary intake of PCDDs, PCDFs for human exposure is estimated to account for greater than 90%. Levels of PCDDs and PCDFs in foods have been widely reported in the largely international literature. Where sufficient historical data are available in many nations and tighter regulatory controls on them, the general trend internationally has been for a decline in the levels of PCDDs and PCDFs in foods. Although the research work on POPs has been processed in China currently, less information especially for food or environment background is available on PCDDs and PCDFs level in China. The HRGC/HRMS method has been constructed in our laboratory reference US EPA 1613 method, and the method has been validated by participated the international laboratory proficiency test for fish. The paper reports the results of a survey to determine the level of PCDDs/PCDFs in fishes commonly consumed by zhujiang river area people.

Spatial and temporal characteristics of warm season convection over Pearl River Delta region, China, based on 3 years of operational radar data

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xingchao; Zhao, Kun; Xue, Ming

2014-11-01

This study examines the temporal and spatial characteristics and distributions of convection over the Pearl River Delta region of Guangzhou, China, during the May-September warm season, using, for the first time for such a purpose, 3 years of operational Doppler radar data in the region. Results show that convective features occur most frequently along the southern coast and the windward slope of the eastern mountainous area of Pearl River Delta, with the highest frequency occurring in June and the lowest in September among the 5 months. The spatial frequency distribution pattern also roughly matches the accumulated precipitation pattern. The occurrence of convection in this region also exhibits strong diurnal cycles. During May and June, the diurnal distribution is bimodal, with the maximum frequency occurring in the early afternoon and a secondary peak occurring between midnight and early morning. The secondary peak is much weaker in July, August, and September. Convection near the coast is found to occur preferentially on days when a southerly low-level jet (LLJ) exists, especially during the Meiyu season. Warm, moist, and unstable air is transported from the ocean to land by LLJs on these days, and the lifting along the coast by convergence induced by differential surface friction between the land and ocean is believed to be the primary cause for the high frequency along the coast. In contrast, the high frequency over mountainous area is believed to be due to orographic lifting of generally southerly flows during the warm season.

Suitability of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and artificial sweeteners (ASs) as wastewater indicators in the Pearl River Delta, South China.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yuan-Yuan; Liu, Wang-Rong; Liu, You-Sheng; Zhao, Jian-Liang; Zhang, Qian-Qian; Zhang, Min; Zhang, Jin-Na; Jiang, Yu-Xia; Zhang, Li-Juan; Ying, Guang-Guo

2017-07-15

Wastewater indicator is a useful tool for evaluating the wastewater impact on natural water, but there is little information about the suitability of wastewater indicators for different regions. This study aimed to select suitable wastewater indicators in the Pearl River Delta region, south China by screening a range of wastewater related organic compounds. The screening campaign was carried out by investigating the occurrence and removal efficiencies of 93 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and 5 artificial sweeteners (ASs) in nine wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) located in the region, and the occurrence of these target compounds in the contaminated and clean surface water of the Pearl River. An ideal wastewater indicator should be hydrophilic, source-specific for domestic wastewater, ubiquitous in contaminated surface water with detection frequency (DF) >80% and absent in background water samples. For liable indicators, high removal rates (>90%) should be observed in WWTPs and they should be detected in all the influent samples at concentrations fifty times higher than their limits of quantification. For conservative indicators, low removal rates (<50%) should be observed in WWTPs and they should be detected in all the effluent samples at concentrations fifty times higher than their limits of quantification. Based on the above criteria, sucralose and fluconazole were selected as conservative indicators in the region, while cyclamate, saccharin, methyl paraben, ethyl paraben, propyl paraben, paracetamol, salicylic acid and caffeine were selected as liable indicators. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nutrient input through submarine groundwater discharge in two major Chinese estuaries: the Pearl River Estuary and the Changjiang River Estuary

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jianan; Du, Jinzhou; Wu, Ying; Liu, Sumei

2018-04-01

In this study, we used a 224Ra mass balance model to evaluate the importance of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) for the budgets of biogenic elements in two major Chinese estuaries: the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) and the Changjiang River Estuary (CRE). The apparent water age in the PRE was estimated to be 4.8 ± 1.1 days in the dry season and 1.8 ± 0.6 days in the wet season using a physical model based on the tidal prism. In the dry season, the water age in the CRE was estimated to be 11.7 ± 3.0 days using the 224Ra/223Ra activities ratios apparent age model. By applying the 224Ra mass balance model, we obtained calculations of the SGD flow in the PRE of (4.5-10) × 108 m3 d-1 (0.23-0.50 m3 m-2 d-1) and (1.2-2.7) × 108 m3 d-1 (0.06-0.14 m3 m-2 d-1) in the dry season and wet season, respectively, and the estimated SGD flux was (4.6-11) × 109 m3 d-1 (0.18-0.45 m3 m-2 d-1) in the dry season of the CRE. In comparison with the nutrient fluxes from the rivers, the SGD-derived nutrient fluxes may play a vital role in controlling the nutrient budgets and stoichiometry in the study areas. The large amount of dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus fluxes together with high N: P ratios into the PRE and CRE would potentially contribute to eutrophication and the occurrence of red tides along the adjacent waters.

Hourly peak concentration measuring the PM2.5-mortality association: Results from six cities in the Pearl River Delta study

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Hualiang; Ratnapradipa, Kendra; Wang, Xiaojie; Zhang, Yonghui; Xu, Yanjun; Yao, Zhenjiang; Dong, Guanghui; Liu, Tao; Clark, Jessica; Dick, Rebecca; Xiao, Jianpeng; Zeng, Weilin; Li, Xing; Qian, Zhengmin (Min); Ma, Wenjun

2017-07-01

Compared with daily mean concentration of air pollution, hourly peak concentration may be more directly relevant to the acute health effects due to the high concentration levels, however, few have analyzed the acute mortality effects of hourly peak levels of air pollution. We examined the associations of hourly peak concentration of fine particulate matter air pollution (PM2.5) with mortality in six cities in Pearl River Delta, China. We used generalized additive Poisson models to examine the associations with adjustment for potential confounders in each city. We further applied random-effects meta-analyses to estimate the regional overall effects. We further estimated the mortality burden attributable to hourly peak and daily mean PM2.5. We observed significant associations between hourly peak PM2.5 and mortality. Each 10 μg/m3 increase in 4-day averaged (lag03) hourly peak PM2.5 corresponded to a 0.9% [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.7%, 1.1%] increase in total mortality, 1.2% (95% CI: 1.0%, 1.5%) in cardiovascular mortality, and 0.7% (95% CI: 0.2%, 1.1%) in respiratory mortality. We observed a greater mortality burden using hourly peak PM2.5 than daily mean PM2.5, with an estimated 12915 (95% CI: 9922, 15949) premature deaths attributable to hourly peak PM2.5, and 7951 (95% CI: 5067, 10890) to daily mean PM2.5 in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region during the study period. This study suggests that hourly peak PM2.5 might be one important risk factor of mortality in PRD region of China; the finding provides important information for future air pollution management and epidemiological studies.

ESTIMATION CODMN IN GUANGZHOU SECTION OF PEARL RIVER BASED ON GF-1 IMAGES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. B. Feng

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Due to the way that remote sensing works, it has natural advantage to detect optical constituents in waters. And many kinds of inversion models were constructed based on the three main optical constituents, namely chlorophyll-a (Chl-a, suspended particulate matter (SPM, colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM. Except Chl-a used as an indicator of eutrophication, however, the public generally cares less about other two parameters and is more familiar with Grade I ~ V scheme for utilization and protection purposes. Notice the three main optical constituents are also organic-related to some extent. It offers a possible way to estimate CODMn via remote sensing. According to field measurement conducted along the Guangzhou section of Pearl River (GPR for short, the spatial variation of CODMn in GPR shows some kinds of geographical feature, so does the correlation between CODMn and water color constituents. It indicated the complicated contribution of CODMn in GPR or some other urban rivers. Based on the band setting of GF-1 satellite, two kinds of inversion model of CODMn in GPR were finally constructed. One directly achieved CODMn from regression models of which predictors were different band combinations in different channels of GPR. To make the study more practical, the other one first provided empirical models of the three optical constituents, and then estimated CODMn of GPR based on its relationship with optical constituents. After all, Chl-a, SPM and CDOM could be distinguished optically, and remote sensing models of these three constituents in other studies may also be available.

Using Detrital Zircon Geochronology to Constrain Paleogene Provenance and Its Relationship to Rifting in the Zhu 1 Depression, Pearl River Mouth Basin, South China Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wei; Ye, Jiaren; Bidgoli, Tandis; Yang, Xianghua; Shi, Hesheng; Shu, Yu

2017-11-01

Paleogene syn-rift successions in the South China Sea are poorly understood and systematic provenance analysis, which could provide clues to their history, is lacking. Here we report 409 new concordant U-Pb ages from detrital zircons separated from the Paleogene Wenchang, Enping, and Zhuhai formations in the Zhu 1 depression, Pearl River Mouth Basin. The new data, combined with the published age data from the region, document changes in the provenance of syn-rift successions. Detrital zircons from the Eocene Wenchang Formation are unimodal, with Jurassic-Cretaceous (180-80 Ma) ages making up >80% of grains. The ages are consistent with the geochronology of intrabasinal highs, dominated by igneous rocks emplaced during the Yanshanian orogeny, and suggest local provenance. By contrast, detrital zircons from the upper Eocene to lower Oligocene Enping Formation form three well-recognized age-clusters, with peaks at 150, 254, and 438 Ma that match documented tectonomagmatism in South China Block (SCB). Combined with increasing numbers of Precambrian zircons, the data suggest increasing influence of regional provenance of the SCB. Similar age peaks are also recognized from the limited number of zircons analyzed from the upper Oligocene Zhuhai Formation and comparability with modern shelf and river sediment indicates the unit was mainly sourced from the SCB and likely transported by a paleo-Pearl River. We infer that the change in provenance, from local uplifts within the Zhu 1 to the SCB, is related to distinct phases of PRMB rift development; however, later changes are best explained by SCB drainage evolution.

Kinds of nucleus for effective pearl cultivation of the pearl oysters, Pinctada fucata

OpenAIRE

Kanjanachatree, K.; Piyathamrongrut, K.; Inthoncharoen, J.

2007-01-01

Seeding is the most important aspect of pearl cultivation, and appropriate nucleus can determine the quality of a pearl : nacre secretion and accumulation around the nucleus. This affects harvest time, nucleus extrusion, survival rate of the pearl oysters and the production cost. In order to provide nuclei to substitute for those imported from China which are made from freshwater pearl oyster-shells, 3 kinds of the local shells of Pinctada fucata, Pteria penguin and Pinctada maxima were selec...

Container cargo simulation modeling for measuring impacts of infrastructure investment projects in Pearl River Delta

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jia-Qi; Shibasaki, Ryuichi; Li, Bo-Wei

2010-03-01

In the Pearl River Delta (PRD), there is severe competition between container ports, particularly those in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou, for collecting international maritime container cargo. In addition, the second phase of the Nansha terminal in Guangzhou’s port and the first phase of the Da Chang Bay container terminal in Shenzhen opened last year. Under these circumstances, there is an increasing need to quantitatively measure the impact these infrastructure investments have on regional cargo flows. The analysis should include the effects of container terminal construction, berth deepening, and access road construction. The authors have been developing a model for international cargo simulation (MICS) which can simulate the movement of cargo. The volume of origin-destination (OD) container cargo in the East Asian region was used as an input, in order to evaluate the effects of international freight transportation policies. This paper focuses on the PRD area and, by incorporating a more detailed network, evaluates the impact of several infrastructure investment projects on freight movement.

Mixing behavior of chromophoric dissolved organic matter in the Pearl River Estuary in spring

Science.gov (United States)

Lei, Xia; Pan, Jiayi; Devlin, Adam T.

2018-02-01

Mixing behavior of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) and relevant hydrodynamic parameters such as horizontal transport and vertical mixing are identified and discussed based on a set of sampling data obtained during a cruise in May 2014. Using a theoretical conservative mixing model, the surface CDOM in the PRE in spring is classified into two groups by the CDOM absorption-spectral slope relationship (a(300) vs S(275-295)): First, terrigenous CDOM under a non-conservative mixing condition, and removal processes such as photobleaching are suggested to happen; second, marine CDOM behaves conservatively during mixing. The mixing of CDOM at the bottom is shown to be conservative. Controlled by the two-layer gravitational circulation in the PRE, the northern and western estuary shows higher CDOM absorption and lower spectral slope than the southern and eastern estuary, and the surface CDOM presents higher absorption and lower spectral slope than the bottom. Horizontal transport is hypothesized to be the dominant hydrodynamic mechanism affecting CDOM variation and mixing behavior in the PRE, while the vertical mixing has less influence.

Environmental lead pollution threatens the children living in the Pearl River Delta region, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jianmin; Tong, Yongpeng; Xu, Jiazhang; Liu, Xiaoli; Li, Yulan; Tan, Mingguang; Li, Yan

2012-09-01

The objective of this study is to determine children's blood lead levels and identify sources of lead exposure. Childhood lead exposure constitutes a major pediatric health problem today in China. A blood lead screening survey program for children in the age group of 2-12 years residing in Pearl River Delta region, south of China, was carried out from Dec 2007 to Jan 2008. Blood lead levels and lead isotope ratios of a total of 761 participants were assessed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. Measurements of urban environmental samples for source identification of children lead exposure were also performed. The geometric mean value of the children's blood lead levels was 57.05 μg/L, and 9.6% of them were higher than 100 μg/L. The blood lead levels were still much higher than those in developed countries. Based on the data of environmental lead source inventories, lead isotopic tracing revealed that there is about 6.7% past used gasoline Pb embedded in Shenzhen residential dust and about 15.6% in Guangzhou dust, respectively.

Quantification of Multiple Climate Change and Human Activity Impact Factors on Flood Regimes in the Pearl River Delta of China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yihan Tang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Coastal flood regimes have been irreversibly altered by both climate change and human activities. This paper aims to quantify the impacts of multiple factors on delta flood. The Pearl River Delta (PRD, with dense river network and population, is one of the most developed coastal areas in China. The recorded extreme water level (m.s.l. in flood season has been heavily interfered with by varied income flood flow, sea-level rise, and dredged riverbeds. A methodology, composed of a numerical model and the index R, has been developed to quantify the impacts of these driving factors in the the PRD. Results show that the flood level varied 4.29%–53.49% from the change of fluvial discharge, 3.35%–38.73% from riverbed dredging, and 0.12%–16.81% from sea-level rise. The variation of flood flow apparently takes the most effect and sea-level rise the least. In particular, dense river network intensifies the impact of income flood change and sea-level rise. Findings from this study help understand the causes of the the PRD flood regimes and provide theoretical support for flood protection in the delta region.

Effect of winds and waves on salt intrusion in the Pearl River estuary

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W. Gong

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Salt intrusion in the Pearl River estuary (PRE is a dynamic process that is influenced by a range of factors and to date, few studies have examined the effects of winds and waves on salt intrusion in the PRE. We investigate these effects using the Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment Transport (COAWST modeling system applied to the PRE. After careful validation, the model is used for a series of diagnostic simulations. It is revealed that the local wind considerably strengthens the salt intrusion by lowering the water level in the eastern part of the estuary and increasing the bottom landward flow. The remote wind increases the water mixing on the continental shelf, elevates the water level on the shelf and in the PRE and pumps saltier shelf water into the estuary by Ekman transport. Enhancement of the salt intrusion is comparable between the remote and local winds. Waves decrease the salt intrusion by increasing the water mixing. Sensitivity analysis shows that the axial down-estuary wind, is most efficient in driving increases in salt intrusion via wind straining effect.

Variation of Archaeal Populations Along a Salinity Gradient in the Pearl River Estuary, China: Implications for Synergy Between Different Metabolic Processes

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, C.

2016-02-01

Marine archaea mainly include marine group I (MGI) that function as chemolithoautotrophs growing on ammonia and marine group II (MGII) that live heterotrophically. In this study, we quantified the abundance of MGI (represented by archaeal amoA gene) and MGII (16S rRNA gene) using qPCR in the water column of different salinities (A: 0.8‰; B: 18.1‰; C: 23.9‰: D: 31‰) in the Pearl River Estuary over a 12-month period. The results showed that the abundance of MG II in site C (8.5±10.1×107 copies/L) was significantly higher than the other three sites (A: 3.5±8.8×105 copies/L; B: 2.7±4.5×107 copies/L; D: 2.2±4.4×107 copies/L) in all seasons, indicating the perennial blooming of MGII that might be due to the optimal combination of available organic carbon and salinity at this site. We also observed that the correlation between MGI and MGII became better toward the marine water and was significant at site D (R2: A, 0.06; B, 0.1; C, 0.24; D, 0.64), indicating the potential functional relationship between them with increasing salinity. This allows us to hypothesize that the growth of MGI in the coastal site is more dependent on release of ammonia from organic matter degradation by MGII and other heterotrophic organisms. The Pearl River Estuary may be an ideal environment for testing this hypothesis, which may provide insight into the mechanisms of carbon cycle performed by different archaea in continental margin systems.

Characterization of gas hydrate distribution using conventional 3D seismic data in the Pearl River Mouth Basin, South China Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiujuan; Qiang, Jin; Collett, Timothy S.; Shi, Hesheng; Yang, Shengxiong; Yan, Chengzhi; Li, Yuanping; Wang, Zhenzhen; Chen, Duanxin

2016-01-01

A new 3D seismic reflection data volume acquired in 2012 has allowed for the detailed mapping and characterization of gas hydrate distribution in the Pearl River Mouth Basin in the South China Sea. Previous studies of core and logging data showed that gas hydrate occurrence at high concentrations is controlled by the presence of relatively coarse-grained sediment and the upward migration of thermogenic gas from the deeper sediment section into the overlying gas hydrate stability zone (BGHSZ); however, the spatial distribution of the gas hydrate remains poorly defined. We used a constrained sparse spike inversion technique to generate acoustic-impedance images of the hydrate-bearing sedimentary section from the newly acquired 3D seismic data volume. High-amplitude reflections just above the bottom-simulating reflectors (BSRs) were interpreted to be associated with the accumulation of gas hydrate with elevated saturations. Enhanced seismic reflections below the BSRs were interpreted to indicate the presence of free gas. The base of the BGHSZ was established using the occurrence of BSRs. In areas absent of well-developed BSRs, the BGHSZ was calculated from a model using the inverted P-wave velocity and subsurface temperature data. Seismic attributes were also extracted along the BGHSZ that indicate variations reservoir properties and inferred hydrocarbon accumulations at each site. Gas hydrate saturations estimated from the inversion of acoustic impedance of conventional 3D seismic data, along with well-log-derived rock-physics models were also used to estimate gas hydrate saturations. Our analysis determined that the gas hydrate petroleum system varies significantly across the Pearl River Mouth Basin and that variability in sedimentary properties as a product of depositional processes and the upward migration of gas from deeper thermogenic sources control the distribution of gas hydrates in this basin.

An Object-Based Classification Approach for Mapping Migrant Housing in the Mega-Urban Area of the Pearl River Delta (China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sebastian D’Oleire-Oltmanns

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Urban areas develop on formal and informal levels. Informal development is often highly dynamic, leading to a lag of spatial information about urban structure types. In this work, an object-based remote sensing approach will be presented to map the migrant housing urban structure type in the Pearl River Delta, China. SPOT5 data were utilized for the classification (auxiliary data, particularly up-to-date cadastral data, were not available. A hierarchically structured classification process was used to create (spectral independence from single satellite scenes and to arrive at a transferrable classification process. Using the presented classification approach, an overall classification accuracy of migrant housing of 68.0% is attained.

Urbanization signatures in strong versus weak precipitation over the Pearl River Delta metropolitan regions of China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Weibiao; Chen Sheng; Wen Zhiping; Wang Baomin; Chen Guixing; Sha Weimin; Luo Cong; Feng Yerong

2011-01-01

We assess the issues of urban effects on the precipitation over the Pearl River Delta (PRD) metropolitan regions of China. The spatial and temporal variations of strong versus weak precipitation over the PRD and surrounding nonurban areas are investigated. The results show that the urbanization signatures in strong precipitation are significantly different from those in weak precipitation over the urban areas. The PRD experiences more strong precipitation but less weak precipitation compared to surrounding nonurban regions. In addition, the strong precipitation over the PRD displays a pronounced seasonal variation. The seasonality of weak precipitation, however, is much weaker over the PRD compared to the surrounding nonurban regions. Moreover, a strengthening in the precipitation intensity, a reduction in the rainfall frequency and an increase in the convective precipitation as well as the afternoon precipitation are found over the urban areas, which are probably associated with the abundance in strong precipitation and the deficit in weak precipitation over the PRD.

Induction of lipids and resultant FAME profiles of microalgae from coastal waters of Pearl River Delta.

Science.gov (United States)

Daroch, Maurycy; Shao, Congcong; Liu, Ying; Geng, Shu; Cheng, Jay J

2013-10-01

This article presents a study on identification, cultivation and characterisation of microalgal strains from the coastal waters of the Pearl River Delta in Guangdong, China. Thirty-seven identified strains belong to the families: Chlorellaceae, Scotiellocystoidaceae, Scenedesmaceae,Selenastraceae,Micractiniaceae, Coccomyxaceae, Trebouxiaceae and Chlorococcaceae. Of isolated strains, Hindakia PKUAC 169 was selected for lipid induction using two methods: nitrogen starvation and salt stress. After derivatisation of algal lipids through in situ transesterification, lipid profiles of the alga under the two methods were analysed. The results have shown that both lipid yield and fatty acid profiles vary with the methods. Of the two tested methods of inducing lipid production, salt stress yielded three-fold higher lipid productivity than nitrogen starvation. The lipids are predominantly composed of C14-C18 fatty acids, which are favourable for biodiesel production. Moreover, the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids was below the limit of 12% set by EN14214 biodiesel standard. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Process analysis and sensitivity study of regional ozone formation over the Pearl River Delta, China, during the PRIDE-PRD2004 campaign using the Community Multiscale Air Quality modeling system

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X. Wang

2010-05-01

Full Text Available In this study, the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ modeling system is used to simulate the ozone (O₃ episodes during the Program of Regional Integrated Experiments of Air Quality over the Pearl River Delta, China, in October 2004 (PRIDE-PRD2004. The simulation suggests that O₃ pollution is a regional phenomenon in the Pearl River Delta (PRD. Elevated O₃ levels often occurred in the southwestern inland PRD, Pearl River estuary (PRE, and southern coastal areas during the 1-month field campaign. Three evolution patterns of simulated surface O₃ are summarized based on different near-ground flow conditions. More than 75% of days featured interactions between weak synoptic forcing and local sea-land circulation. Integrated process rate (IPR analysis shows that photochemical production is a dominant contributor to O₃ enhancement from 09:00 to 15:00 local standard time in the atmospheric boundary layer over most areas with elevated O₃ occurrence in the mid-afternoon. The simulated ozone production efficiency is 2–8 O₃ molecules per NO_x molecule oxidized in areas with high O₃ chemical production. Precursors of O₃ originating from different source regions in the central PRD are mixed during the course of transport to downwind rural areas during nighttime and early morning, where they then contribute to the daytime O₃ photochemical production. The sea-land circulation plays an important role on the regional O₃ formation and distribution over PRD. Sensitivity studies suggest that O₃ formation is volatile-organic-compound-limited in the central inland PRD, PRE, and surrounding coastal areas with less chemical aging (NO_x/NO_y>0.6, but is NO_x-limited in the rural southwestern PRD with aged air (NO_x/NO_y<0.3.

Source apportionment and health effect of NO_x over the Pearl River Delta region in southern China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Xingcheng; Yao, Teng; Li, Ying; Fung, Jimmy C.H.; Lau, Alexis K.H.

2016-01-01

As one of the most notorious atmospheric pollutants, NO_x not only promotes the formation of ozone but also has adverse health effects on humans. It is therefore of great importance to study the sources of NO_x and its effects on human health. The Comprehensive Air Quality Model (CAMx) modeling system and ozone source apportionment technology (OSAT) were used to study the contribution of NO_x from different emission sources over southern China. The results indicate that heavy duty diesel vehicles (HDDVs) and industrial point sources are the two major local NO_x sources, accounting for 30.8% and 18.5% of local NO_x sources, respectively. In Hong Kong, marine emissions contributed around 43.4% of local NO_x in 2011. Regional transport is another important source of this pollutant, especially in February and November, and it can contribute over 30% of ambient NO_x on average. Power plant point emission is an significant regional source in Zhuhai, Zhongshan and Foshan. The total emission sources are estimated to cause 2119 (0–4405) respiratory deaths and 991 (0–2281) lung cancer deaths due to long-term exposure to NO_x in the Pearl River Delta region. Our results suggest that local governments should combine their efforts and vigorously promote further reduction of NO_x emissions, especially for those sources that make a substantial contribution to NO_x emissions and affect human health: HDDV, LDGV, industrial point sources and marine sources. - Highlights: • WRF-CAMx modeling system with OSAT was used to study the source of NO_x over Pearl River Delta region in China. • The results indicated that local emission and regional transportation are important contributors for NO_x in this region. • Heavy duty diesel vehicle, marine emission and industrial point source are three important contribution sectors. • Long-term exposure to NO_x is estimated to cause 2119 respiratory deaths and 991 lung cancer deaths in PRD during 2011. - Result indicated that heavy duty

Monitoring Population Evolution in the Pearl River Delta from 2000 TO 2010

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, S.; Liu, F.; Zhang, Z.

2018-04-01

On behalf of more populous and developed regions in China, urban agglomerations have become important carries loading active economic activities and generous social benefits, and experienced sharper population increase, which results in great threat on local eco-environment construction. Therefore, exact and detailed population monitoring and analyzing, especially on the long sequence and multi frequency, is of great significance. The nighttime light time-series (NLT) products has been proven to be one of the most useful remotely sensed imagery to acquire persons at 1 km × 1 km scales. However, the existed problems, such as light saturation and blooming, greatly limit the accuracy of estimated results. Furthermore, it's difficult to spatialize population at km2 level due to the lack of basic data in non-census years. In order to solve all problems mentioned above, the populous Pearl River Delta was selected as the study area. A new residential extent extraction index (REEI) was proposed to solve light saturation and blooming problems. Population spatialization methods in census and non-census years were applied to acquire detailed population distribution from 2000 to 2010. Results showed the feasibility of the proposed methods in this work. During the decade, population was denser in the central PRD and sparser in the eastern, western and northern PRD. The speed of population increase was various in nine cities, but faster in 2000-2005 than 2005-2010.

Passive Acoustic Monitoring the Diel, Lunar, Seasonal and Tidal Patterns in the Biosonar Activity of the Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphins (Sousa chinensis) in the Pearl River Estuary, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhi-Tao; Nachtigall, Paul E; Akamatsu, Tomonari; Wang, Ke-Xiong; Wu, Yu-Ping; Liu, Jian-Chang; Duan, Guo-Qin; Cao, Han-Jiang; Wang, Ding

2015-01-01

A growing demand for sustainable energy has led to an increase in construction of offshore windfarms. Guishan windmill farm will be constructed in the Pearl River Estuary, China, which sustains the world's largest known population of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis). Dolphin conservation is an urgent issue in this region. By using passive acoustic monitoring, a baseline distribution of data on this species in the Pearl River Estuary during pre-construction period had been collected. Dolphin biosonar detection and its diel, lunar, seasonal and tidal patterns were examined using a Generalized Linear Model. Significant higher echolocation detections at night than during the day, in winter-spring than in summer-autumn, at high tide than at flood tide were recognized. Significant higher echolocation detections during the new moon were recognized at night time. The diel, lunar and seasonal patterns for the echolocation encounter duration also significantly varied. These patterns could be due to the spatial-temporal variability of dolphin prey and illumination conditions. The baseline information will be useful for driving further effective action on the conservation of this species and in facilitating later assessments of the effects of the offshore windfarm on the dolphins by comparing the baseline to post construction and post mitigation efforts.

Passive Acoustic Monitoring the Diel, Lunar, Seasonal and Tidal Patterns in the Biosonar Activity of the Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphins (Sousa chinensis in the Pearl River Estuary, China.

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Zhi-Tao Wang

Full Text Available A growing demand for sustainable energy has led to an increase in construction of offshore windfarms. Guishan windmill farm will be constructed in the Pearl River Estuary, China, which sustains the world's largest known population of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis. Dolphin conservation is an urgent issue in this region. By using passive acoustic monitoring, a baseline distribution of data on this species in the Pearl River Estuary during pre-construction period had been collected. Dolphin biosonar detection and its diel, lunar, seasonal and tidal patterns were examined using a Generalized Linear Model. Significant higher echolocation detections at night than during the day, in winter-spring than in summer-autumn, at high tide than at flood tide were recognized. Significant higher echolocation detections during the new moon were recognized at night time. The diel, lunar and seasonal patterns for the echolocation encounter duration also significantly varied. These patterns could be due to the spatial-temporal variability of dolphin prey and illumination conditions. The baseline information will be useful for driving further effective action on the conservation of this species and in facilitating later assessments of the effects of the offshore windfarm on the dolphins by comparing the baseline to post construction and post mitigation efforts.

Passive Acoustic Monitoring the Diel, Lunar, Seasonal and Tidal Patterns in the Biosonar Activity of the Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphins (Sousa chinensis) in the Pearl River Estuary, China

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhi-Tao; Nachtigall, Paul E.; Akamatsu, Tomonari; Wang, Ke-Xiong; Wu, Yu-Ping; Liu, Jian-Chang; Duan, Guo-Qin; Cao, Han-Jiang; Wang, Ding

2015-01-01

A growing demand for sustainable energy has led to an increase in construction of offshore windfarms. Guishan windmill farm will be constructed in the Pearl River Estuary, China, which sustains the world’s largest known population of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis). Dolphin conservation is an urgent issue in this region. By using passive acoustic monitoring, a baseline distribution of data on this species in the Pearl River Estuary during pre-construction period had been collected. Dolphin biosonar detection and its diel, lunar, seasonal and tidal patterns were examined using a Generalized Linear Model. Significant higher echolocation detections at night than during the day, in winter-spring than in summer-autumn, at high tide than at flood tide were recognized. Significant higher echolocation detections during the new moon were recognized at night time. The diel, lunar and seasonal patterns for the echolocation encounter duration also significantly varied. These patterns could be due to the spatial-temporal variability of dolphin prey and illumination conditions. The baseline information will be useful for driving further effective action on the conservation of this species and in facilitating later assessments of the effects of the offshore windfarm on the dolphins by comparing the baseline to post construction and post mitigation efforts. PMID:26580966

Combined effect of boundary layer recirculation factor and stable energy on local air quality in the Pearl River Delta over southern China.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Haowen; Wang, Baomin; Fang, Xingqin; Zhu, Wei; Fan, Qi; Liao, Zhiheng; Liu, Jian; Zhang, Asi; Fan, Shaojia

2018-03-01

Atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) has a significant impact on the spatial and temporal distribution of air pollutants. In order to gain a better understanding of how ABL affects the variation of air pollutants, atmospheric boundary layer observations were performed at Sanshui in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region over southern China during the winter of 2013. Two types of typical ABL status that could lead to air pollution were analyzed comparatively: weak vertical diffusion ability type (WVDAT) and weak horizontal transportation ability type (WHTAT). Results show that (1) WVDAT was featured by moderate wind speed, consistent wind direction, and thick inversion layer at 600~1000 m above ground level (AGL), and air pollutants were restricted in the low altitudes due to the stable atmospheric structure; (2) WHTAT was characterized by calm wind, varied wind direction, and shallow intense ground inversion layer, and air pollutants accumulated in locally because of strong recirculation in the low ABL; (3) recirculation factor (RF) and stable energy (SE) were proved to be good indicators for horizontal transportation ability and vertical diffusion ability of the atmosphere, respectively. Combined utilization of RF and SE can be very helpful in the evaluation of air pollution potential of the ABL. Air quality data from ground and meteorological data collected from radio sounding in Sanshui in the Pearl River Delta showed that local air quality was poor when wind reversal was pronounced or temperature stratification state was stable. The combination of horizontal and vertical transportation ability of the local atmosphere should be taken into consideration when evaluating local environmental bearing capacity for air pollution.

Mixing state of oxalic acid containing particles in the rural area of Pearl River Delta, China: implication for seasonal formation mechanism of Secondary Organic Aerosol (SOA)

OpenAIRE

Cheng, Chunlei; Li, Mei; Chan, Chak K.; Tong, Haijie; Chen, Changhong; Chen, Duohong; Wu, Dui; Li, Lei; Cheng, Peng; Gao, Wei; Huang, Zhengxu; Li, Xue; Fu, Zhong; Bi, Yanru; Zhou, Zhen

2016-01-01

The formation of oxalic acid and its mixing state in atmospheric particulate matter (PM) were studied using a single particle aerosol mass spectrometer (SPAMS) in the summer and winter of 2014 in Heshan, a supersite in the rural area of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region in China. Oxalic acid-containing particles accounted for 2.5 % and 2.7 % in total detected ambient particles in summer and winter, respectively. Oxalic acid was measured in particles classified as elemental carb...

Organophosphorus flame retardants in mangrove sediments from the Pearl River Estuary, South China.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Yong-Xia; Sun, Yu-Xin; Li, Xiao; Xu, Wei-Hai; Zhang, Ying; Luo, Xiao-Jun; Dai, Shou-Hui; Xu, Xiang-Rong; Mai, Bi-Xian

2017-08-01

Forty-eight surface sediments were collected from three mangrove wetlands in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) of South China to investigate the distribution of organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs) and the relationship between OPFRs and microbial community structure determined by phospholipid fatty acid. Concentrations of ΣOPFRs in mangrove sediments of the PRE ranged from 13.2 to 377.1 ng g -1 dry weight. Levels of ΣOPFRs in mangrove sediments from Shenzhen and Guangzhou were significantly higher than those from Zhuhai, indicating that OPFRs were linked to industrialization and urbanization. Tris(chloropropyl)phosphate was the predominant profile of OPFRs in mangrove sediments from Shenzhen (38.9%) and Guangzhou (35.0%), while the composition profile of OPFRs in mangrove sediments from Zhuhai was dominated by tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (25.5%). The mass inventories of OPFRs in the mangrove sediments of Guangzhou, Zhuhai and Shenzhen were 439.5, 133.5 and 662.3 ng cm -2 , respectively. Redundancy analysis revealed that OPFRs induced a shift in the structure of mangrove sediment microbial community and the variations were significantly correlated with tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl)phosphate and tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) measurements in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, China

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ying; Shao, Min; Lu, Sihua; Chang, Chih-Chung; Wang, Jia-Lin; Chen, Gao

2008-03-01

We measured levels of ambient volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at seven sites in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region of China during the Air Quality Monitoring Campaign spanning 4 October to 3 November 2004. Two of the sites, Guangzhou (GZ) and Xinken (XK), were intensive sites at which we collected multiple daily canister samples. The observations reported here provide a look at the VOC distribution, speciation, and photochemical implications in the PRD region. Alkanes constituted the largest percentage (>40%) in mixing ratios of the quantified VOCs at six sites; the exception was one major industrial site that was dominated by aromatics (about 52%). Highly elevated VOC levels occurred at GZ during two pollution episodes; however, the chemical composition of VOCs did not exhibit noticeable changes during these episodes. We calculated the OH loss rate to estimate the chemical reactivity of all VOCs. Of the anthropogenic VOCs, alkenes played a predominant role in VOC reactivity at GZ, whereas the contributions of reactive aromatics were more important at XK. Our preliminary analysis of the VOC correlations suggests that the ambient VOCs at GZ came directly from local sources (i.e., automobiles); those at XK were influenced by both local emissions and transportation of air mass from upwind areas.

Volatile Organic Compound (VOC measurements in the Pearl River Delta (PRD region, China

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Chih-chung Chang

2008-03-01

Full Text Available We measured levels of ambient volatile organic compounds (VOCs at seven sites in the Pearl River Delta (PRD region of China during the Air Quality Monitoring Campaign spanning 4 October to 3 November 2004. Two of the sites, Guangzhou (GZ and Xinken (XK, were intensive sites at which we collected multiple daily canister samples. The observations reported here provide a look at the VOC distribution, speciation, and photochemical implications in the PRD region. Alkanes constituted the largest percentage (>40% in mixing ratios of the quantified VOCs at six sites; the exception was one major industrial site that was dominated by aromatics (about 52%. Highly elevated VOC levels occurred at GZ during two pollution episodes; however, the chemical composition of VOCs did not exhibit noticeable changes during these episodes. We calculated the OH loss rate to estimate the chemical reactivity of all VOCs. Of the anthropogenic VOCs, alkenes played a predominant role in VOC reactivity at GZ, whereas the contributions of reactive aromatics were more important at XK. Our preliminary analysis of the VOC correlations suggests that the ambient VOCs at GZ came directly from local sources (i.e., automobiles; those at XK were influenced by both local emissions and transportation of air mass from upwind areas.

Coordinated Development between Urban Tourism Economy and Transport in the Pearl River Delta, China

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Qiuxia Zheng

2016-12-01

Full Text Available By selecting the panel data from 2005 to 2014 of 9 cities in the Pearl River Delta (PRD in China, this paper respectively establishes the evaluation index system of tourism economy and transport. It also applies a synthetic evaluation model and coupling coordination model to estimate comprehensive indices of tourism economy and transport system and their coordinated relationships. The results show that: (1 during 2005–2014, the synthetic indices of tourism economy generally presented constantly upward tendency and the synthetic indices of transport represented wave-like raising trend in the PRD region; (2 during 2005–2014, the 9 cities in the PRD region gradually tended to have coordinated development between tourism economy and transport, and the central area of the PRD region developed faster than the flanks; (3 the correlations between the tourism economy and transport of the cities with abundant tourism resources, developed economy, and advanced transport facilities were more remarkable, and the coordination degrees were higher. Besides, macro-policies, mega-events, and locations also impacted on coordinated development between the tourism economy and transport in the PRD region.

Water Pearls Optics Challenges for Everybody

Science.gov (United States)

Milner-Bolotin, Marina

2012-01-01

Water pearls are superabsorbent polyacrylate beads that can expand about 200 times when submerged in water and are often used for decorative purposes in flower vases. A bag of pearls costs about a dollar. The pearls are very useful for teaching science, especially optics. Since water pearls are mainly made of water, their index of refraction…

The fading of irradiated blue-colored pearls

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okamoto, Shinichi

1982-01-01

The fading of irradiated and natural blue-colored pearls was investigated in this experiment. Thirty natural blue-colored pearls and sixty irradiated blue-colored pearls were used. Some of them were placed at a light position of RT. Another pearls were placed at a dark position of 50 0 C. The irradiated pearls placed at a light position of RT didn't show remarkable fading in their color in 294 days. But the natural blue-colored pearls showed a little recovery from 4% to 8% in reflection factors in 223 days at RT. The irradiated pearls placed at a dark position of 50 0 C showed the recovery from 9% to 14% in 264 days independently of irradiation times. The natural blue-colored pearls also showed the bleaching from 5% to 10% in reflection factor in 86 days at 50 0 C. Both irradiated and natural blue-colored pearls hardly showed their remarkable changes in their chromaticities independently of temperatures. (author)

An ozone episode in the Pearl River Delta: Field observation and model simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, F.; Guo, H.; Wang, T. J.; Cheng, H. R.; Wang, X. M.; Simpson, I. J.; Ding, A. J.; Saunders, S. M.; Lam, S. H. M.; Blake, D. R.

2010-11-01

In the fall of 2007 concurrent air sampling field measurements were conducted for the first time in Guangzhou (at Wan Qing Sha (WQS)) and Hong Kong (at Tung Chung (TC)), two cities in the rapidly developing Pearl River Delta region of China that are only 62 km apart. This region is known to suffer from poor air quality, especially during the autumn and winter months, when the prevailing meteorological conditions bring an outflow of continental air to the region. An interesting multiday O3 pollution event (daily maximum O3 > 122 ppbv) was captured during 9-17 November at WQS, while only one O3 episode day (10 November) was observed at TC during this time. The mean O3 mixing ratios at TC and WQS during the episode were 38 ± 3 (mean ± 95% confidence interval) and 51 ± 7 ppbv, respectively, with a mean difference of 13 ppbv and a maximum hourly difference of 150 ppbv. We further divided this event into two periods: 9-11 November as Period 1 and 12-17 November as Period 2. The mixing ratios of O3 and its precursors (NOx and CO) showed significant differences between the two periods at TC. By contrast, no obvious difference was found at WQS, indicating that different air masses arrived at TC for the two periods, as opposed to similar air masses at WQS for both periods. The analysis of VOC ratios and their relationship with O3 revealed strong O3 production at WQS during Period 2, in contrast to relatively weak photochemical O3 formation at TC. The weather conditions implied regional transport of O3 pollution during Period 1 at both sites. Furthermore, a comprehensive air quality model system (Weather Research and Forecasting-Community Multiscale Air Quality model (WRF-CMAQ)) was used to simulate this O3 pollution event. The model system generally reproduced the variations of weather conditions, simulated well the continuous high O3 episode event at WQS, and captured fairly well the elevated O3 mixing ratios in Period 1 and low O3 levels in Period 2 at TC. The modeled

Heavy metal pollution in surface soils of Pearl River Delta, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Jinmei, Bai; Xueping, Liu

2014-12-01

Heavy metal pollution is an increasing environmental problem in Chinese regions undergoing rapid economic and industrial development, such as the Pearl River Delta (PRD), southern China. We determined heavy metal concentrations in surface soils from the PRD. The soils were polluted with heavy metals, as defined by the Chinese soil quality standard grade II criteria. The degree of pollution decreased in the order Cd > Cu > Ni > Zn > As > Cr > Hg > Pb. The degree of heavy metal pollution by land use decreased in the order waste treatment plants (WP) > urban land (UL) > manufacturing industries (MI) > agricultural land (AL) > woodland (WL) > water sources (WS). Pollution with some of the metals, including Cd, Cu, Ni, and Zn, was attributed to the recent rapid development of the electronics and electroplating industries. Cd, Hg, and Pb (especially Cd) pose high potential ecological risks in all of the zones studied. The soils posing significantly high and high potential ecological risks from Cd covered 73.3 % of UL, 50 % of MI and WP land, and 48.5 % of AL. The potential ecological risks from heavy metals by land use decreased in the order UL > MI > AL > WP > WL > WS. The control of Cd, Hg, and Pb should be prioritized in the PRD, and emissions in wastewater, residue, and gas discharges from the electronics and electroplating industry should be decreased urgently. The use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides should also be decreased.

An association of external and internal enamel pearls.

OpenAIRE

Mahajan S; Charan C

2005-01-01

We report a rare case of an association of external enamel pearl with internal enamel pearl on the root of a molar. To the best of our knowledge, association of external and internal enamel pearls has not been previously reported. We discussed the histogenesis of enamel pearls and proposed that internal enamel pearl formation may be a continuation of formation of external enamel pearl.

Simulation of the Impacts of Urbanization on Winter Meteorological Fields over the Pearl River Delta Region

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Naixing Luo

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The influences of urbanization on weather in Guangdong Province, China, were studied using the Weather Research and Forecasting model from 31 December 2009 through 3 January 2010. Model outputs were compared with extensive monitoring of meteorological data to examine the simulation ability. Model results between tests (with and without land-use change show that the urbanization had major effects on meteorological fields across nearly the entire Pearl River Delta region and particularly in urban areas. Studied fields (wind speed, temperature, precipitation, and sensible and latent heat fluxes were affected by the urbanization of the PRD region. The major influences occurred in urban areas, where wind speeds decreased greatly, while the daytime surface upward sensible heat flux clearly increased. Unlike the sensible heat flux, the latent heat flux had a nonmonotonic increase or decrease. As a consequence of the two heat fluxes, 2-m temperature varied with location and time. Change of precipitation was complex. The main rain band became more concentrated, while precipitation decreased upwind of the urban area and increased downwind.

Riverine inputs of polybrominated diphenyl ethers from the Pearl River Delta (China) to the coastal ocean.

Science.gov (United States)

Guan, Yu-Feng; Wang, Ji-Zhong; Ni, Hong-Gang; Luo, Xiao-Jun; Mai, Bi-Xian; Zeng, Eddy Y

2007-09-01

Riverine runoff is an important mode to transport anthropogenic pollutants from terrestrial sources to oceans. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were measured in riverine runoff samples from the eight major outlets within the Pearl River Delta (PRD), China, an economically fast developing region housing a vast number of electronics manufacturing and assembling plants. The sigma 17PBDEs (sum of 17 BDE congeners, i.e., BDE-28, -47, -66, -85, -99, -100, -138, -153, -154, -183, -196, -197, -203, -206, -207, -208, and -209) concentrations varied from 344 to 68,000 pg/L, with those of BDE-209, BDE-47, and BDE-99 being 335-65200, 3-143, and production of brominated fire retardants (approximately 10000 metric tons/year) and the annual riverine input of total PBDEs from the PRD, suggesting that the majority of PBDEs inventory has been accumulated from importation of e-wastes. Because of the continuous importation of e-wastes and strong demand for brominated fire retardants, the impact of PBDEs on China's and the world's environments is expected to persist for many years to come.

High aerosol load over the Pearl River Delta, China, observed with Raman lidar and Sun photometer

Science.gov (United States)

Ansmann, Albert; Engelmann, Ronny; Althausen, Dietrich; Wandinger, Ulla; Hu, Min; Zhang, Yuanghang; He, Qianshan

2005-07-01

Height-resolved data of the particle optical properties, the vertical extend of the haze layer, aerosol stratification, and the diurnal cycle of vertical mixing over the Pearl River Delta in southern China are presented. The observations were performed with Raman lidar and Sun photometer at Xinken (22.6°N, 113.6°E) near the south coast of China throughout October 2004. The lidar run almost full time on 21 days. Sun photometer data were taken on 23 days, from about 0800 to 1700 local time. The particle optical depth (at about 533-nm wavelength) ranged from 0.3-1.7 and was, on average, 0.92. Ångström exponents varied from 0.65-1.35 (for wavelengths 380 to 502 nm) and from 0.75-1.6 (for 502 to 1044 nm), mean values were 0.97 and 1.22. The haze-layer mean extinction-to-backscatter ratio ranged from 35-59 sr, and was, on average, 46.7 sr. The top of the haze layer reached to heights of 1.5-3 km in most cases.

Non-aromatic hydrocarbons in surface sediments near the Pearl River estuary in the South China Sea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao Xuelu; Chen Shaoyong; Xie Xueliang; Long Aimin; Ma Fujun

2007-01-01

Surface sediment samples at 4 sites along an offshore transect from outer continental shelf off the Pearl River estuary to the shelf slope region of the northern South China Sea, have been analyzed for total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), solvent extractable organic matter (EOM) and non-aromatic hydrocarbons. TOC, TN and EOM show distinct spatial variations. Their highest values are all recorded at the shelf slope region. EOM varies from 18.70-38.58 μg g -1 dry sediment and accounts for 0.20-0.72% of the TOC contents. The non-aromatic hydrocarbons are an important fraction of EOM. Their contents range from 3.43-7.06 μg g -1 dry sediment. n-Alkanes with carbon number ranging from 15-38 are identified. They derive from both biogenic and petrogenic sources in different proportions. Results of isoprenoid hydrocarbons, hopanes and steranes also suggest possible petroleum contamination. - Anthropogenic activities have influences on the composition of non-aromatic hydrocarbons in the surface sediments of the northern South China Sea outer continental shelf

The Relationship between Urban Sprawl and Farmland Displacement in the Pearl River Delta, China

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Shiqiang Du

2013-12-01

Full Text Available China is rapidly urbanizing and will inevitably face trade-offs between promoting economic growth through further urbanization and protecting fertile farmland against accelerated urban expansion. This paper presents how this dilemma is being addressed in one of the most rapidly urbanizing regions in China, the Pearl River Delta (PRD, by means of assessing urban growth and farmland dynamic, as well as their complex relationships. Land use maps derived from Landsat imagery for 1990, 2000 and 2010 show a process of accelerated urban sprawl whereby built-up lands have more than quadrupled and scattered centers have merged into megacities. Nonetheless, the land use efficiency is considerably low and is declining relative to Hong Kong and Macau with respect to urban population density. On the other hand, the spreading of urban areas on farmlands causes new farmland reclamation and accelerated deforestation in the hilly surroundings. In addition, the displaced farmlands do not ensure food production because of both reclaiming farmlands on infertile lands and diversifying farming activities from grain production to market-oriented ones. The accelerated urbanization and farmland displacement are driven by profit-oriented development strategy and ineffective land use planning. Our findings demonstrate how spatial analysis can help to investigate the integrated effects of land policies on landscape.

Characterization of organic matrix extracted from fresh water pearls

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma Yufei; Gao Yonghua; Feng Qingling

2011-01-01

Aragonite pearl and vaterite pearl from cultured Hyriopsis cumingii in Zhuji (Zhejiang province, China) were chosen for the study. The matrix proteins were extracted using water and weak acid, and classified as water soluble matrix (WSM), acid soluble matrix (ASM) and acid insoluble matrix (AIM). The proteins from both pearls were characterized by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transformation infrared spectra (FTIR). The results showed that, AIM of aragonite pearl and vaterite pearl had an ordered structure of α-helix. ASM conformations of these two pearls were different from each other. WSM differed the most between these two pearls. - Research Highlights: → We use a specific method for extracting matrix proteins from aragonite pearl and vaterite pearl respectively. → The matrix proteins are extracted by water and weak acid, and classified as water soluble matrix (WSM), acid soluble matrix (ASM) and acid insoluble matrix (AIM). → AIM of aragonite pearl and vaterite pearl have an ordered structure. ASM conformations of the two pearls are different from each other. WSM differ the most between these two pearls.

To what extent can China’s near-term air pollution control policy protect air quality and human health? A case study of the Pearl River Delta region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, Xujia; Hong, Chaopeng; Zheng, Yixuan; Zheng, Bo; Guan, Dabo; Zhang, Qiang; Gouldson, Andy; He, Kebin

2015-01-01

Following a series of extreme air pollution events, the Chinese government released the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan in 2013 (China’s State Council 2013). The Action Plan sets clear goals for key regions (i.e. cities above the prefecture level, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Province, the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta) and establishes near-term control efforts for the next five years. However, the extent to which the Action Plan can direct local governments’ activities on air pollution control remains unknown. Here we seek to evaluate the air quality improvement and associated health benefits achievable under the Action Plan in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) area from 2012 to 2017. Measure-by-measure quantification results show that the Action Plan would promise effective emissions reductions of 34% of SO 2 , 28% of NO x , 26% of PM 2.5 (particulate matter less than 2.5 μm in diameter), and 10% of VOCs (volatile organic compounds). These emissions abatements would lower the PM 2.5 concentration by 17%, surpassing the 15% target established in the Action Plan, thereby avoiding more than 2900 deaths and 4300 hospital admissions annually. We expect the implementation of the Action Plan in the PRD would be productive; the anticipated impacts, however, fall short of the goal of protecting the health of local residents, as there are still more than 33 million people living in places where the annual mean ambient PM 2.5 concentrations are greater than 35 μg m −3 , the interim target-3 of the World Health Organization (WHO). We therefore propose the next steps for air pollution control that are important not only for the PRD but also for all other regions of China as they develop and implement effective air pollution control policies. (letter)

To what extent can China’s near-term air pollution control policy protect air quality and human health? A case study of the Pearl River Delta region

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Xujia; Hong, Chaopeng; Zheng, Yixuan; Zheng, Bo; Guan, Dabo; Gouldson, Andy; Zhang, Qiang; He, Kebin

2015-10-01

Following a series of extreme air pollution events, the Chinese government released the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan in 2013 (China’s State Council 2013). The Action Plan sets clear goals for key regions (i.e. cities above the prefecture level, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Province, the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta) and establishes near-term control efforts for the next five years. However, the extent to which the Action Plan can direct local governments’ activities on air pollution control remains unknown. Here we seek to evaluate the air quality improvement and associated health benefits achievable under the Action Plan in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) area from 2012 to 2017. Measure-by-measure quantification results show that the Action Plan would promise effective emissions reductions of 34% of SO2, 28% of NOx, 26% of PM2.5 (particulate matter less than 2.5 μm in diameter), and 10% of VOCs (volatile organic compounds). These emissions abatements would lower the PM2.5 concentration by 17%, surpassing the 15% target established in the Action Plan, thereby avoiding more than 2900 deaths and 4300 hospital admissions annually. We expect the implementation of the Action Plan in the PRD would be productive; the anticipated impacts, however, fall short of the goal of protecting the health of local residents, as there are still more than 33 million people living in places where the annual mean ambient PM2.5 concentrations are greater than 35 μg m-3, the interim target-3 of the World Health Organization (WHO). We therefore propose the next steps for air pollution control that are important not only for the PRD but also for all other regions of China as they develop and implement effective air pollution control policies.

Numerical model to quantify biogenic volatile organic compound emissions: The Pearl River Delta region as a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xuemei; Situ, Shuping; Chen, Weihua; Zheng, Junyu; Guenther, Alex; Fan, Qi; Chang, Ming

2016-08-01

This article compiles the actual knowledge of the biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC) emissions estimated using model methods in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, one of the most developed regions in China. The developed history of BVOC emission models is presented briefly and three typical emission models are introduced and compared. The results from local studies related to BVOC emissions have been summarized. Based on this analysis, it is recommended that local researchers conduct BVOC emission studies systematically, from the assessment of model inputs, to compiling regional emission inventories to quantifying the uncertainties and evaluating the model results. Beyond that, more basic researches should be conducted in the future to close the gaps in knowledge on BVOC emission mechanisms, to develop the emission models and to refine the inventory results. This paper can provide a perspective on these aspects in the broad field of research associated with BVOC emissions in the PRD region. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Interview with Dennis Pearl

Science.gov (United States)

Rossman, Allan; Pearl, Dennis

2017-01-01

Dennis Pearl is Professor of Statistics at Pennsylvania State University and Director of the Consortium for the Advancement of Undergraduate Statistics Education (CAUSE). He is a Fellow of the American Statistical Association. This interview took place via email on November 18-29, 2016, and provides Dennis Pearl's background story, which describes…

Corporate social capital, market orientation, organizational learning and service innovation performance: An empirical survey in the Pearl river delta of China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhaoquan Jian

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Service innovation performance (SIP is an important driver of growth and wealth of service firms in wide range of industries. Yet, few research studies have been done to explore the influencing factors. The purpose of this study intends to identify the impacts of corporate social capital, market orientation and organizational learning on service innovation in the Pearl River Delta of China.Design/methodology/approach: The paper mainly adopted the empirical research. A Structure Equation Model containing an intermediary variable was established to explore the relationships of SIP.Findings and Originality/value: The main findings of the research support some of the propositions: (1 Both corporate social capital, market orientation and organizational learning have distinct positive impact on service innovation performance; (2 Corporate social capital, market orientation has a positive effect on organizational learning respectively, and (3 organizational learning plays a mediating role between the corporate social capital, market orientation and service innovation performance.Research limitations/implications: The research object of this paper has been restricted to the enterprises in Pearl River Delta of China. By contrast, variables and theories all come from western research, which was not adequate in explaining some results in the context of China. Given the limited theoretical and empirical research to service innovation, future research studies might widen their examinations to include other potential factors.Practical implications: This study has significant implications to enterprises. The results of this study suggest that enterprises should establish the social networks accommodated by the development of organization. In addition, more attention should be paid to focus on market orientation to enhance the ability to respond to changes in the market environment. It’s particularly necessary to strengthen organizational learning to

COMPLEX NETWORK SIMULATION OF FOREST NETWORK SPATIAL PATTERN IN PEARL RIVER DELTA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. Zeng

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Forest network-construction uses for the method and model with the scale-free features of complex network theory based on random graph theory and dynamic network nodes which show a power-law distribution phenomenon. The model is suitable for ecological disturbance by larger ecological landscape Pearl River Delta consistent recovery. Remote sensing and GIS spatial data are available through the latest forest patches. A standard scale-free network node distribution model calculates the area of forest network’s power-law distribution parameter value size; The recent existing forest polygons which are defined as nodes can compute the network nodes decaying index value of the network’s degree distribution. The parameters of forest network are picked up then make a spatial transition to GIS real world models. Hence the connection is automatically generated by minimizing the ecological corridor by the least cost rule between the near nodes. Based on scale-free network node distribution requirements, select the number compared with less, a huge point of aggregation as a future forest planning network’s main node, and put them with the existing node sequence comparison. By this theory, the forest ecological projects in the past avoid being fragmented, scattered disorderly phenomena. The previous regular forest networks can be reduced the required forest planting costs by this method. For ecological restoration of tropical and subtropical in south China areas, it will provide an effective method for the forest entering city project guidance and demonstration with other ecological networks (water, climate network, etc. for networking a standard and base datum.

Trace metal distribution in sediments of the Pearl River Estuary and the surrounding coastal area, South China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ip, Carman C.M.; Li Xiangdong; Zhang Gan; Wai, Onyx W.H.; Li, Y.-S.

2007-01-01

Surface sediments and sediment cores collected at the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) and its surrounding coastal area were analysed for total metal concentrations, chemical partitioning, and Pb isotopic compositions. The distribution of Cu, Cr, Pb, and Zn demonstrated a typical diffusion pattern from the land to the direction of the sea. Two hotspots of trace metal contamination were located at the mixed zone between freshwater and marine waters. The enrichment of metals in the sediments could be attributed to the deposition of the dissolved and particulate trace metals in the water column at the estuarine area. The similar Pb isotopic signatures of the sediments at the PRE and its surrounding coastal area offered strong evidence that the PRE was a major source of trace metals to the adjacent coastal area. Slightly lower 206 Pb/ 207 Pb ratios in the coastal sediments may indicate other inputs of Pb in addition to the PRE sources, including the inputs from Hong Kong and other parts of the region. - The distribution of trace metals in sediments reflected contaminant sources, physical and chemical deposition processes

Multivariate statistical study of heavy metal enrichment in sediments of the Pearl River Estuary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, W.X.; Li, X.D.; Shen, Z.G.; Wang, D.C.; Wai, O.W.H.; Li, Y.S.

2003-01-01

Multivariate statistical analysis identified the heavy metal accumulation layers of sediment profiles and showed the various sources of metals in the estuary. - The concentrations and chemical partitioning of heavy metals in the sediment cores of the Pearl River Estuary were studied. Based on Pearson correlation coefficients and principal component analysis results, Al was selected as the concentration normalizer for Pb, while Fe was used as the normalizing element for Co, Cu, Ni and Zn. In each profile, sections with metal concentrations exceeding the upper 95% prediction interval of the linear regression model were regarded as metal enrichment layers. The heavy metal accumulation mainly occurred at sites in the western shallow water areas and east channel, which reflected the hydraulic conditions and influence from riparian anthropogenic activities. Heavy metals in the enrichment sections were evaluated by a sequential extraction method for possible chemical forms in sediments. Since the residual, Fe/Mn oxides and organic/sulfide fractions were dominant geochemical phases in the enriched sections, the bioavailability of heavy metals in sediments was generally low. The 206 Pb/ 207 Pb ratios in the metal-enriched sediment sections also revealed the influence of anthropogenic sources. The spatial distribution of cumulative heavy metals in the sediments suggested that the Zn and Cu mainly originated from point sources, while the Pb probably came from non-point sources in the estuary

Source apportionment of ambient volatile organic compounds in the Pearl River Delta, China: Part II

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ying; Shao, Min; Lu, Sihua; Chang, Chih-Chung; Wang, Jia-Lin; Fu, Linlin

The chemical mass balance receptor model was applied to the source apportionment of 58 hydrocarbons measured at seven sites in a field campaign that examined regional air quality in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region in the fall of 2004. A total of 12 volatile organic compound (VOC) emission sources were considered, including gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicle exhausts, headspace vapors of gasoline and diesel fuel, vehicle evaporative emissions, liquid petroleum gas (LPG) leakage, paint vapors, asphalt emissions from paved roads, biomass combustion, coal combustion, the chemical industry, and petroleum refineries. Vehicle exhaust was the largest source of VOCs, contributing to >50% of ambient VOCs at the three urban sites (Guangzhou, Foshan, and Zhongshan). LPG leakage played an important role, representing 8-16% of emissions at most sites in the PRD. Solvent usage was the biggest emitter of VOCs at Dongguan, an industrial site, contributing 33% of ambient VOCs. Similarly, at Xinken, a non-urban site, the evaporation of solvents and coatings was the largest emission source, accounting for 31% of emissions, probably because it was downwind of Dongguan. Local biomass combustion was a noticeable source of VOCs at Xinken; although its contribution was estimated at 14.3%, biomass combustion was the third largest VOC source at this site.

Emergy Synthesis and Regional Sustainability Assessment: Case Study of Pan-Pearl River Delta in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guomin Li

2014-08-01

Full Text Available In this paper, emergy analysis is used in association with the ternary diagrams and geographic information system (GIS tools to improve the evaluation of sustainability for the Pan-Pearl River Delta (PPRD region. Emergy accounting of PPRD is estimated, and various emergy-based indicators are reported. Ternary diagrams are drawn to provide a graphical representation of the emergy accounting data. Finally, the GIS tools are employed to assist in the emergy-based spatial analysis, and emergy density based on flat land area is mapped to reflect the intensity of emergy use in human activity areas. Results show the following: (1 the current development path of the PPRD region, with the value of emergy sustainability index (ESI = 0.227 significantly lower than one, is unsustainable in the long run; (2 Guangdong has the lowest ESI value (0.071, and the ESI values of Fujian, Guangxi, Hunan and Jiangxi are lower than 0.5, indicating that the economy in these provinces overly relies on non-renewable and imported resources; (3 Guizhou has a high emergy yield rate and is thus the main energy supplier in PPRD; and (4 among the nine provinces in PPRD, only Hainan has an ESI value (2.145 higher than one.

Precast Pearl-Chain concrete arch bridges

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Halding, Philip Skov; Hertz, Kristian Dahl; Schmidt, Jacob Wittrup

2015-01-01

A Pearl-Chain Bridge is a closed-spandrel arch bridge consisting of a number of straight pre-fabricated so called Super-Light Deck elements put together in an arch shape by post-tensioning cables. Several Pearl-Chain arches can be positioned adjacent to each other by a crane to achieve a bridge...... of a desired width. On top of the arch is a filling material to level out the surface of the above road. The filling only transfers vertical loads to the arch. The geometry and material properties of Super-Light Decks are presented, and we refer to several fullscale tests of Pearl-Chain arches where...... the technology was used. We also study other important components and details in the Pearl-Chain Bridge concept and review the effects of different types of loads. A theoretical case study of a circular 30 m span Pearl-Chain Bridge is presented showing the influence of a number of parameters: The number of post...

Evaluation of Eco-economy Harmony and Spatial Evolution of the Urban Agglomeration Area in The Great Pearl River Delta

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiuming; Xu, Min; Zhang, Yong; Xu, Naizhong; Zhang, Yuhuan

2018-05-01

Based on the land use data of the study area during 1990 to 2016, the coordination between ecological environment and economy was estimated according to the ESV (ecosystem services value) and EEH (eco-economy harmony) index. The results showed that large amount of farmland and forests were changed to construction land in the study area, due to the rapid urbanization and industrialization. The ESV showed an overall downward trend, the ESV in per hectare was decreased from 1554,000Yuan to 14513,000Yuan. The economic development speed was decreased from 1990 to 2016, the area with high GDP growth rate is changed from the core area of the pearl river delta to the periphery area. The ecology-economy relation in the study area experienced a transformation of “low grade coordination-low grade conflict -further conflict”. Shenzhen, Dongguan, Huizhou, Jiangmen, the central city of Foshan and Guangzhou became the most high-grade conflict areas.

DNA fingerprinting of pearls to determine their origins.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joana B Meyer

Full Text Available We report the first successful extraction of oyster DNA from a pearl and use it to identify the source oyster species for the three major pearl-producing oyster species Pinctada margaritifera, P. maxima and P. radiata. Both mitochondrial and nuclear gene fragments could be PCR-amplified and sequenced. A polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP assay in the internal transcribed spacer (ITS region was developed and used to identify 18 pearls of unknown origin. A micro-drilling technique was developed to obtain small amounts of DNA while maintaining the commercial value of the pearls. This DNA fingerprinting method could be used to document the source of historic pearls and will provide more transparency for traders and consumers within the pearl industry.

[Investigation on sanitation of freshwater aquaculture environments and Clonorchis sinensis intermediate host infection in a city of Pearl River Delta region, China].

Science.gov (United States)

Man, Wang; Le, Luo; Xue-Qin, Chen; Lei, Li; Yue-Yi, Fang

2017-10-19

To understand the current status of the sanitation of freshwater aquaculture environments, and Clonorchis sinensis infection of freshwater fish in the aquaculture and market in a city of Pearl River Delta region, so as to provide the evidence for formulating the prevention and control strategy of clonorchiasis sinensis. In 2016, based on the distribution of freshwater aquaculture, 36 freshwater fish ponds among 14 towns were selected for sampling and investigation, and 10-20 pieces were collected from each pond. Besides, 3 aquatic product wholesale markets were included, among which 3-6 stalls were selected from each market, and 20-30 pieces were collected from each stall. The metacercaria in the fish was examined by the digestion method. In the 36 fish ponds, there were no toilets with the stool being drained into fish ponds directly, and there was only one pond with duck sheds with the stool being drained into fish ponds directly. Totally 437 pieces of freshwater fish from ponds were detected, with a metacercaria positive rate of 4.35% (19/437). The metacercaria positive fish were distributed in 50% (7/14) of towns and 25% (9/36) ponds. The positive rates of crucian carp, grass carp, dace, aristichthysnobilis, and tilapia were 13.95% (6/43), 4.76% (9/189), 4.44 (2/45), 1.55% (2/129), and 0 (0/31) respectively, with statistically significant difference ( χ 2 = 13.46, P = 0.01). Totally 307 pieces of freshwater fish were collected from the wholesale markets, with a total positive rate of 1.95% (6/307). The positive rate of grass carp and aristichthysnobilis were 3.20% (4/125) and 2.78% (2/72) respectively, and no positive samples were found in crucian carp, dace and tilapia, with no statistically significant difference among the different fish in the infection rate (Fisher exact P = 0.75). The sanitation of freshwater aquaculture environments in a city of Pearl River Delta region is relative good. However, there are different degrees of Clonorchis sinensis

Detecting the transport barriers in the Pearl River estuary, Southern China with the aid of Lagrangian coherent structures

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Xing; Zhan, Haigang; Cai, Shuqun; Zhan, Weikang; Ni, Peitong

2018-05-01

Knowledge of horizontal transport pathways is important for the protection of the marine ecosystem in coastal areas. In this paper, we develop a 3D model to simulate hydrodynamics and particle transport in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE), Southern China, to study the barriers to transport in the PRE. Specifically, we use the flow velocity produced by the model to locate Lagrangian coherent structures (LCSs) hidden in ocean surface currents. Our findings show that a remarkable LCS begins upstream near the Humen inlet, extends to the Wanshan Islands via Neilingding Island, and can act as a transport barrier in the estuary. This LCS appeared 1-2 h after high tide and was persistent for 6-7 h during every ebb tide. Particles released on the west side of the LCS moved downstream, exited the estuary by Daxi Channel, and seldom spread to the east side, especially the Hong Kong Sea area. An analysis of several scenarios suggested that the formation of this LCS was due to topography restrictions and tidal forces.

Pearl aquaculture-profitable environmental remediation?

Science.gov (United States)

Gifford, S; Dunstan, R H; O'Connor, W; Roberts, T; Toia, R

2004-02-05

Bivalve molluscs are filter feeders, with pearl oysters able to filter water at rates up to 25 lh(-1)g(-1) of dry wt. tissue. Since this process leads to rapid bioaccumulation of recalcitrant pollutants such as heavy metals, organochlorine pesticides and hydrocarbons from impacted sites, it has prompted the widespread use of molluscs as biomonitors to quantify levels of marine pollution. This paper proposes pearl oyster deployment as a novel bioremediation technology for impacted sites to remove toxic contaminants, reduce nutrient loads and lower concentrations of microbial pathogens. Estimates extrapolated from the literature suggest that a modest pearl oyster farm of 100 t oyster material per year could remove 300 kg heavy metals plus 24 kg of organic contaminants via deposition into the tissue and shell. Furthermore, it was estimated that up to 19 kg of nitrogen may be removed from the coastal ecosystem per tonne of pearl oyster harvested. Pearl oysters are also likely to filter substantial amounts of sewage associated microbial pathogens from the water column. Method of cultivation and site selection are the key to minimising negative environmental impacts of bivalve cultivation. Deployment of oysters at sites with high nutrient and contaminant loadings would be advantageous, as these compounds would be removed from the ecosystem whilst generating a value-added product. Future potential may exist for harvesting bio-concentrated elements for commercial production.

Tropospheric aerosols radiation feedback on the climate of Pearl River Delta Region using an air quality model

Science.gov (United States)

Nduka, I. C.

2016-12-01

The Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, one of the most vibrant economic regions in China has been witnessing rapid population, economic and structural growth and development. It is also one of the regions mostly polluted with trace gases and particulates. Recent reviews show large uncertainties in climate modification studies, indicating the need for further investigations, such as the role of tropospheric aerosols on direct and indirect climate modification. The aim of this research is to appraise the impacts of tropospheric aerosols on the climate of PRD region. An integrated air quality downscale meteorology and air quality from regional scale (27km) to local scale (3km). The model will be evaluated for both meteorology and air quality by comparing model results with measurements. The radiative forcing of tropospheric aerosols will also be determined so as to estimate the feedbacks and impacts on the climate. This research, when completed, is expected to improve our understanding of tropospheric aerosol-cloud thermodynamic interactions at regional and local scales, thus enhancing our knowledge of the regional and local climate system, which is anticipated to provide critical references for formulating sustainable environment and air quality policies.

The Impact of the Aerosol Direct Radiative Forcing on Deep Convection and Air Quality in the Pearl River Delta Region

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Z.; Yim, Steve H. L.; Wang, C.; Lau, N. C.

2018-05-01

Literature has reported the remarkable aerosol impact on low-level cloud by direct radiative forcing (DRF). Impacts on middle-upper troposphere cloud are not yet fully understood, even though this knowledge is important for regions with a large spatial heterogeneity of emissions and aerosol concentration. We assess the aerosol DRF and its cloud response in June (with strong convection) in Pearl River Delta region for 2008-2012 at cloud-resolving scale using an air quality-climate coupled model. Aerosols suppress deep convection by increasing atmospheric stability leading to less evaporation from the ground. The relative humidity is reduced in middle-upper troposphere due to induced reduction in both evaporation from the ground and upward motion. The cloud reduction offsets 20% of the aerosol DRF. The weaker vertical mixing further increases surface aerosol concentration by up to 2.90 μg/m3. These findings indicate the aerosol DRF impact on deep convection and in turn regional air quality.

VOCs and OVOCs distribution and control policy implications in Pearl River Delta region, China

Science.gov (United States)

Louie, Peter K. K.; Ho, Josephine W. K.; Tsang, Roy C. W.; Blake, Donald R.; Lau, Alexis K. H.; Yu, Jian Zhen; Yuan, Zibing; Wang, Xinming; Shao, Min; Zhong, Liuju

2013-09-01

Ambient air measurements of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOCs) were conducted and characterised during a two-year grid study in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region of southern China. The present grid study pioneered the systematic investigation of the nature and characteristics of complex VOC and OVOC sources at a regional scale. The largest contributing VOCs, accounting over 80% of the total VOCs mixing ratio, were toluene, ethane, ethyne, propane, ethene, butane, benzene, pentane, ethylbenzene, and xylenes. Sub-regional VOC spatial characteristics were identified, namely: i) relatively fresh pollutants, consistent with elevated vehicular and industrial activities, around the PRD estuary; and ii) a concentration gradient with higher mixing ratios of VOCs in the west as compared with the eastern part of PRD. Based on alkyl nitrate aging determination, a high hydroxyl radical (OH) concentration favoured fast hydrocarbon reactions and formation of locally produced ozone. The photochemical reactivity analysis showed aromatic hydrocarbons and alkenes together consisted of around 80% of the ozone formation potential (OFP) among the key VOCs. We also found that the OFP from OVOCs should not be neglected since their OFP contribution was more than one-third of that from VOCs alone. These findings support the choice of current air pollution control policy which focuses on vehicular sources but warrants further controls. Industrial emissions and VOCs emitted by solvents should be the next targets for ground-level ozone abatement.

The distribution and speciation of trace metals in surface sediments from the Pearl River Estuary and the Daya Bay, Southern China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu Xiujuan; Yan Yan; Wang Wenxiong

2010-01-01

Surface sediments collected from the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) and the Daya Bay (DYB) were analyzed for total metal concentrations and chemical phase partitioning. The total concentrations of Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in the PRE were obviously higher than those in DYB. The maximum concentrations of trace metals in DYB occurred in the four sub-basins, especially in Dapeng Cove, while the concentrations of these metals in the western side of the PRE were higher than those in the east side. Such distribution pattern was primarily due to the different hydraulic conditions and inputs of anthropogenic trace metals. The chemical partitioning of metals analyzed by the BCR sequential extraction method showed that Cr, Ni, and Zn of both areas were present dominantly in the residual fraction, while Pb was found mostly in the non-residual fractions. The partitioning of Cu showed a significant difference between the two areas.

Macrofauna Settlement on Pearl Oyster Collectors in Kenya ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Key words: Pearl oysters, seed collection, macrofauna, bivalves, settlement, monsoon seasons,. Kenya .... have shown that pearl oyster settlement is higher within calm ...... collectors in the Timor Sea, Northern Australia. J. Shellfish ... systems. Aquaculture, 189: 375-388. Urban, H.J. (2000b): Culture potential of the pearl.

EAARL Coastal Topography-Pearl River Delta 2008: First Surface

Science.gov (United States)

Nayegandhi, Amar; Brock, John C.; Wright, C. Wayne; Miner, Michael D.; Michael, D.; Yates, Xan; Bonisteel, Jamie M.

2009-01-01

These remotely sensed, geographically referenced elevation measurements of Lidar-derived first surface (FS) topography were produced as a collaborative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Florida Integrated Science Center (FISC), St. Petersburg, FL; the University of New Orleans (UNO), Pontchartrain Institute for Environmental Sciences (PIES), New Orleans, LA; and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Wallops Flight Facility, VA. This project provides highly detailed and accurate datasets of a portion of the Pearl River Delta in Louisiana and Mississippi, acquired March 9-11, 2008. The datasets are made available for use as a management tool to research scientists and natural resource managers. An innovative airborne Lidar instrument originally developed at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility, and known as the Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL), was used during data acquisition. The EAARL system is a raster-scanning, waveform-resolving, green-wavelength (532-nanometer) Lidar designed to map near-shore bathymetry, topography, and vegetation structure simultaneously. The EAARL sensor suite includes the raster-scanning, water-penetrating full-waveform adaptive Lidar, a down-looking red-green-blue (RGB) digital camera, a high-resolution multi-spectral color infrared (CIR) camera, two precision dual-frequency kinematic carrier-phase GPS receivers, and an integrated miniature digital inertial measurement unit, which provide for submeter georeferencing of each laser sample. The nominal EAARL platform is a twin-engine Cessna 310 aircraft, but the instrument may be deployed on a range of light aircraft. A single pilot, a Lidar operator, and a data analyst constitute the crew for most survey operations. This sensor has the potential to make significant contributions in measuring sub-aerial and submarine coastal topography within cross-environmental surveys. Elevation measurements were collected over the survey area using the

EAARL Coastal Topography-Pearl River Delta 2008: Bare Earth

Science.gov (United States)

Nayegandhi, Amar; Brock, John C.; Wright, C. Wayne; Miner, Michael D.; Yates, Xan; Bonisteel, Jamie M.

2009-01-01

These remotely sensed, geographically referenced elevation measurements of Lidar-derived bare earth (BE) topography were produced as a collaborative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Florida Integrated Science Center (FISC), St. Petersburg, FL; the University of New Orleans (UNO), Pontchartrain Institute for Environmental Sciences (PIES), New Orleans, LA; and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Wallops Flight Facility, VA. This project provides highly detailed and accurate datasets of a portion of the Pearl River Delta in Louisiana and Mississippi, acquired March 9-11, 2008. The datasets are made available for use as a management tool to research scientists and natural resource managers. An innovative airborne Lidar instrument originally developed at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility, and known as the Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL), was used during data acquisition. The EAARL system is a raster-scanning, waveform-resolving, green-wavelength (532-nanometer) Lidar designed to map near-shore bathymetry, topography, and vegetation structure simultaneously. The EAARL sensor suite includes the raster-scanning, water-penetrating full-waveform adaptive Lidar, a down-looking red-green-blue (RGB) digital camera, a high-resolution multi-spectral color infrared (CIR) camera, two precision dual-frequency kinematic carrier-phase GPS receivers, and an integrated miniature digital inertial measurement unit, which provide for submeter georeferencing of each laser sample. The nominal EAARL platform is a twin-engine Cessna 310 aircraft, but the instrument may be deployed on a range of light aircraft. A single pilot, a Lidar operator, and a data analyst constitute the crew for most survey operations. This sensor has the potential to make significant contributions in measuring sub-aerial and submarine coastal topography within cross-environmental surveys. Elevation measurements were collected over the survey area using the

Computer vision based nacre thickness measurement of Tahitian pearls

Science.gov (United States)

Loesdau, Martin; Chabrier, Sébastien; Gabillon, Alban

2017-03-01

The Tahitian Pearl is the most valuable export product of French Polynesia contributing with over 61 million Euros to more than 50% of the total export income. To maintain its excellent reputation on the international market, an obligatory quality control for every pearl deemed for exportation has been established by the local government. One of the controlled quality parameters is the pearls nacre thickness. The evaluation is currently done manually by experts that are visually analyzing X-ray images of the pearls. In this article, a computer vision based approach to automate this procedure is presented. Even though computer vision based approaches for pearl nacre thickness measurement exist in the literature, the very specific features of the Tahitian pearl, namely the large shape variety and the occurrence of cavities, have so far not been considered. The presented work closes the. Our method consists of segmenting the pearl from X-ray images with a model-based approach, segmenting the pearls nucleus with an own developed heuristic circle detection and segmenting possible cavities with region growing. Out of the obtained boundaries, the 2-dimensional nacre thickness profile can be calculated. A certainty measurement to consider imaging and segmentation imprecisions is included in the procedure. The proposed algorithms are tested on 298 manually evaluated Tahitian pearls, showing that it is generally possible to automatically evaluate the nacre thickness of Tahitian pearls with computer vision. Furthermore the results show that the automatic measurement is more precise and faster than the manual one.

Proceedings of a symposium about PEARL in Augsburg

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1977-05-01

Both, the PDV Project Management of the Gesellschaft fuer Kerforschung mbH, Karlsruhe, and the VDI/VDE-Gesellschaft Mess- und Regelungstechnik, were organizing on March 9, 1977, a public symposium about PEARL, the unified realtime programming language in the Federal Republic of Germany. This report contains papers of speeches given at the symposium about the following topics: 1) The sponsoring of PEARL within the Project PDV (history, status, future, standardization); 2) PEARL as compared with other realtime languages; 3) experience with present PEARL subsets (both in laboratory and industrial environment). (orig.) [de

Diversity of fish sound types in the Pearl River Estuary, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhi-Tao Wang

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Background Repetitive species-specific sound enables the identification of the presence and behavior of soniferous species by acoustic means. Passive acoustic monitoring has been widely applied to monitor the spatial and temporal occurrence and behavior of calling species. Methods Underwater biological sounds in the Pearl River Estuary, China, were collected using passive acoustic monitoring, with special attention paid to fish sounds. A total of 1,408 suspected fish calls comprising 18,942 pulses were qualitatively analyzed using a customized acoustic analysis routine. Results We identified a diversity of 66 types of fish sounds. In addition to single pulse, the sounds tended to have a pulse train structure. The pulses were characterized by an approximate 8 ms duration, with a peak frequency from 500 to 2,600 Hz and a majority of the energy below 4,000 Hz. The median inter-pulsepeak interval (IPPI of most call types was 9 or 10 ms. Most call types with median IPPIs of 9 ms and 10 ms were observed at times that were exclusive from each other, suggesting that they might be produced by different species. According to the literature, the two section signal types of 1 + 1 and 1 + N10 might belong to big-snout croaker (Johnius macrorhynus, and 1 + N19 might be produced by Belanger’s croaker (J. belangerii. Discussion Categorization of the baseline ambient biological sound is an important first step in mapping the spatial and temporal patterns of soniferous fishes. The next step is the identification of the species producing each sound. The distribution pattern of soniferous fishes will be helpful for the protection and management of local fishery resources and in marine environmental impact assessment. Since the local vulnerable Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis mainly preys on soniferous fishes, the fine-scale distribution pattern of soniferous fishes can aid in the conservation of this species. Additionally, prey and predator

Teaching about Pearl Harbor. Curriculum Enhancement Series #1.

Science.gov (United States)

Shields, Anna Marshall

These materials consist of sample lesson plans for teaching about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, in both U.S. and world history classes. The lesson plans challenge students to examine how current attitudes toward the Japanese may be rooted in World War II and Pearl Harbor. Selected bibliographies on Pearl Harbor, World…

Characteristics of carbonaceous aerosol in PM 2.5: Pearl Delta River Region, China

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, H.; Ho, K. F.; Lee, S. C.; Tsang, P. K.; Ho, Steven Sai Hang; Zou, C. W.; Zou, S. C.; Cao, J. J.; Xu, H. M.

2012-02-01

Simultaneous measurements of atmospheric organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC) and water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) were made at four sampling sites, namely Guangzhou (GZ), Zhaoqing (ZQ), PolyU Campus (PU) and Hok Tsui (HT), in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region between 14 August 2006 and 28 August 2007. The highest concentrations of total carbon (TC) were found at the medium-scale roadside site (PU) and the lowest were found at the regional-scale site (HT). Among the four sampling sites, the average WSOC at ZQ showed the highest concentrations, while the lowest were seen at HT. OC and EC concentrations revealed spring/summer minima and autumn/winter maxima at all sites except PU, which had a consistently high EC concentration all over the year. The highest WSOC/OC ratio was found at ZQ with an average of 0.41, suggesting that the OC was more oxidized in the atmosphere of the semi-rural site. The lowest WSOC/OC was found at the roadside site of PU. Moreover, the WSOC/OC ratio increased in autumn, when the photochemical reactions are the most active in the PRD region. This can be attributed to aging and atmospheric processing of the organic compounds during their transportation, or to the formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA). Average annual secondary organic carbon (SOC) concentrations in PM2.5 were estimated to be 2.2 and 3.5 μg m- 3 for GZ and ZQ, comprising 33.5% and 42.8% of the corresponding OC concentrations, respectively. The results indicate that SOC is significant in the PRD region, and its formation mostly occurs within the region.

Petroleum migration and mixing in the Pearl River Mouth Basin, South China Sea

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chunming Zhang [Jianghan Petroleum Univ., Geochemistry Research Center, Jingzhou, Hubei (China); China Univ. of Geosciences, Dept. of Energy Resources, Beijing (China); Sitian Li [China Univ. of Geosciences, Dept. of Energy Resources, Beijing (China); Jiaming Yang [China National Offshore Oil Corp., Beijing (China); Shaokun Yang; Jianrong Wang [Nanhai East Oil Co., Research Inst., Guangzhou (China)

2004-02-01

Two oil groups have been investigated in the Pearl River Mouth Basin using their geochemical characteristics. In combination with source data, the two oil groups may be extrapolated into two end-member oils: petroleum populations A and B. The oil population A with abundant 4-methylsteranes, derived from the deeper Wenchang source rocks, migrated and accumulated earlier. The oil population B with absent 4-methylsteranes was expelled from the Enping source rocks and is associated with a relatively later phase of migration and accumulation. The two distinctive oil populations migrated updip through the marine blanket-like sandstone carriers within the Zhuhai Formation to accumulate in a series of traps along the main migration pathways at different times. Most of the accumulations are mixtures of the two end-member oils. The variations of 4-methylsterane concentrations in the accumulations can be related to the contributions from the two sources: the oils, which migrated furthest, contain greater contributions from the Wenchang source rocks, whereas those with shorter migration paths have greater contributions from the Enping sources. The later migrated oils closer to the depression areas are highly mature and the former oils in the Liuhua oil fields are of relatively low maturity, which may indicate the main migration direction along the Hui-Liu Structure Ridge (HLSR). Oils with abnormally high maturity in the middle of the HLSR may suggest oil-filling points, from which branch conduits connected the source kitchens to the main migration pathway. Oils with abnormally low maturities may reveal minor contributions from some small sags in the Dongsha Massif in a later phase. (Author)

Thermally induced phase transformation of pearl powder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Guoqing; Guo, Yili; Ao, Ju; Yang, Jing; Lv, Guanglie; Shih, Kaimin

2013-01-01

The polymorphic phase transformation of thermally treated pearl powder was investigated by X-ray diffraction and thermoanalytical techniques. The phase transformation was based on quantification of the calcite content at various temperatures using Rietveld refinement analysis. The results show that the phase transformation of pearl aragonite occurred within a temperature range of 360–410 °C, which is 50–100 °C lower than the range for non-biomineralized aragonite. These thermoanalytical results suggest that the phase transformation of pearl aragonite may occur immediately after the thermal decomposition of the organic matrix in the pearl powder. An important finding is that decomposition of the organic matrix may greatly facilitate such transformation by releasing additional space for an easier structural reconstruction during the phase transformation process. - Highlights: ► Providing a new method to describe the polymorphic transition of pearl powder ► The phase transition sketch was exhibited by XRD phase quantitative analysis. ► There are dozens of degrees in advance comparing to natural aragonite. ► The phase transition occurs following the thermal decomposition of organism

Potential profitability of pearl culture in coastal communities in Tanzania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ismail Saidi

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Artisanal half-pearl culture has been shown to provide livelihood and economic opportunities for coastal communities in Tanzania that depend directly on exploitation of marine resources. However, these pilot research studies have been supported by donor organisations and the economic feasibility of such development has not yet been assessed. Furthermore, there is little understanding of the costs required to establish pearl farms and the relative impacts of farm size on production, running costs, profitability and risks involved in production. The aim of this study was to develop economic models for subsistence level half-pearl culture in Tanzania. Models were generated for various scenarios relating to farm size and products (i.e. half-pearls and juvenile oyster or ‘spat’ collection and they give detail on infrastructure costs, operational costs and income generated for various levels of operation. We concluded that the most profitable model for community-based pearl farming is to culture at least 600 oysters for half-pearl production. However, for communities to be able to run a sustainable and profitable enterprise, development of a sustainable source of oysters is crucial. Farmers can also generate income from collection of juvenile oysters and their subsequent sale to pearl farmers, but this is less profitable than half-pearl farming and requires a longer operational period before profits are made. Like pearl farming, there were major benefits or economies of scale with the largest farms tested providing greatest profit and/or a shorter time required to reach profitability. Our results provide a valuable source of information for prospective pearl farmers, donors, funding bodies and other stakeholders, and valuable extension information supporting further development of pearl culture in Tanzania.

Development of Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Granetto, Paul

1994-01-01

The audit was in response to a DoD Hotline complaint regarding the Navy plan to sell 122 acres of Government land located in Pearl City, Hawaii, to finance the construction of a causeway from Pearl...

Modeling study of air pollution due to the manufacture of export goods in China's Pearl River Delta.

Science.gov (United States)

Streets, David G; Yu, Carolyne; Bergin, Michael H; Wang, Xuemei; Carmichael, Gregory R

2006-04-01

The Pearl River Delta is a major manufacturing region on the south coast of China that produces more than dollar 100 billion of goods annually for export to North America, Europe, and other parts of Asia. Considerable air pollution is caused by the manufacturing industries themselves and by the power plants, trucks, and ships that support them. We estimate that 10-40% of emissions of primary SO2, NO(x), RSP, and VOC in the region are caused by export-related activities. Using the STEM-2K1 atmospheric transport model, we estimate that these emissions contribute 5-30% of the ambient concentrations of SO2, NO(x), NO(z), and VOC in the region. One reason that the exported goods are cheap and therefore attractive to consumers in developed countries is that emission controls are lacking or of low performance. We estimate that state-of-the-art controls could be installed at an annualized cost of dollar 0.3-3 billion, representing 0.3-3% of the value of the goods produced. We conclude that mitigation measures could be adopted without seriously affecting the prices of exported goods and would achieve considerable human health and other benefits in the form of reduced air pollutant concentrations in densely populated urban areas.

Spatio-temporal patterns and predictions of phytoplankton assemblages in a subtropical river delta system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Chao; Li, Xinhui; Wang, Xiangxiu

2016-01-01

Spatial and seasonal sampling within a subtropical river delta system, the Pearl River Delta (China), provided data to determine seasonal phytoplankton patterns and develop prediction models. The high nutrient levels and frequent water exchanges resulted in a phytoplankton community with greatest...

32 CFR 765.6 - Regulations for Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 5 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Regulations for Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. 765.6... RULES RULES APPLICABLE TO THE PUBLIC § 765.6 Regulations for Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The Commander, U.S. Naval Base, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is responsible for prescribing and enforcing such rules and...

Sedimentary characteristics and controlling factors of shelf sand ridges in the Pearl River Mouth Basin, northeast of South China Sea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiangtao Zhang

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Shelf sand ridge is a significant type of reservoir in the continental marginal basin, and it has drawn so much attention from sedimentologists and petroleum geologists. We were able to investigate the morphology, distribution, and sedimentary structures of shelf sand ridges systematically in this study based on the integration of high-resolution 3D seismic data, well logging, and cores. These shelf sand ridges are an asymmetrical mound-like structure in profiles, and they developed on an ancient uplift in the forced regression system tract and are onlapped by the overlying strata. In the plane, shelf sand ridges present as linear-shaped, which is different from the classical radial pattern; not to mention, they are separated into two parts by low amplitude tidal muddy channels. Corrugated bedding, tidal bedding, and scouring features are distinguished in cores of shelf sand ridges together with the coarsening up in lithology. All of these sedimentary characteristics indicate that shelf sand ridges deposited in the Pearl River Mouth Basin are reconstructed by the tidal and coastal current.

Pearls and pitfalls in neural CGRP immunohistochemistry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Warfvinge, Karin; Edvinsson, Lars

2013-01-01

This review outlines the pearls and pitfalls of calcitonin-gene related protein (CGRP) immunohistochemistry of the brain. PEARLS: In 1985, CGRP was first described in cerebral arteries using immunohistochemistry. Since then, cerebral CGRP (and, using novel antibodies, its receptor components) has...

A software sensor model based on hybrid fuzzy neural network for rapid estimation water quality in Guangzhou section of Pearl River, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Chunshan; Zhang, Chao; Tian, Di; Wang, Ke; Huang, Mingzhi; Liu, Yanbiao

2018-01-02

In order to manage water resources, a software sensor model was designed to estimate water quality using a hybrid fuzzy neural network (FNN) in Guangzhou section of Pearl River, China. The software sensor system was composed of data storage module, fuzzy decision-making module, neural network module and fuzzy reasoning generator module. Fuzzy subtractive clustering was employed to capture the character of model, and optimize network architecture for enhancing network performance. The results indicate that, on basis of available on-line measured variables, the software sensor model can accurately predict water quality according to the relationship between chemical oxygen demand (COD) and dissolved oxygen (DO), pH and NH 4 + -N. Owing to its ability in recognizing time series patterns and non-linear characteristics, the software sensor-based FNN is obviously superior to the traditional neural network model, and its R (correlation coefficient), MAPE (mean absolute percentage error) and RMSE (root mean square error) are 0.8931, 10.9051 and 0.4634, respectively.

Resource potential and status of pearl oyster fishery in India

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Ingole, B.S.; Parulekar, A.H.

Many cultivable species of pearl oysters are known to occur in the Indo-Australian Archipelago which is an important region in the world distribution of pearl oysters. An account of the development of Indian pearl fisheries that took place over...

Spatiotemporal Trends of Heavy Metals in Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphins (Sousa chinensis) from the Western Pearl River Estuary, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Gui, Duan; Yu, Ri-Qing; Karczmarski, Leszek; Ding, Yulong; Zhang, Haifei; Sun, Yong; Zhang, Mei; Wu, Yuping

2017-02-07

We assessed the spatiotemporal trends of the concentrations of 11 heavy metals (HMs) in the liver and kidney of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) from western Pearl River Estuary (PRE) during 2004-2015. The hepatic levels of Cr, As, and Cu in these dolphins were among the highest reported for cetaceans globally, and the levels of Zn, Cu, and Hg were sufficiently high to cause toxicological effects in some of the animals. Between same age-sex groups, dolphins from Lingdingyang were significantly more contaminated with Hg, Se, and V than those from the West-four region, while the opposite was true for Cd. Generalized additive mixed models showed that most metals had significant but dissimilar temporal trends over a 10-year period. The concentrations of Cu and Zn increased significantly in recent years, corresponding to the high input of these metals in the region. Body-length-adjusted Cd levels peaked in 2012, accompanied by the highest annual number of dolphin stranding events. In contrast to the significant decrease in HM levels in the dolphins in Hong Kong waters (the eastern reaches of the PRE), the elevated metal exposure in the western PRE raises serious concerns.

Flood Simulations and Uncertainty Analysis for the Pearl River Basin Using the Coupled Land Surface and Hydrological Model System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yongnan Zhu

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The performances of hydrological simulations for the Pearl River Basin in China were analysed using the Coupled Land Surface and Hydrological Model System (CLHMS. Three datasets, including East Asia (EA, high-resolution gauge satellite-merged China Merged Precipitation Analysis (CMPA-Daily, and the Asian Precipitation Highly-Resolved Observational Data Integration Towards Evaluation (APHRODITE daily precipitation were used to drive the CLHMS model to simulate daily hydrological processes from 1998 to 2006. The results indicate that the precipitation data was the most important source of uncertainty in the hydrological simulation. The simulated streamflow driven by the CMPA-Daily agreed well with observations, with a Pearson correlation coefficient (PMC greater than 0.70 and an index of agreement (IOA similarity coefficient greater than 0.82 at Liuzhou, Shijiao, and Wuzhou Stations. Comparison of the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient (NSE shows that the peak flow simulation ability of CLHMS driven with the CMPA-Daily rainfall is relatively superior to that with the EA and APHRODITE datasets. The simulation results for the high-flow periods in 1998 and 2005 indicate that the CLHMS is promising for its future application in the flood simulation and prediction.

Landscape ecological security assessment based on projection pursuit in Pearl River Delta.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Yang; Wu, Zhifeng; Lou, Quansheng; Huang, Huamei; Cheng, Jiong; Chen, Zhangli

2012-04-01

Regional landscape ecological security is an important issue for ecological security, and has a great influence on national security and social sustainable development. The Pearl River Delta (PRD) in southern China has experienced rapid economic development and intensive human activities in recent years. This study, based on landscape analysis, provides a method to discover the alteration of character among different landscape types and to understand the landscape ecological security status. Based on remotely sensed products of the Landsat 5 TM images in 1990 and the Landsat 7 ETM+ images in 2005, landscape classification maps of nine cities in the PRD were compiled by implementing Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System technology. Several indices, including aggregation, crush index, landscape shape index, Shannon's diversity index, landscape fragile index, and landscape security adjacent index, were applied to analyze spatial-temporal characteristics of landscape patterns in the PRD. A landscape ecological security index based on these outcomes was calculated by projection pursuit using genetic algorithm. The landscape ecological security of nine cities in the PRD was thus evaluated. The main results of this research are listed as follows: (1) from 1990 to 2005, the aggregation index, crush index, landscape shape index, and Shannon's diversity index of nine cities changed little in the PRD, while the landscape fragile index and landscape security adjacent index changed obviously. The landscape fragile index of nine cities showed a decreasing trend; however, the landscape security adjacent index has been increasing; (2) from 1990 to 2005, landscape ecology of the cities of Zhuhai and Huizhou maintained a good security situation. However, there was a relatively low value of ecological security in the cities of Dongguan and Foshan. Except for Foshan and Guangzhou, whose landscape ecological security situation were slightly improved, the cities had reduced

Policy change driven by an AIS-assisted marine emission inventory in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta

Science.gov (United States)

Ng, Simon K. W.; Loh, Christine; Lin, Chubin; Booth, Veronica; Chan, Jimmy W. M.; Yip, Agnes C. K.; Li, Ying; Lau, Alexis K. H.

2013-09-01

A new exhaust emission inventory of ocean-going vessels (OGVs) was compiled for Hong Kong by using Automatic Identification System (AIS) data for the first time to determine typical main engine load factors, through vessel speed and operation mode characterization. It was found that in 2007, container vessel was the top emitting vessel type, contributing 9,886, 11,480, 1,173, 521 and 1166 tonnes of SO2, NOx, PM10, VOC and CO, respectively, or about 80%-82% of the emissions. The top five, which also included ocean cruise, oil tanker, conventional cargo vessel and dry bulk carrier, accounted for about 98% of emissions. Emission maps, which add a new spatial dimension to the inventory, show the key emission hot spots in Hong Kong and suggest that a significant portion of emissions were emitted at berth. Scientific evidence about the scale and distribution of ship emissions has contributed in raising public awareness and facilitating stakeholder engagement about the issue. Fair Winds Charter, the world's first industry-led voluntary emissions reduction initiative, is a perfect example of how careful scientific research can be used in public engagement and policy deliberation to help drive voluntary industry actions and then government proposals to control and regulate marine emissions in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta region.

Humpback Dolphins in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta: Status, Threats and Conservation Challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Karczmarski, Leszek; Huang, Shiang-Lin; Or, Carmen K M; Gui, Duan; Chan, Stephen C Y; Lin, Wenzhi; Porter, Lindsay; Wong, Wai-Ho; Zheng, Ruiqiang; Ho, Yuen-Wa; Chui, Scott Y S; Tiongson, Angelico Jose C; Mo, Yaqian; Chang, Wei-Lun; Kwok, John H W; Tang, Ricky W K; Lee, Andy T L; Yiu, Sze-Wing; Keith, Mark; Gailey, Glenn; Wu, Yuping

2016-01-01

In coastal waters of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis) is thought to number approximately 2500 individuals. Given these figures, the putative PRD population may appear strong enough to resist demographic stochasticity and environmental pressures. However, living in close proximity to the world's busiest seaport/airport and several densely populated urban centres with major coastal infrastructural developments comes with challenges to the long-term survival of these animals. There are few other small cetacean populations that face the range and intensity of human-induced pressures as those present in the PRD and current protection measures are severely inadequate. Recent mark-recapture analyses of the animals in Hong Kong waters indicate that in the past two decades the population parameters have not been well understood, and spatial analyses show that only a very small proportion of the dolphins' key habitats are given any form of protection. All current marine protected areas within the PRD fail to meet a minimum habitat requirement that could facilitate the population's long-term persistence. Demographic models indicate a continuous decline of 2.5% per annum, a rate at which the population is likely to drop below the demographic threshold within two generations and lose 74% of the current numbers within the lifespan of three generations. In Hong Kong, the case of humpback dolphins represents a particularly explicit example of inadequate management where a complete revision of the fundamental approach to conservation management is urgently needed. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.

Process analysis of regional aerosol pollution during spring in the Pearl River Delta region, China

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Qi; Lan, Jing; Liu, Yiming; Wang, Xuemei; Chan, Pakwai; Hong, Yingying; Feng, Yerong; Liu, Yexin; Zeng, Yanjun; Liang, Guixiong

2015-12-01

A numerical simulation analysis was performed for three air pollution episodes in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region during March 2012 using the third-generation air quality modeling system Models-3/CMAQ. The results demonstrated that particulate matter was the primary pollutant for all three pollution episodes and was accompanied by relatively low visibility in the first two episodes. Weather maps indicate that the first two episodes occurred under the influence of warm, wet southerly air flow systems that led to high humidity throughout the region. The liquid phase reaction of gaseous pollutants resulted in the generation of fine secondary particles, which were identified as the primary source of pollution in the first two episodes. The third pollution episode occurred during a warming period following a cold front. Relative humidity was lower during this episode, and coarse particles were the major pollution contributor. Results of process analysis indicated that emissions sources, horizontal transport and vertical transport were the primary factors affecting pollutant concentrations within the near-surface layer during all three episodes, while aerosol processes, cloud processes, horizontal transport and vertical transport had greater influence at approximately 900 m above ground. Cloud processes had a greater impact during the first two pollution episodes because of the higher relative humidity. In addition, by comparing pollution processes from different cities (Guangzhou and Zhongshan), the study revealed that the first two pollution episodes were the result of local emissions within the PRD region and transport between surrounding cities, while the third episode exhibited prominent regional pollution characteristics and was the result of regional pollutant transport.

Testing Pearl Model In Three European Sites

Science.gov (United States)

Bouraoui, F.; Bidoglio, G.

The Plant Protection Product Directive (91/414/EEC) stresses the need of validated models to calculate predicted environmental concentrations. The use of models has become an unavoidable step before pesticide registration. In this context, European Commission, and in particular DGVI, set up a FOrum for the Co-ordination of pes- ticide fate models and their USe (FOCUS). In a complementary effort, DG research supported the APECOP project, with one of its objective being the validation and im- provement of existing pesticide fate models. The main topic of research presented here is the validation of the PEARL model for different sites in Europe. The PEARL model, actually used in the Dutch pesticide registration procedure, was validated in three well- instrumented sites: Vredepeel (the Netherlands), Brimstone (UK), and Lanna (Swe- den). A step-wise procedure was used for the validation of the PEARL model. First the water transport module was calibrated, and then the solute transport module, using tracer measurements keeping unchanged the water transport parameters. The Vrede- peel site is characterised by a sandy soil. Fourteen months of measurements were used for the calibration. Two pesticides were applied on the site: bentazone and etho- prophos. PEARL predictions were very satisfactory for both soil moisture content, and pesticide concentration in the soil profile. The Brimstone site is characterised by a cracking clay soil. The calibration was conducted on a time series measurement of 7 years. The validation consisted in comparing predictions and measurement of soil moisture at different soil depths, and in comparing the predicted and measured con- centration of isoproturon in the drainage water. The results, even if in good agreement with the measuremens, highlighted the limitation of the model when the preferential flow becomes a dominant process. PEARL did not reproduce well soil moisture pro- file during summer months, and also under-predicted the arrival of

FUSION OF OPTICAL DATA AND SAR DATA FOR THE ESTIMATION OF NITROGEN CONCENTRATION IN PEARL RIVER ESTUARY HONG KONG SEAS, CHINA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

X. Liu

2012-08-01

Full Text Available The knowledge of nitrogen concentration in the ocean is fundamental for the study of oceanic biogeochemical processes. The objective of this research is to estimate total inorganic nitrogen (TIN by integrating optical parameters from HJ-1 CCD image and polarization parameters from RADARSAT-2 quad-polarization image. The situ data and HJ-1 CCD, RADARSAT-2 image were acquired from Pearl River Estuary Hong Kong Seas, China in August, 2010. The four sensitive parameters, reflectance of Band 4, NDSI (Normalized Difference Spectral Index, the backscattering coefficient of HV and VH were derived as input variables to assess the TIN. A multiple regression model was established between four input variables and TIN. The result showed that the fusion of optical data and SAR data was proved to be successful in estimating TIN in sea surface, with the correlation coefficient (R2 between measured TIN and predicated TIN of 0.774, and the root mean square error (RMSE of 0.063. The optical data in combination with SAR data is promising for detecting biochemical component in sea surface.

It Could Be a Pearl to You: Exploring Recruitment and Retention of the Program to Encourage Active, Rewarding Lives (PEARLS) With Hard-to-Reach Populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Steinman, Lesley; Hammerback, Kristen; Snowden, Mark

2015-08-01

We partnered with 3 social service organizations to identify hard-to-reach populations, barriers to reach, and strategies for improving recruitment and retention for Program to Encourage Active, Rewarding Lives (PEARLS), a home-based depression-care management program for elders. We conducted semistructured interviews with staff and former PEARLS participants. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analyzed. Veterans, African Americans, Filipino men, other immigrants and English-language learners, old-older adults, rural communities, and people with limited education were identified as hard to reach. The themes of trust, cultural appropriateness, meet them where they are, and framing and reframing, cut across barriers to participation in PEARLS and approaches for overcoming these barriers. Research findings will be used to inform technical assistance activities with PEARLS providers, changes to PEARLS program and training materials, and future PEARLS research activities. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Top-down estimates of benzene and toluene emissions in the Pearl River Delta and Hong Kong, China

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Xuekun; Shao, Min; Stohl, Andreas; Zhang, Qiang; Zheng, Junyu; Guo, Hai; Wang, Chen; Wang, Ming; Ou, Jiamin; Thompson, Rona L.; Prinn, Ronald G.

2016-03-01

Benzene (C6H6) and toluene (C7H8) are toxic to humans and the environment. They are also important precursors of ground-level ozone and secondary organic aerosols and contribute substantially to severe air pollution in urban areas in China. Discrepancies exist between different bottom-up inventories for benzene and toluene emissions in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) and Hong Kong (HK), which are emission hot spots in China. This study provides top-down estimates of benzene and toluene emissions in the PRD and HK using atmospheric measurement data from a rural site in the area, Heshan, an atmospheric transport model, and an inverse modeling method. The model simulations captured the measured mixing ratios during most pollution episodes. For the PRD and HK, the benzene emissions estimated in this study for 2010 were 44 (12-75) and 5 (2-7) Gg yr-1 for the PRD and HK, respectively, and the toluene emissions were 131 (44-218) and 6 (2-9) Gg yr-1, respectively. Temporal and spatial differences between the inversion estimate and four different bottom-up emission estimates are discussed, and it is proposed that more observations at different sites are urgently needed to better constrain benzene and toluene (and other air pollutant) emissions in the PRD and HK in the future.

[Prediction and simulation of urban area expansion in Pearl River Delta Region under the RCPs climate scenarios].

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Oun-ou; Deng, Xiang-zheng; Ke, Xin-li; Zhao, Chun-hong; Zhang, Wei

2014-12-01

The sizes and number of cities in China are increasing rapidly and complicated changes of urban land use system have occurred as the social economy develops rapidly. This study took the urban agglomeration of Pearl River Delta Region as the study area to explore the driving mechanism of dynamic changes of urban area in the urbanization process under the joint influence of natural environment and social economic conditions. Then the CA (cellular automata) model was used to predict and simulate the urban area changes until 2030 under the designed scenarios of planning and RCPs (representative concentration pathways). The results indicated that urbanization was mainly driven by the non-agricultural population growth and social-economic development, and the transportation had played a fundamental role in the whole process, while the areas with high elevation or steep slope restricted the urbanization. Besides, the urban area would keep an expanding trend regardless of the scenarios, however, the expanding speed would slow down with different inflection points under different scenarios. The urban expansion speed increased in the sequence of the planning scenario, MESSAGE scenario and AIM scenario, and that under the MESSAGE climate scenario was more consistent with the current urban development trend. In addition, the urban expansion would mainly concentrate in regions with the relatively high urbanization level, e.g., Guangzhou, Dongguan, Foshan, Shenzhen, Zhanjiang and Chaoshan.

Heavy metal and Pb isotopic compositions of aquatic organisms in the Pearl River Estuary, South China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ip, C.C.M.; Li, X.D.; Zhang, G.; Wong, C.S.C.; Zhang, W.L.

2005-01-01

The accumulation of trace metals in aquatic organisms may lead to serious health problems through the food chain. The present research project aims to study the accumulation and potential sources of trace metals in aquatic organisms of the Pearl River Estuary (PRE). Four groups of aquatic organisms, including fish, crab, shrimp, and shellfish, were collected in the PRE for trace metal and Pb isotopic analyses. The trace metal concentrations in the aquatic organism samples ranged from 0.01 to 2.10 mg/kg Cd, 0.02 to 4.33 mg/kg Co, 0.08 to 4.27 mg/kg Cr, 0.15 to 77.8 mg/kg Cu, 0.17 to 31.0 mg/kg Ni, 0.04 to 30.7 mg/kg Pb, and 8.78 to 86.3 mg/kg Zn (wet weight). High concentrations of Cd were found in crab, shrimp and shellfish samples, while high concentration of Pb was found in fish. In comparison with the baseline reference values in other parts of the world, fish in the PRE had the highest elevated trace metals. The results of Pb isotopic compositions indicated that the bioaccumulation of Pb in fish come from a wide variety of food sources and/or exposure pathways, particularly the anthropogenic inputs. - Relative high concentrations of Cd were found in crab, shrimp and shellfish samples while high concentration of Pb was found in fish, particularly from the anthropogenic inputs

Climate Warming as a Possible Trigger of Keystone Mussel Population Decline in Oligotrophic Rivers at the Continental Scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Bolotov, Ivan N; Makhrov, Alexander A; Gofarov, Mikhail Yu; Aksenova, Olga V; Aspholm, Paul E; Bespalaya, Yulia V; Kabakov, Mikhail B; Kolosova, Yulia S; Kondakov, Alexander V; Ofenböck, Thomas; Ostrovsky, Andrew N; Popov, Igor Yu; von Proschwitz, Ted; Rudzīte, Mudīte; Rudzītis, Māris; Sokolova, Svetlana E; Valovirta, Ilmari; Vikhrev, Ilya V; Vinarski, Maxim V; Zotin, Alexey A

2018-01-08

The effects of climate change on oligotrophic rivers and their communities are almost unknown, albeit these ecosystems are the primary habitat of the critically endangered freshwater pearl mussel and its host fishes, salmonids. The distribution and abundance of pearl mussels have drastically decreased throughout Europe over the last century, particularly within the southern part of the range, but causes of this wide-scale extinction process are unclear. Here we estimate the effects of climate change on pearl mussels based on historical and recent samples from 50 rivers and 6 countries across Europe. We found that the shell convexity may be considered an indicator of the thermal effects on pearl mussel populations under warming climate because it reflects shifts in summer temperatures and is significantly different in viable and declining populations. Spatial and temporal modeling of the relationship between shell convexity and population status show that global climate change could have accelerated the population decline of pearl mussels over the last 100 years through rapidly decreasing suitable distribution areas. Simulation predicts future warming-induced range reduction, particularly in southern regions. These results highlight the importance of large-scale studies of keystone species, which can underscore the hidden effects of climate warming on freshwater ecosystems.

Mestica calappa, the Coconut pearl, trick or true?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Veldkamp, J.F.

2002-01-01

A bibliographic study is made of Mestica calappa, the Coconut pearl. It is concluded that if pearls do grow in coconuts, they are exceedingly rare, and the ones analyzed on structure and chemical composition were fake ones.

Tech Talk for Social Studies Teachers Lest We Forget: Remembering Pearl Harbor.

Science.gov (United States)

Green, Tim

2001-01-01

Presents an annotated bibliography that provides Web sites about Pearl Harbor (Hawaii). Includes Web sites that cover Pearl Harbor history, a live view of Pearl Harbor, stories from people who remember where they were during the attack, information on the naval station at Pearl Harbor, and a virtual tour of the USS Arizona. (CMK)

[Pearl Harbor.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Jennifer, Ed.

1992-01-01

This issue of "Loblolly Magazine" was written in observance of the 50th anniversary of the U.S. entrance into World War II. The publication features interviews conducted by East Texas high school students with Clarence Otterman, one of the few survivors of the crew of the USS Arizona, which was bombed during the attack on Pearl Harbor,…

Brominated flame retardants in mangrove sediments of the Pearl River Estuary, South China: spatial distribution, temporal trend and mass inventory.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zai-Wang; Sun, Yu-Xin; Sun, Kai-Feng; Xu, Xiang-Rong; Yu, Shen; Zheng, Tian-Ling; Luo, Xiao-Jun; Tian, Yun; Hu, Yong-Xia; Diao, Zeng-Hui; Mai, Bi-Xian

2015-03-01

Sediments were collected from three mangrove wetlands in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) of South China to investigate spatial and temporal distributions of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE) and 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy)ethane (BTBPE). Concentrations of ΣPBDEs, DBDPE and BTBPE in mangrove sediments of the PRE ranged from 1.25-206, 0.364-34.9, and not detected-0.794 ng g(-1) dry weight, respectively. The highest concentrations of ΣPBDEs, DBDPE and BTBPE were found at the mangrove wetland from Shenzhen, followed by Zhuhai and Guangzhou, showing the dependence on the proximity to urban areas. PBDEs were the predominant brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in mangrove sediments. The concentrations of ΣPBDEs, DBDPE and BTBPE in sediment cores showed an increasing trend from the bottom to top layers, reflecting the increasing usage of these BFRs. The inventories of ΣPBDEs, DBDPE and BTBPE in mangrove sediments were 1962, 245, and 4.10 ng cm(-2), respectively. This is the first study to report the occurrence of DBDPE and BTBPE in mangrove ecosystems. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Developing a national spat collection program for pearl oysters in the Fiji Islands supporting pearl industry development and livelihoods

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Pranesh Kishore

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Cultured pearl farming in Fiji relies on wild spat collection to supply the oysters used for pearl production. This supply can be inconsistent and a research program was implemented to determine recruitment of pearl oysters to spat collectors at sites throughout Fiji as a basis for developing a national spat collection program to improve reliability of oyster supply to the industry. Twenty-nine sites across Fiji were used in this study. Spat collectors consisted of a 100 m longline from which 310 individual spat collectors were suspended. Spat collectors were deployed for a period of 10–15 months when the number of pearl oyster (Pinctada margaritifera and Pteria penguin spat attached to each collector was counted and shell size recorded. A total of 5478 P. margaritifera juveniles were collected from all sites with the highest number of recruits (693 and the highest number of recruits per collector (2.10 ± 0.17 occurring at Nacobau (Vanua Levu. The largest mean dorso-ventral measurement (DVM of P. margaritifera at any site was 8.61 ± 0.30 cm while the smallest was 4.26 ± 0.13 cm. Some sites did not record any P. margaritifera recruitment during the study and these were generally sites with relatively turbid water. A total of 4224 Pt. penguin were collected from all sites, with the highest number of recruits (495 recorded from Namarai (Viti Levu. The mean DVM of Pt. penguin ranged from 7.53 cm to 13.62 cm across sites. Results indicate that Pt. penguin have greater tolerance of more turbid inshore sites than P. margaritifera based on greater levels of recruitment at these sites. Results identified sites supporting high levels of pearl oyster recruitment as a basis for an ongoing national spat collection program, and support better targeting of spat collection activities that maximise oyster supply to the Fijian pearl industry. The national spat collection program will generate significant livelihood benefits across

An evaluation of air quality modeling over the Pearl River Delta during November 2006

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Qizhong; Wang, Zifa; Chen, Huansheng; Zhou, Wen; Wenig, Mark

2012-05-01

In this paper, we evaluate the performance of several air quality models using the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, including the Nested Air Quality Prediction Modeling System (NAQPMS), the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model, and the Comprehensive Air Quality Model with extensions (CAMx). All three model runs are based on the same meteorological fields generated by the Fifth-Generation Pennsylvania State University/National Center for Atmospheric Research (PSU/NCAR) Mesoscale Model (MM5) and the same emission inventories. The emission data are processed by the Sparse Matrix Operator Kernel Emissions (SMOKE) model, with the inventories generated from the Transport and Chemical Evolution over the Pacific/Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment Phase B (TRACE-P/INTEX-B) and local emission inventory data. The results show that: (1) the meteorological simulation of the MM5 model is reasonable compared with the observations at the regional background and urban stations. (2) The models have different advantages at different stations. The CAMx model has the best performance for SO2 simulation, with the lowest mean normalized bias (MNB) and mean normalized error (MNE) at most of the Guangzhou stations, while the CMAQ model has the lowest normalized mean square error (NMSE) value for SO2 simulation at most of the other PRD urban stations. The NAQPMS model has the best performance in the NO2 simulation at most of the Guangzhou stations. (3) The model performance at the Guangzhou stations is better than that at the other stations, and the emissions may be underestimated in the other PRD cities. (4) The PM10 simulation has the best model measures of FAC2 (fraction of predictions within a factor of two of the observations) (average 53-56%) and NMSE (0.904-1.015), while the SO2 simulation has the best concentration distribution compared with the observations, according to the quantile-quantile (Q-Q) plots.

Antibiotic-Resistant Extended Spectrum ß-Lactamase- and Plasmid-Mediated AmpC-Producing Enterobacteriaceae Isolated from Retail Food Products and the Pearl River in Guangzhou, China

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Qinghua; Wu, Qingping; Zhang, Shuhong; Zhang, Jumei; Yang, Guangzhu; Wang, Huixian; Huang, Jiahui; Chen, Mongtong; Xue, Liang; Wang, Juan

2017-01-01

We conducted a survey in 2015 to evaluate the presence of extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)- and plasmid-mediated AmpC-producing Enterobacteriaceae in retail food and water of the Pearl River in Guangzhou, China, as well as their antibiotic resistance profiles. Samples (88 fresh food samples and 43 water samples) from eight different districts were analyzed by direct plating and after enrichment. Multidrug-resistant strains were found in 41.7 and 43.4% of food and water samples, respectively. ESBLs were found in 3.4 and 11.6% of food and water samples, respectively, and AmpC producers were found in 13.6 and 16.3% of food and water samples, respectively. Molecular characterization revealed the domination of blaCTX−Mgenes; plasmidic AmpC was of the type DHA-1 both in food and water samples. Thirteen of Fifty one β-lactamase-producing positive isolates were detected to be transconjugants, which readily received the β-lactamase genes conferring resistance to β-lactam antibiotics as well as some non-β-lactam antibiotics. These findings provide evidence that retail food and the river water may be considered as reservoirs for the dissemination of β-lactam antibiotics, and these resistance genes could readily be transmitted to humans through the food chain and water. PMID:28217112

Water geochemistry of the Xijiang basin rivers, South China: Chemical weathering and CO2 consumption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Zhifang; Liu Congqiang

2010-01-01

Research highlights: → The Xijiang River is the second largest river in China and flows through a large carbonate rock region in South China. → Sulfuric acid, which emanate from acid precipitation and the oxidation of sulfide minerals, is involved as a proton donor in weathering reactions in the Xijiang basin. → Calculated results show that the contribution of cations from rock weathering induced by sulfuric acid accounts for approximately 11.2%. → The flux of CO 2 released into the atmosphere is approximately 0.41 x 10 12 gC yr -1 produced by sulfuric acid-induced carbonate weathering in the Xijiang basin. → Sulfuric acid-induced carbonate weathering could counterbalance a significant part of the CO 2 consumed by silicate weathering. - Abstract: The Xijiang River, the mainstream of the Zhujiang (Pearl) River, which is the second largest river in China in terms of discharge, flows through a large carbonate rock region in South China. The chemical and Sr isotopic compositions of the Xijiang waters were determined during the high-flow season in order to understand the chemical weathering processes, associated CO 2 consumption and anthropogenic influences within the carbonate-dominated basin. The major ion compositions of the river waters are characterized by the dominance of Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , HCO 3 - and are significantly rich in SO 4 2- . The SO 4 2- is mainly derived from the oxidation of sulfide minerals and acid precipitation caused by coal combustion. Chemical and Sr isotopic compositions of the river waters indicate that four reservoirs (carbonates, silicates, evaporites and anthropogenic inputs) contribute to the total dissolved loads. The chemical weathering rates of carbonates and silicates for the Xijiang basin are estimated to be approximately 78.5 and 7.45 ton km -2 a -1 , respectively. The total chemical weathering rate of rocks for the Xijiang basin is approximately 86.1 ton km -2 a -1 or 42 mm ka -1 , which is much higher than global mean

Comparative Phenotype and Genome Analysis of Cellvibrio sp. PR1, a Xylanolytic and Agarolytic Bacterium from the Pearl River

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Zhangzhang Xie

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Cellvibrio sp. PR1 is a xylanolytic and agarolytic bacterium isolated from the Pearl River. Strain PR1 is closely related to Cellvibrio fibrivorans and C. ostraviensis (identity > 98%. The xylanase and agarase contents of strain PR1 reach up to 15.4 and 25.9 U/mL, respectively. The major cellular fatty acids consisted of C16:0 (36.7%, C18:0 (8.8%, C20:0 (6.8%, C15:0 iso 2-OH or/and C16:1ω7c (17.4%, and C18:1ω7c or/and C18:1ω6c (6.7%. A total of 251 CAZyme modules (63 CBMs, 20 CEs, 128 GHs, 38 GTs, and 2 PLs were identified from 3,730 predicted proteins. Genomic analysis suggested that strain PR1 has a complete xylan-hydrolyzing (5 β-xylanases, 16 β-xylosidases, 17 α-arabinofuranosidases, 9 acetyl xylan esterases, 4 α-glucuronidases, and 2 ferulic acid esterases and agar-hydrolyzing enzyme system (2 β-agarases and 2 α-neoagarooligosaccharide hydrolases. In addition, the main metabolic pathways of xylose, arabinose, and galactose are established in the genome-wide analysis. This study shows that strain PR1 contains a large number of glycoside hydrolases.

Phytoplankton pigments and functional community structure in relation to environmental factors in the Pearl River Estuary

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Chao Chai

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Two cruises were undertaken in the Pearl River Estuary in November 2011 and March 2012 to analyze the distribution of phytoplankton pigments and to define the relationships of pigment indices and functional community structure with environmental factors. Among 22 pigments, 17 were detected by high-performance liquid chromatography. Chlorophyll a was found in all samples, with a maximum of 7.712 μg L−1 in spring. Fucoxanthin was the most abundant accessory pigment, with mean concentrations of 2.914 μg L−1 and 0.207 μg L−1 in spring and autumn, respectively. Chlorophyll a, chlorophyll c2, fucoxanthin, diadinoxanthin, and diatoxanthin were high in the northern or northwest estuary in spring and in the middle-eastern and northeast estuary in autumn. Chlorophyll b, chlorophyll c3, prasinoxanthin, and peridinin were similarly distributed during the two cruises. Chlorophyll a and fucoxanthin positively correlated with nutrients in spring, whereas 19′-hex-fucoxanthin and 19′-but-fucoxanthin negatively correlated. The biomass proportion of microphytoplankton (BPm was higher in spring, whereas that of picophytoplankton (BPp was higher in autumn. BPm in spring was high in areas with salinity 30. BPm increased but BPn reduced with the increase in nutrient contents. By comparison, BPp reduced with the increase in nutrient contents in spring, but no relationship was found between BPp and nutrient contents in autumn. The ratios of photosynthetic carotenoids to photoprotective carotenoids in the southern estuary approached unity linear relationship in spring and were under the unity line in autumn.

Variability of ozone depleting substances as an indication of emissions in the Pearl River Delta, China

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Chih-Chung; Lai, Cheng-Hsun; Wang, Chieh-Heng; Liu, Ying; Shao, Min; Zhang, Yuanhang; Wang, Jia-Lin

The continued production and consumption of five major chlorocarbons, i.e., CFC-11 (CCl 3F), CFC-12 (CCl 2F 2), CFC-113 (CCl 2FCClF 2), CH 3CCl 3, and CCl 4, as allowed by developing nations including China under the Montreal Protocol, were assessed by a method employing concentration variability. Measurements of the five ozone depleting substances (ODS) were measured in downtown Guangzhou and a rural site in the Pearl River Delta (PRD), China by both in situ and flask measurements. In order to post a contrast to PRD with a referencing environment of minimal emissions, in situ measurements were also conducted in Taipei, Taiwan, where a decade long phase-out of CFCs has been implemented. In general, the variability of chlorocarbons in the PRD sites was significantly greater than that of Taipei. While the abundance of the five ODSs in Taipei was relatively uniform with a relative standard deviation (RSD) varying between 3% and 16%, their variability in PRD with the exception of CFC-113 was significantly more pronounced, clearly indicating the significant usage of ODSs. The variability of CFC-113 in both cities, however, was nearly indiscernible from the instrumental precision, suggesting little usage of CFC-113 in China. Methyl chloroform in Guangzhou exhibited a strong link to solvent evaporation as it showed a tight correlation with ambient toluene. Alarmingly, CCl 4 was the most variable of the five major chlorocarbons in Guangzhou, which should arouse a serious concern for public health due to its carcinogenicity.

[Influence of Burning Fireworks on Air Quality During the Spring Festival in the Pearl River Delta].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Wei; Fan, Shao-jia; Xie, Wen-zhang; Sun, Jia-ren

2015-12-01

Based on data from the air quality monitoring stations in the Pearl River Delta during the 2015 Spring Festival, the regional air quality was investigated and the impact of burning fireworks on urban air quality was assessed. The results showed that: Zhaoqing was the worst polluted city in PM₁₀, PM₂.₅, SO₂ and CO in terms of concentrations in the region during the period, Huizhou was the worst polluted city in O₃ and Guangzhou was the most polluted city in NO₂ at the same time. Compared to the data of last year, the SO₂, NO₂, CO, PM₁₀ and PM₂.₅ concentrations had decreased significantly, but the O₃ concentration had increased during the Spring Festival. Burning fireworks during the Spring Festival were mainly concentrated in the suburbs. The concentrated discharge of fireworks made the SO₂, PM₁₀ and PM₂.₅ concentrations increased significantly in the New Year's Eve night, even multiplied, but had no significant effect on CO, O₃ and NO₂. The rapid decline in PM₂.₅/PM₁₀ proportion was caused by the discharge of fireworks, and the ratio of PM₂.₅/PM₁₀ reached the minimum when concentration of particles reached the peak. By assessing, the maximum contribution of hourly concentration from burning fireworks in each city was between 16 µg · m⁻³ and 65 µg · m⁻³ for PM₂.₅, between 28 µg · m⁻³ and 138 µg · m⁻³ for PM₁₀ and between 9 µg · m⁻³ and 43 µg · m⁻³ for SO₂.

High resolution of black carbon and organic carbon emissions in the Pearl River Delta region, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Junyu; He, Min; Shen, Xingling; Yin, Shasha; Yuan, Zibing

2012-11-01

A high-resolution regional black carbon (BC) and organic carbon (OC) emission inventory for the year 2009 was developed for the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, China, based on the collected activity data and the latest emission factors. PM(2.5), BC and OC emissions were estimated to be 303 kt, 39 kt and 31 kt, respectively. Industrial processes were major contributing sources to PM(2.5) emissions. BC emissions were mainly from mobile sources, accounting for 65.0%, while 34.1% of OC emissions were from residential combustion. The primary OC/BC ratios for individual cities in the PRD region were dependent on the levels of economic development due to differences in source characteristics, with high ratios in the less developed cities and low ratios in the central and southern developed areas. The preliminary temporal profiles were established, showing the highest OC emissions in winter and relatively constant BC emissions throughout the year. The emissions were spatially allocated into grid cells with a resolution of 3 km × 3 km. Large amounts of BC emissions were distributed over the central-southern PRD city clusters, while OC emissions exhibited a relatively even spatial distribution due to the significant biomass burning emissions from the outlying area of the PRD region. Uncertainties in carbonaceous aerosol emissions were usually higher than in other primary pollutants like SO(2), NO(x), and PM(10). One of the key uncertainty sources was the emission factor, due to the absence of direct measurements of BC and OC emission rates. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Top-down estimates of benzene and toluene emissions in the Pearl River Delta and Hong Kong, China

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X. Fang

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Benzene (C6H6 and toluene (C7H8 are toxic to humans and the environment. They are also important precursors of ground-level ozone and secondary organic aerosols and contribute substantially to severe air pollution in urban areas in China. Discrepancies exist between different bottom-up inventories for benzene and toluene emissions in the Pearl River Delta (PRD and Hong Kong (HK, which are emission hot spots in China. This study provides top-down estimates of benzene and toluene emissions in the PRD and HK using atmospheric measurement data from a rural site in the area, Heshan, an atmospheric transport model, and an inverse modeling method. The model simulations captured the measured mixing ratios during most pollution episodes. For the PRD and HK, the benzene emissions estimated in this study for 2010 were 44 (12–75 and 5 (2–7 Gg yr−1 for the PRD and HK, respectively, and the toluene emissions were 131 (44–218 and 6 (2–9 Gg yr−1, respectively. Temporal and spatial differences between the inversion estimate and four different bottom-up emission estimates are discussed, and it is proposed that more observations at different sites are urgently needed to better constrain benzene and toluene (and other air pollutant emissions in the PRD and HK in the future.

Electrospun composites of PHBV/pearl powder for bone repairing

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Jingjing Bai

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Electrospun fiber has highly structural similarity with natural bone extracelluar matrix (ECM. Many researches about fabricating organic–inorganic composite materials have been carried out in order to mimic the natural composition of bone and enhance the biocompatibility of materials. In this work, pearl powder was added to the poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate (PHBV and the composite nanofiber scaffold was prepared by electrospinning. Mineralization ability of the composite scaffolds can be evaluated by analyzing hydroxyapatite (HA formation on the surface of nanofiber scaffolds. The obtained composite nanofiber scaffolds showed an enhanced mineralization capacity due to incorporation of pearl powder. The HA formed amount of the composite scaffolds was raised as the increase of pearl powder in composite scaffolds. Therefore, the prepared PHBV/pearl composite nanofiber scaffolds would be a promising candidate as an osteoconductive composite material for bone repairing.

Experts and novices use the same factors--but differently--to evaluate pearl quality.

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Yusuke Tani

Full Text Available Well-trained experts in pearl grading have been thought to evaluate pearls according to their glossiness, interference color, and shape. However, the characteristics of their evaluations are not fully understood. Using pearl grading experiments, we investigate the consistency of novice (i.e., without knowledge of pearl grading and expert participants' pearl grading skill and then compare the novices' grading with that of experts; furthermore, we discuss the relationship between grading, interference color, and glossiness. We found that novices' grading was significantly less concordant with experts average grading than was experts' grading; more than half of novices graded pearls the opposite of how experts graded those same pearls. However, while experts graded pearls more consistently than novices did, novices' consistency was relatively high. We also found differences between the groups in regression analyses that used interference color and glossiness as explanatory variables and were conducted for each trial. Although the regression coefficient was significant in 60% of novices' trials, there were fewer significant trials for the experts (20%. This indicates that novices can also make use of these two factors, but that their usage is simpler than that of the experts. These results suggest that experts and novices share some values about pearls but that the evaluation method is elaborated for experts.

A GIS based estimation of loss of particulate nitrogen and phosphorus in typical drainage area of Pearl River Delta

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xiaonan; Wu, Zhifeng; Cheng, Jiong; Liu, Ping

2008-10-01

The output of nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural activities is the main source for water eutrophication. The fully developed agriculture in vegetables, fruits and flowers in Pearl River Delta gives rise to excessive use of chemical matter such as fertilizer and pesticide and thus bring about the serious water pollution because of the loss of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from the farmland in the region. Based on Geographic Information System (GIS) and soil pollution data, Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) and source type method are used to estimate the loads of particulate N and P from the soil of different land use types in the drainage area of Liuxi River in Guangzhou, China. So the key regions those the NPS pollution occurred can be confirmed and the technical support for the pollution control target and the capital flow concentration can be provided by the results. The study shows that, (1) The total loss of particulate N and P in the drainage area is 582.49 t/a and 424.74 t/a respectively. Among them the loss of particulate N from paddy soil occupies 40.02% and that of forest 6.31%, while the loss of particulate P from the soil of dry-land accounts for 28.75% and that of paddy soil 26.31%. (2) There are significantly different losses of particulate N and P per unit area from the soils of different source land use types in the drainage area. The losses of particulate N and P per unit area are both the highest from the soil of dry-land, which is 7.72 kg/hm2 and 9.50 kg/hm2 respectively, followed by those of orchard, which is 7.20 kg/hm2 and 6.56 kg/hm2 respectively. The causes are excessive use of chemical matter, unreasonable cultivation pattern, and the soil erosion of different land use. (3) The excessive N and P come from the loss of particulate N and P from the fertilization in agricultural production, and they are the main source of the pollutants in Liuxi River water.

Changes in community structure of active protistan assemblages from the lower Pearl River to coastal Waters of the South China Sea.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ran; Jiao, Nianzhi; Warren, Alan; Xu, Dapeng

2018-04-01

Protists make up an important component of aquatic ecosystems, playing crucial roles in biogeochemical processes on local and global scales. To reveal the changes of diversity and community structure of protists along the salinity gradients, community compositions of active protistan assemblages were characterized along a transect from the lower Pearl River estuary to the open waters of the South China Sea (SCS), using high-throughput sequencing of the hyper-variable V9 regions of 18S rRNA. This study showed that the alpha diversity of protists, both in the freshwater and in the coastal SCS stations was higher than that in the estuary. The protist community structure also changed along the salinity gradient. The relative sequence abundance of Stramenopiles was highest at stations with lower salinity and decreased with the increasing of salinity. By contrast, the contributions of Alveolata, Hacrobia and Rhizaria to the protistan communities generally increased with the increasing of salinity. The composition of the active protistan community was strongly correlated with salinity, indicating that salinity was the dominant factor among measured environmental parameters affecting protistan community composition and structure. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Distribution and contamination assessment of heavy metals in water and soils from the College town in the Pearl river delta, China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xiao, Rong; Bai, Junhong; Gao, Haifeng; Wang, Junjing; Huang, Laibin; Liu, Peipei [State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing (China)

2012-10-15

The accumulation of heavy metals such as Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, Cr, and Ni in water and soils in a new-built college town was investigated to demonstrate the effects of city construction on wetland ecosystem. Three sampling sites were chosen in wetland park (A), constructed wetland (B), and construction site (C), respectively. The results showed that the construction site C presented the highest accumulation levels of all six studied metals along soil profiles and hence had the highest eco-toxicity to environment. Sites A and B showed similar accumulation levels, whereas their concentrations were significantly lower than those at site C though seriously high Cd were also found in soils from both sites A and B and dangerous concentration of Pb in water was observed at site A based on several standards or background concentration values. However, when compared with other regions in Pearl River Delta, this college town could be counted as ''clean Island'' which may be benefit from its isolate location away from urban center and the effective management to avoid pollution. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

The use of UV-visible reflectance spectroscopy as an objective tool to evaluate pearl quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Agatonovic-Kustrin, Snezana; Morton, David W

2012-07-01

Assessing the quality of pearls involves the use of various tools and methods, which are mainly visual and often quite subjective. Pearls are normally classified by origin and are then graded by luster, nacre thickness, surface quality, size, color and shape. The aim of this study was to investigate the capacity of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) to classify and estimate the quality of 27 different pearls from their UV-Visible spectra. Due to the opaque nature of pearls, spectroscopy measurements were performed using the Diffuse Reflectance UV-Visible spectroscopy technique. The spectra were acquired at two different locations on each pearl sample in order to assess surface homogeneity. The spectral data (inputs) were smoothed to reduce the noise, fed into ANNs and correlated to the pearl's quality/grading criteria (outputs). The developed ANNs were successful in predicting pearl type, mollusk growing species, possible luster and color enhancing, donor condition/type, recipient/host color, donor color, pearl luster, pearl color, origin. The results of this study shows that the developed UV-Vis spectroscopy-ANN method could be used as a more objective method of assessing pearl quality (grading) and may become a valuable tool for the pearl grading industry.

Assessing a cross-border logistics policy using a performance measurement system framework: the case of Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta region

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, David W. C.; Choy, K. L.; Chow, Harry K. H.; Lin, Canhong

2014-06-01

For the most rapidly growing economic entity in the world, China, a new logistics operation called the indirect cross-border supply chain model has recently emerged. The primary idea of this model is to reduce logistics costs by storing goods at a bonded warehouse with low storage cost in certain Chinese regions, such as the Pearl River Delta (PRD). This research proposes a performance measurement system (PMS) framework to assess the direct and indirect cross-border supply chain models. The PMS covers four categories including cost, time, quality and flexibility in the assessment of the performance of direct and indirect models. Furthermore, a survey was conducted to investigate the logistics performance of third party logistics (3PLs) at the PRD regions, including Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong. The significance of the proposed PMS framework allows 3PLs accurately pinpoint the weakness and strengths of it current operations policy at four major performance measurement categories. Hence, this helps 3PLs further enhance the competitiveness and operations efficiency through better resources allocation at the area of warehousing and transportation.

Divergent Developmental Trajectories and Strategic Coupling in the Pearl River Delta: Where Is a Sustainable Way of Regional Economic Growth?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi Liu

2017-10-01

Full Text Available This paper interprets regional economic sustainability in the context of the globalization of late-coming regions. Drawing upon the concept of strategic coupling from economic geography, this paper proposes two types of strategic coupling, captive and proactive coupling, for better understanding regional sustainability and resilience through the experiences of the Pearl River Delta in China. It finds that sub-regional economies under captive coupling become highly dependent on exogenous growth and are vulnerable to external shocks. This trajectory looks less sustainable according to the general understanding, but it interestingly shows better resilience during and after the 2008 global financial crisis. In contrast, the ones under proactive coupling are less volatile, but growing much slower and are less resilient. By reporting these regional economic dynamics, this paper argues that sustainability in late-coming regions cannot be explained by either intra-regional forces or the means of global integration alone. In contrast, it has to be explained by the combination of both; the alleged strategic coupling in which economic growth and learning happens. This paper thus calls for greater attention to strategic coupling, the trade-off of globalization and resilience for understanding regional sustainability, rather than purely focusing on resource utilization and ecological balance.

The changes in trace metal contamination over the last decade in surface sediments of the Pearl River Estuary, South China.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Baowei; Liang, Ximei; Xu, Weihai; Huang, Xiaoping; Li, Xiangdong

2012-11-15

Surface sediments can provide useful information on the recent pollution status of an estuary. One recent field survey was carried out in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE), South China in 2011. The comparisons with previous surveys demonstrated that the concentrations of Ni and Pb in the PRE declined over the last decade, but the concentration of Cu increased in the same time frame. The significant decreases in the concentrations of Ni and Pb were probably due to a reduction of anthropogenic inputs, such as industrial wastewater, into the PRE environment, and the ban imposed on leaded gasoline. Statistical analyses have consistently demonstrated that the process of the sedimentation of fine particles was the dominant factor in controlling the transport and distribution of trace metals in the PRE. The riverine trace metals generally displayed a pattern of diffusion from the northwest to the southeast in the estuary. However, the riparian industrial activities at the east bank of the inner PRE caused significant metal contamination in sediments. In general, effective pollution control measures in the PRD region have decreased the levels of some trace metals in the entire PRE over the last decade with the exception of Cu. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Science-policy interplay: Air quality management in the Pearl River Delta region and Hong Kong

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Liuju; Louie, Peter K. K.; Zheng, Junyu; Yuan, Zibing; Yue, Dingli; Ho, Josephine W. K.; Lau, Alexis K. H.

2013-09-01

The information provided by the scientific studies and control measures implemented in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region of China reveals that tremendous progress has been made in the understanding of regional air pollution issues and the deployment of mitigation measures for alleviating these problems. Given the unparalleled rapid economic growth in the PRD over the past two decades, such progress was only made possible by strong, science-based support and the partnerships between government and research institutions in the region and overseas. Researchers from these partnership programs and related studies have deployed cutting-edge expertise and experience in various crucial mainland China and mainland China/Hong Kong-level projects. China recognizes the importance of protecting the environment and cleaning up the air in the pursuit of sustainable growth and economic development. To avoid falling into a cycle of event-driven clean-up efforts, China has recently taken a major step and updated the national ambient air quality standards. Clearly, China is implementing an increasing number of evidence-based policies to address air pollution problems. Thus, to bring a fresh impetus at a national level, the PRD must maintain and augment the Hong Kong-mainland collaborative momentum, inducing a "whole-China" effort to clean up air pollution. To strengthen the science-based support system and ensure continuous and concerted effort in implementing the regional multi-pollutant control strategy, there must be an overarching and integral Hong Kong-Guangdong science consortium framework supporting the formulation of regional policy and control measures built on common goals under the "one country, two systems" principle. The "PRD Approach" of the air quality management regime reflected regional cooperative efforts in synchronous air pollutant control, catalyzed the crucial role of information disclosure and subtly transformed the air quality management approach to overcome

Sources and compositional distribution of organic carbon in surface sediments from the lower Pearl River to the coastal South China Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Li, X.; Zhang, Z.; Wade, T.; Knap, A. H.; Zhang, C.

2017-12-01

The Pearl River plays an important role in transporting terrestrial organic carbon (OC) to the South China Sea (SCS). However, the sources and compositional distribution of OC in the system are poorly understood. This study focused on delineating the sources and determining the fate of surface sedimentary OC from the Feilaixia Hydro-power Station to the coastal SCS. Elemental, stable carbon/nitrogen isotope (δ13C, δ15N) and lignin-phenol analyses have been conducted. The total OC (TOC) from the up-stream sites were generally derived from vascular plants (higher C/N, and depleted δ13C) and soils. Additional input was attributed to riverine primary production (lower C/N and enriched δ13C), which was enhanced near the dam-created reservoir. The C/N and δ13C values were not significantly different among sites in the mid-stream. The estuary/coastal sites witnessed hydrodynamically sorted riverine OC, which was diluted by marine primary production (lower C/N and more enriched δ13C). The lignin concentration was the highest in the up-stream sites, remained relatively unchanged in the mid-stream sites and decreased significantly along the estuary/coastal sites, which was corroborated by variation in TOC. A comprehensive five-endmember Monte Carlo simulation suggested that previous studies had underestimated the C4 plant input by 14 ± 11% and overestimated the riverbank soil input by 21 ± 17%. Thus, our study provided valuable information for more accurate source and mass balance studies of terrestrial OC transported to the SCS, which helped to further understand the carbon cycling in the large river-ocean continuum.

Ground-water status report, Pearl Harbor area, Hawaii, 1978

Science.gov (United States)

Soroos, Ronald L.; Ewart, Charles J.

1979-01-01

Increasing demand for freshwater in Hawaii has placed heavy stress on many of the State 's basal aquifer systems. The most heavily stressed of these systems is the Pearl Harbor on Oahu. The Pearl Harbor basal aquifer supplies as much as 277 million gallons per day. Since early in this century, spring discharge has been declining while pumpage has been increasing. Total ground-water discharge has remained steady despite short-term fluctuations. Some wells show general increases in chloride concentration while others remain steady. Chloride concentrations throughout the area show no apparent increase since 1970. Basal water head maps of the Pearl Harbor area clearly reflect the natural discharge points, which are the springs located along the shore near the center of Pearl Harbor. Basal-water hydrographs show a general decline of about 0.09 foot per year. This implies depletion of storage at a rate of about 25 million gallons per day. (USGS).

Sensibility analysis of the pearl model for pesticide leaching in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil Análise de sensibilidade do simulador pearl para lixiviação de pesticidas no estado de Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil

OpenAIRE

Rômulo P. Scorza Júnior; João P. da Silva

2011-01-01

For an accurate use of pesticide leaching models it is necessary to assess the sensitivity of input parameters. The aim of this work was to carry out sensitivity analysis of the pesticide leaching model PEARL for contrasting soil types of Dourados river watershed in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Sensitivity analysis was done by carrying out many simulations with different input parameters and calculating their influence on the output values. The approach used was called one-at-a-ti...

Industrial sector-based volatile organic compound (VOC) source profiles measured in manufacturing facilities in the Pearl River Delta, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Junyu; Yu, Yufan; Mo, Ziwei; Zhang, Zhou; Wang, Xinming; Yin, Shasha; Peng, Kang; Yang, Yang; Feng, Xiaoqiong; Cai, Huihua

2013-07-01

Industrial sector-based VOC source profiles are reported for the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, China, based source samples (stack emissions and fugitive emissions) analyzed from sources operating under normal conditions. The industrial sectors considered are printing (letterpress, offset and gravure printing processes), wood furniture coating, shoemaking, paint manufacturing and metal surface coating. More than 250 VOC species were detected following US EPA methods TO-14 and TO-15. The results indicated that benzene and toluene were the major species associated with letterpress printing, while ethyl acetate and isopropyl alcohol were the most abundant compounds of other two printing processes. Acetone and 2-butanone were the major species observed in the shoemaking sector. The source profile patterns were found to be similar for the paint manufacturing, wood furniture coating, and metal surface coating sectors, with aromatics being the most abundant group and oxygenated VOCs (OVOCs) as the second largest contributor in the profiles. While OVOCs were one of the most significant VOC groups detected in these five industrial sectors in the PRD region, they have not been reported in most other source profile studies. Such comparisons with other studies show that there are differences in source profiles for different regions or countries, indicating the importance of developing local source profiles. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Spatiotemporal variability of biogenic terpenoid emissions in Pearl River Delta, China, with high-resolution land-cover and meteorological data

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xuemei; Situ, Shuping; Guenther, Alex; Chen, Fei; Wu, Zhiyong; Xia, Beicheng; Wang, Tijian

2011-04-01

This study intended to provide 4-km gridded, hourly, year-long, regional estimates of terpenoid emissions in the Pearl River Delta (PRD), China. It combined Thematic Mapper images and local-survey data to characterize plant functional types, and used observed emission potential of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOC) from local plant species and high-resolution meteorological outputs from the MM5 model to constrain the MEGAN BVOC-emission model. The estimated annual emissions for isoprene, monoterpene and sesquiterpene are 95.55 × 106 kg C, 117.35 × 106 kg C and 9.77 × 106 kg C, respectively. The results show strong variabilities of terpenoid emissions spanning diurnal and seasonal time scales, which are mainly distributed in the remote areas (with more vegetation and less economic development) in PRD. Using MODIS PFTs data reduced terpenoid emissions by 27% in remote areas. Using MEGAN-model default emission factors led to a 24% increase in BVOC emission. The model errors of temperature and radiation in MM5 output were used to assess impacts of uncertainties in meteorological forcing on emissions: increasing (decreasing) temperature and downward shortwave radiation produces more (less) terpenoid emissions for July and January. Strong temporal variability of terpenoid emissions leads to enhanced ozone formation during midday in rural areas where the anthropogenic VOC emissions are limited.

Combination of FTIR and SEM for Identifying Freshwater-Cultured Pearls from Different Quality

Science.gov (United States)

Satitkune, Somruedee; Monarumit, Natthapong; Boonmee, Chakkrich; Phlayrahan, Aumaparn; Promdee, Kittiphop; Won-in, Krit

2016-03-01

The freshwater-cultured pearl ( Chamberlainia hainesiana species) is an organic gemstone mainly composed of calcium carbonate mineral including calcite, aragonite and vaterite phases. Generally, the quality of freshwater-cultured pearl is based on its luster. The high luster pearl is full of the aragonite phase without vaterite phase. On the other hand, the low luster pearl consists of aragonite and vaterite phases. These data could be proved by the Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy combined with the scanning electron microscopy (SEM). As the results, the high luster pearl similarly shows the FTIR spectrum of aragonite phase, and also, it shows the hexagonal shape of aragonite for the SEM image. On the other hand, the FTIR spectrum of low luster pearl has been pointed to the mixture component among aragonite and vaterite phases, and based on the SEM image; the irregular form is also interpreted to the mixture of aragonite and vaterite phases. This research concludes that the quality of freshwater-cultured pearls can be identified by the combination data of FTIR spectra and SEM images. These techniques are suitable for applied gemology.

Sources and characteristics of carbonaceous aerosol in two largest cities in Pearl River Delta Region, China

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Jingchun; Tan, Jihua; Cheng, Dingxi; Bi, Xinhui; Deng, Wenjing; Sheng, Guoying; Fu, Jiamo; Wong, M. H.

PM 2.5 samples were collected at five sites in Guangzhou and Hong Kong, Pearl River Delta Region (PRDR), China in both summer and winter during 2004-2005. Elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) in these samples were measured. The OC and EC concentrations ranked in the order of urban Guangzhou > urban Hong Kong > background Hong Kong. Total carbonaceous aerosol (TCA) contributed less to PM 2.5 in urban Guangzhou (32-35%) than that in urban Hong Kong (43-57%). The reason may be that, as an major industrial city in South China, Guangzhou would receive large amount of inorganic aerosol from all kinds of industries, however, as a trade center and seaport, urban Hong Kong would mainly receive organic aerosol and EC from container vessels and heavy-duty diesel trucks. At Hong Kong background site Hok Tsui, relatively lower contribution of TCA to PM 2.5 may result from contributions of marine inorganic aerosol and inland China pollutant. Strong correlation ( R2=0.76-0.83) between OC and EC indicates minor fluctuation of emission and the secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation in urban Guangzhou. Weak correlation between OC and EC in Hong Kong can be related to the impact of the long-range transported aerosol from inland China. Averagely, secondary OC (SOC) concentrations were 3.8-5.9 and 10.2-12.8 μg m -3, respectively, accounting for 21-32% and 36-42% of OC in summer and winter in Guangzhou. The average values of 4.2-6.8% for SOA/ PM 2.5 indicate that SOA was minor component in PM 2.5 in Guangzhou.

32 CFR 705.31 - USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 5 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor. 705.31... NAVY REGULATIONS AND OFFICIAL RECORDS PUBLIC AFFAIRS REGULATIONS § 705.31 USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor. (a) Limited space and the desirability of keeping the Memorial simple and dignified require the...

Terrestrial water storage changes over the Pearl River Basin from GRACE and connections with Pacific climate variability

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Zhicai Luo

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Time-variable gravity data from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE satellite mission are used to study terrestrial water storage (TWS changes over the Pearl River Basin (PRB for the period 2003–Nov. 2014. TWS estimates from GRACE generally show good agreement with those from two hydrological models GLDAS and WGHM. But they show different capability of detecting significant TWS changes over the PRB. Among them, WGHM is likely to underestimate the seasonal variability of TWS, while GRACE detects long-term water depletions over the upper PRB as was done by hydrological models, and observes significant water increases around the Longtan Reservoir (LTR due to water impoundment. The heavy drought in 2011 caused by the persistent precipitation deficit has resulted in extreme low surface runoff and water level of the LTR. Moreover, large variability of summer and autumn precipitation may easily trigger floods and droughts in the rainy season in the PRB, especially for summer, as a high correlation of 0.89 was found between precipitation and surface runoff. Generally, the PRB TWS was negatively correlated with El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO events. However, the modulation of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO may impact this relationship, and the significant TWS anomaly was likely to occur in the peak of PDO phase as they agree well in both of the magnitude and timing of peaks. This indicates that GRACE-based TWS could be a valuable parameter for studying climatic influences in the PRB.

Non-methane hydrocarbon characteristics of motor vehicular emissions in the Pearl River Delta region

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Wai Yan

2007-12-01

Air pollution problem in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region has raised much concern from the public in recent years. The primary aim of this research is to use field measurement data to characterize non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) in emission from motor vehicles. Fuel vapor compositions for several commonly used vehicular fuels in Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou and Zhuhai were analyzed in 2003, and they are believed to be the first one reported for the PRD region. These profiles were used to study the impact of evaporative loss of the fuels on air quality. From the roadside and tunnel samples collected in the four cities mentioned above from 2000 to 2003, results showed that vehicular engine combustion was a main NMHC source, while gasoline evaporative losses also contributed much to the total NMHC emission, besides, LPG leakage was also found to be significant from the tunnel measurement data collected in Hong Kong. Characteristics of vehicular engine exhaust emissions were also studied. Measurements of diesel emission showed a large influence on the emission profile due to the change of diesel compositions. The E/E ratios implied that gasoline-powered vehicles in Hong Kong were equipped with well functioning catalysts, while those in Guangzhou and Zhuhai, especially the motorcycles, were found dirtier in NMHC emission. Although the E/E ratios showed that private cars in Hong Kong had high combustion efficiency, the existence of significant amounts of unburned gasoline in their exhaust stream pointed out that they still had low fuel economy. From the results of a simple model, it was found that the evaporative losses of gasoline and LPG contributed much to the total NMHC pollution from vehicle. The preliminary results from the dynamometer study conducted in Hong Kong showed large variations of exhaust characteristics for private cars and taxis during different driving speeds. The results can be used as scientific basis for regulatory parties in

[Faunal characteristics and distribution pattern of crustaceans in the vicinity of Pearl River estuary].

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Zi-Rong; Sun, Dian-Rong; Chen, Zuo-Zhi; Zhang, Han-Hua; Wang, Xue-Hui; Wang, Yue-Zhong; Fang, Hong-Da; Dong, Yan-Hong

2009-10-01

Based on the data of bottom trawl surveys in the vicinity of Pearl River estuary in August (summer), October (autumn), December (winter) 2006, and April (spring) 2007, the faunal characteristics and distribution pattern of crustaceans were analyzed. A total of 54 species belonging to 25 genera, 17 families, and 2 orders were collected, including 22 species of shrimps, 22 species of crabs, and 10 species of squills. Most of the crustaceans were tropical-subtropical warm-water species, a few of them were eurythermal species, and no warm-water and cold-water species occurred. Euryhaline species were most abundant, followed by halophile species, and the low-salinity species were the least. Most of the crustacean species belonged to the fauna of Indian Ocean-western Pacific Ocean. The faunal assemblages were closer to those of the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, Indonesia Sea, and the Japan Sea, and estranger with those of the Yellow Sea, Bohai Sea, and Korea Sea. The dominant species were Metapenaeus joyner, Oratosquilla oratoria, Charybdis miles, Portunus sanguinolentus, Harpiosquilla harpax, Charybdis feriatus, Charybdis japonica, Oratosquilla nepa, Solenocera crassicornis, Portunus trituberculatus, and Calappa philargius. The crustaceans had the largest species number (33) in autumn and the least one (26) in spring, and the highest stock density at the water depth of crabs had the highest stock density (41.81 kg x km(-2)), followed by shrimps (38.91 kg x km(-2)), and squills (18.88 kg x km(-2)). The stock densities of the 3 species groups showed an obvious seasonal variation. Shrimps had the highest stock density (120.32 kg x km(-2)) in summer and the lowest density (0.67 kg x km(-2)) in spring, while crabs and squills had the highest density (62.01 and 29.49 kg x km(-2), respectively) in winter and the lowest density (24.64 and 6.30 kg x km(-2), respectively) in autumn.

Durability of Materials in Pearl-Chain Bridges

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lund, Mia Schou Møller

. The construction of the Pearl-Chain arch is simple. The arch is assembled on its side, next to the road that the bridge will span, by placing a number of plane prefabricated Super-Light Decks that consist of lightweight aggregate concrete and conventional concrete, in the desired arch shape. Mortar joints are cast...... is stabilized by casting a fill material between the spandrel walls of the arch. Finally, the road surface is cast on top of the fill material. New bridges are designed for a service lifetime of at least 100 years. Hence, the specifications of the materials used in Pearl-Chain Bridges are high. This PhD study...... and pervious concrete were also investigated. The most suitable fill material for Pearl-Chain Bridges depends on the particular bridge design; the results obtained and presented in the present PhD study provide guidance on how to decide which fill material is most suitable regarding strength, permeability...

Levels and bioaccumulation of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in fishes from the Pearl River estuary and Daya Bay, South China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo Lingli; Qiu Yaowen; Zhang Gan; Zheng, Gene J.; Lam, Paul K.S.; Li Xiangdong

2008-01-01

Fifty fish samples were collected from the Pearl River estuary (PRE) and Daya Bay, South China and were analyzed for DDTs, HCHs, chlordanes and polybrominated biphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Except the high concentrations of DDT observed in fishes, the concentrations of HCHs, chlordanes and PBDEs were low when compared to other regions. BDE-47 was the predominant PBDE congener and the BDE-209 concentrations were relatively low, despite its high concentration in surface sediments. The absence of significant increase of DDT, HCH, chlordane and PBDE concentrations towards higher δ 15 N values, as well as the lack of a significant correlation (p 15 N, may indicate a weak biomagnification of these chemicals in the food webs. Good agreement was observed between their concentrations and lipid contents of the organisms. Bioconcentration was suggested to be responsible for the accumulation of OCPs and PBDEs in the lower trophic organisms in the studied subtropical waters. - Bioconcentration was suggested to be responsible for the accumulation of OCPs and PBDEs in the lower trophic organisms of subtropical waters

Progressive Pearling of Barley Kernel: Chemical Characterization of Pearling Fractions and Effect of Their Inclusion on the Nutritional and Technological Properties of Wheat Bread.

Science.gov (United States)

Blandino, Massimo; Locatelli, Monica; Sovrani, Valentina; Coïsson, Jean Daniel; Rolle, Luca; Travaglia, Fabiano; Giacosa, Simone; Bordiga, Matteo; Scarpino, Valentina; Reyneri, Amedeo; Arlorio, Marco

2015-07-01

Two hulled barley varieties have been sequentially pearled for one to eight cycles, each with 5% removal. The derived fractions were analyzed for their bioactive compound content. The dietary fiber (DF) decreased from the external to the internal layers, whereas β-glucans showed an inverse trend. Deoxynivalenol contamination was concentrated in the outer layers. The total antioxidant activity (TAA) was higher in the 15-25% fractions, which were used to prepare bread. Five mixtures of refined wheat flour, with an increasing replacement of this pearled barley fraction, were compared with a control for the bioactive compound content, as well as for the rheological and physical bread properties. The inclusion of pearled fractions with up to a 10% substitution leads to a clear enhancement of the DF and TAA, with only minor detrimental effects on the physical parameters. Selected byproducts of barley pearling could be proposed as functional ingredients for bakery products rich in DF and TAA.

Retrieval of High-Resolution Atmospheric Particulate Matter Concentrations from Satellite-Based Aerosol Optical Thickness over the Pearl River Delta Area, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lili Li

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Satellite remote sensing offers an effective approach to estimate indicators of air quality on a large scale. It is critically significant for air quality monitoring in areas experiencing rapid urbanization and consequently severe air pollution, like the Pearl River Delta (PRD in China. This paper starts with examining ground observations of particulate matter (PM and the relationship between PM10 (particles smaller than 10 μm and aerosol optical thickness (AOT by analyzing observations on the sampling sites in the PRD. A linear regression (R2 = 0.51 is carried out using MODIS-derived 500 m-resolution AOT and PM10 concentration from monitoring stations. Data of atmospheric boundary layer (ABL height and relative humidity are used to make vertical and humidity corrections on AOT. Results after correction show higher correlations (R2 = 0.55 between extinction coefficient and PM10. However, coarse spatial resolution of meteorological data affects the smoothness of retrieved maps, which suggests high-resolution and accurate meteorological data are critical to increase retrieval accuracy of PM. Finally, the model provides the spatial distribution maps of instantaneous and yearly average PM10 over the PRD. It is proved that observed PM10 is more relevant to yearly mean AOT than instantaneous values.

Evaluation of milled pearl millet in the feeding of growing rabbits

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernanda Catelan

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Two experiments were carried out in order to estimate the nutritional value and the performance of growing rabbits fed different levels of pearl millet (ADR 7010. In the digestibility trial, nutritional values of pearl millet were determined in 22 45-day-old New Zealand White rabbits, allotted in a completely randomized design, subjected to two treatments - a reference diet and a test diet with 70% of its volume composed of reference diet and 30% of pearl millet - and 11 replications. The apparent digestibility values of dry matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber and gross energy of the pearl millet were 88.7, 85.4, 24.4 and 75.0%, respectively. In the performance trial, 120 32-day-old New Zealand White rabbits were used. Rabbits were allotted in a completely randomized design and subjected to six treatments, with 10 replications and two animals for each experimental unit. The diets were formulated with increasing levels of pearl millet (20, 40, 60, 80 and 100%, substituting the corn in the reference diet, according to the digestible energy. No differences were observed in daily feed intake, daily weight gain, feed conversion, carcass traits and feed cost per kilogram of rabbit. Regardless of the amount of corn substituted, pearl can replace corn in diets for growing rabbits.

Minimal-memory realization of pearl-necklace encoders of general quantum convolutional codes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Houshmand, Monireh; Hosseini-Khayat, Saied

2011-01-01

Quantum convolutional codes, like their classical counterparts, promise to offer higher error correction performance than block codes of equivalent encoding complexity, and are expected to find important applications in reliable quantum communication where a continuous stream of qubits is transmitted. Grassl and Roetteler devised an algorithm to encode a quantum convolutional code with a ''pearl-necklace'' encoder. Despite their algorithm's theoretical significance as a neat way of representing quantum convolutional codes, it is not well suited to practical realization. In fact, there is no straightforward way to implement any given pearl-necklace structure. This paper closes the gap between theoretical representation and practical implementation. In our previous work, we presented an efficient algorithm to find a minimal-memory realization of a pearl-necklace encoder for Calderbank-Shor-Steane (CSS) convolutional codes. This work is an extension of our previous work and presents an algorithm for turning a pearl-necklace encoder for a general (non-CSS) quantum convolutional code into a realizable quantum convolutional encoder. We show that a minimal-memory realization depends on the commutativity relations between the gate strings in the pearl-necklace encoder. We find a realization by means of a weighted graph which details the noncommutative paths through the pearl necklace. The weight of the longest path in this graph is equal to the minimal amount of memory needed to implement the encoder. The algorithm has a polynomial-time complexity in the number of gate strings in the pearl-necklace encoder.

Impacts of small scale flow regulation on sediment dynamics in an ecologically important upland river.

Science.gov (United States)

Quinlan, E; Gibbins, C N; Batalla, R J; Vericat, D

2015-03-01

Flow regulation is widely recognized as affecting fluvial processes and river ecosystems. Most impact assessments have focused on large dams and major water transfer schemes, so relatively little is known about the impacts of smaller dams, weirs and water diversions. This paper assesses sediment dynamics in an upland river (the Ehen, NW England) whose flows are regulated by a small weir and tributary diversion. The river is important ecologically due to the presence of the endangered freshwater pearl mussel Margaritifera margaritifera, a species known to be sensitive to sedimentary conditions. Fine sediment yield for the 300-m long study reach was estimated to be 0.057 t km(-2) year(-1), a very low value relative to other upland UK rivers. Mean in-channel storage of fine sediment was also low, estimated at an average of around 40 g m(-2). Although the study period was characterized by frequent high flow events, little movement of coarser bed material was observed. Data therefore indicate an extremely stable fluvial system within the study reach. The implication of this stability for pearl mussels is discussed.

Occurrence and ecological risk assessment of emerging organic chemicals in urban rivers: Guangzhou as a case study in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Feng-Jiao; Pan, Chang-Gui; Zhang, Min; Zhang, Nai-Sheng; Windfeld, Ronja; Salvito, Daniel; Selck, Henriette; Van den Brink, Paul J; Ying, Guang-Guo

2017-07-01

Urban rivers may receive contamination from various sources including point sources like domestic sewage and nonpoint sources (e.g., runoff), resulting in contamination with various chemicals. This study investigated the occurrence of emerging organic contaminants (3 endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), and 17 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs)) in six urban rivers of a representative subtropical city, Guangzhou (southern China). Our results showed that EDCs and personal care products were frequently detected in the water phase and sediment phase. 4-nonylphenol (4-NP) was the most predominant compound with the highest concentration of 5050ng/L in the water phase and 14,400ng/g dry weight (dw) in the sediment. Generally, higher total concentrations of EDCs and PPCPs were detected in the four urban streams compared to the main stream Zhujiang River and the Liuxi River at the suburb area. A screening-level risk assessment showed that 4-nonylphenol and triclosan (TCS) pose potential risks to aquatic organisms in most sampling sites. For individual taxa, 4-NP may pose risks to various groups of aquatic organisms, while TCS only might pose high risks to algae. Higher contamination of EDCs and PPCPs was observed in rivers in urban area; 4-nonylphenol and triclosan showed RQs>1 in >70% of the reported area. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Assessment of transboundary environmental effects in the Pearl River Delta Region: Is there a role for strategic environmental assessment?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marsden, Simon

2011-01-01

China's EIA Law does not require transboundary proposals to be assessed, despite recognition of this globally, for example in the Espoo Convention and Kiev Protocol, and in the European EIA and SEA Directives. In a transboundary context assessment within a state is unusual, as regulating these effects is primarily about the relationship between states. However where a state has more than one legal system such as in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) Region of southern China, transboundary effects should also be addressed. Yet despite the geographical connections between Guangdong Province in mainland China (where the EIA Law applies) and the Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions (which have their own provisions, neither of which requires transboundary assessments), EIA and SEA are carried out separately. Coordinated or joint approaches to transboundary assessment are generally absent, with the legal autonomy of Hong Kong and Macau a major constraint. As a result institutional responses at the policy level have developed. The article considers global experiences with regulating transboundary EIA and SEA, and analyses potential application to land use, transport and air and water planning in the PRD Region. If applied, benefits may include prevention or mitigation of cumulative effects, broader public participation, and improvements to environmental governance. The PRD Region experience may encourage China to conduct and coordinate EIA and SEA processes with neighbouring states, which has been non-existent or extremely limited to date.

Remembering Pearl Harbor at 75 Years.

Science.gov (United States)

Liehr, Patricia; Sopcheck, Janet; Milbrath, Gwyneth

2016-12-01

: On December 7, 1941, the Sunday-morning quiet of the U.S. naval base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, was shattered by dive-bombing Japanese fighter planes. The planes came in two waves-and when it was all over, more than 2,400 were killed and more than 1,100 were injured.Nurses were stationed at U.S. Naval Hospital Pearl Harbor, Tripler General Hospital (now Tripler Army Medical Center), Hickam Field Hospital, Schofield Barracks Station Hospital, and aboard the USS Solace, and witnessed the devastation. But they also did what nurses do in emergencies-they responded and provided care to those in need. Here are the stories of a few of those nurses.

Full-scale load tests of Pearl-Chain arches

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Halding, Philip Skov; Hertz, Kristian Dahl; Schmidt, Jacob Wittrup

2017-01-01

-Decks: First an investigation of the system’s elastic response (maximum load of 648kN), and second a demonstration of its collapse mechanism and ultimate capacity (maximum load of 970kN). The full-scale test showed formation of plastic hinges and clear warning signs are observed at 84% of the failure load......A full-scale load test is made of two Pearl-Chain (PC) concrete arches in order to evaluate the structural response and assess the design safety. Pearl-Chain structures and Pearl-Chain arches are invented and patented at the Technical University of Denmark. PC-Arches consist of specially designed....... The ultimate, experimental load capacity is 14% higher than the calculated mainly due to the assumed static system used for the calculation. In addition to the full-scale test bridge the first ever permanent PC-Bridge is erected in Denmark in 2015....

Long-term impacts of aerosols on precipitation and lightning over the Pearl River Delta megacity area in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. Wang

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Seven-year measurements of precipitation, lightning flashes, and visibility from 2000 to 2006 have been analyzed in the Pearl River Delta (PRD region, China, with a focus on the Guangzhou megacity area. Statistical analysis shows that the occurrence of heavy rainfall (>25 mm per day and frequency of lightning strikes are reversely correlated to visibility during this period. To elucidate the effects of aerosols on cloud processes, precipitation, and lightning activity, a cloud resolving – Weather Research and Forecasting (CR-WRF model with a two-moment bulk microphysical scheme is employed to simulate a mesoscale convective system occurring on 28 Match 2009 in the Guangzhou megacity area. The model predicted evolutions of composite radar reflectivity and accumulated precipitation are in agreement with measurements from S-band weather radars and automatic gauge stations. The calculated lightning potential index (LPI exhibits temporal and spatial consistence with lightning flashes recorded by a local lightning detection network. Sensitivity experiments have been performed to reflect aerosol conditions representative of polluted and clean cases. The simulations suggest that precipitation and LPI are enhanced by about 16% and 50%, respectively, under the polluted aerosol condition. Our results suggest that elevated aerosol loading suppresses light and moderate precipitation (less than 25 mm per day, but enhances heavy precipitation. The responses of hydrometeors and latent heat release to different aerosol loadings reveal the physical mechanism for the precipitation and lightning enhancement in the Guangzhou megacity area, showing more efficient mixed phase processes and intensified convection under the polluted aerosol condition.

Influence of variety and management level on pearl millet production ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.)R. Br.] is generally grown on nutrient-poor soils and low rainfall conditions in Niger. Nitrogen and P accumulation and utilisation are very important factors in pearl millet growth, and are affected by environment and management. An understanding of seasonal N and P accumulation is ...

Component Analysis and Identification of Black Tahitian Cultured Pearls From the Oyster Pinctada margaritifera Using Spectroscopic Techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, L.; Wang, Y.; Liu, X.; Mao, J.

2018-03-01

Raman spectroscopy, ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared (UV-Vis-NIR) reflectance spectroscopy, and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy were used to characterize black Tahitian cultured pearls and imitations of these saltwater cultured pearls produced by γ-irradiation, and by coloring of cultured pearls with silver nitrate or organic dyes. Raman spectra indicated that aragonite was the major constituent of these four types of pearl. Using Raman spectroscopy at an excitation wavelength of 514 nm, black Tahitian cultured pearls exhibited characteristic 1100-1700 cm-1 bands. These bands were attributed to various organic components, including conchiolin and other black biological pigments. The peaks shown by saltwater cultured pearls colored with organic dyes varied with the type of dye used. Tahitian cultured and organic-dye-treated saltwater cultured pearls were easily identified by Raman spectroscopy. UV-Vis-NIR reflectance spectra showed bands at 408, 497, and 700 nm derived from porphyrin pigment and other black pigments. The spectra of dye-treated black saltwater pearls showed absorption peaks at 216, 261, 300, and 578 nm. The 261-nm absorption band disappeared from the spectra of γ-irradiated saltwater cultured pearls. This suggests the degradation of conchiolin in the γ-irradiated saltwater cultured pearls. XRF analysis revealed the presence of Ag on the surface of silver nitrate-dyed saltwater cultured pearls.

Production of branched tetraether lipids in the lower Pearl River and estuary: effects of extraction methods and impact on bGDGT proxies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chuanlun eZhang

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Branched glycerol dibiphytanyl glycerol tetraethers (bGDGTs are known as bacterial lipids that occur widely in terrestrial environments, particularly in anaerobic peat bogs and soil. We examined the abundance and distribution of bGDGTs in both core (C and polar (P lipid fractions from the water column and surface sediments in the lower Pearl River (PR and its estuary using two extraction methods (sonication vs. Bligh and Dyer. A number of soil samples in the lower PR drainage basin were also collected and extracted for bGDGTs using the sonication method. The results showed aquatic production of bGDGTs as supported by substantial abundances of P-bGDGTs in the water column and sediment samples. The bGDGT-based proxies (BIT, CBT, and MBT were not affected by the method of extraction when C-bGDGTs were analyzed; in such case, the pHCBT of the sediments reflected the soil pH of the lower PR drainage basin, and the temperature close to the annual mean air temperature in the lower PR basin. On the other hand, the P-bGDGT-derived proxies were inconsistent between the two methods. The P-bGDGTs (particularly those extracted using the sonication method may not be reliable indicators of annual mean air temperatures.

Pearl Harbor: lessons for the dam safety community

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martin, T.E. [AMEC Earth and Environmental Ltd., Burnaby, BC (Canada)

2001-10-01

Every good dam safety program must be based on surveillance and emergency response planning. The same principles apply to the gathering of information for military intelligence and the planning of defence tactics. Lessons learned from failure have spurred the advancement of dam engineering. Dam safety experts can benefit from the inadequacies encountered by the military community, with the most famous occurring on December 7, 1941 in Pearl Harbor. Both intelligence gathering and contingency response planning failed miserably. The data was not properly disseminated, interpreted, analysed. The proper response to the situation was not initiated. Human error and failure to communicate are the two main reasons that explain the debacle. The inquiries into the tragedy at Pearl Harbor provided valuable lessons, related to individual and organizational failures, which the authors shared in this presentation. The relevance to dam safety was made. All Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents must read the lessons drawn from Pearl Harbor, as they have responsibility for dam safety. 4 refs.

Exploring Future Water Shortage for Large River Basins under Different Water Allocation Strategies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yan, Dan; Yao, Mingtian; Ludwig, Fulco; Kabat, Pavel; Huang, He Qing; Hutjes, Ronald W.A.; Werners, Saskia E.

2018-01-01

Climate change and socio-economic development increase variations in water availability and water use in the Pearl River Basin (PRB), China. This can potentially result in conflicts over water resources between water users, and cause water shortage in the dry season. To assess and manage water

Congress Investigates: Pearl Harbor and 9/11 Congressional Hearing Exhibits

Science.gov (United States)

Blackerby, Christine

2011-01-01

On the morning of December 7, 1941, Japanese bombers staged a surprise attack on U.S. military forces at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Sixty years after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States was attacked again. On the morning of September 11, 2001, four commercial airplanes hijacked by 19 terrorists killed nearly 3,000 people when they crashed…

Threshold of long-term survival of a coastal delphinid in anthropogenically degraded environment: Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins in Pearl River Delta.

Science.gov (United States)

Karczmarski, Leszek; Huang, Shiang-Lin; Chan, Stephen C Y

2017-02-23

Defining demographic and ecological threshold of population persistence can assist in informing conservation management. We undertook such analyses for the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis) in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, southeast China. We use adult survival estimates for assessments of population status and annual rate of change. Our estimates indicate that, given a stationary population structure and minimal risk scenario, ~2000 individuals (minimum viable population in carrying capacity, MVP k ) can maintain the population persistence across 40 generations. However, under the current population trend (~2.5% decline/annum), the population is fast approaching its viability threshold and may soon face effects of demographic stochasticity. The population demographic trajectory and the minimum area of critical habitat (MACH) that could prevent stochastic extinction are both highly sensitive to fluctuations in adult survival. For a hypothetical stationary population, MACH should approximate 3000-km 2 . However, this estimate increases four-fold with a 5% increase of adult mortality and exceeds the size of PRD when calculated for the current population status. On the other hand, cumulatively all current MPAs within PRD fail to secure the minimum habitat requirement to accommodate sufficiently viable population size. Our findings indicate that the PRD population is deemed to become extinct unless effective conservation measures can rapidly reverse the current population trend.

Estimation of health and economic costs of air pollution over the Pearl River Delta region in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Xingcheng; Yao, Teng; Fung, Jimmy C H; Lin, Changqing

2016-10-01

The Pearl River Delta region (PRD) is the economic growth engine of China and also one of the most urbanized regions in the world. As a two-sided sword, rapid economic development causes air pollution and poses adverse health effects to the citizens in this area. This work estimated the negative health effects in the PRD caused by the four major ambient pollutants (SO2, NO2, O3 and PM10) from 2010 to 2013 by using a log linear exposure-response function and the WRF-CMAQ modeling system. Economic loss due to mortality and morbidity was evaluated by the value of statistical life (VSL) and cost of illness (COI) methods. The results show that the overall possible short-term all-cause mortality due to NO2, O3 and PM10 reached the highest in 2013 with the values being 13,217-22,800. The highest total economic loss, which ranged from 14,768 to 25,305million USD, occurred in 2013 and was equivalent to 1.4%-2.3% of the local gross domestic product. The monthly profile of cases of negative health effects varied by city and the types of ambient pollutants. The ratio of mortality attributed to air pollutants to total population was higher in urban areas than in rural areas. People living in the countryside should consider the possible adverse health effects of urban areas before they plan a move to the city. The results show that the health burden caused by the ambient pollutants over this region is serious and suggest that tighter control policies should be implemented in the future to reduce the level of air pollution. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) in the surface soils of the Pearl River Delta, South China: Distribution, sources, and air-soil exchange

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Yan; Cheng Zhineng; Li Jun; Luo Chunling; Xu Yue; Li Qilu; Liu Xiang; Zhang Gan

2012-01-01

Polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) are now under review by the Stockholm Convention as a candidate for POPs for their persistence, toxicity, bioaccumulation, and long-range atmospheric transport. Data regarding PCN levels and their environmental fate are sparse in China. The PCN concentration and distribution in soils of the Pearl River Delta were reported, and the average total concentration was 59.9 ± 86.7 pg/g. Tri-CNs was the dominant homologue group, and CN 24 was the most abundant congener. A gradient of PCN levels between more and less developed areas was observed. Based on fugacity fraction results, CN 51 is proposed as a possible source marker for specific combustion emissions. Air-soil exchange of PCNs was estimated by calculating the soil and air fugacity. Fugacity fraction values indicated that tri- to penta-CNs were closer to equilibrium in winter and toward net volatilization in summer, while hexa-CNs experienced net air-to-soil transfer in both seasons. Highlights: ► A gradient of PCN levels between highly and less developed areas was observed. ► CN 51 may be a new specific source indicator compared to other congeners. ► Soil acts as a secondary source in summer and a recipient in winter for PCNs in PRD. ► Low-chlorinated PCNs released from the PRD may transport to North China. - As a potential source during the hot period, low-chlorinated PCNs released from contaminated soils may transport to nearby regions.

Occurrence and geochemical behavior of arsenic in a coastal aquifer–aquitard system of the Pearl River Delta, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Ya; Jiao, Jiu Jimmy; Cherry, John A.

2012-01-01

Elevated concentrations of arsenic, up to 161 μg/L, have been identified in groundwater samples from the confined basal aquifer underlying the aquitard of the Pearl River Delta (PRD). Both aquatic arsenic in pore water and solid arsenic in the sediments in the basal aquifer and aquitard were identified. Arsenic speciation of groundwater in the basal aquifer was elucidated on a pH-Eh diagram. In the PRD, arsenic is enriched in groundwater having both low and high salinity, and arsenic enriched groundwater is devoid of dissolved oxygen, has negative Eh values, is slightly alkaline, and has abnormally high concentrations of ammonium and dissolved organic carbon, but low concentrations of nitrate and nitrite. Results of geochemical and hydrochemical analyses and sequential extraction analysis suggest that reductive dissolution of iron oxyhydroxide could be one of the important processes that mobilized solid arsenic. We speculate that mineralization of sedimentary organic matter could also contribute to aquatic arsenic. Scanning electron microscope analysis confirms that abundant authigenic pyrite is present in the sediments. Sulphate derived from paleo-seawater served as the important sulfur source for authigenic pyrite formation. Co-precipitation of arsenic with authigenic pyrite significantly controlled concentrations of aquatic arsenic in the coastal aquifer–aquitard system. - Highlights: ► Coastal aquifer and aquitard are treated as an integrate system. ► Both aquatic arsenic and solid arsenic are observed. ► Aquatic arsenic is derived from reductive dissolution of iron oxyhydroxide. ► Aquatic arsenic can also derived from mineralization of sedimentary organic matter. ► Co-precipitation of arsenic with authigenic pyrite is significant in such a system.

Occurrence and geochemical behavior of arsenic in a coastal aquifer-aquitard system of the Pearl River Delta, China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Ya [Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong (China); Jiao, Jiu Jimmy, E-mail: jjiao@hku.hk [Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong (China); Cherry, John A. [School of Engineering, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1 (Canada)

2012-06-15

Elevated concentrations of arsenic, up to 161 {mu}g/L, have been identified in groundwater samples from the confined basal aquifer underlying the aquitard of the Pearl River Delta (PRD). Both aquatic arsenic in pore water and solid arsenic in the sediments in the basal aquifer and aquitard were identified. Arsenic speciation of groundwater in the basal aquifer was elucidated on a pH-Eh diagram. In the PRD, arsenic is enriched in groundwater having both low and high salinity, and arsenic enriched groundwater is devoid of dissolved oxygen, has negative Eh values, is slightly alkaline, and has abnormally high concentrations of ammonium and dissolved organic carbon, but low concentrations of nitrate and nitrite. Results of geochemical and hydrochemical analyses and sequential extraction analysis suggest that reductive dissolution of iron oxyhydroxide could be one of the important processes that mobilized solid arsenic. We speculate that mineralization of sedimentary organic matter could also contribute to aquatic arsenic. Scanning electron microscope analysis confirms that abundant authigenic pyrite is present in the sediments. Sulphate derived from paleo-seawater served as the important sulfur source for authigenic pyrite formation. Co-precipitation of arsenic with authigenic pyrite significantly controlled concentrations of aquatic arsenic in the coastal aquifer-aquitard system. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Coastal aquifer and aquitard are treated as an integrate system. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Both aquatic arsenic and solid arsenic are observed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Aquatic arsenic is derived from reductive dissolution of iron oxyhydroxide. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Aquatic arsenic can also derived from mineralization of sedimentary organic matter. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Co-precipitation of arsenic with authigenic pyrite is significant in such a system.

[Characterizing spatial patterns of NO(x), SO2 and O3 in Pearl River Delta by passive sampling].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yang; Shao, Min; Wang, Chen; Wang, Bo-Guang; Lu, Si-Hua; Zhong, Liu-Ju

2011-02-01

Concentrations of NO(x), SO2 and O3 were measured by passive sampling within 200km x 200km grid in Pearl River Delta (PRD). Sampling period was two weeks in November, 2009. Spatial distributions of NO(x), SO2 and O3 were obtained by Kriging interpolation method. The results were compared with emission inventories and modeling results. The transportations of O3 were evaluated by using backward trajectories of air parcels. During the sampling period, the mean concentrations of NO(x), SO2 and O3 were 75.9 microg/m3, 37.3 microg/m3 and 36.2 microg/m3, respectively. And the highest concentrations of NO(x), SO2 and O3 were 195.7 microg/m3, 95.9 microg/m3 and 81.8 microg/m3. Comparing with routine measurements from the regional monitoring network in PRD, the results by passive method were 18.6%, 33.5% and 37.5% lower for NO(x), SO2 and O3, respectively. The spatial patterns demonstrated that higher NO(x) concentrations often appeared in cities such as Guangzhou, Foshan and Shenzhen. SO2 concentrations were higher in west and lower in east. High SO2 concentrations are mainly from emission of power plants and industrial sources. Concentrations of O3 showed the highest levels in the south of PRD. Backward trajectory analysis for higher ozone areas indicated that 53% of the air masses were from the region with high concentration of NO(x). The horizontal transportation caused higher ozone in the south while lower in north in PRD.

Interannual sea level variability in the Pearl River Estuary and its response to El Niño-Southern Oscillation

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Linlin; Li, Qiang; Mao, Xian-zhong; Bi, Hongsheng; Yin, Peng

2018-03-01

The South China coast, especially the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) region, is prosperous and densely populated, but vulnerable to sea level changes. Sea level anomalies (SLA) during 1954-2012 from tide gauge station data and regional SLAs during 1993-2012 from satellite altimetry are analyzed and compare to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Results show that sea level declines during El Niño events and rises during La Niña. Sea level in the PRE responds to ENSO with 3-month lag. The ENSO can cause sea level in the PRE to fluctuate from -8.70 to 8.11 cm. Sea level cycles of 3 and 5 years are related to ENSO. The ENSO mechanism affecting sea level in the PRE was analyzed by identifying dominant regional and local forces. Weak/strong SLAs in most El Niño/La Niña events may be attributed to less/more seawater transport driven by anomalously weak/strong north winds and local anomalously high/low sea level pressure. Wind-driven coastal current is the predominant factor. It generated coastal seawater volume transport along a 160 km wide cross section to decrease by 21.07% in a typical El Niño period (January 2010) and increase by 44.03% in a typical La Niña period (January 2011) as compared to an ENSO neutral situation (January 2013). Results of sea level rise and its potential mechanism provide insight for disaster protection during extreme El Niño/La Niña events.

An optimized data fusion method and its application to improve lateral boundary conditions in winter for Pearl River Delta regional PM2.5 modeling, China

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Zhijiong; Hu, Yongtao; Zheng, Junyu; Zhai, Xinxin; Huang, Ran

2018-05-01

Lateral boundary conditions (LBCs) are essential for chemical transport models to simulate regional transport; however they often contain large uncertainties. This study proposes an optimized data fusion approach to reduce the bias of LBCs by fusing gridded model outputs, from which the daughter domain's LBCs are derived, with ground-level measurements. The optimized data fusion approach follows the framework of a previous interpolation-based fusion method but improves it by using a bias kriging method to correct the spatial bias in gridded model outputs. Cross-validation shows that the optimized approach better estimates fused fields in areas with a large number of observations compared to the previous interpolation-based method. The optimized approach was applied to correct LBCs of PM2.5 concentrations for simulations in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region as a case study. Evaluations show that the LBCs corrected by data fusion improve in-domain PM2.5 simulations in terms of the magnitude and temporal variance. Correlation increases by 0.13-0.18 and fractional bias (FB) decreases by approximately 3%-15%. This study demonstrates the feasibility of applying data fusion to improve regional air quality modeling.

Modelling and predicting biogeographical patterns in river networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sabela Lois

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Statistical analysis and interpretation of biogeographical phenomena in rivers is now possible using a spatially explicit modelling framework, which has seen significant developments in the past decade. I used this approach to identify a spatial extent (geostatistical range in which the abundance of the parasitic freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera L. is spatially autocorrelated in river networks. I show that biomass and abundance of host fish are a likely explanation for the autocorrelation in mussel abundance within a 15-km spatial extent. The application of universal kriging with the empirical model enabled precise prediction of mussel abundance within segments of river networks, something that has the potential to inform conservation biogeography. Although I used a variety of modelling approaches in my thesis, I focus here on the details of this relatively new spatial stream network model, thus advancing the study of biogeographical patterns in river networks.

Draft genome sequence of Sclerospora graminicola, the pearl millet downy mildew pathogen

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Chandra Nayaka

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Sclerospora graminicola pathogen is the most important biotic production constraints of pearl millet in India, Africa and other parts of the world. We report a de novo whole genome assembly and analysis of pathotype 1, one of the most virulent pathotypes of S. graminicola from India. The draft genome assembly contained 299,901,251 bp with 65,404 genes. This study may help understand the evolutionary pattern of pathogen and aid elucidation of effector evolution for devising effective durable resistance breeding strategies in pearl millet. Keywords: Sclerospora graminicola, Pathotype 1, Pearl millet, Downy mildew, Whole genome sequence

Thermal-history reconstruction of the Baiyun Sag in the deep-water area of the Pearl River Mouth Basin, northern South China Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Xiaoyin; Yang, Shuchun; Hu, Shengbiao

2017-11-01

The Baiyun Sag, located in the deep-water area of the northern South China Sea, is the largest and deepest subbasin in the Pearl River Mouth Basin and one of the most important hydrocarbon-accumulation depression areas in China. Thermal history is widely thought to be of great importance in oil and gas potential assessment of a basin as it controls the timing of hydrocarbon generation and expulsion from the source rock. In order to unravel the paleo-heat flow of the Baiyun Sag, we first analyzed tectonic subsidence of 55 pseudo-wells constructed based on newly interpreted seismic profiles, along with three drilled wells. We then carried out thermal modeling using the multi-stage finite stretching method and calibrated the results using collected present-day vitrinite reflectance data and temperature data. Results indicate that the first and second heating of the Baiyun Sag after 49 Ma ceased at 33.9 Ma and 23 Ma. Reconstructed average basal paleoheat flow values at the end of the rifting periods are 57.7-86.2 mW/m2 and 66.7-97.3 mW/m2, respectively. Following the last heating period at 23 Ma, the study area has undergone a persistent thermal attenuation phase, and basal heat flow has cooled down to 64.0-79.2 mW/m2 at present.

The Source, Spatial Distribution and Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Soil from the Pearl River Delta Based on the National Multi-Purpose Regional Geochemical Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Lingyan; Guo, Shuhai; Wu, Bo

2015-01-01

The data on the heavy metal content at different soil depths derived from a multi-purpose regional geochemical survey in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) were analyzed using ArcGIS 10.0. By comparing their spatial distributions and areas, the sources of heavy metals (Cd, Hg, As and Pb) were quantitatively identified and explored. Netted measuring points at 25 ×25 km were set over the entire PRD according to the geochemical maps. Based on the calculation data obtained from different soil depths, the concentrations of As and Cd in a large area of the PRD exceeded the National Second-class Standard. The spatial disparity of the geometric centers in the surface soil and deep soil showed that As in the surface soil mainly came from parent materials, while Cd had high consistency in different soil profiles because of deposition in the soil forming process. The migration of Cd also resulted in a considerable ecological risk to the Beijiang and Xijiang River watershed. The potential ecological risk index followed the order Cd ≥ Hg > Pb > As. According to the sources, the distribution trends and the characteristics of heavy metals in the soil from the perspective of the whole area, the Cd pollution should be repaired, especially in the upper reaches of the Xijiang and Beijiang watershed to prevent risk explosion while the pollution of Hg and Pb should be controlled in areas with intense human activity, and supervision during production should be strengthened to maintain the ecological balance of As.

Growth history of cultured pearl oysters based on stable oxygen isotope analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Nakashima, R.; Furuta, N.; Suzuki, A.; Kawahata, H.; Shikazono, N.

2007-12-01

We investigated the oxygen isotopic ratio in shells of the pearl oyster Pinctada martensii cultivated in embayments in Mie Prefecture, central Japan, to evaluate the biomineralization of shell structures of the species and its pearls in response to environmental change. Microsamples for oxygen isotope analysis were collected from the surfaces of shells (outer, middle, and inner shell layers) and pearls. Water temperature variations were estimated from the oxygen isotope values of the carbonate. Oxygen isotope profiles of the prismatic calcite of the outer shell layer reflected seasonal variations of water temperature, whereas those of nacreous aragonites of the middle and inner shell layers and pearls recorded temperatures from April to November, June to September, and July to September, respectively. Lower temperatures in autumn and winter might slow the growth of nacreous aragonites. The oxygen isotope values are controlled by both variations of water temperature and shell structures; the prismatic calcite of this species is useful for reconstructing seasonal changes of calcification temperature.

Long Lines Not So Practical in China while Small and Medium Sized Lines Favored

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shao-Ying Chu

2003-05-01

Full Text Available Maglev railroads have taken actual steps in China sincethe cooperation work between Germany and China, whichbrings more prospects to this technology. However, due to variousreasons, large-scaled long lines seem to be not so practicalat present in China, while the small and medium space scaledlines may be the initial alternatives with the booming ofthree super-metropolis groups in China, namely, the ZhujiangRiver Delta, the "Grand Beijing" area and the Yangtze RiverDelta.

16 CFR 23.19 - Misuse of the word “pearl.”

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Misuse of the word âpearl.â 23.19 Section 23... JEWELRY, PRECIOUS METALS, AND PEWTER INDUSTRIES § 23.19 Misuse of the word “pearl.” (a) It is unfair or deceptive to use the unqualified word “pearl” or any other word or phrase of like meaning to describe...

Rapid identification of pearl powder from Hyriopsis cumingii by Tri-step infrared spectroscopy combined with computer vision technology

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Siqi; Wei, Wei; Bai, Zhiyi; Wang, Xichang; Li, Xiaohong; Wang, Chuanxian; Liu, Xia; Liu, Yuan; Xu, Changhua

2018-01-01

Pearl powder, an important raw material in cosmetics and Chinese patent medicines, is commonly uneven in quality and frequently adulterated with low-cost shell powder in the market. The aim of this study is to establish an adequate approach based on Tri-step infrared spectroscopy with enhancing resolution combined with chemometrics for qualitative identification of pearl powder originated from three different quality grades of pearls and quantitative prediction of the proportions of shell powder adulterated in pearl powder. Additionally, computer vision technology (E-eyes) can investigate the color difference among different pearl powders and make it traceable to the pearl quality trait-visual color categories. Though the different grades of pearl powder or adulterated pearl powder have almost identical IR spectra, SD-IR peak intensity at about 861 cm- 1 (v2 band) exhibited regular enhancement with the increasing quality grade of pearls, while the 1082 cm- 1 (v1 band), 712 cm- 1 and 699 cm- 1 (v4 band) were just the reverse. Contrastly, only the peak intensity at 862 cm- 1 was enhanced regularly with the increasing concentration of shell powder. Thus, the bands in the ranges of (1550-1350 cm- 1, 730-680 cm- 1) and (830-880 cm- 1, 690-725 cm- 1) could be exclusive ranges to discriminate three distinct pearl powders and identify adulteration, respectively. For massive sample analysis, a qualitative classification model and a quantitative prediction model based on IR spectra was established successfully by principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares (PLS), respectively. The developed method demonstrated great potential for pearl powder quality control and authenticity identification in a direct, holistic manner.

Super-light pearl-chain arch vaults

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hertz, Kristian Dahl; Halding, Philip Skov

2014-01-01

Arch vaults are known as optimal and impressive structures, but due to their curved shapes they are extremely costly to produce in countries, where the cost of labor is high. By means of super-light pearl-chain technology arch vaults can be constructed from equal plane prefabricated elements, which...... that it is also applicable as basic elements for super-light pearl-chain vaults. Machines and software have been developed for automatic mass production of the elements, and the first factory has started production in Denmark in 2014 delivering SL-deck elements for a variety of building projects. This means...... is known from curved voluminous elements. The paper describes the first full-scale test of an arch vault made of SL-deck elements demonstrating the principle, documenting the load-bearing capacity, and solving a number of details needed in order to create vaults in practice. Considerations and plans...

Assessing the impacts of seasonal and vertical atmospheric conditions on air quality over the Pearl River Delta region

Science.gov (United States)

Tong, Cheuk Hei Marcus; Yim, Steve Hung Lam; Rothenberg, Daniel; Wang, Chien; Lin, Chuan-Yao; Chen, Yongqin David; Lau, Ngar Cheung

2018-05-01

Air pollution is an increasingly concerning problem in many metropolitan areas due to its adverse public health and environmental impacts. Vertical atmospheric conditions have strong effects on vertical mixing of air pollutants, which directly affects surface air quality. The characteristics and magnitude of how vertical atmospheric conditions affect surface air quality, which are critical to future air quality projections, have not yet been fully understood. This study aims to enhance understanding of the annual and seasonal sensitivities of air pollution to both surface and vertical atmospheric conditions. Based on both surface and vertical meteorological characteristics provided by 1994-2003 monthly dynamic downscaling data from the Weather and Research Forecast Model, we develop generalized linear models (GLMs) to study the relationships between surface air pollutants (ozone, respirable suspended particulates, and sulfur dioxide) and atmospheric conditions in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region. Applying Principal Component Regression (PCR) to address multi-collinearity, we study the contributions of various meteorological variables to pollutants' concentration levels based on the loading and model coefficient of major principal components. Our results show that relatively high pollutant concentration occurs under relatively low mid-level troposphere temperature gradients, low relative humidity, weak southerly wind (or strong northerly wind) and weak westerly wind (or strong easterly wind). Moreover, the correlations vary among pollutant species, seasons, and meteorological variables at various altitudes. In general, pollutant sensitivity to meteorological variables is found to be greater in winter than in other seasons, and the sensitivity of ozone to meteorology differs from that of the other two pollutants. Applying our GLMs to anomalous air pollution episodes, we find that meteorological variables up to mid troposphere (∼700 mb) play an important role in

Current status of emerging hypoxia in a eutrophic estuary: The lower reach of the Pearl River Estuary, China

Science.gov (United States)

Qian, Wei; Gan, Jianping; Liu, Jinwen; He, Biyan; Lu, Zhongming; Guo, Xianghui; Wang, Deli; Guo, Liguo; Huang, Tao; Dai, Minhan

2018-05-01

We examine the current status of dissolved oxygen (DO) and its trend over the past 25 years in the lower Pearl River Estuary, a large eutrophic estuary located in Southern China and surrounded by large cities including Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou. Monthly cruises conducted from April 2010 to March 2011 clearly show that DO depletion began to emerge in the bottom layer of the lower estuary off Hong Kong in June, and became fully developed in July and August when oxygen-deficient water occupied ∼1000 km2 before gradually becoming re-oxygenated in September and October. The development of the low oxygen zone was closely coupled with phytoplankton blooms in the surface water, which was supersaturated with respect to DO suggesting the importance of autochthonous organic matter in fueling bottom DO consumption after settling through the pycnocline. Long-term monitoring data collected in the study area adjacent to Hong Kong by the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department showed a decreasing trend of ∼2 ± 0.9 μmol kg-1 yr-1 in the annual minimum DO concentration in bottom water over the past 25 years. Associated with the decrease in DO was an increase in the annual maximum surface concentration of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) at a rate of ∼1.4 ± 0.3 μmol kg-1 yr-1, suggesting again that eutrophication is the most plausible driver of oxygen deficiency in this region. Therefore, our monthly cruises, along with the decadal monitoring data, reveal a large low oxygen zone, likely developing into a large hypoxic zone driven primarily by anthropogenic eutrophication. This new development suggests environmental stressors such as eutrophication may have a cascading effect, with important and expensive consequences for the regional environment.

Light Absorption of Brown Carbon Aerosol in the Pearl River Delta Region of China

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, X.

2015-12-01

X.F. Huang, J.F. Yuan, L.M. Cao, J. Cui, C.N. Huang, Z.J. Lan and L.Y. He Key Laboratory for Urban Habitat Environmental Science and Technology, School of Environment and Energy, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, ChinaCorresponding author. Tel.: +86 755 26032532; fax: +86 755 26035332. E-mail address: huangxf@pku.edu.cn (X. F. Huang). Abstract: The strong spectral dependence of light absorption of brown carbon (BrC) aerosol has been recognized in recent decades. The Absorption Angstrom Exponent (AAE) of ambient aerosol was widely used in previous studies to attribute light absorption of brown carbon at shorter wavelengths, with a theoretical assumption that the AAE of black carbon (BC) aerosol equals to unit. In this study, the AAE method was improved by statistical extrapolation based on ambient measurements in the polluted seasons in typical urban and rural areas in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region of China. A three-wavelength photoacoustic soot spectrometer (PASS-3) and an aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) were used to explore the relationship between the ambient measured AAE and the ratio of organic aerosol to BC aerosol, in order to extract the more realistic AAE by pure BC aerosol, which were found to be 0.86, 0.82 and 1.02 at 405nm and 0.70, 0.71, and 0.86 at 532nm in the campaigns of urban-winter, urban-fall, and rural-fall, respectively. Roadway tunnel experiment results further supported the effectiveness of the obtained AAE for pure BC aerosol. In addition, biomass burning experiments proved higher spectral dependence of more-BrC environment and further verified the reliability of the instruments' response. Then, the average light absorption contribution of BrC aerosol was calculated to be 11.7, 6.3 and 12.1% (with total relative uncertainty of 7.5, 6.9 and 10.0%) at 405nm and 10.0, 4.1 and 5.5% (with total relative uncertainty of 6.5, 8.6 and 15.4%) at 532nm of the three campaigns, respectively. These results indicate that the

Characterization of Pearl Millet Root Architecture and Anatomy Reveals Three Types of Lateral Roots

Science.gov (United States)

Passot, Sixtine; Gnacko, Fatoumata; Moukouanga, Daniel; Lucas, Mikaël; Guyomarc’h, Soazig; Ortega, Beatriz Moreno; Atkinson, Jonathan A.; Belko, Marème N.; Bennett, Malcolm J.; Gantet, Pascal; Wells, Darren M.; Guédon, Yann; Vigouroux, Yves; Verdeil, Jean-Luc; Muller, Bertrand; Laplaze, Laurent

2016-01-01

Pearl millet plays an important role for food security in arid regions of Africa and India. Nevertheless, it is considered an orphan crop as it lags far behind other cereals in terms of genetic improvement efforts. Breeding pearl millet varieties with improved root traits promises to deliver benefits in water and nutrient acquisition. Here, we characterize early pearl millet root system development using several different root phenotyping approaches that include rhizotrons and microCT. We report that early stage pearl millet root system development is characterized by a fast growing primary root that quickly colonizes deeper soil horizons. We also describe root anatomical studies that revealed three distinct types of lateral roots that form on both primary roots and crown roots. Finally, we detected significant variation for two root architectural traits, primary root lenght and lateral root density, in pearl millet inbred lines. This study provides the basis for subsequent genetic experiments to identify loci associated with interesting early root development traits in this important cereal. PMID:27379124

Optimization of exposure factors for X-ray radiography non-destructive testing of pearl oyster

Science.gov (United States)

Susilo; Yulianti, I.; Addawiyah, A.; Setiawan, R.

2018-03-01

One of the processes in pearl oyster cultivation is detecting the pearl nucleus to gain information whether the pearl nucleus is still attached in the shell or vomited. The common tool used to detect pearl nucleus is an X-ray machine. However, an X-ray machine has a drawback that is the energy used is higher than that used by digital radiography. The high energy make the resulted image is difficult to be analysed. One of the advantages of digital radiography is the energy used can be adjusted so that the resulted image can be analysed easily. To obtain a high quality of pearl image using digital radiography, the exposure factors should be optimized. In this work, optimization was done by varying the voltage, current, and exposure time. Then, the radiography images were analysed using Contrast to Noise Ratio (CNR). From the analysis, it can be determined that the optimum exposure factors are 60 kV of voltage, 16 mA of current, and 0.125 s of exposure time which result in CNR of 5.71.

The programming language 'PEARL' and its implementation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pelz, K.

1978-01-01

This paper describes the real time programming language PEARL, its history and design principles and the portability techniques involved in the implementation of a subset of the language on four computer systems. (Auth.)

In-vitro study on calcium carbonate crystal growth mediated by organic matrix extracted from fresh water pearls

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma Yufei; Qiao Li; Feng Qingling

2012-01-01

For the purpose of studying the mediation of organic matrix on the crystallization of calcium carbonate, water soluble matrix (WSM), acid soluble matrix (ASM) and acid insoluble matrix (AIM) were extracted from aragonite pearls and vaterite pearls respectively. Then, in-vitro calcium carbonate crystallization experiments under the control of these six organic matrices were carried out in the present study. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was utilized to observe the morphology of CaCO 3 and Raman spectroscopy as a powerful technique was used to distinguish the crystal polymorph. Influences of the six kinds of organic matrices on the calcium carbonate crystal growth are proposed. ASM of vaterite pearls can induce vaterite to crystallize and WSM of aragonite pearls mediates to produce aragonite crystals. The single AIM membranes of the two pearls have no pronounced effect on the CaCO 3 crystallization. Additionally, the crystal size obtained with the additive of WSM of the two kinds of pearls is smaller than that with the additive of ASM. Moreover, self-assembly phenomenon in the biomineralization process and the distorted morphology calcite are observed. Current results demonstrate important aspects of matrix protein-controlled crystallization, which is beneficial to the understanding of nacre biomineralization mechanism. Further study of the precise control of these matrix proteins on CaCO 3 crystal growth is being processed. - Highlights: ► WSM, ASM and AIM are extracted from aragonite pearls and vaterite pearls. ► ASM of vaterite pearl induces vaterite. ► WSM of aragonite pearl mediates to produce aragonite. ► WSM can fine control crystal size smaller than that with the additive of ASM. ► Self-assembly and the distorted calcite existed in the mineralization process.

The spatial and temporal variation of total suspended solid concentration in Pearl River Estuary during 1987-2015 based on remote sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chongyang; Li, Weijiao; Chen, Shuisen; Li, Dan; Wang, Danni; Liu, Jia

2018-03-15

The movement and migration of total suspended solid (TSS) are the essential component of global material cycling and change. Based on the TSS concentrations retrieved from 112 scenes of Landsat remote sensing imageries during 1987-2015, the spatial and temporal variations of TSS concentration in high flow season and low flow seasons of six sub-regions (west shoal, west channel, middle shoal, east channel, east shoal and Pearl River Estuary Chinese White Dolphin National Nature Reserve and its adjacent waters (NNR)) of Pearl River Estuary (PRE) were analyzed and compared by statistical simulation. It was found that TSS concentrations in east and west shoals were about 23mg/L and 64mg/L higher than that of the middle shoal, respectively. There was a significant decreasing trend of TSS concentration from the northwest (223.7mg/L) to southeast (51.4mg/L) of study area, with an average reduction of 5.86mg/Lperkm, which mainly attributes to unique interaction of runoff and tide in PRE. In high flow season, there existed a significant and definite annual cycle period (5-8years) of TSS concentration change primarily responding to the periodic variation of precipitation. There were five full-fledged period changes of TSS detected in west shoal and west channel (the years of changes in 1988, 1994, 1998, 2003, 2010, 2015), while there were the last four cycle periods found in middle shoal, east channel, east shoal and NNR only. TSS concentrations in shoals and channels of PRE showed a significant decreased trend mainly due to the dam construction at the same time, with an average annual TSS concentration decrease of 5.7-10.1mg/L in high flow season from 1988 to 2015. There was no significant change trend of TSS concentration in NNR before 2003, but the TSS concentration decreased significantly after the establishment of the NNR since June 2003, with an average annual decrease of 9.7mg/L from 2004 to 2015. It was deduced that man-made protection measures had a great influence

Pearl Harbor bombing attack: a contamination legacy revealed in the sedimentary record

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ashwood, T.L.; Olsen, C.R.

1988-01-01

Sediment cores collected from Middle Loch and West Loch of Pearl Harbor were dated using fallout 137 Cs and excess 210 Pb and analysed for several major elements and trace metals. Results indicate that sediment deposited immediately following the 7 December, 1941, bombing attack on Pearl Harbor contained elevated levels of several trace metals. (author)

The Diabetes Pearl: Diabetes biobanking in The Netherlands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

van’t Riet Esther

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Type 2 diabetes is associated with considerable comorbidity and severe complications, which reduce quality of life of the patients and require high levels of healthcare. The Diabetes Pearl is a large cohort of patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, covering different geographical areas in the Netherlands. The aim of the study is to create a research infrastructure that will allow the study of risk factors, including biomarkers and genetic determinants for severe diabetes complications. Methods/design Baseline examinations began November 2009 and will continue through 2012. By the end of 2012, it is expected that 7000 patients with type 2 diabetes will be included in the Diabetes Pearl cohort. To ensure quality of the data collected, standard operation procedures were developed and used in all 8 recruitment centers. From all patients who provide informed consent, the following information is collected: personal information, medication use, physical examination (antropometry, blood pressure, electrocardiography (ECG, retina photographs, ankle-brachial index, peripheral vibration perception, self-report questionnaire (socio-economic status, lifestyle, (family history of disease, and psychosocial well-being, laboratory measurements (glucose, A1c, lipid profile, kidney function, biobank material (storage of urine and blood samples and isolated DNA. All gathered clinical data and biobank information is uploaded to a database for storage on a national level. Biobanks are maintained locally at all recruitment centers. Discussion The Diabetes Pearl is large-scale cohort of type 2 diabetes patients in the Netherlands aiming to study risk factors, including biomarkers and genetic markers, for disease deterioration and the development of severe diabetes complications. As a result of the well-designed research design and the national coverage, the Diabetes Pearl data can be of great value to national and international researchers with

Autoradiographic study on moisture distribution in pearl-barley and in rice grain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakharov, Eh.V.; Koz'mina, E.P.; Troitskaya, E.Ya

1975-01-01

The dependence of some structural details of the pearl-barley and rice endosperm on the internal moisture distribution is found. The general scheme of the study is shown. The curves of the local moisture distribution in the pearly-barley and rice kernel are plotted according to the radiography data. Moisture distribution over the whole section of the rice kernel is relatively constant at 85 deg C after ten minutes of moisture. Whereas moisture of pearl-barley kernel is only approaching the center of kernel by the time the moisture content increases to 1.5-2%. The slow moisture transfer in the pearl-barley kernel makes the cooking period three times longer as that of the rice

Evaluation of triclosan and triclocarban at river basin scale using monitoring and modeling tools: implications for controlling of urban domestic sewage discharge.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Jian-Liang; Zhang, Qian-Qian; Chen, Feng; Wang, Li; Ying, Guang-Guo; Liu, You-Sheng; Yang, Bin; Zhou, Li-Jun; Liu, Shan; Su, Hao-Chang; Zhang, Rui-Quan

2013-01-01

Triclosan (TCS) and triclocarban (TCC) are two commonly used personal care products. They may enter into aquatic environments after consumption and pose potential risks to aquatic organisms. We investigated the occurrence and fate of TCS and TCC in five large rivers (the Liao River, Hai River, Yellow River, Zhujiang River and Dongjiang River) in China, and compared the monitoring data with the predicted results from Level III fugacity modeling. TCS and TCC were detected in the five large rivers with the detection frequencies of 100% or close to 100% in surface water and sediments of almost every river. TCS and TCC were found at concentrations of up to 478 ng/L and 338 ng/L in surface water, and up to 1329 ng/g and 2723 ng/g in sediments. Cluster analysis indicated that the sites with higher concentrations were usually located in or near urban area. Meanwhile, principal component analysis also suggested that the mass inventories of TCS and TCC in water and sediment were significantly influenced by the factors such as the total or untreated urban domestic sewage discharge at river basin scale. The concentrations and mass inventories from the fugacity modeling were found at the same order of magnitude with the measured values, suggesting that the fugacity modeling can provide a useful tool for evaluating the fate of TCS and TCC in riverine environments. Both monitoring and modeling results indicated that the majority of mass inventories of TCS and TCC were stored into sediment, which could be a potential pollution source for river water. The wide presence of TCS and TCC in these large rivers of China implies that better controlling of urban domestic sewage discharge is needed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pearl Harbor bombing attack: a contamination legacy revealed in the sedimentary record

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ashwood, T.L.; Olsen, C.R.

1988-02-01

Sediment cores collected from Middle Loch and West Loch of Pearl Harbor were dated using fallout /sup 137/Cs and excess /sup 210/Pb and analysed for several major elements and trace metals. Results indicate that sediment deposited immediately following the 7 December, 1941, bombing attack on Pearl Harbor contained elevated levels of several trace metals.

Pearl Harbor, Hawaii 1 arc-second DEM

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The 1/3-second Pearl Harbor Hawaii Elevation Grid provides bathymetric data in ASCII raster format of 1/3-second resolution in geographic coordinates. This grid is...

Assessment of heavy metal pollution in wetland soils from the young and old reclaimed regions in the Pearl River Estuary, South China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bai Junhong; Xiao Rong; Cui Baoshan; Zhang Kejiang; Wang Qinggai; Liu Xinhui; Gao Haifeng; Huang Laibin

2011-01-01

Soils were sampled in three types of wetlands from the young (A) and old (B) reclaimed regions of the Pearl River Estuary. They were analyzed for total concentrations of heavy metals to investigate their distributions and pollution levels in both regions. Results showed that most heavy metals in ditch and riparian wetlands did not significantly differ from those in reclaimed wetlands in A region, while significantly lower for Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn in reclaimed wetlands in B region, suggesting higher effects of long-term reclamation. Iron, Cr and Cu were identified as metal pollutants of primary concern and had higher contributions to the total toxic units compared to other metals. Almost all metals exceeded their lowest effect levels and Fe and Cr even exceeded the severe effect levels. Multivariate analysis shows that Fe and Mn are controlled by parent rocks and other metals mainly originate from anthropogenic source. - Research highlights: → Fe, Cr and Cu have higher contributions to the sum of toxic units. → More than 75.4% soil samples have moderate toxicity in PRE. → Heavy metals in typical soil profiles exceed the LEL thresholds. → Heavy metals (except Fe and Mn) mainly originate from anthropogenic source. → Long reclamation history can lead to greater heavy metal loss in wetland soils. - The findings of this study reveal higher effects of long-term reclamation on heavy metal pollution of wetland soils and contribute to coastal wetland management in subtropical regions.

Radionuclides, Trace Metals, and Organic Compounds in Shells of Native Freshwater Mussels Along the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River: 6000 Years Before Present to Current Times

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

B. L. Tiller; T. E. Marceau

2006-01-25

This report documents concentrations of radionuclides, trace metals, and semivolatile organic compounds measured in shell samples of the western pearl shell mussel collected along the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River.

Correlations between cultured pearl size parameters and PIF-177 biomarker expression in Pinctada margaritifera families reared in two contrasting environments

Science.gov (United States)

Blay, Carole; Parrad, Sophie; Cabral, Philippe; Aiho, Vaite; Ky, Chin-Long

2016-12-01

The black-lipped pearl oyster, Pinctada margaritifera, produces the largest and most valuable coloured pearls in the world. Cultured pearl size remains one of the most important quality traits. Despite the great geographical area covered by pearl farms in the atolls of French Polynesia, little is known about the influence of grow-out site effects on pearl size attained. To explore the genetic and environmental impact on the size of pearls as well as the genetic × environment interaction, a uniform experimental graft was designed on two contrasting macro-geographical lagoons. Five biparental families of donor oysters were grafted and then reared at both sites. After 18 months of culture, phenotypic parameters corresponding to pearl size, i.e. nacre weight and thickness, were recorded among the harvested pearls. The expression of Pif-177 gene, a biomarker encoding protein in the aragonite nacreous layer, was analysed in the corresponding pearl sac. The results show a family effect for nacre weight and thickness on both sites, with family F058 producing the heaviest and thickest nacre, and F805 the lightest and thinnest. By contrast, inter-site comparison revealed no significant site effects for these two parameters. In addition, grow-out location did not modify the relative gene expression of Pif-177 in the pearl sac between donor families in either culture site. Both nacre weight and thickness were positively correlated with the level gene expression of Pif-177. These results suggest that pearl size parameters were not affected by the environment in the present study and this is supported by the relative gene expression of Pif-177 observed. This knowledge constitutes an initial step in the study of pearl size trait inheritance, which will be helpful in the near future for the diffusion of genetically selected donor oyster lines produced by hatchery systems throughout production sites.

Pearl Harbor Biological Survey

Science.gov (United States)

1974-08-30

Pearl Harbor also receives Irrigation tailgate waters from the Oahu Sug- ar Company, Industrial waste waters from the Prlmo Brewery , and heated waters...34Observations of the Cell Structure of Salt Fingers", J. Fluid Mech. 41:4, pp 707-719. ~) 3.3-79 ,’:•.-. ^ IV s’V- EFFECTS OF SHIP ACTIVITY Paul L...anticyclonic) death assemblage - in this report, an assemblage (q.v.) of remains (such as shells or bones ) from a naturally occurring association of living

Source-receptor relationships for PM2.5 during typical pollution episodes in the Pearl River Delta city cluster, China

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Q.; Liu, Y.; Hong, Y.; Wang, X.; Chan, P.; Chen, X.; Lai, A.; Wang, M.; Chen, X.

2017-12-01

Located in the Southern China monsoon region, pollution days in Pearl River Delta (PRD) were classified into "Western type", "Central type" or "Eastern type", with a relative percentage of 67%, 24% and 9%, respectively. Using this classification system, three typical pollution events were selected for numerical simulations using the WRF-Chem model. The source sensitivity method for anthropogenic emissions of PM2.5 and its precursors was applied to identify the source-receptor relationships for PM2.5 among 9 cities in PRD. For "Western type" case, the PRD region was under control of a high-pressure system with easterly prevailing winds. The PM2.5 concentrations in the western PRD region were higher than those in the eastern region, with emissions from cities in the eastern PRD region having higher contributions. Within the PRD's urban cluster, PM2.5 in Huizhou, Dongguan and Shenzhen was mainly derived from local emissions, whereas the PM2.5 in the other cities was primarily derived from external transport. For "Eastern type" case, the PRD was influenced by Typhoon Soulik with westerly prevailing winds. Emissions from cities in the western PRD region had the highest impacts on the overall PM2.5 concentration. PM2.5 in Jiangmen and Foshan was primarily derived from local emissions. Regarding "Central type" case, the PRD region was under control of a uniform pressure field with low wind speed. PM2.5 concentrations of each city were primarily caused by local emissions. Overall, wind flows played a significant role in the transport and spatial distribution of PM2.5 across the PRD region. Ideally, local governments would be wise to establish joint prevention and control measures to reduce regional atmospheric pollution, especially for "Western type" pollution.

Architecture and development of a multi-stage Baiyun submarine slide complex in the Pearl River Canyon, northern South China Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lei; Wu, Shi-Guo; Li, Qing-Ping; Wang, Da-Wei; Fu, Shao-Ying

2014-08-01

The Baiyun submarine slide complex (BSSC) along the Pearl River Canyon of the northern South China Sea has been imaged by multibeam bathymetry and 2D/3D seismic data. By means of maximum likelihood classification with slope aspect and gradient as inputs, the BSSC is subdivided into four domains, denoted as slide area I, II, III and IV. Slide area I is surrounded by cliffs on three sides and has been intensely reshaped by turbidity currents generated by other kinds of mass movement outside the area; slide area II incorporates a shield volcano with a diameter of approximately 10 km and unconfined slides possibly resulting from the toe collapse of inter-canyon ridges; slide area III is dominated by repeated slides that mainly originated from cliffs constituting the eastern boundary of the BSSC; slide area IV is distinguished by a conical seamount with a diameter of 6.5 km and a height of 375 m, and two slides probably having a common source that are separated from each other by a suite of residual strata. The BSSC is interpreted to be composed of numerous slide events, which occurred in the period from 10.5 to 5.5 Ma BP. Six specific factors may have contributed to the development of the BSSC, i.e., gas hydrate dissociation, gas-bearing sediments, submarine volcanic activity, seismicity, sedimentation rate and seafloor geomorphology. A 2D conceptual geological model combining these factors is proposed as a plausible mechanism explaining the formation of the BSSC. However, the BSSC may also have been affected by the Dongsha event (10 Ma BP) as an overriding factor.

Evaluating Production of Cyclopentyl Tetraethers by Marine Group II Euryarchaeota in the Pearl River Estuary and Coastal South China Sea: Potential Impact on the TEX86 Paleothermometer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jin-Xiang Wang

2017-10-01

Full Text Available TEX86 [TetraEther indeX of glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs with 86 carbon atoms] has been widely applied to reconstruct (paleo- sea surface temperature. Marine Group I (MG-I Thaumarchaeota were thought to be the primary source of GDGTs constituting the TEX86 formula; however, recent research has suggested that Marine Group II (MG-II Euryarchaeota may also contribute significantly to the GDGT pool in the ocean. Little is known regarding the potential impact of MG-II Euryarchaeota-derived GDGTs on TEX86 values recorded in marine sediments. In this study, we assessed the relationship between distributions of GDGTs and MG-II Euryarchaeota and evaluated its potential effect on the TEX86 proxy. Lipid and DNA analyses were performed on suspended particulate matter and surface sediments collected along a salinity gradient from the lower Pearl River (river water and its estuary (mixing water to the coastal South China Sea (SCS, seawater. TEX86-derived temperatures from the water column and surface sediments were significantly correlated and both were lower than satellite-based temperatures. The ring index (RI values in these environments were higher than predicted from the calculated TEX86-RI correlation, indicating that the GDGT pool in the water column of the PR estuary and coastal SCS comprises relatively more cyclopentane rings, which thereby altered TEX86 values. Furthermore, the abundance of MG-II Euryarchaeota 16S rRNA gene in the mixing water was two to three orders of magnitude higher than those observed in the river or seawater. Significant linear correlations were observed between the gene abundance ratio of MG-II Euryarchaeota to total archaea and the fractional abundance of GDGTs with cyclopentane rings. Collectively, these results suggest that MG-II Euryarchaeota likely produce a large proportion of GDGTs with 1–4 cyclopentane moieties, which may bias TEX86 values in the water column and sediments. As such, valid

Variability of thermohaline properties in Pearl Lagoon, Nicaragua (ESP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos L. Brenes

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Several hydrographic surveys were carried out in Pearl Lagoon, Nicaragua between april 1995 and december 1997 under the DIPAL (Proyecto para el Desarrollo Integral de la Pesca Artesanal en la Región Autónoma del Atlántico Sur project. Surface temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen and turbidity have been measured in 88 hydrographic campaigns. The annual cycle shows maximum and minimum temperatures in May (29.4 °C and December (25.6 °C respectively, maximum salinity (25.6 °C in April, one month before the thermal peak, and minimum salinities (2‰ between July and August, when the annual precipitation index attains its seasonal maximum in the study area. In the case of dissolved O2 the maximum values of oxygen saturation were observed between March and May (90%, when the water turbidity in the lagoon is at its lowest and freshwater contributions from the rivers attains its minimum value. During the rainy season, in the second half of the year, there is an important decrease in oxygen contents, mainly as a consequence of the degradation of organic matter of riverine origin.

Characterizing the parent and alkyl polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the Pearl River Estuary, Daya Bay and northern South China Sea: Influence of riverine input

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan, Ke; Wang, Xiaowei; Lin, Li; Zou, Shichun; Li, Yan; Yang, Qingshu; Luan, Tiangang

2015-01-01

Distributions of 31 parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and 29 alkyl PAHs in surface sediments of the Pearl River Estuary (PRE), Daya Bay (DYB) and northern South China Sea (SCS) were examined to study the influence of riverine input. It was found that the contributions of riverine input to sediment PAHs in PRE was much higher than other areas. However, higher proportion of alkyl PAHs and low molecular weight PAHs in DYB and the northern SCS was observed, indicating their different sources. Nevertheless, the sediment PAHs in PRE were heterogeneous and affected by the hydrodynamic conditions. The high molecular weight PAHs were dominant in PRE and enriched in the depositional area of suspended particular matter (SPM). Moreover, the concentration of PAHs in SPM was similar to those in surface sediments and dominated in water columns. Therefore, SPM played a very important role in transportation and distribution of PAHs in PRE. - Highlights: • EPA 16 PAHs contributed a small amount of total PAHs. • Alkyl PAHs showed different behaviors from parent PAHs. • High weight PAHs preferably indicated riverine input. • PAHs distribution in sediment was related with the suspended particle deposition. - Suspended particular matter played a very important role in distribution of PAHs in tide-dominated estuary and alkyl PAHs showed different behavior from parent PAHs

Draft Genome of the Pearl Oyster Pinctada fucata: A Platform for Understanding Bivalve Biology

Science.gov (United States)

Takeuchi, Takeshi; Kawashima, Takeshi; Koyanagi, Ryo; Gyoja, Fuki; Tanaka, Makiko; Ikuta, Tetsuro; Shoguchi, Eiichi; Fujiwara, Mayuki; Shinzato, Chuya; Hisata, Kanako; Fujie, Manabu; Usami, Takeshi; Nagai, Kiyohito; Maeyama, Kaoru; Okamoto, Kikuhiko; Aoki, Hideo; Ishikawa, Takashi; Masaoka, Tetsuji; Fujiwara, Atushi; Endo, Kazuyoshi; Endo, Hirotoshi; Nagasawa, Hiromichi; Kinoshita, Shigeharu; Asakawa, Shuichi; Watabe, Shugo; Satoh, Nori

2012-01-01

The study of the pearl oyster Pinctada fucata is key to increasing our understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in pearl biosynthesis and biology of bivalve molluscs. We sequenced ∼1150-Mb genome at ∼40-fold coverage using the Roche 454 GS-FLX and Illumina GAIIx sequencers. The sequences were assembled into contigs with N50 = 1.6 kb (total contig assembly reached to 1024 Mb) and scaffolds with N50 = 14.5 kb. The pearl oyster genome is AT-rich, with a GC content of 34%. DNA transposons, retrotransposons, and tandem repeat elements occupied 0.4, 1.5, and 7.9% of the genome, respectively (a total of 9.8%). Version 1.0 of the P. fucata draft genome contains 23 257 complete gene models, 70% of which are supported by the corresponding expressed sequence tags. The genes include those reported to have an association with bio-mineralization. Genes encoding transcription factors and signal transduction molecules are present in numbers comparable with genomes of other metazoans. Genome-wide molecular phylogeny suggests that the lophotrochozoan represents a distinct clade from ecdysozoans. Our draft genome of the pearl oyster thus provides a platform for the identification of selection markers and genes for calcification, knowledge of which will be important in the pearl industry. PMID:22315334

Influence of pearling process on phenolic and saponin content in quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd).

Science.gov (United States)

Gómez-Caravaca, Ana Maria; Iafelice, Giovanna; Verardo, Vito; Marconi, Emanuele; Caboni, Maria Fiorenza

2014-08-15

The aim of this work was to obtain sweet quinoa seeds by a pearling process. Thus, two different pearling degrees (20% and 30%) were tested. Moreover, the effect of pearling process on saponins and phenolic content in quinoa were evaluated. To this end, GC-MS methodology was used to identify and quantify the saponins and reversed phase-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to DAD and mass spectrometer detectors was applied to study the phenolic composition. As expected, whole quinoa had the highest saponins and phenolics contents. An abrasion degree of 30% was necessary to obtain sweet quinoa (with a total saponin content lower than 110 mg/100 g). Obviously, this process caused a decrease of 21.5% and 35.2% of free and bound phenolic compounds, respectively. However, this decrease was lower if compared with other cereals. Thus, pearling process is a promising sustainable method to obtain sweet quinoa with a "green" approach. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Providing Evidence-Based, Intelligent Support for Flood Resilient Planning and Policy: The PEARL Knowledge Base

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

George Karavokiros

2016-09-01

Full Text Available While flood risk is evolving as one of the most imminent natural hazards and the shift from a reactive decision environment to a proactive one sets the basis of the latest thinking in flood management, the need to equip decision makers with necessary tools to think about and intelligently select options and strategies for flood management is becoming ever more pressing. Within this context, the Preparing for Extreme and Rare Events in Coastal Regions (PEARL intelligent knowledge-base (PEARL KB of resilience strategies is presented here as an environment that allows end-users to navigate from their observed problem to a selection of possible options and interventions worth considering within an intuitive visual web interface assisting advanced interactivity. Incorporation of real case studies within the PEARL KB enables the extraction of (evidence-based lessons from all over the word, while the KB’s collection of methods and tools directly supports the optimal selection of suitable interventions. The Knowledge-Base also gives access to the PEARL KB Flood Resilience Index (FRI tool, which is an online tool for resilience assessment at a city level available to authorities and citizens. We argue that the PEARL KB equips authorities with tangible and operational tools that can improve strategic and operational flood risk management by assessing and eventually increasing resilience, while building towards the strengthening of risk governance. The online tools that the PEARL KB gives access to were demonstrated and tested in the city of Rethymno, Greece.

Pearl necklace sign in diabetic macular edema: Evaluation and significance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kshirasagar Ajay

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose: (1 The purpose of this study was to describe significance and prevalence of the newly reported pearl necklace spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SDOCT sign, in diabetic macular edema (DMO, (2 to track the course of this sign over a period of at least 10 months. Materials and Methods: The pearl necklace SDOCT sign refers to hyperreflective dots in a contiguous ring around the inner wall of cystoid spaces in the retina, recently described for the first time in 21 eyes with chronic exudative maculopathy. A retrospective analysis was performed of SDOCT images of all patients presenting to the DMO referral clinic of a tertiary eye care center, over a period of 24 months. Images of patients displaying this sign were sequentially analyzed for at least 10 months to track the course of the sign. Results: Thirty-five eyes of 267 patients (13.1% were found to display the pearl necklace sign. Twenty-eight eyes responded to intravitreal ranibizumab treatment with resolution of edema. In 21 eyes, the dots coalesced to form a clump, visible in the infrared fundus photograph as hard exudates; in seven eyes, dots disappeared without leaving visible exudates. In three eyes, the sign was seen in subfoveal cystoid spaces, with subsequent development of hard exudates, and drop in visual acuity of 20 letters or more. Conclusion: Pearl necklace SDOCT sign is not infrequent in DMO. This sign is a precursor to hard exudates in the majority of cases. If this sign is seen subfoveally, drop in visual acuity can be expected, despite treatment.

A Comprehensive Copper Compliance Strategy: Implementing Regulatory Guidance at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Earley, P. J; Rosen, G; Rivera-Duarte, I; Gauthier, R. D; Arias-Thode, Y; Thompson, J; Swope, B

2007-01-01

Studies were performed to develop a new National Pollution Discharge Elimination Systems Permit for the discharge of effluents from the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility into Pearl Harbor...

Accessing the Impact of Sea-Salt Emissions on Aerosol Chemical Formation and Deposition Over Pearl River Delta, China

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Q.; Wang, X.; Liu, Y.; Wu, D.; Chan, P. W.; Fan, S.; Feng, Y.

2015-12-01

Sea-salt aerosol (SSA) emissions have a significant impact on aerosol pollution and haze formation in the coastal areas. In this study, Models-3/CMAQ modeling system was utilized to access the impact of SSA emissions on aerosol chemical formation and deposition over Pearl River Delta (PRD), China in July 2006. More SSAs were transported inland from the open-ocean under the southeast wind in summertime. Two experiments (with and without SSA emissions in the CMAQ model) were set up to compare the modeling results with each other. The results showed that the increase of sulfate concentrations were more attributable to the primary emissions of coarse SO42- particles in SSA, while the increase of nitrate concentrations were more attributable to secondary chemical formations, known as the mechanisms of chloride depletion in SSA. In the coastal areas, 17.62 % of SO42-, 26.6% of NO3- and 38.2% of PM10 were attributed to SSA emissions, while those portions were less than 1% in the inland areas. The increases of PM10 and its components due to SSA emissions resulted in higher deposition fluxes over PRD, particularly in the coastal areas, except for the wet deposition of nitrate. Nitrate was more sensitive to SSA emissions in chemical formations than sulfate and dry deposition of aerosol was also more sensitive than that for wet deposition. Process analysis of sulfate and nitrate was applied to find out the difference of physical and chemical mechanisms between Guangzhou (the inland areas) and Zhuhai (the coastal areas). The negative contributions of dry deposition process to both sulfate and nitrate concentrations increased if SSA emissions were taken into account in the model, especially for Zhuhai. The negative contributions of cloud process also increased due to cloud scavenging and wet deposition process. In the coastal area, the gas-to-particle conversions became more active with high contributions of aerosol process to nitrate concentrations.

Monitoring and modeling land-use change in the Pearl River Delta, China, using satellite imagery and socioeconomic data

Science.gov (United States)

Seto, Karen Ching-Yee

Over the last two decades, rapid rates of economic growth in the People's Republic of China have converted large areas of natural ecosystems and agricultural lands to urban uses. The size and rate of these land-use changes may affect local and regional climate, biogeochemistry, and food supply. To assess these impacts, both the amount of land converted and its relation to socioeconomic drivers must be determined. This research combines satellite remote sensing, which is used to monitor land conversion, with socioeconomic data to model the economic and demographic drivers of land-use change in the Pearl River Delta of Southern China. This research modifies existing techniques and develops new methods to assess the type, amount, and timing of land-use change from annual Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) images from 1988 to 1996. During this period, most of the land-use change is conversion of agricultural land to urban areas. Results indicate that urban areas, increased by over 300% between 1988 and 1996. Field assessments confirm these results and indicate that the land-use change map is highly accurate at 93.5%. To use these data as inputs to statistical models, the year of land conversion derived from satellite imagery must be unbiased. A new method that uses time series techniques identifies the date at which land-use changes occur from a sequential series of TM images. The accuracy and bias of the dates of change identified compare favorably to a more conventional remote sensing change detection technique and may have the additional advantages of reducing efforts required to assemble training data and to correct for atmospheric effects. Data on the quantity of land-use change and the timing of these changes are used in conjunction with socioeconomic data to estimate statistical models that identify and quantify the demographic and economic changes on two types of land conversion: urbanization of agricultural land and urbanization of natural vegetation. Results

76 FR 71598 - Pearl Harbor National Wildlife Refuge, Honolulu County, HI; Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-18

...] Pearl Harbor National Wildlife Refuge, Honolulu County, HI; Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan and.../docs/HI-PI/docsjcpearl.htm . Email: [email protected] . Include ``Pearl Harbor final CCP'' in...`iwa, HI 96712. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Ellis, Project Leader, (808) 637-6330...

Mapping ground water vulnerability to pesticide leaching with a process-based metamodel of EuroPEARL

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tiktak, A.; Boesten, J.J.T.I.; Linden, van der A.M.A.; Vanclooster, M.

2006-01-01

To support EU policy, indicators of pesticide leaching at the European level are required. For this reason, a metamodel of the spatially distributed European pesticide leaching model EuroPEARL was developed. EuroPEARL considers transient flow and solute transport and assumes Freundlich adsorption,

An Evaluation of the Acquisition Streamlining Methods at the Fleet and Industrial Supply Center Pearl Harbor Hawaii

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Henry, Mark

1999-01-01

...) Pearl Harbor's implementation of acquisition streamlining initiatives and recommends viable methods of streamlining the acquisition process at FISC Pearl Harbor and other Naval Supply Systems Command...

Assembly and lifting of Pearl-Chain arches

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Halding, Philip Skov; Hertz, Kristian Dahl; Viebæk, N.E.

2015-01-01

Pearl-Chain arches were invented at the Technical University of Denmark in cooporation with the company Abeo A/S. The system uses specially designed, pre-fabricated concrete elements that are post-tensioned together into an arch shape, which is then lifted into place. The arches can be used both ...

Analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in tree-rings of Masson pine (Pinus massoniana L.) from two industrial sites in the Pearl River Delta, south China.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuang, Yuan-wen; Zhou, Guo-yi; Wen, Da-zhi; Li, Jiong; Sun, Fang-fang

2011-09-01

Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were examined and potential sources of PAHs were identified from the dated tree-rings of Masson pine (Pinus massoniana L.) near two industrial sites (Danshuikeng, DSK and Xiqiaoshan, XQS) in the Pearl River Delta of south China. Total concentrations of PAHs (∑PAHs) were revealed with similar patterns of temporal trends in the tree-rings at both sites, suggesting tree-rings recorded the historical variation in atmospheric PAHs. The differences of individual PAHs and of ∑PAHs detected in the tree-rings between the two sites reflected the historical differences of airborne PAHs. Regional changes in industrial activities might contribute to the site-specific and period-specific patterns of the tree-ring PAHs. The diagnostic PAH ratios of Ant/(Ant + PA), FL/(FL + Pyr), and BaA/(BaA + Chr)) revealed that PAHs in the tree-rings at both sites mainly stemmed from the combustion process (pyrogenic sources). Principal component analysis further confirmed that wood burning, coal combustion, diesel, and gasoline-powered vehicular emissions were the dominant contributors of PAHs sources at DSK, while diesel combustion, gasoline and natural gas combustion, and incomplete coal combustion were responsible for the main origins of PAHs at XQS. Tree-ring analysis of PAHs was indicative of PAHs from a mixture of sources of combustion, thus minimizing the bias of short-term active air sampling.

Sediment transport processes in the Pearl River Estuary as revealed by grain-size end-member modeling and sediment trend analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Tao; Li, Tuan-Jie

2018-04-01

The analysis of grain-size distribution enables us to decipher sediment transport processes and understand the causal relations between dynamic processes and grain-size distributions. In the present study, grain sizes were measured from surface sediments collected in the Pearl River Estuary and its adjacent coastal areas. End-member modeling analysis attempts to unmix the grain sizes into geologically meaningful populations. Six grain-size end-members were identified. Their dominant modes are 0 Φ, 1.5 Φ, 2.75 Φ, 4.5 Φ, 7 Φ, and 8 Φ, corresponding to coarse sand, medium sand, fine sand, very coarse silt, silt, and clay, respectively. The spatial distributions of the six end-members are influenced by sediment transport and depositional processes. The two coarsest end-members (coarse sand and medium sand) may reflect relict sediments deposited during the last glacial period. The fine sand end-member would be difficult to transport under fair weather conditions, and likely indicates storm deposits. The three remaining fine-grained end-members (very coarse silt, silt, and clay) are recognized as suspended particles transported by saltwater intrusion via the flood tidal current, the Guangdong Coastal Current, and riverine outflow. The grain-size trend analysis shows distinct transport patterns for the three fine-grained end-members. The landward transport of the very coarse silt end-member occurs in the eastern part of the estuary, the seaward transport of the silt end-member occurs in the western part, and the east-west transport of the clay end-member occurs in the coastal areas. The results show that grain-size end-member modeling analysis in combination with sediment trend analysis help to better understand sediment transport patterns and the associated transport mechanisms.

Pervious concrete fill in Pearl-Chain Bridges: Using small-scale results in full-scale implementation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lund, Mia Schou Møller; Hansen, Kurt Kielsgaard; Truelsen, R.

2016-01-01

distribution and strength properties is determined for 800 mm high blocks cast in different numbers of layers, and (2) full-scale implementation in a 26 m long Pearl-Chain Bridge. With a layer thickness of 27 cm, the small-scale tests indicated homogenous results; however, for the full-scale implementation......Pearl-Chain Bridge technology is a new prefabricated arch solution for highway bridges. This study investigates the feasibility of pervious concrete as a filling material in Pearl-Chain Bridges. The study is divided into two steps: (1) small-scale tests where the variation in vertical void...

A lifelong journey of moving beyond wartime trauma for survivors from Hiroshima and Pearl Harbor.

Science.gov (United States)

Liehr, Patricia; Nishimura, Chie; Ito, Mio; Wands, Lisa Marie; Takahashi, Ryutaro

2011-01-01

This study examines 51 stories of health, shared by people who survived the wartime trauma of Hiroshima and Pearl Harbor, seeking to identify turning points that moved participants along over their lifetime. The central turning point for Hiroshima survivors was "becoming Hibabusha (A-bomb survivor)" and for Pearl Harbor survivors was "honoring the memory and setting it aside." Wartime trauma was permanently integrated into survivors' histories, surfacing steadily over decades for Hiroshima survivors and intermittently over decades for Pearl Harbor survivors. Regardless of experience or nationality, participants moved through wartime trauma by connecting with others, pursuing personal and global peace.

Availability of pearl producing marine bivalves in south-eastern coast of Bangladesh and culture potentialities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Md Ataur Rahman

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The present study was conducted during September 2014 to July 2015 to identify the pearl bearing bivalves in south-eastern coast of Bangladesh and culture potentialities of marine oyster in captivity based on field investigation. A total of 7 pearl bearing bivalve species were identified in the coast with a salinity of 18-34 ppt, pH 8.1-8.3 and water depth ranged 0.2-2.0 meter in their habitat. From the collected bivalves, most abundant oyster species windowpane oyster, Placuna placenta (Linnaeus, 1758 was reared in fiber glass tanks with seawater for a period of 6 months. During rearing highest survival rate of 88% was observed in T1 with sandy and gravel substratum and lowest survival rate of 78% was found in T2 with muddy substratum. Average temperature and salinity were varied between 24 °C-25 °C and 21-26 ppt respectively. From the reared oyster, highest 54 nos. small pearls in the month of April and lowest 7 pearls in December from a single P. placenta were obtained. The study proved that pearls can be obtained from the marine oysters in captivity in Bangladesh, and this offers large scale culture potentialities in our coast.

75 FR 76613 - National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, 2010

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-09

.... The deadly attack on Pearl Harbor did not accomplish its mission of breaking the American spirit..., aiding the war effort by working in manufacturing plants, participating in rationing programs, or...

Army Engineers at Pearl Harbor

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

siblings, he was the grandson of David Belden Lyman—a Christian missionary from New England who settled in the Hilo , Hawaii area—and the descendent of...of Hawaii appeared over Oahu. Some headed for Ameri- can warships at Pearl Harbor and the planes on the ground at nearby Hickam Field; oth- ers...hit Schofield Barracks, Wheeler Field, and Bellows Field. USACE in Hawaii con- sisted of Soldier-engineers in the Army’s Hawaiian Depart- ment and

Toward sustainable pearl-oyster culture, in a changing environment: Recent findings and issues from the POLYPERL project (2012-2015)

Science.gov (United States)

Gaertner-Mazouni, Nabila; Le Moullac, Gilles

2016-12-01

The pearl industry, using the black-lip oyster, Pinctada margaritifera, is a central economic issue for French Polynesia. Initially developed in the early 1990s, after a brief'golden age', the pearl industry faced a decade of decline. As described in Gueguen et al., several research programs were therefore conducted to better analyze the functioning of this industry and to attempt to identifyissuesrelated to the improving the quality of the pearls as well as the functioning of lagoons. To complete this knowledge, during a 4 year period, the POLYPERL project, funded by the French National Research Agency (ANR), was a federative initiative that focused, simultaneously and for the first time, on socio-ecological and economic aspects of the pearl industry. The originality of the POLYPERL project consists of successfully implementing an integrated and multidisciplinary research-action approach in close association with both pearl farmers and the Polynesian authority in charge of management of the pearl industry (Direction des Ressources Marines et Minières de Polynésie, DRMM).

Assessment of regional air quality resulting from emission control in the Pearl River Delta region, southern China.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, N; Lyu, X P; Deng, X J; Guo, H; Deng, T; Li, Y; Yin, C Q; Li, F; Wang, S Q

2016-12-15

To evaluate the impact of emission control measures on the air quality in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region of South China, statistic data including atmospheric observations, emissions and energy consumptions during 2006-2014 were analyzed, and a Weather Research and Forecasting - Community Multi-scale Air Quality (WRF-CMAQ) model was used for various scenario simulations. Although energy consumption doubled from 2004 to 2014 and vehicle number significantly increased from 2006 to 2014, ambient SO 2 , NO 2 and PM 10 were reduced by 66%, 20% and 24%, respectively, mainly due to emissions control efforts. In contrast, O 3 increased by 19%. Model simulations of three emission control scenarios, including a baseline (a case in 2010), a CAP (a case in 2020 assuming control strength followed past control tendency) and a REF (a case in 2020 referring to the strict control measures based on recent policy/plans) were conducted to investigate the variations of air pollutants to the changes in NO x , VOCs and NH 3 emissions. Although the area mean concentrations of NO x , nitrate and PM 2.5 decreased under both NO x CAP (reduced by 1.8%, 0.7% and 0.2%, respectively) and NO x REF (reduced by 7.2%, 1.8% and 0.3%, respectively), a rising of PM 2.5 was found in certain areas as reducing NO x emissions elevated the atmospheric oxidizability. Furthermore, scenarios with NH 3 emission reductions showed that nitrate was sensitive to NH 3 emissions, with decreasing percentages of 0-10.6% and 0-48% under CAP and REF, respectively. Controlling emissions of VOCs reduced PM 2.5 in the southwestern PRD where severe photochemical pollution frequently occurred. It was also found that O 3 formation in PRD was generally VOCs-limited while turned to be NO x -limited in the afternoon (13:00-17:00), suggesting that cutting VOCs emissions would reduce the overall O 3 concentrations while mitigating NO x emissions in the afternoon could reduce the peak O 3 levels. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B

A numerical analysis of biogeochemical controls with physical modulation on hypoxia during summer in the Pearl River estuary

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Wang

2017-06-01

Full Text Available A three-dimensional (3-D physical–biogeochemical coupled model was applied to explore the mechanisms controlling the dissolved oxygen (DO dynamics and bottom hypoxia during summer in the Pearl River estuary (PRE. By using the numerical oxygen tracers, we proposed a new method (namely the physical modulation method to quantify the contributions of boundary conditions and each source and sink process occurring in local and adjacent waters to the DO conditions. A mass balance analysis of DO based on the physical modulation method indicated that the DO conditions at the bottom layer were mainly controlled by the source and sink processes, among which the sediment oxygen demand (SOD at the water–sediment interface and the re-aeration at the air–sea interface were the two primary processes determining the spatial extent and duration of bottom hypoxia in the PRE. The SOD could cause a significant decrease in the bottom DO concentrations (averaged over July–August 2006 by over 4 mg L−1 on the shelf off the Modaomen sub-estuary, leading to the formation of a high-frequency zone of hypoxia (HFZ. However, the hypoxia that occurred in the HFZ was intermittent and distributed in a small area due to the combined effects of re-aeration and photosynthesis, which behaved as sources for DO and offset a portion of the DO consumed by SOD. The bottom DO concentrations to the west of the lower Lingdingyang Bay (i.e. the western shoal near Qi'ao Island were also largely affected by high SOD, but there was no hypoxia occurring there because of the influence of re-aeration. Specifically, re-aeration could lead to an increase in the bottom DO concentrations by ∼ 4.8 mg L−1 to the west of the lower Lingdingyang Bay. The re-aeration led to a strong vertical DO gradient between the surface and the lower layers. As a result, the majority (∼ 89 % of DO supplemented by re-aeration was transported to the lower layers through vertical diffusion and

Characteristics of Phytoplankton Biomass, Primary Production and Community Structure in the Modaomen Channel, Pearl River Estuary, with Special Reference to the Influence of Saltwater Intrusion during Neap and Spring Tides.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Weihua; Gao, Jie; Liao, Jianzu; Shi, Ronggui; Li, Tao; Guo, Yajuan; Long, Aimin

2016-01-01

In recent decades, increasing frequency and intensity of saltwater intrusion in the Modaomen Channel has threatened the freshwater supply in the surrounding cities of the Pearl River Estuary, and ulteriorly changed the environmental conditions of the estuarine waters. Phytoplankton biomass, primary production (PP) and species composition, as well as hydrological and chemical parameters were examined along a downstream transect in the Modaomen Channel during neap tide (NT) and spring tide (ST), when a strong saltwater intrusion event occurred in late September, 2011. A total of 46 species phytoplankton were identified, including Bacillariophyta (25 species), Dinoflagellate (14 species), Chlorophyta (4 species), Cyanophyta (2 species) and Euglenozoa (1 species). The dominant species were shifted from freshwater diatoms (e.g., Melosira granulata and Melosira granulata var. angustissima) in the upper reaches to saline water diatoms (e.g., Skeletonema costatum and Coscinodiscus sp.) in the river mouth. Generally, phytoplankton density, biomass (chl-a) and PP decreased from the upper to lower reaches along the channel, and were significantly higher in NT than those of ST. There was a shift from large-sized phytoplankton (>20 μm) in the upper reaches to relative small-sized cells (5-20 μm) in the lower reaches. Compared to NT, low discharge and flow velocity, coupled with strong easterly winds during ST specially aggravated saltwater intrusion further to the upstream (~50 km from the estuary). The intruded saltwater diluted nutrients, N/P ratios, chl-a, and phytoplankton abundances, and thereby led to a decline in PP during ST.

Microbiological and biochemical changes in pearl spot (Etroplus suratensis Bloch) stored under modified atmospheres.

Science.gov (United States)

Lalitha, K V; Sonaji, E R; Manju, S; Jose, L; Gopal, T K S; Ravisankar, C N

2005-01-01

This study aimed to determine the effect of packaging [air, modified atmosphere (MA)] on microbial growth, sensory and chemical parameters and also on shelf life of fresh pearl spot (Etroplus suratensis Bloch) and on the selection of microbial association. Fresh pearl spot (whole, gutted) were packaged under both 100% air and MAs (40%CO(2)/60% O(2), 50%CO(2)/50%O(2), 60% CO(2)/40%O(2), 70% CO(2)/30% O(2) and 40% CO(2)/30% O(2)/30% N(2)) and stored at 0 degrees C. Microbial growth (counts of total aerobic bacteria, H(2)S-producing bacteria, Lactic acid bacteria, Brochothrix thermosphacta, yeast and mould), chemical spoilage indicators (pH, total volatile basic nitrogen) and sensory characteristics were monitored. Microbial changes in Pearl spot packed under 100% air and 40% CO(2)/30%O(2)/30% N(2) were similar. The total volatile basic nitrogen values increased, but the values never exceeded the acceptability limit of 25 mg 100 g(-1). MA 60% CO(2) : 40%O(2) was found to be better with a shelf life of 21 days whereas air stored samples had a shelf-life of 12-14 days only. Storage of pearl spot under MAs 60% CO(2) : 40%O(2) is a promising method to extend shelf-life. Longer shelf life expands the market potential of pearl spot and reduces waste during distribution and retail display.

Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Tsunami Forecast Grids for MOST Model

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Forecast Model Grids provides bathymetric data strictly for tsunami inundation modeling with the Method of Splitting Tsunami (MOST) model....

Fabricating a pearl/PLGA composite scaffold by the low-temperature deposition manufacturing technique for bone tissue engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Mingen; Li Yanlei; Suo Hairui; Wang Qiujun; Ge Yakun; Xu Ying; Yan Yongnian; Liu Li

2010-01-01

Here we developed a composite scaffold of pearl/poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (pearl/PLGA) utilizing the low-temperature deposition manufacturing (LDM). LDM makes it possible to fabricate scaffolds with designed microstructure and macrostructure, while keeping the bioactivity of biomaterials by working at a low temperature. Process optimization was carried out to fabricate a mixture of pearl powder, PLGA and 1,4-dioxane with the designed hierarchical structures, and freeze-dried at a temperature of -40 deg. C. Scaffolds with square and designated bone shape were fabricated by following the 3D model. Marrow stem cells (MSCs) were seeded on the pearl/PLGA scaffold and then cultured in a rotating cell culture system. The adhesion, proliferation and differentiation of MSCs into osteoblasts were determined using scanning electronic microscopy, WST-1 assay, alkaline phosphatase activity assay, immunofluorescence staining and real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The results showed that the composite scaffold had high porosity (81.98 ± 3.75%), proper pore size (micropores: <10 μm; macropore: 495 ± 54 μm) and mechanical property (compressive strength: 0.81 ± 0.04 MPa; elastic modulus: 23.14 ± 0.75 MPa). The pearl/PLGA scaffolds exhibited better biocompatibility and osteoconductivity compared with the tricalcium phosphate/PLGA scaffold. All these results indicate that the pearl/PLGA scaffolds fulfill the basic requirements of bone tissue engineering scaffold.

The Diabetes Pearl: Diabetes biobanking in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

E. van 't Riet (Esther); M.T. Schram (Miranda); E.J. Abbink (Evertine); W.M. Admiraal (Wanda); M.W. Dijk-Schaap (Marja); F. Holleman (Frits); M.G.A.A.M. Nijpels (Giel); B. Özcan (Behiye); H. Pijl (Hanno); N. Schaper; E.J.G. Sijbrands (Eric); B. Silvius (Bianca); C.J. Tack (Cees); H.W. de Valk (Harold); B.H.R. Wolffenbuttel (Bruce); C.D. Stehouwer (Coen); J.M. Dekker (Jacqueline)

2012-01-01

textabstractBackground: Type 2 diabetes is associated with considerable comorbidity and severe complications, which reduce quality of life of the patients and require high levels of healthcare. The Diabetes Pearl is a large cohort of patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, covering different

The Diabetes Pearl: Diabetes biobanking in The Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van't Riet, E.; Schram, M.T.; Abbink, E.J.; Admiraal, W.M.; Dijk-Schaap, M.W.; Holleman, F.; Nijpels, G.; Ozcan, B.; Pijl, H.; Schaper, N.C.; Sijbrands, E.J.; Silvius, B.; Tack, C.J.J.; de Valk, H.W.; Wolffenbuttel, B.H.R.; Stehouwer, C.D.A.; Dekker, J.M.

2012-01-01

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes is associated with considerable comorbidity and severe complications, which reduce quality of life of the patients and require high levels of healthcare. The Diabetes Pearl is a large cohort of patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, covering different

Submarine Biofouling Control- Chlorination DATS Study at Pearl Harbor

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Wegand, John

2001-01-01

The intent of this document is to sumarize the chlorination studies performed at Naval Station, Pearl Harbor in support of biofouling control initiatives for the submarine community, as requested by NAVSEA 92T...

Impact of emission control on regional air quality in the Pearl Delta River region, southern China

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, N.; Xuejiao, D.

2017-12-01

The Pearl River Delta (PRD) in China has been suffering from air quality issues and the government has implemented a series of strategies in controlling emissions. In an attempt to provide scientific support for improving air quality, the paper investigates the concerning past-to-present air quality data and assesses air quality resulting from emission control. Statistical data revealed that energy consumption doubled from 2004 to 20014 and vehicle usage increased significantly from 2006 to 2014. Due to the effect of control efforts, primary emission of SO2, NOx and PM2.5 decreased resulting in ambient concentrations of SO2, NO2 and PM10 decreased by 66%, 20% and 24%, respectively. However, O3 increased 19% because of the increase of VOC emission. A chemical transport model, the Community Multi-scale Air Quality, was employed to evaluate the responses of nitrate, ammonium, SOA, PM2.5 and O3 to changes in NOx, VOC and NH3 emissions. Three scenarios, a baseline scenario, a CAP scenario (control strength followed as past tendency), and a REF scenario (strict control referred to latest policy and plans), were conducted to investigate the responses and mechanisms. NOx controlling scenarios showed that NOx, nitrate and PM2.5 reduced by 1.8%, 0.7% and 0.2% under CAP and reduced by 7.2%, 1.8% and 0.3% under REF, respectively. The results indicated that reducing NOx emission caused the increase of atmospheric oxidizability, which might result in a compensation of PM2.5 due to the increase of nitrate or sulfate. NH3 controlling scenarios showed that nitrate was sensitive to NH3 emission in PRD, with nitrate decreased by 0 - 10.6% and 0 - 48% under CAP and REF, respectively. Since controlling NH3 emissions not only reduced ammonium but also significantly reduced nitrate, the implement of NH3 controlling strategy was highly suggested. The VOC scenarios revealed that though SOA was not the major component of PM2.5, controlling VOC emission might take effect in southwestern PRD

Hatchery-scale trials using cryopreserved spermatozoa of black-lip pearl oyster, Pinctada margaritifera

OpenAIRE

Hui, Belinda; Vonau, Vincent; Moriceau, Jacques; Tetumu, Roger; Vanaa, Vincent; Demoy-schneider, Marina; Suquet, Marc; Le Moullac, Gilles

2011-01-01

Cryopreservation is a valuable tool for genetic improvement programs. Several bivalve mollusc species have already been the subject of such programs and the Tahitian black pearl oyster industry is now planning the development of selective breeding for desirable traits in Pinctada margaritifera. The ability to cryopreserve spermatozoa would, therefore, offer significant benefits to the cultured black pearl industry. Spermatozoa were cryopreserved with CPA 0.7 M trehalose in 0.8 M Me2SO and...

Multi-dimensional reflooding experiments: the PEARL program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stenne, N.; Pradier, M.; Olivieri, J.; Eymery, S.; Fichot, F.; March, P.; Fleurot, J.

2011-01-01

PEARL is an experimental program to study heat transfer and flow regime during the reflooding of a severely damaged PWR core where a large part of the core has collapsed and formed a debris bed. PEARL device will consist in a water-steam loop where the key component is an autoclave capable of housing a test section containing the particle bed and its instrumentation made of thermocouples, pressure sensors and flow rate meters. An electromagnetic induction heating system will generate a predefined specific power in the debris bed and maintains the power during the water reflooding phase. A preliminary experimental investigation has been launched with the setting of the PRELUDE facility, which is one-dimensional. The main aim was to test the particle bed heating system and instrumentation during the reflooding phase. PRELUDE results obtained so far show that the chosen technology is able to deposit a sufficient power density during the reflooding phase. Moreover a temperature of 1000 Celsius degrees for the debris bed is reached accurately with the induction system

Unexpected pattern of pearl millet genetic diversity among ethno-linguistic groups in the Lake Chad Basin.

Science.gov (United States)

Naino Jika, A K; Dussert, Y; Raimond, C; Garine, E; Luxereau, A; Takvorian, N; Djermakoye, R S; Adam, T; Robert, T

2017-05-01

Despite of a growing interest in considering the role of sociological factors in seed exchanges and their consequences on the evolutionary dynamics of agro-biodiversity, very few studies assessed the link between ethno-linguistic diversity and genetic diversity patterns in small-holder farming systems. This is key for optimal improvement and conservation of crop genetic resources. Here, we investigated genetic diversity at 17 SSR markers of pearl millet landraces (varieties named by farmers) in the Lake Chad Basin. 69 pearl millet populations, representing 27 landraces collected in eight ethno-linguistic farmer groups, were analyzed. We found that the farmers' local taxonomy was not a good proxy for population's genetic differentiation as previously shown at smaller scales. Our results show the existence of a genetic structure of pearl millet mainly associated with ethno-linguistic diversity in the western side of the lake Chad. It suggests there is a limit to gene flow between landraces grown by different ethno-linguistic groups. This result was rather unexpected, because of the highly outcrossing mating system of pearl millet, the high density of pearl millet fields all along the green belt of this Sahelian area and the fact that seed exchanges among ethno-linguistic groups are known to occur. In the eastern side of the Lake, the pattern of genetic diversity suggests a larger efficient circulation of pearl millet genes between ethno-linguistic groups that are less numerous, spatially intermixed and, for some of them, more prone to exogamy. Finally, other historical and environmental factors which may contribute to the observed diversity patterns are discussed.

The Diabetes Pearl: Diabetes biobanking in The Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van't Riet, Esther; Schram, Miranda T.; Abbink, Evertine J.; Admiraal, Wanda M.; Dijk-Schaap, Marja W.; Holleman, Frits; Nijpels, Giel; Özcan, Behiye; Pijl, Hanno; Schaper, Nicolaas C.; Sijbrands, Eric J. G.; Silvius, Bianca; Tack, Cees J.; de Valk, Harold W.; Wolffenbuttel, Bruce H. R.; Stehouwer, Coen D. A.; Dekker, Jacqueline M.

2012-01-01

Background: Type 2 diabetes is associated with considerable comorbidity and severe complications, which reduce quality of life of the patients and require high levels of healthcare. The Diabetes Pearl is a large cohort of patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, covering different geographical areas

The Diabetes Pearl : Diabetes biobanking in The Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van't Riet, Esther; Schram, Miranda T.; Abbink, Evertine J.; Admiraal, Wanda M.; Dijk-Schaap, Marja W.; Holleman, Frits; Nijpels, Giel; Ozcan, Behiye; Pijl, Hanno; Schaper, Nicolaas C.; Sijbrands, Eric J. G.; Silvius, Bianca; Tack, Cees J.; de Valk, Harold W.; Wolffenbuttel, Bruce H. R.; Stehouwer, Coen D. A.; Dekker, Jacqueline M.

2012-01-01

Background: Type 2 diabetes is associated with considerable comorbidity and severe complications, which reduce quality of life of the patients and require high levels of healthcare. The Diabetes Pearl is a large cohort of patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, covering different geographical areas

78 FR 144 - Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition-Determinations: “Girl With a Pearl Earring...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-02

... DEPARTMENT OF STATE [Public Notice 8139] Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition-- Determinations: ``Girl With a Pearl Earring: Dutch Paintings From the Mauritshuis SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given... objects to be included in the exhibition ``Girl with a Pearl Earring: Dutch Paintings from the Mauritshuis...

Investigation about Creation Possibility of Pearl Farming in North Gorontalo, Indonesia for the Solution to Economical Poverty and Environmental Problem

Science.gov (United States)

Kasamatsu, Hiroki; Jahja, Mohamad; Sakakibara, Masayuki

2017-06-01

As a solution to economic poverty, we investigated the possibility of developing pearl farming in Kabupaten Gorontalo Utara region of Indonesia. The approximate income of farmers is 15 - 28 million rupiah/year, and that of fishers is 51 million rupiah/year. As these incomes are low and unreliable, it is important that food processing and other industries are developed and that agriculture and fisheries are promoted. Pearl farming minimize environmental load. The coastal environmental conditions are good for pearl shell growth. From 2001 till 2013, pearl farming was undertaken by a Japanese company in Kabupaten Gorontalo Utara, but the operation caused because of conflict with local people and issues with the actions of manager. To establish successful pearl farming businesses it is more important to address social issues than environmental factors.

IRON STATUS OF WOMEN OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE LIVING IN PEARL MILLET CONSUMING AREAS OF BANASKANTHA, GUJARAT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vanisha S Nambiar

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Anemia is a major health problem in India, especially among women and children (NFHS III, 2006.  The Indian Council of medical Research study reported the prevalence of anemia among pregnant women was 84.9% and in adolescent girls was 90.1% based on their study from 16 districts of India (Food and Nutrition Bulletin, 2006.   Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (Bajra, grown extensively in the arid and semi-arid tropical regions of the world, is one of the most important cereals for food security and consumed as a staple food for rural and tribal population dwelling in this area. Pearl millet has high amounts of iron (8mg/100g, NIN 2010 along with several other factors such as phytates, oxalates and polyphones, which may decrease the bio available iron. IFPRI (Pray and Nagarjan, 2009 has identified Banaskantha, district in Gujarat as one of the important pearl millet producing belts of India. The present study aimed to assess the background information, morbidity profile and dietary intake focusing on the pearl millet consumption of women residing in the pearl millet producing belts of Banaskantha and to assess the status and immunity profile from a subsample of this population.

IRON STATUS OF WOMEN OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE LIVING IN PEARL MILLET CONSUMING AREAS OF BANASKANTHA, GUJARAT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vanisha S Nambiar

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Anemia is a major health problem in India, especially among women and children (NFHS III, 2006.  The Indian Council of medical Research study reported the prevalence of anemia among pregnant women was 84.9% and in adolescent girls was 90.1% based on their study from 16 districts of India (Food and Nutrition Bulletin, 2006. Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (Bajra, grown extensively in the arid and semi-arid tropical regions of the world, is one of the most important cereals for food security and consumed as a staple food for rural and tribal population dwelling in this area. Pearl millet has high amounts of iron (8mg/100g, NIN 2010 along with several other factors such as phytates, oxalates and polyphones, which may decrease the bio available iron. IFPRI (Pray and Nagarjan, 2009 has identified Banaskantha, district in Gujarat as one of the important pearl millet producing belts of India. The present study aimed to assess the background information, morbidity profile and dietary intake focusing on the pearl millet consumption of women residing in the pearl millet producing belts of Banaskantha and to assess the status and immunity profile from a subsample of this population.

Performance comparison among the major healthcare financing systems in six cities of the Pearl River Delta region, mainland China.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin C S Wong

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The healthcare system of mainland China is undergoing drastic reform and the optimal models for healthcare financing for provision of primary care will need to be identified. This study compared the performance indicators of the community health centres (CHCs under different healthcare financing systems in the six cities of the Pearl River Delta region. METHODS: Approximately 300 hypertensive patients were randomly recruited from the computerized chronic disease management records provided by one CHC in each of the six cities in 2011 using a multi-stage cluster random sampling method. The major outcome measures included the treatment rate of hypertension, defined as prescription of ≥ one antihypertensive agent; and the control rate of hypertension, defined as systolic blood pressure levels <140 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure levels <90 mmHg in patients without diabetes mellitus, or <130/80 mmHg among patients with concomitant diabetes. Binary logistic regression analyses were conducted with these two measures as outcome variables, respectively, controlling for patients' socio-demographic variables. The financing system (Hospital- vs. Government- vs. private-funded was the independent variable tested for association with the outcomes. RESULTS: From 1,830 patients with an average age of 65.9 years (SD 12.8, the overall treatment and control rates were 75.4% and 20.2%, respectively. When compared with hospital-funded CHCs, patients seen in the Government-funded (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.462, 95% C.I. 0.325-0.656 and private-funded CHCs (AOR 0.031, 95% C.I. 0.019-0.052 were significantly less likely to be prescribed antihypertensive medication. However, the Government-funded CHC was more likely to have optimal BP control (AOR 1.628, 95% C.I. 1.157-2.291 whilst the privately-funded CHC was less likely to achieve BP control (AOR 0.146, 95% C.I. 0.069-0.310, irrespective of whether antihypertensive drugs were prescribed. CONCLUSIONS

Tissue partition and risk assessments of trace elements in Indo-Pacific Finless Porpoises (Neophocaena phocaenoides) from the Pearl River Estuary coast, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiyang; Lin, Wenzhi; Yu, Ri-Qing; Sun, Xian; Ding, Yulong; Chen, Hailiang; Chen, Xi; Wu, Yuping

2017-10-01

Throughout the last few decades, an increased number of stranded marine mammals, particularly the Indo-Pacific Finless Porpoises (Neophocaena phocaenoides), were observed in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE). As long-lived, apex predators vulnerable to bioaccumulation of contaminants, the tissue residue levels and health risk of trace elements (TEs) in N. phocaenoides from the PRE have been little studied. Eleven typical TEs distributed in skin, liver and kidney tissues were investigated from 25 specimens stranded along the PRE from 2007 to 2015 in the present study. It revealed that most TEs were highly accumulated in internal organs (liver and kidney), except for Zn with high residue levels in external skin. Compared with the TEs in prey items, the residue levels of Hg, Se, Zn, Cu, Cd and Cr in N. phocaenoides increased 4-618 times, indicating a potentially significant biomagnification. Sex-related differences of TE accumulation were not obvious, except for renal Mn, in which the females showed lower mean concentrations than males. Significantly positive correlations between body length and TE levels were found for Hg, Se and Cd. Results of the calculated risk quotients (RQ) suggested that the risks to N. phocaenoides from consumption of prey items were generally low, but further attentions should be paid to Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg and As due to the elevated RQ values. The concentrations of Hg, Cd and Se in the epidermis were positively correlated with the levels found in internal organs. Our investigation provides evidence to support the use of skin as one biomonitoring approach on Hg, Cd and Se contamination of internal tissues in this species. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Genomic tools in pearl millet breeding for drought tolerance: Status and prospects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Desalegn Debelo Serba

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Pearl millet (Penisetum glaucum (L R. Br. is a hardy cereal crop grown in the arid and semiarid tropics where other cereals are likely to fail to produce economic yields due to drought and heat stresses. Adaptive evolution, a form of natural selection shaped the crop to grow and yield satisfactorily with limited moisture supply or under periodic water deficits in the soil. Drought tolerance is a complex polygenic trait that various morphological and physiological responses are controlled by hundreds of genes and significantly influenced by the environment. The development of genomic tools will have enormous potential to improve the efficiency and precision of conventional breeding. The apparent independent domestication events, highly outcrossing nature and traditional cultivation in stressful environments maintained tremendous amount of polymorphism in pearl millet. This high polymorphism of the crop has been revealed by genome mapping that in turn stimulated the mapping and tagging of genomic regions controlling important traits such as drought tolerance. Mapping of a major QTL for terminal drought tolerance in independent populations envisaged the prospect for the development of molecular breeding in pearl millet. To accelerate genetic gains for drought tolerance targeted novel approaches such as establishment of marker-trait associations, genomic selection tools, genome sequence and genotyping-by-sequencing are still limited. Development and application of high throughput genomic tools need to be intensified to improve the breeding efficiency of pearl millet to minimize the impact of climate change on its production.

The effects of mariculture on heavy metal distribution in sediments and cultured fish around the Pearl River Delta region, south China.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Peng; Wu, Sheng-Chun; Zhang, Jin; Cao, Yucheng; Yu, Shen; Wong, Ming-Hung

2016-04-01

Thirty-six sediment samples were collected from six mariculture sites and corresponding reference sites (approximately 200-300 m away from each mariculture site) to study the effects of mariculture on heavy metal: copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr) and lead (Pb) distribution in sediments and cultured fish around the Pearl River Delta region, south China. The mean concentrations of Cu, Zn, Cr and Pb in all mariculture sediment samples were 109, 273, 99 and 33 mg/kg, compared with 63, 209, 56 and 23 mg/kg for reference sediment samples, respectively. The Pollution Load Index of sediment for each site was over 1, implying substantial heavy metal pollution. The results of principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis indicate that marine aquaculture activities have enriched the surface sediments underneath mariculture rafts with Cu, Zn and Pb, possibly due to the accumulation of unconsumed fish feeds, fish excreta and antifouling paints (except Cr). Two kinds of fish feeds, feed pellets and trash fish commonly used in Hong Kong were analyzed. The concentrations of Zn and Cu contained in feed pellets were significantly higher (p trash fish due to addition of these elements as growth promoters during pellet production. However, the Pb content in trash fish (due to contamination) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than in feed pellets. Three cultured fish species, namely red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus), orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides) and snubnose pompano (Trachinotus blochii), were collected from each mariculture site for metal analysis. Lead concentrations in 21 fish samples exceeded the Chinese safety guideline (0.5 mg/kg, GB18406.4-2001), indicating that Pb contamination in cultured fish would be a public health concern. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Variation of particulate organic carbon and its relationship with bio-optical properties during a phytoplankton bloom in the Pearl River estuary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Guifen; Zhou Wen; Cao Wenxi; Yin Jianping; Yang Yuezhong; Sun Zhaohua; Zhang Yuanzhi; Zhao Jun

2011-01-01

Highlights: → A study about relationship between POC and optical properties during a phytoplankton bloom. → Empirical algorithms for retrieving POC concentration from optical data were developed. → Phytoplankton carbon and it's ratio to Chl-a are estimated and discussed. → Demonstrates that marine optical buoy can be a new platform for monitoring biogeochemical cycle. - Abstract: In this study, variations in the particulate organic carbon (POC) were monitored during a phytoplankton bloom event, and the corresponding changes in bio-optical properties were tracked at one station (114.29 o E, 22.06 o N) located in the Pearl River estuary. A greater than 10-fold increase in POC (112.29-1173.36 mg m -3 ) was observed during the bloom, with the chlorophyll a concentration (Chl-a) varying from 0.984 to 25.941 mg m -3 . A power law function is used to describe the relationship between POC and Chl-a, and the POC:Chl-a ratio tends to change inversely with Chl-a. Phytoplankton carbon concentration is indirectly estimated using the conceptual model proposed by , and this carbon is found to contribute 47.21% (±10.65%) to total POC. The estimated carbon-to-chlorophyll ratio of phytoplankton in diatom-dominated waters is found to be comparable with results reported in the literature. Empirical algorithms for determining the concentrations of Chl-a and POC were developed based on the relationships of these variables with the blue-to-green reflectance ratio. With these bio-optical models, the levels of particulate organic carbon and Chl-a could be predicted from the radiometric data measured by a marine optical buoy, which showed much more detailed information about the variability in biogeochemical parameters during this bloom event.

Generable PEARL-realtime-database system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Plessmann, K.W.; Duif, V.; Angenendt, F.

1983-06-01

This database system has been designed with special consideration of the requirements of process-control-application. For that purpose the attribute ''time'' is treated as the essential dimension for processes, affecting data treatment. According to the multiformed requirements of process-control applications the database system is generable, i.e. its size and collection of functions is applicable to each implementation. The system is not adapted to a single data model, therefore several modes can be implemented. Using PEARL for the implementation allows to put the portability of the system to a high standard. (orig.) [de

Simulated Optimum Sowing Date for Forage Pearl Millet Cultivars in Multilocation Trials in Brazilian Semi-Arid Region.

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Rafael D; Boote, Kenneth J; Sollenberger, Lynn E; Neves, Andre L A; Pereira, Luiz G R; Scherer, Carolina B; Gonçalves, Lucio C

2017-01-01

Forage production is primarily limited by weather conditions under dryland production systems in Brazilian semi-arid regions, therefore sowing at the appropriate time is critical. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the CSM-CERES-Pearl Millet model from the DSSAT software suite for its ability to simulate growth, development, and forage accumulation of pearl millet [ Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.] at three Brazilian semi-arid locations, and to use the model to study the impact of different sowing dates on pearl millet performance for forage. Four pearl millet cultivars were grown during the 2011 rainy season in field experiments conducted at three Brazilian semi-arid locations, under rainfed conditions. The genetic coefficients of the four pearl millet cultivars were calibrated for the model, and the model performance was evaluated with experimental data. The model was run for 14 sowing dates using long-term historical weather data from three locations, to determine the optimum sowing window. Results showed that performance of the model was satisfactory as indicated by accurate simulation of crop phenology and forage accumulation against measured data. The optimum sowing window varied among locations depending on rainfall patterns, although showing the same trend for cultivars within the site. The best sowing windows were from 15 April to 15 May for the Bom Conselho location; 12 April to 02 May for Nossa Senhora da Gloria; and 17 April to 25 May for Sao Bento do Una. The model can be used as a tool to evaluate the effect of sowing date on forage pearl millet performance in Brazilian semi-arid conditions.

Heavy metal fractions and ecological risk assessment in sediments from urban, rural and reclamation-affected rivers of the Pearl River Estuary, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Guangliang; Bai, Junhong; Xiao, Rong; Zhao, Qingqing; Jia, Jia; Cui, Baoshan; Liu, Xinhui

2017-10-01

Rapid urbanization and reclamation processes in coastal areas have resulted in serious pollution to the aquatic environment. Less is known on the geochemical fractions and ecological risks in river sediment under various human activities pressures, which is essential for addressing the connections between heavy metal pollution and anthropogenic influences. River sediments were collected from different landscapes (i.e., urban, rural and reclamation areas) to investigate the impacts of urbanization and reclamation on the metallic pollution levels and ecological risks in the Pear River Estuary of China. Results showed that Cd, Zn and Cu with high total contents and geoaccumulation index (I geo ) were the primary metals in the Peal River sediments. Generally, urban river sediments, especially the surface sediment layer (0-10 cm), exhibited higher metallic pollution levels. As for geochemical fractions, reducible and residual fractions were the dominant forms for six determined metals. And the percentage of heavy metals bound to Fe-Mn oxides decreased with increasing soil depth but the reverse tendency was observed for residual fractions. Compared with rural river sediments, heavy metals were highly associated with the exchangeable and carbonate fractions in both urban and reclamation-affected river sediments, suggesting that anthropogenic activities mainly increased the active forms of metals. Approximately 80% of Cd existed in the non-residual fraction and posed medium to high ecological risk according to the risk assessment code (RAC) values. The redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed that both urbanization and reclamation processes would cause similar metallic characteristics, and sediment organic matter (SOC) might be the prominent influencing factor. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

75 FR 25202 - Action Affecting Export Privileges; Orion Air, S.L. and Syrian Pearl Airlines; Order Renewing...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-07

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Bureau of Industry and Security Action Affecting Export Privileges; Orion Air, S.L. and Syrian Pearl Airlines; Order Renewing Order Temporarily Denying Export Privileges Orion... Denying the Export Privileges of Respondents Orion Air, S.L. (``Orion Air'') and Syrian Pearl Airlines...

Seedling characters at different temperatures in pearl millet ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The effect of six temperatures ranging from 20 to 45°C on the germination and seedling length of six grain pearl millet genotypes (KS, AM, HG, EC, ZZ and D) was determined. There was significant variation in germination and seedling length across temperatures and among genotypes. As a result, significant temperature ...

Replacing corn with pearl millet (raw and sprouted) with and without enzyme in chickens' diet.

Science.gov (United States)

Afsharmanesh, M; Ghorbani, N; Mehdipour, Z

2016-04-01

An experiment was conducted to compare a commercial corn-soya bean meal diet with a pearl millet (raw and sprouted) diet containing less soya bean meal, alone or in combination with exogenous enzyme, on growth performance and ileal villus development of chicks. Two-hundred-and-forty-one-day-old male broilers (10/pen) were randomly allocated to one of the following dietary treatments: (i) a standard corn-soya bean meal control diet (CTL); (ii) a raw pearl millet-soya bean meal diet (PM); (iii) a sprouted pearl millet-soya bean meal diet (SPM); (iv) CTL + exogenous enzymes (CE); (v) PM + exogenous enzymes (PE); and (vi) SPM + exogenous enzymes (SPE) with four replicate pens/treatment. Body weight of birds at day 21 did not differ between those fed the CTL, and SPM and PE diets. In comparison with feeding broilers the CTL diet, feeding the PE and SPM diets caused significant decrease in feed intake, but with equivalent growth and feed efficiency. However, at day 21, feed conversion ratio did not differ between birds fed the CTL diet and those fed the PM, PE and SPM diets. At day 21, broilers fed the PM and PE diets had longer villi (p diet. At day 21, villi width was reduced (p diet. It is concluded that, in comparison with corn, broiler diets formulated with sprouted pearl millet or pearl millet with enzyme require less soya bean meal and can be used to improve growth performance traits and villus development. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Flavonoids and phenolic acids from pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum based foods and their functional implications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vanisha S Nambiar

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Background: Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum, considered a poor man’s cereal, may be a repository of dietary antioxidants, especially flavonoids and phenolic acids, which provide bioactive mechanisms to reduce free radical induced oxidative stress and probably play a role in the prevention of ageing and various diseases associated with oxidative stress, such as cancer, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative diseases.Objective: The present study focused on the identification of individual flavonoids and phenolic acids from seven commercial varieties of pearl millet and five samples of pearl millet-based traditional recipes of Banaskantha, Gujarat, India.Methods: Total phenols were determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method, and individual polyphenol separation included the isolation and identification of (a flavonoids, (b phenolic acids, and (c glycoflavones involving interaction with diagnostic reagents and paper chromatographic separation of compounds and their UV-visible spectroscopic studies including hypsochromic and bathchromic shifts with reagents such as AlCl3, AlCl3/HCl, NaOMe, NaOAc,and NaOAc/H3PO3. Five traditional recipes consumed in the pearl millet producing belt of Banaskantha, Gujarat, India, were standardized in the laboratory and analyzed for phenol and individual flavonoids. Results: Total phenols in raw samples ranged from 268.5 - 420mg/100g of DW and 247.5 -Functional Foods in Health and Disease 2012, 2(7:251-264335mg/100g of DW in cooked recipes. The commonly identified flavonoids were tricin, acacetin, 3, 4 Di-OMe luteolin, and 4-OMe tricin. Five phenolic acids were identified: namely vanilic acid, syringic acid, melilotic acid, para-hydroxyl benzoic acid, and salicylic acid.Conclusion: The presence of flavonoids, such as tricin, acacetin, 3, 4 Di-OMe luteolin, and 4-OMe tricin, indicate the chemopreventive efficacy of pearl millet. They may be inversely related to mortality from coronary heart disease and to the incidence

Aerosol number size distribution and new particle formation at a rural/coastal site in Pearl River Delta (PRD) of China

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Shang; Hu, Min; Wu, Zhijun; Wehner, Birgit; Wiedensohler, Alfred; Cheng, Yafang

Continuous measurements of aerosol number size distribution in the range of 3 nm-10 μm were performed in Pearl River Delta (PRD), China. These measurements were made during the period of 3 October to 5 November in 2004 at rural/coastal site, Xinken (22°37'N, 113°35'E, 6 m above sea level), in the south suburb of Guangzhou City (22°37'N, 113°35'E, 6 m above sea level), using a Twin Differential Mobility Particle Sizer (TDMPS) combined with an Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS). The aerosol particles at Xinken were divided into four groups according to the observation results: nucleation mode particles (3-30 nm), Aitken mode particles (30-130 nm), accumulation mode particles (130-1000 nm) and coarse mode particles (1-10 μm). Concentrations of nucleation mode, Aitken mode and accumulation mode particles were observed in the same order of magnitude (about 10,000 cm -3), among which the concentration of Aitken mode particle was the highest. The Aitken mode particles usually had two peaks: the morning peak may be caused by the land-sea circulation, which is proven to be important for transporting aged aerosols back to the sampling site, while the noon peak was ascribed to the condensational growth of new particles. New particle formation events were found on 7 days of 27 days, the new particle growth rates ranged from 2.2 to 19.8 nm h -1 and the formation rates ranged from 0.5 to 5.2 cm -3 s -1, both of them were in the range of typical observed formation rates (0.01-10 cm -3 s -1) and typical particle growth rates (1-20 nm h -1). The sustained growth of the new particles for several hours under steady northeast wind indicated that the new particle formation events may occur in a large homogeneous air mass.

Spatial-Temporal Dynamics of the Economic Efficiency of Construction Land in the Pearl River Delta Megalopolis from 1998 to 2012

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuyao Ye

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Since the 1980s, the rapid, extensive, and dispersed urban expansion in the Pearl River Delta megalopolis (PRDM has led to landscape fragmentation and the inefficient use of construction land. Like other developed regions in China that are subject to the dual challenges of shortages of construction land and deterioration of the ecological environment, it is becoming increasingly important in the PRDM to improve the land-use efficiency of urban construction. However, current methods for assessing land-use efficiency do not meet the emerging needs of land-use planning and policymaking. Therefore, using the American Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP/Operational Linescan System (OLS nighttime light imagery and Landsat TM data, this study aims to develop a timely and efficient approach to model the high-resolution economic efficiency of construction land (EECL. With this approach, we mapped the reliable EECL of the PRDM at township level and with a one-kilometer grid. Next, the study compared the temporal changes and revealed the spatial-temporal dynamics in order to provide a scientific reference for informed land-use planning and policymaking. The results show that since 1998, the economic efficiency of construction land in the PRDM increased in general but varied significantly throughout the area. Further, these disparities widened from 1998 to 2012 between the PRDM’s inner and peripheral circles. Only one-fifth of the towns and subdistricts were categorized as fast-growth or ultrafast-growth, with the majority located in the most developed areas of the PRDM’s inner circle. In order to improve the efficiency of construction land in the PRDM and realize sustainable development, differentiated land-use policies for the inner and peripheral circles were proposed. The inner circle should focus on promoting the efficiency of existing construction land and encourage urban renewal, while the peripheral circle should enhance the control

Assessment of major ions and heavy metals in groundwater: a case study from Guangzhou and Zhuhai of the Pearl River Delta, China

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Yintao; Tang, Changyuan; Chen, Jianyao; Yao, Hong

2016-06-01

Anthropogenic activities in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) have caused a deterioration of groundwater quality over the past twenty years as a result of rapid urbanization and industrial development. In this study, the hydrochemical characteristics, quality, and sources of heavy metals in the groundwater of the PRD were investigated. Twenty-five groundwater samples were collected and analyzed for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), δ18O, δ2H, major ions, and heavy metals. The groundwater was slightly acidic and presented TDS values that ranged from 35.5 to 8,779.3 mg·L-1. The concentrations of the major ions followed the order Cl->HCO 3 - >Na+>SO 4 2- >NO 3 - >NH 4 + >Ca2+>K+>Mg2+>Fe2+/3+>Al3+. Ca-Mg-HCO3 and Na-K-HCO3 were the predominant types of facies, and the chemical composition of the groundwater was primarily controlled by chemical weathering of the basement rocks, by mixing of freshwater and seawater and by anthropogenic activities. The heavy metal pollution index (HPI) indicated that 64% of the samples were in the low category, 16% were in the medium category and 20% were in the high category, providing further evidence that this groundwater is unsuitable for drinking. Lead, arsenic, and manganese were mainly sourced from landfill leachate; cadmium from landfill leachate and agricultural wastes; mercury from the discharge of leachate associated with mining activities and agricultural wastes; and chromium primarily from industrial wastes. According to the irrigation water quality indicators, the groundwater in the PRD can be used for irrigation in most farmland without strong negative impacts. However, approximately 9 million people in the Guangdong Province are at risk due to the consumption of untreated water. Therefore, we suggest that treating the groundwater to achieve safer levels is necessary.

Speciated OVOC and VOC emission inventories and their implications for reactivity-based ozone control strategy in the Pearl River Delta region, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Ou, Jiamin; Zheng, Junyu; Li, Rongrong; Huang, Xiaobo; Zhong, Zhuangmin; Zhong, Liuju; Lin, Hui

2015-10-15

The increasing ground-ozone (O3) levels, accompanied by decreasing SO2, NO2, PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations benefited from air pollution control measures implemented in recent years, initiated a serious challenge to control Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emissions in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, China. Speciated VOC emission inventory is fundamental for estimating Ozone Formation Potentials (OFPs) to identify key reactive VOC species and sources in order to formulate efficient O3 control strategies. With the use of the latest bulk VOC emission inventory and local source profiles, this study developed the PRD regional speciated Oxygenated Volatile Organic Compound (OVOC) and VOC emission inventories to identify the key emission-based and OFP-based VOC sources and species. Results showed that: (1) Methyl alcohol, acetone and ethyl acetate were the major constituents in the OVOC emissions from industrial solvents, household solvents, architectural paints and biogenic sources; (2) from the emission-based perspective, aromatics, alkanes, OVOCs and alkenes made up 39.2%, 28.2%, 15.9% and 10.9% of anthropogenic VOCs; (3) from the OFP-based perspective, aromatics and alkenes become predominant with contributions of 59.4% and 25.8% respectively; (4) ethene, m/p-xylene, toluene, 1,2,4-trimethyl benzene and other 24 high OFP-contributing species were the key reactive species that contributed to 52% of anthropogenic emissions and up to 80% of OFPs; and (5) industrial solvents, industrial process, gasoline vehicles and motorcycles were major emission sources of these key reactive species. Policy implications for O3 control strategy were discussed. The OFP cap was proposed to regulate VOC control policies in the PRD region due to its flexibility in reducing the overall OFP of VOC emission sources in practice. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparing the urbanization and global warming impacts on extreme rainfall characteristics in Southern China Pearl River Delta megacity based on dynamical downscaling

Science.gov (United States)

Fung, K. Y.; Tam, C. Y.; Wang, Z.

2017-12-01

It is well known that urban land use can significantly influence the local temperature, precipitation and meteorology through altering land-atmosphere exchange of momentum, moisture and heat in urban areas. In recent decades, there has been a substantial increase ( 5-10%) on the intensity of extreme rainfall over Southeast China; it is projected to increase further according to the latest IPCC reports. In this study, we assess how urbanization and global warming together might impact on heavy precipitation characteristics over the highly urbanized Pearl River Delta (PRD) megacity, located in southern China. This is done by dynamically downscaling GFDL-ESM2M simulations for the present and future (RCP8.5) climate scenarios, using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model coupled with a single-layer urban canopy model (UCM). Over the PRD area, the WRF model is integrated at a resolution of 2km x 2km. To focus on extreme events, episodes covering daily rainfall intensity above the 99th percentile in Southeast China in the GFDL-ESM2M daily precipitation datasets were first identified. These extreme episodes were then dynamically downscaled in two parallel experiments with the following model designs: one with anthropogenic heat flux (AH) = 0 Wm-2 and the other with peak AH = 300 Wm-2 in the AH diurnal cycle over the urban domain. Results show that, with AH in urban area, the urban 2m-temperature can rise by about 2oC. This in turn leads to an increase of the mean as well as the extreme rain rates by 10-15% in urban domain. The latter is comparable to the impact of global warming alone, according to downscaling experiments for the RCP8.5 scenario. Implications of our results on urban effects on extreme rainfall under a warming background climate will be discussed.

Combining unmalted barley and pearling gives good quality brewing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Donkelaar, van Laura H.G.; Hageman, Jos A.; Oguz, Serhat; Noordman, Tom R.; Boom, Remko M.; Goot, van der Atze Jan

2016-01-01

Brewing with unmalted barley can reduce the use of raw materials, thereby increasing the efficiency of the brewing process. However, unmalted barley contains several undesired components for brewing and has a low enzymatic activity. Pearling, an abrasive milling method, has been proposed as a

Effect of malting conditions on pearl millet malt quality

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Pelembe, LAM

2002-01-01

Full Text Available The effect of malting conditions on pearl millet malt quality in two varieties, SDMV 89004 and SDMV 91018, was investigated. Grain was steeped and germinated at four temperatures, 20degrees, 25degrees, 30degrees and 35degreesC, over 5 days...

U.S. Department of Defense - Pearl Harbor Special

Science.gov (United States)

Hawaii saw that seminal moment in history, and those that were there vividly remember that Sunday morning this noise," he said in an oral history on the Pearl Harbor Survivors' Association Web site. " seeing was an attack. "It didn't mean anything to us until a large group of planes came near the

The Revealed Competitiveness of Major Ports in the East Asian Region: An Additive Market Share Analysis

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Tae Seung Kim

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In the single cargo market, the ordinary market share analysis method has been the representative tool for revealed competitiveness analysis. This paper develops and employs an applied market share index called the additive market share (AMS. Data are collected from 15 major container ports for the 1998-2013 period. In comparison to the results of an ordinary market share analysis, the highest AMS is observed for the Bohai Rim port cluster from 2008, not for the Yangtze River cluster or the Pearl River cluster. There are substitutable relationships between Yangtze River and non-Chinese ports and between Pearl River and Bohai Rim ports from 2001. Finally, there is an internal competition at Pearl River and Yangtze River ports, whereas Bohai Rim and non-Chinese ports show internally complementary relationships.

DefenseLink Special: Attack on Pearl Harbor, 65th Anniversary

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Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor has been called a defining moment in U.S. history. It caught the country by Hawaii-based combat planes, were heavily damaged. By crippling the U.S. Pacific Fleet, Japan hoped to

Uptake, translocation, distribution and persistence of 14C-metalaxyl in pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum [L.] Leeke)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, U.S.; Tripathi, R.K.; Kumar, J.; Dwivedi, T.S.

1986-01-01

Time course absorption and desorption of metalaxyl by seeds of pearl millet was analysed by following chemical kinetics equations. Uptake of metalaxyl through roots, leaves and seed, its translocation and distribution in different plant parts and persistence following seed application were studied in pearl millet using 14 C-metalaxyl. Both uptake and efflux of metalaxyl by pearl millet seeds were complex and compartmentalized. Distribution inside the seed was not uniform. A major part of applied fungicide remained within the treated plant part, particularly after seed and foliar applications. Metalaxyl was ambimobile inside the plant and was found to get accumulated at apex and margins of leaf blade. No metalaxyl could be detected in grains harvested from plants grown from metalaxyl treated seeds. (orig.) [de

Pearling Instabilities of a Viscoelastic Thread

Science.gov (United States)

Deblais, A.; Velikov, K. P.; Bonn, D.

2018-05-01

Pearling instabilities of slender viscoelastic threads have received much attention, but remain incompletely understood. We study the instabilities in polymer solutions subject to uniaxial elongational flow. Two distinctly different instabilites are observed: beads on a string and blistering. The beads-on-a-string structure arises from a capillary instability whereas the blistering instability has a different origin: it is due to a coupling between stress and polymer concentration. By varying the temperature to change the solution properties we elucidate the interplay between flow and phase separation.

Optimization of the formulation and technology of pearl millet based 'ready-to-reconstitute' kheer mix powder.

Science.gov (United States)

Bunkar, Durga Shankar; Jha, Alok; Mahajan, Ankur

2014-10-01

The objective of this study was to optimize the process of manufacturing instant kheer mix based on pearl millet instead of rice. Dairy whitener, pearl millet and powdered sugar were the responses studied by employing the 3-factor Central Composite Rotatable Design. The formulation with 15 g sugar, 30 g dairy whitener and 20 g pearl millet was found suitable for obtaining dry kheer mix. The analyses were based on scores of consistency, cohesiveness, viscosity and overall acceptability. The reconstituted product from the formulated kheer mix had an overall acceptability score of 7.66 and desirability index of 0.7663. The moisture, fat, protein, carbohydrate and ash contents of the dry mix product were 2.8, 4.38, 5.84, 85.88 and 1.1 %, respectively.

Genetic diversity analysis of pearl millet ( Pennisetum glauccum [L ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

between genotype PT 2835/1 and PT 5552 and lowest similarity index was observed between PT 5554 and PT 2835/1. Analysis of RAPD data appears to be helpful in determining the genetic relationship among 20 pearl millet genotypes. The associations among the 20 genotypes were also examined with Principle ...

Pearl millet utilization in ccommercial laying hen diets formulated on a total or digestible amino acid basis

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RS Filardi

2005-06-01

Full Text Available An experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of replacing corn with pearl millet in commercial layer diets, formulated according to the minimal requirements for total and digestible amino acids. Two hundred and forty Lohmann LSL laying hens with 25 weeks of age were distributed in a completely randomized experimental design according to a 2 x 5 factorial arrangement with 3 replicates of 8 birds. Feed was formulated on two amino acid basis (total or digestible according to Rostagno et al. (2000 and there were five pearl millet inclusion levels (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%. Performance and egg quality were evaluated during five periods of 21 days.At the end of each period, feed intake, egg production, egg weight and feed conversion were evaluated. In the last three days of each period, the following egg quality parameters were evaluated: Haugh Unit, yolk pigmentation index, egg specific weight, shell percentage and shell thickness. Digestible amino acid requirements resulted in decreased feed intake (p<0.01 and increased production costs per mass of eggs (kg or per dozen eggs (p<0.01 compared to total amino acid requirements. There was a linear reduction in feed intake, egg production, egg weight and yolk pigmentation index with increasing inclusion levels of pearl millet. Therefore, increasing levels of replacement of corn by pearl millet affected bird performance negatively. Besides, production costs were higher with increasing pearl millet levels.

Defense Infrastructure: General and Flag Officer Quarters at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

2002-01-01

.... We reviewed 17 GFOQs at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, with budgeted maintenance and repair costs of $1,247,300, to determine whether the Navy had properly classified interior shutter costs as maintenance and repair...

Lifting the curse: Pearl Jam’s "Alive" and "Bushleaguer" and the marketplace of meanings

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Kristine Weglarz

2011-09-01

Full Text Available In tracing how Pearl Jam consciously and unconsciously create their fans by their actions, I argue that work and fandom of the band are synonymous for fans who wish to become producers in a metaphorical marketplace of fandom. I use theories of fandom to examine and explain two important (and related phenomena: first, the relationship between fans and musicians and the creation, adoption, and promotion of a sphere in which fans themselves can becomes producers as well as consumers; and second, the backlash of fans against musicians endorsing a particular political orientation through their compositions and performances. In particular, I focus on that group of Pearl Jam fans who took issue with the band's public disapproval of George W. Bush during their 2003 tour, but whose opposition to the band's position cannot be explained by ideological differences or a belief that music and politics are spheres that should not overlap. Instead, these fans oppose a shift they perceive in the band's attitude toward a democratic exchange of meanings, an important way for Pearl Jam fans to become producers rather than just consumers. As a result, the backlash from these fans, while sparked by Pearl Jam's anti-Bush live performance of "Bushleaguer," is due more to a disjunction between the band's long-term endorsement of democratic and participatory politics and what the fans saw a shift toward counterdemocratic prescriptive politics.

Acidic gases, ammonia and water-soluble ions in PM 2.5 at a coastal site in the Pearl River Delta, China

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Min; Wu, Zhijun; Slanina, J.; Lin, Peng; Liu, Shang; Zeng, Limin

Real-time measurements of acidic trace gases (HCl, HNO 3, HONO, and SO 2), ammonia, and water-soluble ions in PM 2.5 were conducted at Xinken, a coastal site downwind of Guangzhou, from 4 October to 4 November 2004, as part of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) intensive field campaign. The average concentrations of HCl, HONO, HNO 3, SO 2, and NH 3 are 2.8, 2.9, 6.3, 55.4, and 7.3 μg m -3, respectively, and 2.4, 7.2, 24.1, and 9.2 μg m -3 for Cl -, NO 3-, SO 42-, and NH 4+ in PM 2.5. The diurnal variations of both HCl and HNO 3 showed higher concentrations during daytime and lower concentrations at night, and aerosol Cl - and NO 3- showed an opposite diurnal patterns to HCl and HNO 3. The diurnal variation of NH 3 showed the similar pattern to that of aerosol NH 4+ with lower concentration during daytime and higher concentration at night. The average concentration of SO 2 during daytime was higher than that at night. The transportation of urban plumes to the sampling site could explain the higher concentration of SO 2 during daytime. HONO showed a clear diurnal variation with lower concentration during daytime and higher concentration at night. The HONO concentrations were positively correlated with the particle surface area concentrations, suggesting the formation of HONO through the heterogeneous conversion on particle surfaces could be significant. The ionic charge balance analysis included the cations derived from filter measurements indicates that the contribution of the cations in fine particle (PM 1.8) to the charge balance is not pronounced. The theoretical equilibrium constant ( Ke) of NH 4NO 3 is higher than the observed concentration product ( Km=[NH 3]×[HNO 3]) during daytime, and lower than Km at night. This indicates that the atmospheric conditions during the sampling period did not favor the formation of NH 4NO 3 during daytime.

Analysis of Dynamic Spatiotemporal Changes in Actual Evapotranspiration and Its Associated Factors in the Pearl River Basin Based on MOD16

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Tao Zhang

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Evapotranspiration is an important part of the hydrological cycle, surface energy balance and global climate system. Due to spatial heterogeneity, the trends in actual evapotranspiration (ET and its associated factors vary in different regions. Because direct measurements of ET are limited over large areas, remote sensing provides an efficient method of ET spatial analysis, and standard data products are available at the global scale. This study uses the monthly MOD16 ET dataset and daily meteorological data to analyze the dynamic spatiotemporal changes in ET and its associated factors in the Pearl River Basin (PRB from 2000 to 2014. The results of the study are as follows. (1 Over time and space, annual ET exhibited a slight increasing trend from 2000 to 2014, with an average value of approximately 946.56 mm/a. ET considerably varied at the monthly and seasonal scales, and in July displayed the highest monthly ET of approximately 119.57 mm, accounting for 36.37% of the annual ET. (2 ET displayed obvious spatial heterogeneity. Specifically, the west was a low-ET region, and moderate and high ET values were interspersed in the central and eastern PRB. Moreover, the rate of change of ET ranged from −13.99 mm/a to 12.81 mm/a in space, and 46.25% of the basin exhibited an increasing trend. (3 Dynamic changes in ET were mainly associated with temperature and relative humidity (RH. Additionally, energy-related elements and wind speed were positively correlated with ET, and temperature was the most influential factor of ET in some months (February–March and September–November. RH was the most important factor in other months but negatively correlated with ET in June and July. Affected by the actual environmental condition, qualitative changes were observed in the correlation between RH and ET in different months. The positive and negative spatial correlations between ET and its associated factors changed in different regions and in different

Mapping ground water vulnerability to pesticide leaching with a process-based metamodel of EuroPEARL.

Science.gov (United States)

Tiktak, A; Boesten, J J T I; van der Linden, A M A; Vanclooster, M

2006-01-01

To support EU policy, indicators of pesticide leaching at the European level are required. For this reason, a metamodel of the spatially distributed European pesticide leaching model EuroPEARL was developed. EuroPEARL considers transient flow and solute transport and assumes Freundlich adsorption, first-order degradation and passive plant uptake of pesticides. Physical parameters are depth dependent while (bio)-chemical parameters are depth, temperature, and moisture dependent. The metamodel is based on an analytical expression that describes the mass fraction of pesticide leached. The metamodel ignores vertical parameter variations and assumes steady flow. The calibration dataset was generated with EuroPEARL and consisted of approximately 60,000 simulations done for 56 pesticides with different half-lives and partitioning coefficients. The target variable was the 80th percentile of the annual average leaching concentration at 1-m depth from a time series of 20 yr. The metamodel explains over 90% of the variation of the original model with only four independent spatial attributes. These parameters are available in European soil and climate databases, so that the calibrated metamodel could be applied to generate maps of the predicted leaching concentration in the European Union. Maps generated with the metamodel showed a good similarity with the maps obtained with EuroPEARL, which was confirmed by means of quantitative performance indicators.

Mutation breeding of pearl millet and sorghum

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hanna, W W [United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, University of Georgia, College of Agricultural Experiment Stations, Coastal Plain Station, Agronomy Department, Tifton, GA (United States)

1982-07-01

Pearl millet and sorghum are important food and feed crops grown mostly in semi-arid regions of the world. Although there exists a large amount of genetic variability in both species, it does not always satisfy the needs of plant breeders in improving varieties with regard to yield, quality, resistance or environmental adaptation. Plant breeders interested in using induced mutations for variety improvement will find in this review information about the techniques used by others. (author)

Mutation breeding of pearl millet and sorghum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanna, W.W.

1982-01-01

Pearl millet and sorghum are important food and feed crops grown mostly in semi-arid regions of the world. Although there exists a large amount of genetic variability in both species, it does not always satisfy the needs of plant breeders in improving varieties with regard to yield, quality, resistance or environmental adaptation. Plant breeders interested in using induced mutations for variety improvement will find in this review information about the techniques used by others. (author)

The Effect of Socio-Economic Factors on Pearl Millet ( Pennisetum ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study investigated farmers' socio-economic factor affecting pearl millet production in randomly selected villages in Magumeri Local Government Area of Borno State. A total of 80 farmers were selected through stratified random sampling and were administered with questionnaires. The results revealed that educational ...

Time-Series Analysis of Remotely-Sensed SeaWiFS Chlorophyll in River-Influenced Coastal Regions

Science.gov (United States)

Acker, James G.; McMahon, Erin; Shen, Suhung; Hearty, Thomas; Casey, Nancy

2009-01-01

The availability of a nearly-continuous record of remotely-sensed chlorophyll a data (chl a) from the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) mission, now longer than ten years, enables examination of time-series trends for multiple global locations. Innovative data analysis technology available on the World Wide Web facilitates such analyses. In coastal regions influenced by river outflows, chl a is not always indicative of actual trends in phytoplankton chlorophyll due to the interference of colored dissolved organic matter and suspended sediments; significant chl a timeseries trends for coastal regions influenced by river outflows may nonetheless be indicative of important alterations of the hydrologic and coastal environment. Chl a time-series analysis of nine marine regions influenced by river outflows demonstrates the simplicity and usefulness of this technique. The analyses indicate that coastal time-series are significantly influenced by unusual flood events. Major river systems in regions with relatively low human impact did not exhibit significant trends. Most river systems with demonstrated human impact exhibited significant negative trends, with the noteworthy exception of the Pearl River in China, which has a positive trend.

Making Space for Red Tide: Discolored Water and the Early Twentieth Century Bayscape of Japanese Pearl Cultivation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ericson, Kjell

2017-05-01

"Red tide" has become a familiar shorthand for unusual changes in the color of ocean waters. It is intimately related both to blooms of creatures like dinoflagellates and to the devastating effects they pose to coastal fisheries. This essay tracks the early twentieth century emergence of discolored water as an aquacultural problem, known in Japan as akashio, and its trans-oceanic transformation into the terms and practices of "red tide" in the post-World War II United States. For Japan's "Pearl King" Mikimoto Kōkichi and his contacts in diverse marine scientific communities, the years-long cycle of guarding and cultivating a pearl oyster went together with the ascription of moral qualities to tiny creatures that posed a threat to farmed bayscapes of pearl monoculture. As akashio, discolored water went from curiosity to marine livestock pest, one that at times left dead pearl oysters in its wake. Red tide arose from the sustained study of the mechanisms by which changes in the biological and chemical composition of seawater might become deadly to exclusively-claimed shellfish along Japanese coastlines, but came to be seen as a way to understand aquatic manifestations of harm in other parts of the littoral world.

75 FR 66728 - Action Affecting Export Privileges; Orion Air, S.L. and Syrian Pearl Airlines: Orion Air, S.L...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-29

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Bureau of Industry and Security Action Affecting Export Privileges; Orion Air, S.L. and Syrian Pearl Airlines: Orion Air, S.L., Canada Real de Merinas, 7 Edificio 5, 3'A... Denying the Export Privileges of Respondents Orion Air, S.L. (``Orion Air'') and Syrian Pearl Airlines...

Cereal domestication and evolution of branching: evidence for soft selection in the Tb1 orthologue of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum [L.] R. Br..

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marie-Stanislas Remigereau

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: During the Neolithic revolution, early farmers altered plant development to domesticate crops. Similar traits were often selected independently in different wild species; yet the genetic basis of this parallel phenotypic evolution remains elusive. Plant architecture ranks among these target traits composing the domestication syndrome. We focused on the reduction of branching which occurred in several cereals, an adaptation known to rely on the major gene Teosinte-branched1 (Tb1 in maize. We investigate the role of the Tb1 orthologue (Pgtb1 in the domestication of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum, an African outcrossing cereal. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Gene cloning, expression profiling, QTL mapping and molecular evolution analysis were combined in a comparative approach between pearl millet and maize. Our results in pearl millet support a role for PgTb1 in domestication despite important differences in the genetic basis of branching adaptation in that species compared to maize (e.g. weaker effects of PgTb1. Genetic maps suggest this pattern to be consistent in other cereals with reduced branching (e.g. sorghum, foxtail millet. Moreover, although the adaptive sites underlying domestication were not formerly identified, signatures of selection pointed to putative regulatory regions upstream of both Tb1 orthologues in maize and pearl millet. However, the signature of human selection in the pearl millet Tb1 is much weaker in pearl millet than in maize. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results suggest that some level of parallel evolution involved at least regions directly upstream of Tb1 for the domestication of pearl millet and maize. This was unanticipated given the multigenic basis of domestication traits and the divergence of wild progenitor species for over 30 million years prior to human selection. We also hypothesized that regular introgression of domestic pearl millet phenotypes by genes from the wild gene pool could explain

Rheological properties of reduced fat ice cream mix containing octenyl succinylated pearl millet starch.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Monika; Singh, Ashish K; Yadav, Deep N

2017-05-01

The octenyl succinyl anhydride (OSA) esterified pearl millet ( Pennisetum typhoides ) starch was evaluated as fat replacer in soft serve ice cream in comparison to other fat replacers viz. inulin, whey protein concentrate-70 and commercial starch. During temperature sweep test, the yield stress and flow behaviour index of un-pasteurized ice cream mixes increased as the temperature increased from 40 to 80 °C, while the consistency index decreased. Consistency index of aged ice cream mixes containing 2% fat replacer was higher as compared to mixes with 1% level. The aged ice cream mixes exhibited non-Newtonian behaviour as flow behaviour index values were less than one. Apparent viscosity (at 50 s -1 shear rate) of control as well as ice cream mix containing 1% OSA-esterified pearl millet starch samples was 417 and 415 mPas, respectively and did not differ significantly. The overrun of the ice cream (with 5 and 7.5% fat) containing 1 and 2% of above fat replacers ranged between 29.7 and 34.3% and was significantly lower than control (40.3%). The percent melted ice cream was also low for the ice creams containing 2% of above fat replacers at 5% fat content as compared to control. However, sensory acceptability and rheological characteristics of reduced fat ice creams containing 1.0 and 2.0% OSA-esterified pearl millet starch were at par with other fat replacers under the study. Thus, OSA-esterified pearl millet starch has potential to be used as fat replacer in reduced fat ice cream.

Petrographic and geochemical study on cave pearls from Kanaan Cave (Lebanon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nader Fadi H.

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The Kanaan cave is situated at the coastal zone, north of Beirut City (capital of Lebanon. The cave is located within the upper part of the Jurassic Kesrouane Formation (Liassic to Oxfordian which consists mainly of micritic limestone. Twenty seven cave pearls were subjected to petrographic (conventional and scanning electron microscopy and geochemical analyses (major/trace elements and stable isotopes. The cave pearls were found in an agitated splash-pool with low mud content. They are believed to have formed through chemical precipitation of calcite in water over-saturated with calcium. The nucleus and micritic laminae show δ18OV-PDB values of about -5.0‰ and δ13C V-PDB values of -11.8‰, while the surrounding calcite spar laminae resulted in δ18OV-PDB ranging between -5.3 and -5.2‰, and δ13C V-PDB between -12.3 and -12.1‰. A genesis/diagenesis model for these speleothems is proposed involving recrystallization which has selectively affected the inner layers of the cave pearls. This is chiefly invoked by sparry calcite crystals ‘invading’ the inner micrite cortical laminae and the nuclei (cross-cutting the pre-existing mud-envelopes, and the slight depletion in δ18O values from inner to outer cortical layers. The calculated δ18OV-SMOW of the water (-4.2‰ matches with data on meteoric water signature for the central eastern Mediterranean region.

Super-light and pearl-chain technology for support of ancient structures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hertz, Kristian Dahl; Schmidt, Jacob Wittrup; Goltermann, Per

2014-01-01

optimal and often curved paths of strong concrete assembled from smaller segments by prestressing wires, so that expensive curved moulds and supports can be avoided. Pearl-chains can provide a resistance to impact and earthquake of ancient structures. High-strength concrete and prestressed carbon fibre......The patented super-light technology is inspired by ancient Roman concrete structures with strong concrete placed, where the engineer would like the forces to be, and light concrete fills out the shape stabilizing the strong and protecting it. Pearl-chain technology is invented in order to create...... reinforcement may be applied, because the new technology solves the main problems for that, since the light aggregate concrete provides a fire protection needed for both materials and provides a stabilization of the slender cores in compression. The paper explains more about the new technology...

Pearls of mandibular trauma management.

Science.gov (United States)

Koshy, John C; Feldman, Evan M; Chike-Obi, Chuma J; Bullocks, Jamal M

2010-11-01

Mandibular trauma is a common problem seen by plastic surgeons. When fractures occur, they have the ability to affect the patient's occlusion significantly, cause infection, and lead to considerable pain. Interventions to prevent these sequelae require either closed or open forms of reduction and fixation. Physicians determining how to manage these injuries should take into consideration the nature of the injury, background information regarding the patient's health, and the patient's comorbidities. Whereas general principles guide the management of the majority of injuries, special consideration must be paid to the edentulous patient, complex and comminuted fractures, and pediatric patients. These topics are discussed in this article, with a special emphasis on pearls of mandibular trauma management.

Inclusion of brown midrib dwarf pearl millet silage in the diet of lactating dairy cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Harper, M T; Melgar, A; Oh, J; Nedelkov, K; Sanchez, G; Roth, G W; Hristov, A N

2018-06-01

Brown midrib brachytic dwarf pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) forage harvested at the flag leaf visible stage and subsequently ensiled was investigated as a partial replacement of corn silage in the diet of high-producing dairy cows. Seventeen lactating Holstein cows were fed 2 diets in a crossover design experiment with 2 periods of 28 d each. Both diets had forage:concentrate ratios of 60:40. The control diet (CSD) was based on corn silage and alfalfa haylage, and in the treatment diet, 20% of the corn silage dry matter (corresponding to 10% of the dietary dry matter) was replaced with pearl millet silage (PMD). The effects of partial substitution of corn silage with pearl millet silage on dry matter intake, milk yield, milk components, fatty acid profile, apparent total-tract digestibility of nutrients, N utilization, and enteric methane emissions were analyzed. The pearl millet silage was higher in crude protein and neutral detergent fiber and lower in lignin and starch than the corn silage. Diet did not affect dry matter intake or energy-corrected milk yield, which averaged 46.7 ± 1.92 kg/d. The PMD treatment tended to increase milk fat concentration, had no effect on milk fat yield, and increased milk urea N. Concentrations and yields of milk protein and lactose were not affected by diet. Apparent total-tract digestibility of dry matter decreased from 66.5% in CSD to 64.5% in PMD. Similarly, organic matter and crude protein digestibility was decreased by PMD, whereas neutral- and acid-detergent fiber digestibility was increased. Total milk trans fatty acid concentration was decreased by PMD, with a particular decrease in trans-10 18:1. Urinary urea and fecal N excretion increased with PMD compared with CSD. Milk N efficiency decreased with PMD. Carbon dioxide emission was not different between the diets, but PMD increased enteric methane emission from 396 to 454 g/d and increased methane yield and intensity. Substituting corn silage with brown midrib dwarf

Meiosis in elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum), pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) (Poaceae, Poales) and their interspecific hybrids

OpenAIRE

Techio, Vânia Helena; Davide, Lisete Chamma; Pereira, Antônio Vander

2006-01-01

The cultivated and sexually compatible species Pennisetum purpureum (elephant grass, 2n = 4x = 28) and Pennisetum glaucum (pearl millet, 2n = 2x = 14) can undergo hybridization which favors the amplification of their genetic background and the introgression of favorable alleles into breeding programs. The main problem with interspecific hybrids of these species is infertility due to triploidy (2n = 3x = 21). This study describes meiosis in elephant grass x pearl millet hybrids and their proge...

In vitro transformation of pearl millet ( Pennisetum glaucum (L). R ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The plasmids pULGU1 and pEmuGN were introduced by biolistics in embryogenic cell suspensions of pearl millet, Pennisetum glaucum. The plasmid pULGU1 contained the mutant acetolactate synthase (ALS) gene of Arabidopsis thaliana, responsible for resistance to the chlorsulfuron herbicide. The plasmid pEmuGN ...

Mixing state of oxalic acid containing particles in the rural area of Pearl River Delta, China: implications for the formation mechanism of oxalic acid

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C. Cheng

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The formation of oxalic acid and its mixing state in atmospheric particulate matter (PM were studied using a single-particle aerosol mass spectrometer (SPAMS in the summer and winter of 2014 in Heshan, a supersite in the rural area of the Pearl River Delta (PRD region in China. Oxalic-acid-containing particles accounted for 2.5 and 2.7 % in total detected ambient particles in summer and winter, respectively. Oxalic acid was measured in particles classified as elemental carbon (EC, organic carbon (OC, elemental and organic carbon (ECOC, biomass burning (BB, heavy metal (HM, secondary (Sec, sodium-potassium (NaK, and dust. Oxalic acid was found predominantly mixing with sulfate and nitrate during the whole sampling period, likely due to aqueous-phase reactions. In summer, oxalic-acid-containing particle number and ozone concentration followed a very similar trend, which may reflect the significant contribution of photochemical reactions to oxalic acid formation. The HM particles were the most abundant oxalic acid particles in summer and the diurnal variations in peak area of iron and oxalic acid show opposite trends, which suggests a possible loss of oxalic acid through the photolysis of iron oxalato-complexes during the strong photochemical activity period. In wintertime, carbonaceous particles contained a substantial amount of oxalic acid as well as abundant carbon clusters and BB markers. The general existence of nitric acid in oxalic-acid-containing particles indicates an acidic environment during the formation process of oxalic acid. The peak areas of nitrate, sulfate and oxalic had similar temporal change in the carbonaceous type oxalic acid particles, and the organosulfate-containing oxalic acid particles correlated well with total oxalic acid particles during the haze episode, which suggests that the formation of oxalic acid is closely associated with the oxidation of organic precursors in the aqueous phase.

High-resolution sampling and analysis of ambient particulate matter in the Pearl River Delta region of southern China: source apportionment and health risk implications

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Shengzhen; Davy, Perry K.; Huang, Minjuan; Duan, Jingbo; Wang, Xuemei; Fan, Qi; Chang, Ming; Liu, Yiming; Chen, Weihua; Xie, Shanju; Ancelet, Travis; Trompetter, William J.

2018-02-01

Hazardous air pollutants, such as trace elements in particulate matter (PM), are known or highly suspected to cause detrimental effects on human health. To understand the sources and associated risks of PM to human health, hourly time-integrated major trace elements in size-segregated coarse (PM2.5-10) and fine (PM2.5) particulate matter were collected at the industrial city of Foshan in the Pearl River Delta region, China. Receptor modeling of the data set by positive matrix factorization (PMF) was used to identify six sources contributing to PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations at the site. Dominant sources included industrial coal combustion, secondary inorganic aerosol, motor vehicles and construction dust along with two intermittent sources (biomass combustion and marine aerosol). The biomass combustion source was found to be a significant contributor to peak PM2.5 episodes along with motor vehicles and industrial coal combustion. Conditional probability function (CPF) analysis was applied to estimate the source locations using the PMF-resolved source contribution coupled with the surface wind direction data. Health exposure risk of hazardous trace elements (Pb, As, Si, Cr, Mn and Ni) and source-specific values were estimated. The total hazard quotient (HQ) of PM2.5 was 2.09, higher than the acceptable limit (HQ = 1). The total carcinogenic risk (CR) was 3.37 × 10-3 for PM2.5, which was 3 times higher than the least stringent limit (1.0 × 10-4). Among the selected trace elements, As and Pb posed the highest non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks to human health, respectively. In addition, our results show that the industrial coal combustion source is the dominant non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk contributor, highlighting the need for stringent control of this source. This study provides new insight for policy makers to prioritize sources in air quality management and health risk reduction.

Aerosol chemistry and the effect of aerosol water content on visibility impairment and radiative forcing in Guangzhou during the 2006 Pearl River Delta campaign.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Jinsang; Lee, Hanlim; Kim, Young J; Liu, Xingang; Zhang, Yuanhang; Gu, Jianwei; Fan, Shaojia

2009-08-01

Optical and chemical aerosol measurements were obtained from 2 to 31 July 2006 at an urban site in the metropolitan area of Guangzhou (China) as part of the Program of Regional Integrated Experiment of Air Quality over Pearl River Delta (PRIDE-PRD2006) to investigate aerosol chemistry and the effect of aerosol water content on visibility impairment and radiative forcing. During the PRIDE-PRD2006 campaign, the average contributions of ammonium sulfate, organic mass by carbon (OMC), elemental carbon (EC), and sea salt (SS) to total PM(2.5) mass were measured to be 36.5%, 5.7%, 27.1%, 7.8%, and 3.7%, respectively. Compared with the clean marine period, (NH(4))(2)SO(4), NH(4)NO(3), and OMC were all greatly enhanced (by up to 430%) during local haze periods via the accumulation of a secondary aerosol component. The OMC dominance increased when high levels of biomass burning influenced the measurement site while (NH(4))(2)SO(4) and OMC did when both biomass burning and industrial emissions influenced it. The effect of aerosol water content on the total light-extinction coefficient was estimated to be 34.2%, of which 25.8% was due to aerosol water in (NH(4))(2)SO(4), 5.1% that in NH(4)NO(3), and 3.3% that in SS. The average mass-scattering efficiency (MSE) of PM(10) particles was determined to be 2.2+/-0.6 and 4.6+/-1.7m(2)g(-1) under dry (RHwater content, but MSE and SSA are also highly sensitive. It can be concluded that sulfate and carbonaceous aerosol, as well as aerosol water content, play important roles in the processes that determine visibility impairment and radiative forcing in the ambient atmosphere of the Guangzhou urban area.

Assessing the effects of urbanization on the environment with soil legacy and current-use insecticides: a case study in the Pearl River Delta, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Yan-Li; Bao, Lian-Jun; Wu, Chen-Chou; He, Zai-Cheng; Zeng, Eddy Y

2015-05-01

To evaluate the impacts of anthropogenic events on the rapid urbanized environment, the levels of legacy organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and current-use insecticides (CUPs), i.e., dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (DDTs), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), pyrethroids and organophosphates in soil of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) and surrounding areas were examined. Spatial concentration distributions of legacy OCPs and CUPs shared similar patterns, with higher concentrations occurred in the central PRD with more urbanization level than that in the PRD's surrounding areas. Furthermore, relatively higher concentrations of OCPs and CUPs were found in the residency land than in other land-use types, which may be attributed to land-use change under rapid urbanization. Moderate correlations between gross domestic production or population density and insecticide levels in fifteen administrative districts indicated that insecticide spatial distributions may be driven by economic prosperity. The soil-air diffusive exchanges of DDTs and HCHs demonstrated that soil was a sink of atmospheric o,p'-DDE, o,p'-DDD, p,p'-DDD and o,p'-DDT, and was a secondary source of HCHs and p,p'-DDT to atmosphere. The soil inventories of DDTs and HCHs (100 ± 134 and 83 ± 70 tons) were expected to decrease to half of their current values after 18 and 13 years, respectively, whereas the amounts of pyrethroids and organophosphates (39 and 6.2 tons) in soil were estimated to decrease after 4 and 2 years and then increase to 87 and 1.0 tons after 100 years. In this scenario, local residents in the PRD and surrounding areas will expose to the high health risk for pyrethroids by 2109. Strict ban on the use of technical DDTs and HCHs and proper training of famers to use insecticides may be the most effective ways to alleviate the health effect of soil contamination. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Perfect-use and typical-use Pearl Index of a contraceptive mobile app.

Science.gov (United States)

Berglund Scherwitzl, E; Lundberg, O; Kopp Kallner, H; Gemzell Danielsson, K; Trussell, J; Scherwitzl, R

2017-12-01

The Natural Cycles application is a fertility awareness-based contraceptive method that uses dates of menstruation and basal body temperature to inform couples whether protected intercourse is needed to prevent pregnancies. Our purpose with this study is to investigate the contraceptive efficacy of the mobile application by evaluating the perfect- and typical-use Pearl Index. In this prospective observational study, 22,785 users of the application logged a total of 18,548 woman-years of data into the application. We used these data to calculate typical- and perfect-use Pearl Indexes, as well as 13-cycle pregnancy rates using life-table analysis. We found a typical-use Pearl Index of 6.9 pregnancies per 100 woman-years [95% confidence interval (CI): 6.5-7.2], corrected to 6.8 (95% CI: 6.4-7.2) when truncating users after 12months. We estimated a 13-cycle typical-use failure rate of 8.3% (95% CI: 7.8-8.9). We found that the perfect-use Pearl Index was 1.0 pregnancy per 100 woman-years (95% CI: 0.5-1.5). Finally, we estimated that the rate of pregnancies from cycles where the application erroneously flagged a fertile day as infertile was 0.5 (95% CI: 0.4-0.7) per 100 woman-years. We estimated a discontinuation rate over 12months of 54%. This study shows that the efficacy of a contraceptive mobile application is higher than usually reported for traditional fertility awareness-based methods. The application may contribute to reducing the unmet need for contraception. The measured typical- and perfect-use efficacies of the mobile application Natural Cycles are important parameters for women considering their contraceptive options as well as for the clinicians advising them. The large available data set in this paper allows for future studies on acceptability, for example, by studying the efficacy for different cohorts and geographic regions. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Oxidizable carbon and humic substances in rotation systems with brachiaria/livestock and pearl millet/no livestock in the Brazilian Cerrado

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A. Loss

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The crop-livestock integration system significantly increases the carbon content in chemical fractions of soil organic matter (SOM. This study aimed to evaluate chemical indicators of SOM attributes for sites under brachiaria/livestock and pearl millet/no livestock in Goias, Brazil. A third area covered with natural Cerrado vegetation (Cerradão served as reference. Soil was randomly sampled at 0-5, 5-10, 10-20 and 20-40 cm. Total organic carbon stocks (TOC, oxidizable carbon fractions (OCF (F1>F2>F3>F4, carbon content in the humin (C-HUM, humic acid (C-HAF and fulvic acid (C-FAF fractions were evaluated. F1/F4, F1+F2/F3+F4, C-HAF/C-FAF and (C-HAF+C-FAF/C-HUM indices were calculated, as well as stocks chemical SOM fractions. Brachiaria/livestock produced greater TOC stocks than pearl millet/no livestock (0-5, 5-10 and 10-20 cm. In terms of OCF, brachiaria/livestock generally exhibited higher levels in F1, F2, F4 and F1/F4 than pearl millet/no livestock. C-HUM (0-10 cm and C-HAF (0-20 cm stocks were larger in brachiaria/livestock than pearl millet/no livestock. Compared to the Cerradão, brachiaria/livestock locations displayed higher values for TOC (5-10 and 10-20 cm, C-HAF and C-HAF/C-FAF (5-10 cm stocks. TOC, C-HAF stock and OCF show that land management with brachiaria/livestock was more efficient in increasing SOM than pearl millet/no livestock. Moreover, when compared with pearl millet/no livestock, brachiaria/livestock provided a more balanced distribution of very labile (F1 and recalcitrant (F4 carbon throughout soil layers, greater SOM humification. Brachiaria/livestock leads to higher values of F1 and F4 in depth when compared to pearl millet/livestock and provides a more homogeneous distribution of C-FAF and C-HAF in depth compared to Cerradão.

Non-polar organic compounds as PM2.5 source tracers: Investigation of their sources and degradation in the Pearl River Delta, China

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Q.; Feng, Y.; Huang, X. H. H.; Griffith, S.; Zhang, T.; Zhang, Q.; Wu, D.; Yu, J.

2016-12-01

Nonpolar organic compounds (NPOCs) including alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), hopanes, steranes, and 1,3,5-triphenylbenzene, were quantified in PM2.5 samples at four sites in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, China over a two-year period from 2011 to 2012. The four sites include one industrial zone (Nanhai), one urban (Guangzhou), one urban outskirt (Dongguan) and one suburban (Nansha) locations. Some NPOCs are uniquely emitted from particular combustion sources, and thereby serving as convenient markers in source apportionment. Based on this multi-year and multi-site data set, spatial and seasonal variations, correlation analysis and ratio-ratio plots were used to investigate the source information and degradation of NPOC tracers. In summer, NPOCs showed distinct local emission characteristics, with urban sites having much higher concentrations than suburban site. In winter, regional transport was an important influence on NPOC levels, driving up concentrations at all sampling sites and diminishing an urban-suburban spatial gradient. The lighter NPOCs exhibited more prominent seasonal variations, suggesting their particle-phase abundance is more influenced by temperature, a critical factor in controlling the extent of semi-volatile organics partitioned into the aerosol phase. The heavier NPOCs, especially PAHs, showed negligible correlation among the four sites, suggesting more influence from local emissions. Ratio-ratio plots indicate photo-degradation and mixing of various sources for the NPOCs in the PRD. A positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis of this large NPOC data set suggests that heavier NPOCs are more suitable source indicators than lighter NPOCs. Incorporating particle-phase light NPOC concentrations in PMF produces a separate factor, which primarily contains those light NPOCs and likely is not a source factor. Total NPOC concentrations predicted using Pankow partitioning theory were explored as PMF inputs, however, the PMF

Isolation and culture of protoplasts of Côte d'Ivoire's pearl millet ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

SARAH

2015-08-31

. Journal of Biology and Chemical Science 8 (5):. 2222-2231. Timbo de Oliveira AL, Davide LC, Pereira Pinto JEB,. Pereira AV, 2010. Protoplast production from. Napier grass and Pearl millet triploid hybrids.Ciens.Agrotec.

Comparative analysis of the transcriptome in tissues secreting purple and white nacre in the pearl mussel Hyriopsis cumingii.

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Zhiyi Bai

Full Text Available The triangle sail mussel Hyriopsis cumingii (Lea is the most important mussel species used for commercial freshwater pearl production in China. Mussel color is an important indicator of pearl quality. To identify genes involved in the nacre coloring, we conducted RNA-seq and obtained 541,268 sequences (298 bp average size and 440,034 sequences (293 bp average size in secreting purple and white nacre libraries (P- and W-libraries, respectively. The 981,302 Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs were assembled into 47,812 contigs and 289,386 singletons. In BLASTP searches of the deduced protein, 22,495 were proteins with functional annotations. Thirty-three genes involved in pearl or shell formation were identified. Digital expression analysis identified a total of 358 differentially expressed genes, and 137 genes in the P-library and 221 genes in the W-library showed significantly higher expression. Furthermore, a set of SSR motifs and SNPs between the two samples was identified from the ESTs, which provided the markers for genetic linkage, QTL analysis and future breeding. These EST sequences provided valuable information to further understand the molecular mechanisms involved in the formation, color determination and evolution of the pearl or shell.

Effect of food processing of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) IKMP-5 on the level of phenolics, phytate, iron and zinc

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zanabria Eyzaguirre, R.; Nienaltowska, K.; Jong, de L.E.Q.; Hasenack, B.B.E.; Nout, M.J.R.

2006-01-01

Pearl millet is consumed as a staple food in semi-arid tropical regions. With a view to upgrading the micronutrient status of pearl millet-based foods, the effects of single operations and of porridge preparation scenarios on levels and in vitro solubility (IVS) of iron and zinc and mineral

Tracing the origin of the oxygen-consuming organic matter in the hypoxic zone in a large eutrophic estuary: the lower reach of the Pearl River Estuary, China

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Jianzhong; Dai, Minhan; He, Biyan; Wang, Lifang; Gan, Jianping; Guo, Xianghui; Zhao, Huade; Yu, Fengling

2017-09-01

We assess the relative contributions of different sources of organic matter, marine vs. terrestrial, to oxygen consumption in an emerging hypoxic zone in the lower Pearl River Estuary (PRE), a large eutrophic estuary located in Southern China. Our cruise, conducted in July 2014, consisted of two legs before and after the passing of Typhoon Rammasun, which completely de-stratified the water column. The stratification recovered rapidly, within 1 day after the typhoon. We observed algal blooms in the upper layer of the water column and hypoxia underneath in bottom water during both legs. Repeat sampling at the initial hypoxic station showed severe oxygen depletion down to 30 µmol kg-1 before the typhoon and a clear drawdown of dissolved oxygen after the typhoon. Based on a three endmember mixing model and the mass balance of dissolved inorganic carbon and its isotopic composition, the δ13C of organic carbon remineralized in the hypoxic zone was -23.2 ± 1.1 ‰. We estimated that 65 ± 16 % of the oxygen-consuming organic matter was derived from marine sources, and the rest (35 ± 16 %) was derived from the continent. In contrast to a recently studied hypoxic zone in the East China Sea off the Changjiang Estuary where marine organic matter dominated oxygen consumption, here terrestrial organic matter significantly contributed to the formation and maintenance of hypoxia. How varying amounts of these organic matter sources drive oxygen consumption has important implications for better understanding hypoxia and its mitigation in bottom waters.

Control of Polychaetes by Dipping Infected Pearl Oyster on Different Salinity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yani Hadiroseyani

2007-08-01

Full Text Available Dip treatment on pearl oysters (Pinctada maxima was conducted in different concentrations of saline water to eliminate boring polychaetes. Results shows that polychaetes leave the osyters which treated on saline water at 0 ppt, 45 ppt, and 60 ppt as long as 15 minutes each. It also shows that the oysters got high survival rate 7 days after the treatment. Key words : Polychaetes, pearl oyster, dipping, salinity   ABSTRAK Pengendalian polikaeta pengebor dengan menggunakan berbagai konsentrasi larutan garam telah dilakukan pada tiram mutiara (Pinctada maxima. Berdasarkan jumlah polikaeta yang keluar, hasil percobaan ini menunjukkan bahwa perendaman dengan konsentrasi garam 0 ppt. 45 ppt, dan 60 ppt selama 15 menit lebih efektif dibandingkan pada konsentrasi 15 dan 30 ppt. Tingkat kelangsungan hidup tiram mutiara yang diamati 7 hari setelah perendaman dalam larutan garam mencapai 100%. Kata kunci : Polikaeta. tiram mutiara, perendaman. salinitas

Engineering safe and secure cyber-physical systems the specification PEARL approach

CERN Document Server

Gumzej, Roman

2016-01-01

This book introduces the concept of holistic design and development of cyber physical systems to achieve their safe and secure operation. It shows that by following the standards for embedded system’s safety and using appropriate hardware and software components inherently safe system’s architectures can be devised and certified. While the standards already enable testing and certification of inherently safe and sound hardware, this is still not the case with software. The book demonstrates that Specification PEARL(SPEARL) addresses this issue and proposes appropriate solutions from the viewpoints of software engineering as well as concrete program components. By doing so it reduces the complexity of cyber physical systems design in an innovative way. Three ultimate goals are being followed in the course of defining this new PEARL standard, namely: 1. simplicity over complexity, 2. inherent real-time ability, and 3. conformity to safety integrity and security capability levels.

Meiosis in elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum, pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (Poaceae, Poales and their interspecific hybrids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vânia Helena Techio

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The cultivated and sexually compatible species Pennisetum purpureum (elephant grass, 2n = 4x = 28 and Pennisetum glaucum (pearl millet, 2n = 2x = 14 can undergo hybridization which favors the amplification of their genetic background and the introgression of favorable alleles into breeding programs. The main problem with interspecific hybrids of these species is infertility due to triploidy (2n = 3x = 21. This study describes meiosis in elephant grass x pearl millet hybrids and their progenitors. Panicles were prepared according to the conventional protocol for meiotic studies and Alexander’s stain was used for assessing pollen viability. Pearl millet accessions presented regular meiosis with seven bivalents and high pollen viability. For elephant grass, 14 bivalents in diakinesis and metaphase I were observed. The BAG 63 elephant grass accession, derived from tissue culture, presented a high frequency of meiotic abnormalities. The three hybrid accessions presented a high frequency of abnormalities characterized by irregular chromosomal segregation which resulted in the formation of sterile pollen.

Atmospheric boundary layer characteristics over the Pearl River Delta, China, during the summer of 2006: measurement and model results

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. J. Fan

2011-07-01

Full Text Available As part of the PRIDE-PRD2006 intensive campaign, atmospheric boundary layer (ABL measurements were performed in Qingyuan, Panyu, and Xinken over the Pearl River Delta (PRD on 1–30 July 2006. During the summer, the surface winds over the PRD are generally controlled by the south, usually with vertical wind shear at a height of approximately 800 m. Subsidence and precipitation from a tropical cyclone affects the air quality of the PRD. Under subsidence, wind speed in the ABL and the height of the ABL decrease and result in high-level concentrations. When the background wind speed is small or calm, the wind profile in Panyu and Xinken changes dramatically with height, which is perhaps caused by local circulation, such as sea-land breezes. To better understand the ABL of the PRD, simulations that used the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF mesoscale model were utilized to analyze the ABL characteristics over the PRD. Based on three types of weather condition simulations (i.e., subsidence days, rainy days, and sunny days, the WRF model revealed that the simulated temperature and wind fields in these three cases were moderately consistent with the measurements. The results showed that diurnal variations of the ABL height on subsidence days and sunny days were obvious, but diurnal variations of the ABL height on rainy days were not apparent. The ABL is obviously affected by local circulation, and the ABL features are different at various stations. A simulation focused on a high pollution episode during the subsidence days on 12–15 July 2006, occurred under high-pressure conditions, accompanied by the tropical cyclone "Bilis". A comparison of the simulated vertical wind fields and temperature structure with the ABL measurements at Xinken, Panyu, and Qingyuan stations found that the modeled and measured atmospheric fields revealed two different types of ABL characteristics over the PRD. When the surface winds over the PRD were light or nearly calm

Japan's Monroe Doctrine?: Re-Framing the Story of Pearl Harbor

Science.gov (United States)

Murnane, John R.

2007-01-01

Ever since War Department propaganda films set the mold, historians have pretty much followed: the road to Pearl Harbor began in 1931 with Japanese aggression in Manchuria. Any "revision" regarding the War in the Pacific has its own set of problems--engendering controversy, often running up against patriotic sentiments and the tendency…

Surface deformation during an action potential in pearled cells

Science.gov (United States)

Mussel, Matan; Fillafer, Christian; Ben-Porath, Gal; Schneider, Matthias F.

2017-11-01

Electric pulses in biological cells (action potentials) have been reported to be accompanied by a propagating cell-surface deformation with a nanoscale amplitude. Typically, this cell surface is covered by external layers of polymer material (extracellular matrix, cell wall material, etc.). It was recently demonstrated in excitable plant cells (Chara braunii) that the rigid external layer (cell wall) hinders the underlying deformation. When the cell membrane was separated from the cell wall by osmosis, a mechanical deformation, in the micrometer range, was observed upon excitation of the cell. The underlying mechanism of this mechanical pulse has, to date, remained elusive. Herein we report that Chara cells can undergo a pearling instability, and when the pearled fragments were excited even larger and more regular cell shape changes were observed (˜10 -100 μ m in amplitude). These transient cellular deformations were captured by a curvature model that is based on three parameters: surface tension, bending rigidity, and pressure difference across the surface. In this paper these parameters are extracted by curve-fitting to the experimental cellular shapes at rest and during excitation. This is a necessary step to identify the mechanical parameters that change during an action potential.

A high-density SNP genetic linkage map for the silver-lipped pearl oyster, Pinctada maxima: a valuable resource for gene localisation and marker-assisted selection.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, David B; Jerry, Dean R; Khatkar, Mehar S; Raadsma, Herman W; Zenger, Kyall R

2013-11-20

The silver-lipped pearl oyster, Pinctada maxima, is an important tropical aquaculture species extensively farmed for the highly sought "South Sea" pearls. Traditional breeding programs have been initiated for this species in order to select for improved pearl quality, but many economic traits under selection are complex, polygenic and confounded with environmental factors, limiting the accuracy of selection. The incorporation of a marker-assisted selection (MAS) breeding approach would greatly benefit pearl breeding programs by allowing the direct selection of genes responsible for pearl quality. However, before MAS can be incorporated, substantial genomic resources such as genetic linkage maps need to be generated. The construction of a high-density genetic linkage map for P. maxima is not only essential for unravelling the genomic architecture of complex pearl quality traits, but also provides indispensable information on the genome structure of pearl oysters. A total of 1,189 informative genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were incorporated into linkage map construction. The final linkage map consisted of 887 SNPs in 14 linkage groups, spans a total genetic distance of 831.7 centimorgans (cM), and covers an estimated 96% of the P. maxima genome. Assessment of sex-specific recombination across all linkage groups revealed limited overall heterochiasmy between the sexes (i.e. 1.15:1 F/M map length ratio). However, there were pronounced localised differences throughout the linkage groups, whereby male recombination was suppressed near the centromeres compared to female recombination, but inflated towards telomeric regions. Mean values of LD for adjacent SNP pairs suggest that a higher density of markers will be required for powerful genome-wide association studies. Finally, numerous nacre biomineralization genes were localised providing novel positional information for these genes. This high-density SNP genetic map is the first comprehensive linkage

Sensibility analysis of the pearl model for pesticide leaching in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil Análise de sensibilidade do simulador pearl para lixiviação de pesticidas no estado de Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rômulo P. Scorza Júnior

2011-10-01

Full Text Available For an accurate use of pesticide leaching models it is necessary to assess the sensitivity of input parameters. The aim of this work was to carry out sensitivity analysis of the pesticide leaching model PEARL for contrasting soil types of Dourados river watershed in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Sensitivity analysis was done by carrying out many simulations with different input parameters and calculating their influence on the output values. The approach used was called one-at-a-time sensitivity analysis, which consists in varying independently input parameters one at a time and keeping all others constant with the standard scenario. Sensitivity analysis was automated using SESAN tool that was linked to the PEARL model. Results have shown that only soil characteristics influenced the simulated water flux resulting in none variation of this variable for scenarios with different pesticides and same soil. All input parameters that showed the greatest sensitivity with regard to leached pesticide are related to soil and pesticide properties. Sensitivity of all input parameters was scenario dependent, confirming the need of using more than one standard scenario for sensitivity analysis of pesticide leaching models.Para o uso confiável de simuladores da lixiviação de pesticidas, é necessária a avaliação da sensibilidade dos dados de entrada. O objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar a análise de sensibilidade do simulador da lixiviação de pesticidas PEARL para tipos de solos contrastantes da Bacia Hidrográfica do Rio Dourados, no Estado de Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil. A análise de sensibilidade foi feita através da execução de várias simulações com dados de entrada diferentes e calculando suas influências nos resultados obtidos. O método usado foi o denominado de análise de sensibilidade "individual", onde se varia cada dado de entrada de forma independente enquanto se mantêm constantes, os outros dados de entrada, conforme

Super-light Structures with Pearl-chain Reinforcement

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hertz, Kristian Dahl; Bagger, Anne

2010-01-01

Steel structures are considered to be light compared to concrete structures. This paper presents a newly invented type of structure which is often light compared to steel structures, and therefore it is called "Super-light Structures", or SLS. The basic idea of SLS is to build a skeleton...... of prefabricated segments of a strong material, assembled by one or more prestressing wires. By means of pearl-chain reinforcement, it becomes affordable to provide structures with a wide variety of shapes. This allows a more resource-economical design, because it removes practical hindrances for application...

On the stability of whistler and 'pearl' type electromagnetic waves in the magnetosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buloshnikov, A.M.; Feodorov, E.E.

1977-01-01

Nonlinear evolution of 'whistlers' and pearls in magnetosphere has been considered. The analysis of the possibility of side-band generation in two particular cases (for the train with abrupt boundaries and for the wave train with the amplitude which is increasing gradually) has been studied. The theoretical results have been compared with the known experimental data to solve the problem. The investigation concerns mainly electron-cyclotron waves. The conclusions are the following: the stability of whistler depends on the steepness of wave train increase. It is possible that such effect was observed in the side-bands generation by the pearls. It is a positive argument in the application of nonlinear theory of side-bands with the ion-cyclotron waves propagating in the magnetosphere of the earth

Effect of domestic processing on the polyphenol content and bioaccessibility in finger millet (Eleusine coracana) and pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum).

Science.gov (United States)

Hithamani, Gavirangappa; Srinivasan, Krishnapura

2014-12-01

Finger millet (Eleusine coracana) and pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) were evaluated for polyphenolic content and their bioaccessibility. Total polyphenols of native finger millet was 10.2mg/g which reduced by 50% after sprouting or pressure-cooking, while 12-19% reduction was seen after open-pan boiling. Total flavonoids of the grain reduced drastically on sprouting, pressure-cooking or open-pan boiling. Concentration of phenolic acids generally increased during sprouting and roasting of finger millet. Pressure cooking, open-pan boiling and microwave-heating reduced the bioaccessible polyphenols by 30-35%, while the same was increased by 67% by sprouting. Significant reduction of total polyphenols was observed in pressure-cooked, open-pan boiled and microwave-heated pearl millet. Concentration of sinapic and salicylic acids were highest phenolic acids of pearl millet. Total polyphenols reduced during sprouting and pressure-cooking. There was a 20% increase in the bioaccessible polyphenols after sprouting of pearl millet. Thus, sprouting and roasting provided more bioaccessible phenolics from these two common millets studied. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Current levels and composition profiles of PBDEs and alternative flame retardants in surface sediments from the Pearl River Delta, southern China: Comparison with historical data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, She-Jun; Feng, An-Hong; He, Ming-Jing; Chen, Man-Ying; Luo, Xiao-Jun; Mai, Bi-Xian

2013-01-01

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and alternative flame retardants were measured in surface sediments collected during 2009–2010 from the Pearl River Delta, southern China (a large manufacturing base for electronics/electrical products), to evaluate the influence of China's RoHS directive (adopted in 2006) on their environmental occurrence. The concentrations in sediments from different water systems ranged from 3.67 to 2520 ng/g (average of 17.1–588 ng/g) for PBDEs and from 0.22 to 5270 ng/g (average of 11.3–454 ng/g) for the alternative retardants. Although the PBDE levels have decreased significantly compared with those in sediments collected in 2002 in this region, the levels of alternative decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE) have exceeded those of BDE209 (two predominant halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) in China) in the majority of sediments. This finding suggests a different contaminant pattern of HFRs in current sediments due to the replacement of the deca-BDE mixture with DBDPE in this region. In addition, sediment concentrations of discontinued PBDEs in the rural area are clearly elevated due to e-waste dismantling. The congener profiles of PBDEs in the current sediments (with more abundant lower-brominated congeners) differed substantially from those in 2002 and from the technical products, suggesting that biological or photolytic debromination of PBDEs may have occurred in the environment. - Highlights: ► PBDE levels in sediments have decreased substantially since China's RoHS directive. ► Contamination of novel DBDPE has exceeded that of deca-BDE in the PRD sediments. ► The congener profiles of PBDEs in the sediments have changed significantly. ► Significant biological or photolytic degradation of PBDEs may occur in the environment

Nonpolar organic compounds as PM2.5 source tracers: Investigation of their sources and degradation in the Pearl River Delta, China

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Qiongqiong; Feng, Yongming; Huang, X. H. Hilda; Griffith, Stephen M.; Zhang, Ting; Zhang, Qingyan; Wu, Dui; Yu, Jian Zhen

2016-10-01

A group of nonpolar organic compounds (NPOCs) in five compound classes including alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), hopanes, steranes, and 1,3,5-triphenylbenzene were quantified in samples of particulate matter of aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm collected at four sites in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, China, over a 2 year period from 2011 to 2012. The four sites include industrial (Nanhai), urban (Guangzhou), urban outskirt (Dongguan), and suburban (Nansha) locations. Some NPOCs are uniquely emitted from particular combustion sources and thereby serving as markers in source apportionment. Based on this multiyear and multisite NPOC data set, spatial and seasonal variations, correlation analysis, and ratio-ratio plots were used to investigate the source information and degradation of NPOC tracers. In summer, NPOCs showed distinct local emission characteristics, with urban sites having much higher concentrations than suburban sites. In winter, regional transport was an important influence on NPOC levels, driving up concentrations at all sampling sites and diminishing an urban-suburban spatial gradient. The lighter NPOCs exhibited more prominent seasonal variations. Such spatiotemporal features suggest that their particle-phase abundance is more influenced by temperature, which is a critical factor in controlling the extent of semivolatile organics partitioned into the aerosol phase. The heavier NPOCs, especially PAHs, showed negligible correlation among the four sites, suggesting more influence from local emissions. Ratio-ratio plots indicate photodegradation and mixing of various sources for the NPOCs in the PRD. A positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis of this large NPOC data set suggests that heavier NPOCs are more suitable source indicators than lighter NPOCs. Incorporating particle-phase light NPOC concentrations in PMF produces a separate factor, which primarily contains those light NPOCs and likely is not a source factor. Total

Antioxidant Activity in Two Pearl Millet (Pennisetum typhoideum Cultivars as Influenced by Processing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Florence Suma Pushparaj

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Research on the effect of processing on the retention of bioactive components with potential antioxidant activity is gaining importance. The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the effect of various processing methods (milling, boiling, pressure cooking, roasting and germination respectively on the antioxidant components as well as the antioxidant activities in the commonly used pearl millet cultivars—Kalukombu (K and Maharashtra Rabi Bajra (MRB. The methanolic extracts of processed pearl millet flours were analyzed for 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH free radical scavenging activity, reducing power assay (RPA and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP assays respectively. The samples were also evaluated for tannin, phytic acid and flavonoid content which was then correlated with the antioxidant activity assayed using three methods. The results indicated that the bran rich fraction showed high antioxidant activity (RPA owing to high tannin, phytic acid and flavonoid levels. Heat treatments exhibited significantly (P ≤ 0.05 higher antioxidant activity (DPPH scavenging activity and RPA reflecting the high flavonoid content. Processing did not have any significant effect on the FRAP activity of pearl millet. The data on the correlation coefficient suggests that DPPH radical scavenging activity and reducing power assay in the K variety was largely due to the presence of flavonoid content, however in MRB, no relationship was found between antioxidant activities and antioxidant components.

Importance of seed-borne fungi of sorghum and pearl millet in Burkina Faso and their control using plant extracts.

Science.gov (United States)

Zida, Pawindé Elisabeth; Sérémé, Paco; Leth, Vibeke; Sankara, Philippe; Somda, Irénée; Néya, Adama

2008-02-01

Seed-borne fungi of sorghum and pearl millet in Burkina Faso were surveyed. A total of 188 seed samples from various locations, collected in 1989 (42) and 2002 (146), were tested, using the blotter, dry inspection and washing methods. Infection experiments were carried out with the major fungi recorded on each crop by the blotter test. Six essential oils of plants were investigated for their inhibitory activity against eight pathogenic fungi. Thirty four and 27 fungal species were found in seed samples of sorghum and pearl millet, respectively. Phoma sp. and Fusarium moniliforme infected 95 to 100% of the seed samples of both sorghum and pearl millet. Sphacelotheca sorghi and Tolyposporium ehrenbergii were encountered in respectively, 75 and 33% of seed samples of sorghum. T. penicillariae, Sclerospora graminicola and Claviceps fusiformis were present in 88, 41 and 32% of seed samples of pearl millet, respectively. Seeds inoculated with Acremonium strictum, Curvularia oryzae, F. equiseti, F. moniliforme and F. subglutinans and sown in sterilized soil, showed considerable mortality of the seedlings. Three essential oils inhibited in vitro the mycelial growth of all the fungi used by 85 to 100% and reduced significantly sorghum and pearl millet seed infection rates of Phoma sp., Fusarium sp., Curvularia sp., Colletotrichum graminicola and Exserohilum sp. Presence of many pathogenic fungi in considerable number of seed samples indicates the need of field surveys for these and other pathogens. Development of plant extracts for the control of seed-borne pathogens and public awareness on seed-borne diseases management measures for maintaining quality seed should be increased.

Relative contribution of phytates, fibers, and tannins to low iron and zinc in vitro solubility in pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) flour and grain fractions.

Science.gov (United States)

Lestienne, Isabelle; Caporiccio, Bertrand; Besançon, Pierre; Rochette, Isabelle; Trèche, Serge

2005-10-19

In vitro digestions were performed on pearl millet flours with decreased phytate contents and on two dephytinized or nondephytinized pearl millet grain fractions, a decorticated fraction, and a bran fraction with low and high fiber and tannin contents, respectively. Insoluble residues of these digestions were then incubated with buffer or enzymatic solutions (xylanases and/or phytases), and the quantities of indigestible iron and zinc released by these different treatments were determined. In decorticated pearl millet grain, iron was chelated by phytates and by insoluble fibers, whereas zinc was almost exclusively chelated by phytates. In the bran of pearl millet grain, a high proportion of iron was chelated by iron-binding phenolic compounds, while the rest of iron as well as the majority of zinc were chelated in complexes between phytates and fibers. The low effect of phytase action on iron and zinc solubility of bran of pearl millet grain shows that, in the case of high fiber and tannin contents, the chelating effect of these compounds was higher than that of phytates.

Space Threat Warning: Foundation for Space Superiority, Avoiding a Space Pearl Harbor

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Burke, Alan W

2006-01-01

... have stated the US must avoid a space Pearl Harbor. This concern is due to the idea that a decrease in the perceived threat to space assets after the demise of the Soviet Union coupled with a competition for space resources has resulted...

Water Fastness of Screen Printed Pearl Luster Pigments based on Synthetic and Natural Mica on Polyvinyl Chloride Foil and Rich Mineral Paper

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mirica Karlovits

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The present study attempts to examine water fastness of screen printed pearl luster pigments based on synthetic and natural mica on polyvinyl chloride foil and Rich Mineral Paper. Three types of pearl luster pigments were used, each different from the other in composition, interference colour and particle size: one pigment based on synthetic mica (Pigment 1 and two pigments based on natural mica (Pigment 2 and Pigment 3. Pearl luster pigments were applied to the printing base (PVC transparent base in 15wt.% concentration and printed by means of screen printing technique. The test of water fastness was made on prints, where the samples were soaked in distilled water for 6 and 12 days. It was established that this water treatment did not have any significant impact on the durability of screen printed pearl luster pigments. The pigments could demonstrate slightly better water fastness after being printed on Rich Mineral Paper.

Tracing the origin of the oxygen-consuming organic matter in the hypoxic zone in a large eutrophic estuary: the lower reach of the Pearl River Estuary, China

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J. Su

2017-09-01

Full Text Available We assess the relative contributions of different sources of organic matter, marine vs. terrestrial, to oxygen consumption in an emerging hypoxic zone in the lower Pearl River Estuary (PRE, a large eutrophic estuary located in Southern China. Our cruise, conducted in July 2014, consisted of two legs before and after the passing of Typhoon Rammasun, which completely de-stratified the water column. The stratification recovered rapidly, within 1 day after the typhoon. We observed algal blooms in the upper layer of the water column and hypoxia underneath in bottom water during both legs. Repeat sampling at the initial hypoxic station showed severe oxygen depletion down to 30 µmol kg−1 before the typhoon and a clear drawdown of dissolved oxygen after the typhoon. Based on a three endmember mixing model and the mass balance of dissolved inorganic carbon and its isotopic composition, the δ13C of organic carbon remineralized in the hypoxic zone was −23.2 ± 1.1 ‰. We estimated that 65 ± 16 % of the oxygen-consuming organic matter was derived from marine sources, and the rest (35 ± 16 % was derived from the continent. In contrast to a recently studied hypoxic zone in the East China Sea off the Changjiang Estuary where marine organic matter dominated oxygen consumption, here terrestrial organic matter significantly contributed to the formation and maintenance of hypoxia. How varying amounts of these organic matter sources drive oxygen consumption has important implications for better understanding hypoxia and its mitigation in bottom waters.

Transcriptome analysis of the immune reaction of the pearl oyster Pinctada fucata to xenograft from Pinctada maxima.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Jinfen; Fan, Sigang; Liu, Baosuo; Zhang, Bo; Su, Jiaqi; Yu, Dahui

2017-08-01

The pearl oyster Pinctada maxima exhibits great difficulty to culture pearls through nuclear insertion with an allograft, but it is easy for P. fucata to culture pearls after allografting. If P. fucata could be used as a surrogate mother to culture P. maxima pearls, it would benefit the pearl culture industry of P. maxima. However, this is blocked by the immune rejection of P. fucata against P. maxima mantle grafts. In this study, the immune responses of P. fucata hemocyte to allograft and xenograft were investigated after transplantation by transcriptome analysis. In total, 107.93 Gb clean reads were produced and assembled using the reference genome of P. fucata. Gene Ontology Term enrichment and KEGG enrichment analyses indicated that apoptosis, hippo signaling pathway, oxidation-reduction, MAPK signaling pathway, ribosome, protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum, purine metabolism, NF-kappa B signaling pathway, oxidative phosphorylation, Ras signaling pathway, and ubiquitin mediated proteolysis were involved in response to transplantation. Many genes related to oxidation-reduction reactions, the MAPK signaling pathway, and apoptosis were identified by comparison of the allograft group and the xenograft group at 0 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, and 96 h post-transplantation. Among them, the expression levels of NADH dehydrogenase, succinate dehydrogenase and other dehydrogenases were increased significantly in the xenograft groups compared with allograft groups at 0 h post transplantation, indicating that a respiratory burst of neutrophils occurred immediately after xenograft transplantation. Additionally, HSP70 was highly expressed from 0 h to 96 h in the xenograft groups, indicating an oyster immune response to the xenograft. The genes enriched in the ribosome and hippo-signaling pathways were also identified, and expression patterns of these DEGs were different as compared between transplantation and control groups. Finally, altered

Spatial and temporal variation in selection of genes associated with pearl millet varietal quantitative traits in situ

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cedric Mariac

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Ongoing global climate changes imply new challenges for agriculture. Whether plants and crops can adapt to such rapid changes is still a widely debated question. We previously showed adaptation in the form of earlier flowering in pearl millet at the scale of a whole country over three decades. However, this analysis did not deal with variability of year to year selection. To understand and possibly manage plant and crop adaptation, we need more knowledge of how selection acts in situ. Is selection gradual, abrupt, and does it vary in space and over time? In the present study, we tracked the evolution of allele frequency in two genes associated with pearl millet phenotypic variation in situ. We sampled 17 populations of cultivated pearl millet over a period of two years. We tracked changes in allele frequencies in these populations by genotyping more than seven thousand individuals. We demonstrate that several allele frequencies changes are compatible with selection, by correcting allele frequency changes associated with genetic drift. We found marked variation in allele frequencies from year to year, suggesting a variable selection effect in space and over time. We estimated the strength of selection associated with variations in allele frequency. Our results suggest that the polymorphism maintained at the genes we studied is partially explained by the spatial and temporal variability of selection. In response to environmental changes, traditional pearl millet varieties could rapidly adapt thanks to this available functional variability.

Two studies in one: A propensity-score-matched comparison of fingolimod versus interferons and glatiramer acetate using real-world data from the independent German studies, PANGAEA and PEARL.

Science.gov (United States)

Alsop, Jonathan; Medin, Jennie; Cornelissen, Christian; Vormfelde, Stefan Viktor; Ziemssen, Tjalf

2017-01-01

This study compared outcomes following fingolimod or BRACE treatments (beta-interferons/glatiramer acetate) in patients with active MS (≥ 1 relapse in the previous year) following previous BRACE treatment. Patients with active MS who previously received BRACE were identified from German prospective, observational studies, PANGAEA and PEARL. A novel methodology was developed to compare outcomes between propensity-score-matched cohorts (3:1 ratio) from the independent single-arm studies. Patients in PANGAEA (n = 1287) experienced 48% fewer relapses per year than those in PEARL (n = 429; annualized relapse rate ratio: 0.52; p PANGAEA versus PEARL (3-month: 37% reduction; hazard ratio [HR], 0.63; p PANGAEA (n = 1234) than PEARL (n = 401) were free from relapses and 3-month (65.7% vs 38.7%; p PANGAEA (n = 1163) than PEARL (n = 372; 3-month: 175% increase; HR, 2.75; p PANGAEA (n = 149) were less likely than those in PEARL (n = 307) to have taken sick leave (proportion with 0 days off work: 62.4% vs 44.6%; p = 0.0005). For change in disease severity from baseline (assessed by clinicians using the Clinical Global Impressions scale; PANGAEA, n = 1207; PEARL, n = 427), a larger proportion of patients had subjective improvement and a smaller proportion had worsening status in PANGAEA than PEARL (improvement: 28.2% vs 15.2%; worsening: 16.4% vs 30.4%; p < 0.0001). Fingolimod appears to be more effective than BRACE in improving clinical and physician-/patient-reported outcomes in individuals with active MS.

Feeding behavior and productive performance of steers fed pearl millet grain-based diets containing proportions of babassu mesocarp bran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wanderson Martins Alencar

2015-12-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the feeding behavior and feedlot productive performance of dairy-origin steers fed for 84 days ground pearl millet grain-based diets with 0, 120, 240, 360, and 480 g kg-1 of babassu mesocarp bran (BMB and a standard diet based on ground corn. Thirty Holstein-Zebu steers with average initial body weight of 371.02±27 kg were used. The experimental design was completely randomized, with five replications. Dry matter intake showed better fit with the quadratic regression equation with the inclusion of BMB, reaching a maximum value in diets with 360 g of this by-product. There was no difference for dry matter intake between pearl millet- and corn-based diets. There was no difference in total digestible nutrients intake between diets. The digestibility coefficient of organic matter decreased linearly with the increase in the dietary level of BMB. The digestibility coefficient of organic matter was not different between corn and millet diets. There was no difference in feeding time between diets. Total requirement of metabolizable energy increased linearly with inclusion of BMB. However, total requirements of metabolizable energy did not differ between the corn- and pearl millet-based diets. Average daily gain decreased linearly with the increase in BMB, with adjustment forced by the sharp decline of this variable in diets with 480 g of BMB. There was no difference in average daily gain between corn- and pearl millet-based diets. The inclusion of levels above 360 g of babassu mesocarp bran in pearl millet-based diets reduces the supply of metabolizable energy and the productive performance of feedlot dairy steers.

Importance of seed-borne fungi of sorghum and pearl millet in Burkina Faso and their control using plant extracts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zida, Elisabeth Pawindé; Sérémé, Paco; Leth, Vibeke

2008-01-01

recorded on each crop by the blotter test. Six essential oils of plants were investigated for their inhibitory activity against eight pathogenic fungi. Thirty four and 27 fungal species were found in seed samples of sorghum and pearl millet, respectively. Phoma sp. and Fusarium moniliforme infected 95...... of pearl millet, respectively. Seeds inoculated with Acremonium strictum, Curvularia oryzae, F. equiseti, F. moniliforme and F. subglutinans and sown in sterilized soil, showed considerable mortality of the seedlings. Three essential oils inhibited in vitro the mycelial growth of all the fungi used by 85......Seed-borne fungi of sorghum and pearl millet in Burkina Faso were surveyed. A total of 188 seed samples from various locations, collected in 1989 (42) and 2002 (146), were tested, using the blotter, dry inspection and washing methods. Infection experiments were carried out with the major fungi...

Pearl extract enhances the migratory ability of fibroblasts in a wound healing model.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yi-Chen; Chen, Chi-Ruei; Young, Tai-Horng

2013-03-01

For 2000 years, traditional Chinese medicine has been used as a remedy for general health improvement, including the fight against aging. Pearl powder has recently been used as a health food that has antioxidant, antiaging, antiradioactive, and tonic activities for cells; it is also applied to cure aphthous ulcer, gastric ulcer, and duodenal ulcer on clinical therapy. In addition, the mother of pearl, nacre, could enhance the cell adhesion and tissue regeneration of skin fibroblasts. Fibroblast is regarded as indispensable in the processes of wound healing. Therefore, the effect of pearl extract (PL) on fibroblasts is investigated in this study. PL is produced by a room temperature super extraction system (Taiwan patent no. I271 220). DMEM medium containing PL (300 μg/mL) was used to examine the effect of migration-promoting potential on human fibroblast cell line or human primary fibroblast cells in a wound healing model in vitro. Medium containing PL (300 μg/mL) demonstrated that the migratory cell numbers of fibroblasts were three times more than that without PL, and mRNA expression of collagen type III was higher than in collagen type I in fibroblasts. It revealed a migration-promoting potential of human fibroblasts in a wound healing model in vitro. The present study found that the migration-promoting effect in PL, which could be a supplement in cell culture. These data suggest PL could be useful for enhancing the wound healing of fibroblasts.

response of locally adapted pearl millet populations to s1 progeny

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ACSS

Izge, U., Kadams, A.M. and Gungula, D.T. 2006. Studies on character association and path analysis of certain quantitative characters among parental lines of pearl millet. (Pennisetum glaucum ) and their F1 hybrids in a diallel cross. African Journal of. Agricultural Research 1:194-198. Kannan, B., Senapathy, S., Raj, A.G.B., ...

Environmental Assessment for Waterfront Facilities Maintenance and Improvements, Pearl Harbor Naval Complex, Oahu, Hawaii

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

2005-01-01

Commander, Navy Region Hawaii (CNRH) proposes to repair, maintain, and improve waterfront berthing and maintenance facilities for ships and submarines on an as-needed basis within the Pearl Harbor Naval Complex (PHNC...

II.1.5 Phenotyping pearl millet for adaptation to drought

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vincent eVadez

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Pearl millet is highly resilient to some of the driest areas of the world, like the Sahel area or fringes of the Thar desert in India. Despite this, there is a wealth of variation in pearl millet genotypes for their adaptation to drought, and the object of this paper was to review some related work in the past 25 years to harness these capacities towards the breeding of better adapted cultivars. Work on short duration cultivars has been a major effort. Pearl millet has also some development plasticity thanks to a high tillering ability, which allows compensating for possible drought-related failure of the main culm under intermittent drought. The development of molecular tools for breeding has made great progress in the last 10-15 years and markers, maps, EST libraries, BACs are now available and a number of QTLs for different traits, including drought, have been identified. Most of the work on drought has focused on the drought tolerance index (DTI, an index that reflect the genetic differences in drought adaptation that are independent of flowering time and yield potential. The DTI is closely associated to the panicle harvest index (PNHI, a trait that relates to a better grain setting and grain filling capacity. Initial work on the DTI involved empirical breeding and selection based on PNHI. A QTL for PNHI has then been identified and introgressed by marker-assisted backcrossing. More recently, a thorough dissection of that QTL has been carried out and shows that high PNHI is related to the constitutive ability of tolerant lines to save water (lower leaf conductance and sensitivity of transpiration to high vapor pressure deficit at a vegetative stage and use it for the grain filling period. However, there is no contribution of root traits in this QTL. Current work is taking place to map these water saving traits, understand their genetic interactions, and design ideotypes having specific genetic make up towards adaptation to specific rainfall

Characteristics and diurnal variations of NMHCs at urban, suburban, and rural sites in the Pearl River Delta and a remote site in South China

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, J. H.; Chan, L. Y.; Chan, C. Y.; Li, Y. S.; Chang, C. C.; Liu, S. C.; Wu, D.; Li, Y. D.

The Pearl River Delta (PRD) is one of the most industrialized and urbanized regions in China. With rapid growth of the economy, it is suffering from deteriorating air quality. Non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) were investigated at urban and suburban sites in Guangzhou (GZ), a rural site in PRD and a clean remote site in South China, in April 2005. Additional roadside samples in GZ and Qingxi (QX, a small industrial town in PRD), ambient air samples at the rooftop of a printing factory in QX and exhaust samples from liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)—fueled taxis in GZ were collected to help identify the source signatures of NMHCs. A large fraction of propane (47%) was found in exhaust samples from LPG-fueled taxis in GZ and extremely high levels of toluene (2.0-3.1 ppmv) were found at the rooftop of the printing factory in QX. Vehicular and industrial emissions were the main sources of NMHCs. The effect of vehicular emission on the ambient air varied among the three PRD sites. The impact of industrial emissions was widespread and they contributed greatly to the high levels of aromatic hydrocarbons, especially toluene, at the three PRD sites investigated. Leakage from vehicles fueled by LPG contributed mainly to the high levels of propane and n-butane at the urban GZ site. Ethane and ethyne from long-range transport and isoprene from local biogenic emission were the main contributors to the total hydrocarbons at the remote site. Diurnal variations of NMHCs showed that the contribution from vehicular emissions varied with traffic conditions and were more influenced by fresh emissions at the urban site and by aged air at the suburban and rural sites. Isoprene from biogenic emission contributed largely to the ozone formation potential (OFP) at the remote site. Ethene, toluene and m/ p-xylene were the main contributors to the OFP at the three PRD sites.

High-resolution sampling and analysis of ambient particulate matter in the Pearl River Delta region of southern China: source apportionment and health risk implications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Zhou

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Hazardous air pollutants, such as trace elements in particulate matter (PM, are known or highly suspected to cause detrimental effects on human health. To understand the sources and associated risks of PM to human health, hourly time-integrated major trace elements in size-segregated coarse (PM2.5–10 and fine (PM2.5 particulate matter were collected at the industrial city of Foshan in the Pearl River Delta region, China. Receptor modeling of the data set by positive matrix factorization (PMF was used to identify six sources contributing to PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations at the site. Dominant sources included industrial coal combustion, secondary inorganic aerosol, motor vehicles and construction dust along with two intermittent sources (biomass combustion and marine aerosol. The biomass combustion source was found to be a significant contributor to peak PM2.5 episodes along with motor vehicles and industrial coal combustion. Conditional probability function (CPF analysis was applied to estimate the source locations using the PMF-resolved source contribution coupled with the surface wind direction data. Health exposure risk of hazardous trace elements (Pb, As, Si, Cr, Mn and Ni and source-specific values were estimated. The total hazard quotient (HQ of PM2.5 was 2.09, higher than the acceptable limit (HQ = 1. The total carcinogenic risk (CR was 3.37 × 10−3 for PM2.5, which was 3 times higher than the least stringent limit (1.0 × 10−4. Among the selected trace elements, As and Pb posed the highest non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks to human health, respectively. In addition, our results show that the industrial coal combustion source is the dominant non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk contributor, highlighting the need for stringent control of this source. This study provides new insight for policy makers to prioritize sources in air quality management and health risk reduction.

Larval connectivity of pearl oyster through biophysical modelling; evidence of food limitation and broodstock effect

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Yoann; Dumas, Franck; Andréfouët, Serge

2016-12-01

The black-lip pearl oyster (Pinctada margaritifera) is cultured extensively to produce black pearls, especially in French Polynesia atoll lagoons. This aquaculture relies on spat collection, a process that experiences spatial and temporal variability and needs to be optimized by understanding which factors influence recruitment. Here, we investigate the sensitivity of P. margaritifera larval dispersal to both physical and biological factors in the lagoon of Ahe atoll. Coupling a validated 3D larval dispersal model, a bioenergetics larval growth model following the Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) theory, and a population dynamics model, the variability of lagoon-scale connectivity patterns and recruitment potential is investigated. The relative contribution of reared and wild broodstock to the lagoon-scale recruitment potential is also investigated. Sensitivity analyses pointed out the major effect of the broodstock population structure as well as the sensitivity to larval mortality rate and inter-individual growth variability to larval supply and to the subsequent settlement potential. The application of the growth model clarifies how trophic conditions determine the larval supply and connectivity patterns. These results provide new cues to understand the dynamics of bottom-dwelling populations in atoll lagoons, their recruitment, and discuss how to take advantage of these findings and numerical models for pearl oyster management.

Natural cleaning of the black-lip pearl oyster Pinctada margaritifera by butterflyfishes (Chaetodon) in French Polynesia

Science.gov (United States)

Bertucci, Frédéric; Legraverant, Yohann; Berthe, Cécile; Brooker, Rohan M.; Lo, Cédrik; Lecchini, David

2016-12-01

Biofouling increases the operational and economic costs associated with pearl production. As current procedures for reducing oyster biofouling can be detrimental to survival and growth and may pollute the surrounding environment developing alternative, biologically-mediated, methods could potentially increase both production and ecological sustainability. With this in mind, the present study investigated natural cleaning of black-lipped pearl oysters, Pinctada margaritifera, by butterflyfishes (Chaetodon). The feeding behaviour of six butterflyfish species was examined at Rangiroa Atoll, French Polynesia: Chaetodon auriga, Chaetodon citrinellus, Chaetodon ephippium, Chaetodon lunulatus, Chaetodon trifascialis and Chaetodon ulietensis. All species cleaned the surface of pearl oysters by removing epibionts (from 16% to 40% of total biomass), although dietary variation may explain different cleaning efficiencies. Generalist omnivores (C. auriga, C. citrinellus, C. ephippium and C. ulietensis) were the most efficient cleaners (% cleaning range: 26-40% of total biomass). Within this group, C. ephippium removed the most biomass (average of 41%) targeting algae and anemones. However, C. auriga targeted the most diverse range of epibionts, removing significant amounts of algae, sponges, tunicates, and anemones. These results suggest that foraging by butterflyfishes can substantially reduce biofouling on economically-important tropical bivalves.

Response of locally adapted pearl millet populations to s1 progeny ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In the semi-arid zones of Uganda, pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) is mainly grown for food and income; but rust (Puccinia substriata var indica (L.) R. Br.) is the main foliar constraint lowering yield. The objective of the study was to genetically improve grain yield and rust resistance of two locally adapted ...

Seasonal variation of iron speciation in a pearl-raising bay sediment by Moessbauer spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuno, Akihito; Matsuo, Motoyuki; Chiba, Satoshi; Yamagata, Yoichi

2008-01-01

Ago Bay in Mie Prefecture, central Japan, is world-famous for the site of Mikimoto pearl culture, but recently the production of pearls has considerably declined. Environmental deterioration of the bay is suspected of having caused the decline. The periodic investigation into iron speciation of the bay sediment by 57 Fe Moessbauer spectroscopy revealed its high pyrite (FeS 2 ) content from the surface to the 20-cm depth. The pyrite in the surface sediment decreased only in spring, three months after the dissolved oxygen in the bottom water was at maximum. Such oxygen-consuming material as pyrite accumulated through long-term biotic activity is a most-likely explanation for the prolonged environmental deterioration of the bay, which appears in the high chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the sediment. (author)

Documented changes in annual runoff and attribution since the 1950s within selected rivers in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lü-Liu Liu

2017-03-01

Full Text Available To enable local water resource management and maintenance of ecosystem integrity and to protect and mitigate against flood and drought, it is necessary to determine changes in long-term series of streamflow and to distinguish the roles that climate change and human disturbance play in these changes. A review of previous research on the detection and attribution of observed changes in annual runoff in China shows a decrease in annual runoff since the 1950s in northern China in areas such as the Songhuajiang River water resources zone, the Liaohe River water resources zone, the Haihe River water resources zone, the Yellow River water resources zone, and the Huaihe River water resources Zone. Furthermore, abrupt changes in annual runoff occurred mostly in the 1970s and 1980s in all the above zones, except for some of the sub-basins in the middle Yellow River where abrupt change occurred in the 1990s. Changes in annual runoff are found to be mainly caused by climate change in the western Songhuajiang River basin, the upper mainstream of the Yangtze River, and the western Pearl River basin, which shows that studies on the impact of climate change on future water resources under different climate change scenarios are required to enable planning and management by agencies in these river basins. However, changes in annual runoff were found to be mainly caused by human activities in most of the catchments in northern China (such as the southern Songhuajiang River, Liaohe River, Haihe River, the lower reach and some of the catchments within the middle Yellow River basin and in middle-eastern China, such as the Huaihe River and lower mainstream of the Yangtze River. This suggests that current hydro-climatic data can continue to be used in water-use planning and that policymakers need to focus on water resource management and protection.

Environmental Assessment for Building 88 Interior Demolition, Pearl Harbor Naval Complex, O'ahu, Hawaii

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

2005-01-01

...) and ancillary equipment from the interior of Building 88, a former lubricating oil storage facility, and the related exposed piping underneath Mike wharves M3 and M4 at Merry Point, Pearl Harbor Naval Complex...

CRED REA Algal Assessments at Pearl and Hermes Atoll, NW Hawaiian Islands in 2006

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Twelve quadrats were sampled along 2 consecutively-placed, 25m transect lines, as part of Rapid Ecological Assessments, conducted at 13 sites at Pearl and Hermes...

The historical significance of anaesthesia events at Pearl Harbor.

Science.gov (United States)

Crowhurst, Ja

2014-07-01

Up to the end of World War II, less than 10% of the general anaesthetics administered was with intravenous barbiturates. The remaining 90% of anaesthetics given in the USA were with diethyl ether. In the United Kingdom and elsewhere, chloroform was also popular. Diethyl ether administration was a relatively safe and simple procedure, often delegated to nurses or junior doctors with little or no specific training in anaesthesia. During the Japanese attack on the US bases at Pearl Harbor, with reduced stocks of diethyl ether available, intravenous Sodium Pentothal(®), a most 'sophisticated and complex' drug, was used with devastating effects in many of those hypovolaemic, anaemic and septic patients. The hazards of spinal anaesthesia too were realised very quickly. These effects were compounded by the dearth of trained anaesthetists. This paper presents the significance of the anaesthesia tragedies at Pearl Harbor, and the discovery in the next few years of many other superior drugs that caused medical and other health professionals to realise that anaesthesia needed to be a specialist medical discipline in its own right. Specialist recognition, aided by the foundation of the National Health Service in the UK, the establishment of Faculties of Anaesthesia and appropriate training in pharmacology, physiology and other sciences soon followed. Modern anaesthesiology, as we understand it today, was born and a century or more of ether anaesthesia finally ceased.

Antioxidant properties of digestive enzyme-treated fibre-rich fractions from wheat, finger millet, pearl millet and sorghum: A comparative evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aisha Siddiq A.

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Whole grains are rich in antioxidant components (AC, most of which are bound to fibre fraction and released during digestion. The study investigated the effect of digestive enzymes on the antioxidant properties of fibre-rich fractions from wheat (Triticum aestivum, finger millet (Eleusine coracana, pearl millet (Pennisetum typhoides and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor. Coarse (CF and fine fractions (FF of milled flour were separated using a standard sieve and analysed for nutritional composition, AC extractable in different solvents and antioxidant activity (AA in untreated and enzyme-treated fractions. The CF had a higher range of insoluble dietary fibre (17.26–20.93% than FF (10.65–17.29%. The highest amount of polyphenols and flavonoids was extractable in different solvents from finger millet and pearl millet, respectively. FF of pearl millet showed higher total AA in all solvents. Enzyme-treated samples had a much higher content of AC as well as higher total AA. Free radical scavenging assay revealed that enzyme-treated millet flours had higher activity in comparison to wheat. Between fractions, wheat exhibited variable results. Among millets, CF of finger millet and FF of pearl millet and sorghum had higher AA. In conclusion, digestive enzyme treatment released more AC from grains, and exhibited a higher AA.

Micronutrient density and stability in West African pearl millet – potential for biofortification

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bürger, Anna; Jensen, Henning Høgh; Gondah, Jadah

2014-01-01

for Fe and Zn, indicate a high potential for biofortification of WCA pearl millet. However, screening of additional landraces or introgression of favorable alleles from highly nutrient dense Indian germplasm could expedite achievement of higher densities. Genotype-by environment interaction effects were...

New Genetic Insights into Pearl Millet Diversity As Revealed by Characterization of Early- and Late-Flowering Landraces from Senegal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oumar Diack

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L. R. Br. is a staple food and a drought-tolerant cereal well adapted to Sub-Saharan Africa agro-ecosystems. An important diversity of pearl millet landraces has been widely conserved by farmers and therefore could help copping with climate changes and contribute to future food security. Hence, characterizing its genetic diversity and population structure can contribute to better assist breeding programs for a sustainable agricultural productivity enhancement. Toward this goal, a comprehensive panel of 404 accessions were used that correspond to 12 improved varieties, 306 early flowering and 86 late-flowering cultivated landraces from Senegal. Twelve highly polymorphic SSR markers were used to study diversity and population structure. Two genes, PgMADS11 and PgPHYC, were genotyped to assess their association to flowering phenotypic difference in landraces. Results indicate a large diversity and untapped potential of Senegalese pearl millet germplasm as well as a genetic differentiation between early- and late-flowering landraces. Further, a fine-scale genetic difference of PgPHYC and PgMADS11 (SNP and indel, respectively and co-variation of their alleles with flowering time were found among landraces. These findings highlight new genetic insights of pearl millet useful to define heterotic populations for breeding, genomic association panel, or crosses for trait-specific mapping.

Numerical simulations for the sources apportionment and control strategies of PM2.5 over Pearl River Delta, China, part I: Inventory and PM2.5 sources apportionment.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Yeqi; Deng, Tao; Li, Zhenning; Wang, Nan; Yin, Chanqin; Wang, Shiqiang; Fan, Shaojia

2018-09-01

This article uses the WRF-CMAQ model to systematically study the source apportionment of PM 2.5 under typical meteorological conditions in the dry season (November 2010) in the Pearl River Delta (PRD). According to the geographical location and the relative magnitude of pollutant emission, Guangdong Province is divided into eight subdomains for source apportionment study. The Brute-Force Method (BFM) method was implemented to simulate the contribution from different regions to the PM 2.5 pollution in the PRD. Results show that the industrial sources accounted for the largest proportion. For emission species, the total amount of NO x and VOC in Guangdong Province, and NH 3 and VOC in Hunan Province are relatively larger. In Guangdong Province, the emission of SO 2 , NO x and VOC in the PRD are relatively larger, and the NH 3 emissions are higher outside the PRD. In northerly-controlled episodes, model simulations demonstrate that local emissions are important for PM 2.5 pollution in Guangzhou and Foshan. Meanwhile, emissions from Dongguan and Huizhou (DH), and out of Guangdong Province (SW) are important contributors for PM 2.5 pollution in Guangzhou. For PM 2.5 pollution in Foshan, emissions in Guangzhou and DH are the major contributors. In addition, high contribution ratio from DH only occurs in severe pollution periods. In southerly-controlled episode, contribution from the southern PRD increases. Local emissions and emissions from Shenzhen, DH, Zhuhai-Jiangmen-Zhongshan (ZJZ) are the major contributors. Regional contribution to the chemical compositions of PM 2.5 indicates that the sources of chemical components are similar to those of PM 2.5 . In particular, SO 4 2- is mainly sourced from emissions out of Guangdong Province, while the NO 3- and NH 4+ are more linked to agricultural emissions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Remembering Pearl Harbor: The USS Arizona Memorial. Teaching with Historic Places.

Science.gov (United States)

Vierra, John, Jr.

This lesson describes and discusses the submerged remains of the battleship USS Arizona which rests on the silt of Pearl Harbor (Hawaii), just as it had settled on December 7, 1941, the day Japan attacked the U.S. fleet and began the Pacific battles of World War II. The lesson is based on the National Register of Historic Places registration file,…

Simulation of pesticide leaching in a cracking clay soil with the PEARL model

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Scorza, R.P.; Boesten, J.J.T.I.

2005-01-01

Testing of pesticide leaching models is important to increase confidence in their use in pesticide registration procedures world-wide. The chromatographic PEARL model was tested against the results of a field leaching study on a cracking clay soil with a tracer (bromide), a mobile pesticide

DEPOT MAINTENANCE: Key Financial Issues for Consolidations at Pearl Harbor and Elsewhere Are Still Unresolved

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

2001-01-01

.... In September 1999, we reported that the preliminary results of the ongoing Pearl Harbor pilot were mixed and recommended that the Departments of Defense and the Navy address unresolved issues related...

Synchrotron FT-IR analyses of microstructured biomineral domains: Hints to the biomineralization processes in freshwater cultured pearls.

Science.gov (United States)

Soldati, A. L.; Vicente-Vilas, V.; Gasharova, B.; Jacob, D. E.

2009-04-01

Recent investigations in freshwater cultured pearls (bio-carbonate) by micro-Raman spectroscopy (Wehrmeister et al., 2008; Soldati et al., 2008), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) imaging (Jacob et al., 2008) show that the pearl biomineralisation starts with a self assembling process in which an existing gel matrix of amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) and organic substances reorganizes and conglomerates in small domains; these conglomerates then form prisms and mature nacreous tablets of aragonite or vaterite. Raman spectroscopy shows that the calcium carbonate polymorphs have decreasing luminescence in the order ACC>Vaterite>Aragonite, coinciding with decreasing quantities of S and P (related to the organic matrix) measured by Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectroscopy (LA-ICP-MS) and Electron Probe Micro Analyzer (EPMA). Although little is known about the process of transformation of the ACC gel into vaterite and aragonite, it is speculated that this probably involves dehydration and change of the accompanying organic matrix. This is also supported by our laboratory FT-IR analysis. However, due to the small size of the areas of ACC (about 10 ?m) and the biogenic crystals an in-situ high spatially resolved IR-method is needed to record how the water content and organic matrix change in the biomineralisation sequence, to understand which processes take place in the self-organization. The beamline IR-1 at the ANKA synchrotron source (Karlsruhe, Germany) was used for this experiment. Freshwater cultured pearls from China cultured in Hyriopsis cumingii mussels by tissue nucleation methods (so-called beadless pearls) as well as by bead implantation methods (aragonite nucleus) were studied. The pearls were cut in half with a diamond-plated saw and polished with diamond paste on a copper plate. Micro-Raman spectroscopy maps (Department of Geosciences, at the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz) were generated

A homeodomain transcription factor gene, PfMSX, activates expression of Pif gene in the pearl oyster Pinctada fucata.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mi Zhao

Full Text Available We reported pearl oyster Pinctada fucata cDNA and genomic characterization of a new homeobox-containing protein, PfMSX. The PfMSX gene encodes a transcription factor that was localized to the nucleus. Analyses of PfMSX mRNA in tissues and developmental stages showed high expressions in mantle or D-shaped larvae. In electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs PfMSX binded to MSX consensus binding sites in the 5' flanking region of the Pif promoter. In co-transfection experiment PfMSX transactivated reporter constructs containing Pif promoter sequences, and mutation of the MSX-binding sites attenuated transactivation. A knockdown experiment using PfMSX dsRNA showed decreased Pif mRNA and unregular crystallization of the nacreous layer using scanning electron microscopy. Our results suggested that PfMSX was a conserved homeodomain transcription factor gene, which can activate Pif gene expression through MSX binding site, and was then involved in the mineralization process in pearl oyster Pinctada fucata. Our data provided important clues about mechanisms regulating biomineralization in pearl oyster.

A Homeodomain Transcription Factor Gene, PfMSX, Activates Expression of Pif Gene in the Pearl Oyster Pinctada fucata

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Mi; He, Maoxian; Huang, Xiande; Wang, Qi

2014-01-01

We reported pearl oyster Pinctada fucata cDNA and genomic characterization of a new homeobox-containing protein, PfMSX. The PfMSX gene encodes a transcription factor that was localized to the nucleus. Analyses of PfMSX mRNA in tissues and developmental stages showed high expressions in mantle or D-shaped larvae. In electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs) PfMSX binded to MSX consensus binding sites in the 5′ flanking region of the Pif promoter. In co-transfection experiment PfMSX transactivated reporter constructs containing Pif promoter sequences, and mutation of the MSX-binding sites attenuated transactivation. A knockdown experiment using PfMSX dsRNA showed decreased Pif mRNA and unregular crystallization of the nacreous layer using scanning electron microscopy. Our results suggested that PfMSX was a conserved homeodomain transcription factor gene, which can activate Pif gene expression through MSX binding site, and was then involved in the mineralization process in pearl oyster Pinctada fucata. Our data provided important clues about mechanisms regulating biomineralization in pearl oyster. PMID:25099698

A homeodomain transcription factor gene, PfMSX, activates expression of Pif gene in the pearl oyster Pinctada fucata.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Mi; He, Maoxian; Huang, Xiande; Wang, Qi

2014-01-01

We reported pearl oyster Pinctada fucata cDNA and genomic characterization of a new homeobox-containing protein, PfMSX. The PfMSX gene encodes a transcription factor that was localized to the nucleus. Analyses of PfMSX mRNA in tissues and developmental stages showed high expressions in mantle or D-shaped larvae. In electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs) PfMSX binded to MSX consensus binding sites in the 5' flanking region of the Pif promoter. In co-transfection experiment PfMSX transactivated reporter constructs containing Pif promoter sequences, and mutation of the MSX-binding sites attenuated transactivation. A knockdown experiment using PfMSX dsRNA showed decreased Pif mRNA and unregular crystallization of the nacreous layer using scanning electron microscopy. Our results suggested that PfMSX was a conserved homeodomain transcription factor gene, which can activate Pif gene expression through MSX binding site, and was then involved in the mineralization process in pearl oyster Pinctada fucata. Our data provided important clues about mechanisms regulating biomineralization in pearl oyster.

One surgeon's Army experience with "wound shock" from Pearl Harbor to the present.

Science.gov (United States)

Hardaway, Robert M

2009-09-01

The Army has had extensive experience in the study and treatment of shock, beginning with the American Civil War and continuing to the present. This is the story of one Army surgeon's experience, both in research and treatment of shock, from Pearl Harbor to the present.

High time-resolved elemental components in fine and coarse particles in the Pearl River Delta region of Southern China: Dynamic variations and effects of meteorology.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Shengzhen; Davy, Perry K; Wang, Xuemei; Cohen, Jason Blake; Liang, Jiaquan; Huang, Minjuan; Fan, Qi; Chen, Weihua; Chang, Ming; Ancelet, Travis; Trompetter, William J

2016-12-01

Hourly-resolved PM 2.5 and PM 10-2.5 samples were collected in the industrial city Foshan in the Pearl River Delta region, China. The samples were subsequently analyzed for elemental components and black carbon (BC). A key purpose of the study was to understand the composition of particulate matter (PM) at high-time resolution in a polluted urban atmosphere to identify key components contributing to extreme PM concentration events and examine the diurnal chemical concentration patterns for air quality management purposes. It was found that BC and S concentrations dominated in the fine mode, while elements with mostly crustal and oceanic origins such as Si, Ca, Al and Cl were found in the coarse size fraction. Most of the elements showed strong diurnal variations. S did not show clear diurnal variations, suggesting regional rather than local origin. Based on empirical orthogonal functions (EOF) method, 3 forcing factors were identified contributing to the extreme events of PM 2.5 and selected elements, i.e., urban direct emissions, wet deposition and a combination of coarse mode sources. Conditional probability functions (CPF) were performed using wind profiles and elemental concentrations. The CPF results showed that BC and elemental Cl, K, Fe, Cu and Zn in the fine mode were mostly from the northwest, indicating that industrial emissions and combustion were the main sources. For elements in the coarse mode, Si, Al, K, Ca, Fe and Ti showed similar patterns, suggesting same sources such as local soil dust/construction activities. Coarse elemental Cl was mostly from the south and southeast, implying the influence of marine aerosol sources. For other trace elements, we found vanadium (V) in fine PM was mainly from the sources located to the southeast of the measuring site. Combined with CPF results of S and V in fine PM, we concluded shipping emissions were likely an important elemental emission source. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The Mendelian inheritance of rare flesh and shell colour variants in the black-lipped pearl oyster (Pinctada margaritifera).

Science.gov (United States)

Ky, Chin-Long; Nakasai, Seiji; Pommier, Steve; Sham Koua, Manaarii; Devaux, Dominique

2016-10-01

Pinctada margaritifera is French Polynesia's most economically important aquaculture species. This pearl oyster has the specific ability to produce cultured pearls with a very wide range of colours, depending on the colour phenotypes of donor oysters used. Its aquaculture is still based on natural spat collection from wild stocks. We investigated three rare colour variants of P. margaritifera - orange flesh, and red and white shell colour phenotypes - in comparison with the wild-type black flesh and shell commonly found in this species. The study aimed to assess the geographic distribution and genetic basis of these colour variants. Colour frequencies were evaluated during transfer and graft processes of pearl oyster seed captured at collector stations. Among the collection locations studied, Mangareva Island showed the highest rate of the orange flesh phenotype, whereas Takaroa and Takume atolls had relatively high rates of red and white shell phenotypes respectively. Broodstocks were made of these rare colour variants, and crosses were performed to produce first- and second-generation progenies to investigate segregation. The results were consistent with Mendelian ratios and suggest a distinct model with no co-dominance: (i) a two-allele model for flesh trait, whereby the orange allele is recessive to the black fleshed type, and (ii) a three-allele model for shell trait, whereby the black wild-type allele is dominant to the red coloration, which is dominant to the white shell. Furthermore, the proposed model provides the basis for producing selected donor pearl oyster lines through hatchery propagation. © 2016 Stichting International Foundation for Animal Genetics.

Estimate of anthropogenic halocarbon emission based on measured ratio relative to CO in the Pearl River Delta region, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Shao

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Using a GC/FID/MS system, we analyzed the mixing ratio of 16 halocarbon species in more than 100 air samples collected in 2004 from the Pearl River Delta (PRD region of southern China. The results revealed that there are elevated mixing ratios for most of halocarbons, especially for HClC = CCl₂ (trichloroethylene, TCE, CH₂Cl₂ (dichloromethane, DCM, CH₃ Br (bromomethane, HCFC-22, CHCl₃ (trichloromethane, CCl₄ (tetrachloromethane, Cl₂C = CCl₂ (perchloroethylene, PCE, CH₃CCl₃ (methyl chloroform, MCF, and CFC-12. Comparisons were done with the data from TRACE-P and ALE/GAGE/AGAGE experiments, we found that the large variability in mixing ratios (relative standard deviation ranged from 9.31 % to 96.55 % of the halocarbons suggested substantial local emissions from the PRD region in 2004. Correlations between the mixing ratio of each species and carbon monoxide (CO was examined, and then the emission of each halocarbon was quantified based on scaling the optimized CO emission inventory with the slope of the regression line fitted to each species relative to CO. The calculated results revealed that mass of CH₂Cl₂ (7.0 Gg, CH₃CCl₃ (6.7 Gg, and Cl₂C = CCl₂ (2.3 Gg accounted for about 62.9 % of total halocarbon emissions, it suggested a significant contribution from solvent use in the PRD region. Emissions of HCFC-22 (3.5 Gg, an alternative refrigerant to chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs, were about 2.3 times greater than those of CFC-12 (1.6 Gg. CFC-12 and HCFC-22 accounted for 21.5 % of total emissions of halocarbons, so that the refrigerant would be the second largest source of halocarbons. However, the ratio approach found only minor emissions of CFCs, such as CFC-11, and the emission of CFC-114 and CFC-113 were close to zero. Emissions of other anthropogenic halocarbons, such as CCl

A Photobook of the Shimmer: Pearl Fisheries, Photography, and British Colonialism in South Asia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natasha

2017-11-01

Full Text Available This article examines Lionel Wendt’s photographs of the Sri Lankan shoreline and its pearling economy during the British occupation in the 1930s and 1940s. It considers the light they shed on labour, as well as the tangled relationships between wealth and waste, in an environment where the detritus (cultch generated by harvesting luxury pearls also formed the most common building materials. The ambivalences of Wendt’s aesthetic are connected to the qualities of pearlescence and the shimmer, which themselves were freighted with both metaphorical meaning and technical possibility, for theorists of modernity like Walter Benjamin and early scientists of photography alike. Considering what was, and was not depicted in Wendt’s photographs, the article describes the materiality of the coercive labour that existed in the Gulf of Manaar, as well as its connected imaginaries, both local and colonial.

CRED REA Algal Assessments, Pearl and Hermes Atoll, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, 2002 (NODC Accession 0010352)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Twelve quadrats were sampled along 2 consecutively-placed, 25m transect lines as part of Rapid Ecological Assessments conducted at 14 sites at Pearl and Hermes Atoll...

CRED REA Algal Assessments, Pearl and Hermes Atoll, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands 2003 (NODC Accession 0010352)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Twelve quadrats were sampled along 2 consecutively-placed, 25m transect lines as part of Rapid Ecological Assessments conducted at 15 sites at Pearl and Hermes Atoll...

CRED REA Coral Population Parameters at Pearl and Hermes Atoll, NW Hawaiian Islands (NWHI), 2006

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Belt transects along 2 consecutively-placed, 25m transect lines were surveyed as part of Rapid Ecological Assessments conducted at 13 sites at Pearl and Hermes Atoll...

Transfer factors of radionuclides 137Cs and 65Zn from soil to pearl millet and sorghum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sachdev, P.; Sachdev, M.S.; Deb, D.L.

1996-01-01

The soil to plant transfer factors (TF) of 137 Cs and 65 Zn were determined for two crops, sorghum and pearl millet, under irrigated conditions in greenhouse and under rain fed conditions in field. In the greenhouse experiment, the accumulation of 137 Cs was almost doubled when the soil contamination level was doubled. Under field conditions, 137 Cs concentration in both pearl millet and sorghum grains as well as straw was nearly four times more at 148 kBq Kg -1 level of soil contamination as compared to lower level of 74 kBq kg -1 soil. The TF values for 65 Zn determined under greenhouse conditions for both the crops were nearly a hundred-fold higher as compared to 137 Cs. (author). 7 refs., 2 tabs

Super-light concrete with pearl-chains

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hertz, Kristian Dahl

2009-01-01

with large spans for bridges, factories, warehouses, shopping centres, car parks, assembly and sports halls and so on. The new structures are new applications for well-understood components, so it is not necessary to prove that they are possible. However, the paper presents tests that were made to illustrate...... half that of similar structures in concrete and steel. They are heat-insulating, fire-resistant and they open up the possibility for large spans and the creation of advanced shapes. Fields of application include roofs, shells, beams, columns, walls, façades, offshore structures, tunnels and structures...... the applicability and to reveal any potential hidden problems. Continuing research will aim to reduce the weight and thereby the resource consumption further. In addition, the paper introduces pearl-chain reinforcement, which is a new principle for creating compression and tension zones. A small number of simple...

[Effect of hydrochemistry characteristics under impact of human activity: a case study in the upper reaches of the Xijiang River basin].

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Shil; Sun, Ping-an; Du, Wen-yue; He, Shi-yi; Li, Rui

2015-01-01

In this paper, observation and sampling were taken three times a month in a hydrological year for three typical sections of the middle and upper reaches of the Xijiang River basin, based on the data of hydrochemistry and flow, the article mainly discusses the evolution process of hydrochemistry in river under natural process and impact of human activity. Hydrochemical characteristics of 116. samples were analyzed in the study area. The hydrochemistry type in the middle and upper reaches of the Xijiang River basin belonged to HCO3- -Ca2+ type, and the chemical weathering type mainly came from carbonate rock weathering. Ca2+ and HCO3- were the main cations and anions, which reflected that hydrochemical characteristics of river in karst area mainly affected by the dissolution of carbonate rock. Na, Mg2, Ca2+ and Cl- mainly affected by natural conditions, the impact of human activity was little. K+, NO3-, SO4(2-) and HCO3- were affected by human activity in different degrees, and it showed different influence ways. This study had an important significance for the change of river hydrochemistry, water quality characteristics, and the effect on substance transported fluxes in the downstream of Pearl River and water quality protection in South China Monsoon Area.

Grace Under Fire: The Army Nurses of Pearl Harbor, 1941.

Science.gov (United States)

Milbrath, Gwyneth R

2016-01-01

Much has been written about the military events of December 7, 1941; however, little has been documented about the nurses' work and experience at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The aerial assault on Pearl Harbor was the first time in US history that Army nurses had been on the front line of battle. Nurses quickly triaged and stabilized those who could be saved, and provided compassion and comfort to those who were dying, in an environment where the nurses were unsure of their own survival. Traditional historical methods and a social history framework were used in this investigation. Primary sources included oral histories from the US Army Medical Department Center of History and Heritage and the State of Hawaii's website, Hawaii Aviation. Secondary sources included published books, newspaper articles, military websites, and history texts. Due to the limited bed capacity, Hickam Field Hospital converted to an evacuation hospital. Nurses, physicians, and medical corpsman triaged, stabilized, and transported those likely to survive, while staging the dead behind the building. The emergency room at Tripler Hospital was quickly flooded with patients from the battlefield, but the staff was able to sort patients appropriately to the wards, to the operating room, or provide comfort care as they died. At Schofield Hospital, collaboration between tireless doctors, nurses, and corpsmen was key to providing life-saving surgery and care.

Volatilization of Parathion and Chlorothalonil from a Potato Crop Simulated by the PEARL Model

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Leistra, M.; Berg, van den F.

2007-01-01

The volatilization of pesticides from crop canopies in the field should be modeled within the context of evaluating environmental exposure. A model concept based on diffusion through a laminar air-boundary layer was incorporated into the PEARL model (pesticide emission assessment at regional and

Radiological survey of the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Environs, Honolulu, Hawaii. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Callis, R.S.

1987-06-01

This report presents results of the survey conducted by the Eastern Environmental Radiation Facility personnel to assess levels of environmental radioactivity resulting from maintenance and operation of nuclear-powered warships at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Environs on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu

Larval dispersal modeling of pearl oyster Pinctada margaritifera following realistic environmental and biological forcing in Ahe atoll lagoon.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoann Thomas

Full Text Available Studying the larval dispersal of bottom-dwelling species is necessary to understand their population dynamics and optimize their management. The black-lip pearl oyster (Pinctada margaritifera is cultured extensively to produce black pearls, especially in French Polynesia's atoll lagoons. This aquaculture relies on spat collection, a process that can be optimized by understanding which factors influence larval dispersal. Here, we investigate the sensitivity of P. margaritifera larval dispersal kernel to both physical and biological factors in the lagoon of Ahe atoll. Specifically, using a validated 3D larval dispersal model, the variability of lagoon-scale connectivity is investigated against wind forcing, depth and location of larval release, destination location, vertical swimming behavior and pelagic larval duration (PLD factors. The potential connectivity was spatially weighted according to both the natural and cultivated broodstock densities to provide a realistic view of connectivity. We found that the mean pattern of potential connectivity was driven by the southwest and northeast main barotropic circulation structures, with high retention levels in both. Destination locations, spawning sites and PLD were the main drivers of potential connectivity, explaining respectively 26%, 59% and 5% of the variance. Differences between potential and realistic connectivity showed the significant contribution of the pearl oyster broodstock location to its own dynamics. Realistic connectivity showed larger larval supply in the western destination locations, which are preferentially used by farmers for spat collection. In addition, larval supply in the same sectors was enhanced during summer wind conditions. These results provide new cues to understanding the dynamics of bottom-dwelling populations in atoll lagoons, and show how to take advantage of numerical models for pearl oyster management.

Lipid nanocarriers (GeluPearl) containing amphiphilic lipid Gelucire 50/13 as a novel stabilizer: fabrication, characterization and evaluation for oral drug delivery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Date, Abhijit A; Nagarsenker, Mangal S; Vador, Nimish; Jagtap, Aarti

2011-01-01

Purpose. To evaluate the ability of Gelucire 50/13 (an amphiphilic lipid excipient) to act as a stabilizer for lipid nanocarriers such as solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) and to establish the ability of Gelucire 50/13 based lipid nanocarriers to improve oral delivery of hydrophobic drugs using repaglinide (RPG) as a model drug. Methods. The ability of Gelucire 50/13 to nanosize various solid lipids was evaluated. The ability of Gelucire 50/13 to yield NLC was evaluated by using Precirol ATO 5 as a model solid lipid and various liquid lipids (oils). Gelucire 50/13 based NLC (GeluPearl) were evaluated for their ability to improve the efficacy of RPG on oral administration in comparison to RPG tablets. The short term stability of RPG-GeluPearl was evaluated at 25 deg. C/60% RH. Results. Gelucire 50/13 could successfully yield SLN and NLC of various solid lipids, demonstrating its potential to act as a novel stabilizer. DSC studies indicated that Gelucire 50/13 interacts with Precirol ATO 5 and this interaction suppresses polymorphic transitions of both the components. RPG-GeluPearl exhibited significantly higher anti-diabetic activity compared to marketed RPG tablets. RPG-GeluPearl demonstrated good colloidal and chemical stability at the end of 1 month.

Preliminary investigation into the pressing process of sweet pearl millet and sweet sorghum biomass for ethanol production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crepeau, M.; Khelifi, M.; Vanasse, A. [Laval Univ., Quebec City, PQ (Canada). Dept. of Soil Science and Agri-Food Engineering

2010-07-01

Corn is the main source for biofuel production in North America. However, both sweet pearl millet and sweet sorghum crops represent an interesting alternative to corn for ethanol production because of their high biomass yield under a wide range of environmental conditions and high concentration of readily fermentable sugars. Coproducts such as pressing residues can be also be utilized so that nothing is lost in the process. However, in order to improve the extraction of juice for ethanol production, the pressing process of this biomass must be optimized. Preliminary experiments were therefore conducted to optimize the juice extraction from sweet pearl millet and sweet sorghum using 2 different presses, notably a screw press and a manually operated hydraulic press. Both types of biomass were either chopped finely or coarsely and were exposed to various pressures with the hydraulic press. The volume of juice extracted from both crops increased linearly with increasing pressure. Sweet sorghum appeared to be a better feedstock for ethanol production because it produced about 0.03 to 0.06 litre of juice per kg of biomass more than sweet pearl millet. Juice extraction was more effective with the screw press, but only a small difference was noted between the 2 chopping modes.

Optimization of PIXE quantitative system to assist the traceability of pearl and other gemstones

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murao, S., E-mail: s.murao@aist.go.jp [National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, (Japan); Sera, K. [Cyclotron Research Center, Iwate Medical University, Takizawa, Iwate (Japan); Goto, S.; Takahashi, C. [Takizawa Laboratory, Japan Radioisotope Association, Takizawa, Iwate (Japan); Cartier, L. [Department of Environmental Science, University of Basel (Switzerland); Nakashima, K. [Yamagata University, Yamagata, (Japan)

2013-07-01

Full text: A recent rise of social attention towards ethical consumerism, ethical jewellery, blood diamonds and the traceability of gemstones has challenged scientists to construct analytical systems to deliver in line with such expectations by offering traceability solutions. It is important to develop traceability protocols for gemstones and pearls that are ethically traded, as this will further encourage members of the trade to engage in ethical and fair trade practices. Of various kinds of available methods, Proton/particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) seems to be robust and promising in this context because of its trace element analysis capabilities without destruction. The authors conducted both vacuum and in-air experiments to optimize conditions to identify important peaks and to quantify the signals that correspond to gemstone materials from specific geographic origins. PIXE results for cultured pearls from Micronesia and commercial-quality crystals from Pakistan, both sources of fair trade gemstone materials, will be presented. (author)

Optimization of PIXE quantitative system to assist the traceability of pearl and other gemstones

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murao, S.; Sera, K.; Goto, S.; Takahashi, C.; Cartier, L.; Nakashima, K.

2013-01-01

Full text: A recent rise of social attention towards ethical consumerism, ethical jewellery, blood diamonds and the traceability of gemstones has challenged scientists to construct analytical systems to deliver in line with such expectations by offering traceability solutions. It is important to develop traceability protocols for gemstones and pearls that are ethically traded, as this will further encourage members of the trade to engage in ethical and fair trade practices. Of various kinds of available methods, Proton/particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) seems to be robust and promising in this context because of its trace element analysis capabilities without destruction. The authors conducted both vacuum and in-air experiments to optimize conditions to identify important peaks and to quantify the signals that correspond to gemstone materials from specific geographic origins. PIXE results for cultured pearls from Micronesia and commercial-quality crystals from Pakistan, both sources of fair trade gemstone materials, will be presented. (author)

Expression of a ß-1,3-glucanase from a biocontrol fungus in transgenic pearl millet

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

O'Kennedy, MM

2011-05-01

Full Text Available by the rice Act1 intron sequences, were subjected to pathogenicity trials. Apart from one isolated event reducing incidence of S. graminicola infection by 58%, transgenic pearl millet showed no resistance to this phytopathogen. The event conferring decreased...

Potential use of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) in Brazil: Food security, processing, health benefits and nutritional products.

Science.gov (United States)

Dias-Martins, Amanda M; Pessanha, Kênia Letícia F; Pacheco, Sidney; Rodrigues, José Avelino S; Carvalho, Carlos Wanderlei Piler

2018-07-01

Climate change can cause an increase in arid soils, warmer weather, and reduce water availability, which in turn can directly affect food security. This increases food prices and reduces the availability of food. Therefore, knowledge concerning the nutritional and technological potential of non-traditional crops and their resistance to heat and drought is very interesting. Pearl millet is known to produce small nutritious cereal grains, which can endure both heat and dry conditions, and is one of the basic cereals of several African and Asian countries. Although this species has been cultivated in Brazil for at least 50 years it is only used as a cover crop and animal feed, but not for human consumption. Nonetheless, pearl millet grains have a high potential as food for humans because they are gluten-free, higher in dietary fiber content than rice, similar in lipid content to maize and higher content of essential amino acids (leucine, isoleucine and lysine) than other traditional cereals, such as wheat and rye. In addition, the crop is low cost and less susceptible to contamination by aflatoxins compared to corn, for example. Most grains, including pearl millet, can be milled, decorticated, germinated, fermented, cooked and extruded to obtain products such as flours, biscuits, snacks, pasta and non-dairy probiotic beverages. Pearl millet also has functional properties; it has a low glycemic index and therefore it can be used as an alternative food for weight control and to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, such as diabetes. Thus, this review intends to show the potential of pearl millet as an alternative food security crop, particularly in countries, like Brazil, where it is not commonly consumed. Also this review presents different processes and products that have been already reported in the literature in order to introduce the great potential of this important small grain to producers and consumers. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Short- and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins in air and soil of subtropical terrestrial environment in the pearl river delta, South China: distribution, composition, atmospheric deposition fluxes, and environmental fate.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yan; Li, Jun; Cheng, Zhineng; Li, Qilu; Pan, Xiaohui; Zhang, Ruijie; Liu, Di; Luo, Chunling; Liu, Xiang; Katsoyiannis, Athanasios; Zhang, Gan

2013-03-19

Research on the environmental fate of short- and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs and MCCPs) in highly industrialized subtropical areas is still scarce. Air, soil, and atmospheric deposition process in the Pearl River Delta of South China were investigated, and the average SCCP and MCCP concentrations were 5.2 μg/sampler (17.69 ng/m(3)) and 4.1 μg/sampler for passive air samples, 18.3 and 59.3 ng/g for soil samples, and 5.0 and 5.3 μg/(m(2)d) for deposition samples, respectively. Influenced by primary sources and the properties of chlorinated paraffins (CPs), a gradient trend of concentrations and a fractionation of composition from more to less industrialized areas were discovered. Intense seasonal variations with high levels in summer air and winter deposition samples indicated that the air and deposition CP levels were controlled mainly by the vapor and particle phase, respectively. Complex environmental processes like volatilization and fractionation resulted in different CP profiles in different environment matrixes and sampling locations, with C(10-11) C(l6-7) and C(14) C(l6-7), C(10-12) C(l6-7) and C(14) C(l6-8), and C(11-12) C(l6-8) and C(14) C(l7-8) dominating in air, soil, and atmospheric deposition, respectively. Shorter-chain and less chlorinated congeners were enriched in air in the less industrialized areas, while longer-chain and higher chlorinated congeners were concentrated in soil in the more industrialized areas. This is suggesting that the gaseous transport of CPs is the dominant mechanism responsible for the higher concentrations of lighter and likely more mobile CPs in the rural areas.

Frost susceptibility of sub-base gravel used in Pearl-Chain Bridges: an experimental investigation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lund, Mia Schou Møller; Hansen, Kurt Kielsgaard; Andersen, Iben Brøndum

2016-01-01

This study investigates frost susceptibility of sub-base gravel determined by the ASTM D5918-13 standard as a conservative estimate of the frost heave risk of fill in overfilled arch bridges, particularly in Pearl-Chain Bridges. Frost heave of granular materials has been of great research interes...

Rolling the "Black Pearl" over: Analyzing the Physics of a Movie Clip

Science.gov (United States)

Mungan, Carl E.; Emery, John D.

2011-01-01

In the third movie ("At World's End") in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series, Jack Sparrow and his crew need to roll their ship (the "Black Pearl") over in order to bring it back to the living world during a green flash at sunset. They do so by running back and forth from one side railing to the other on the top deck. In addition, Captain…

A Coupled Model of the 1D River Network and 3D Estuary Based on Hydrodynamics and Suspended Sediment Simulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei Zhang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available River networks and estuaries are very common in coastal areas. Runoff from the upper stream interacts with tidal current from open sea in these two systems, leading to a complex hydrodynamics process. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the two systems as a whole to study the flow and suspended sediment transport. Firstly, a 1D model is established in the Pearl River network and a 3D model is applied in its estuary. As sufficient mass exchanges between the river network and its estuary, a strict mathematical relationship of water level at the interfaces can be adopted to couple the 1D model with the 3D model. By doing so, the coupled model does not need to have common nested grids. The river network exchanges the suspended sediment with its estuary by adding the continuity conditions at the interfaces. The coupled model is, respectively, calibrated in the dry season and the wet season. The results demonstrate that the coupled model works excellently in simulating water level and discharge. Although there are more errors in simulating suspended sediment concentration due to some reasons, the coupled model is still good enough to evaluate the suspended sediment transport in river network and estuary systems.

Cultural Diversity in Nursing Education: Perils, Pitfalls, and Pearls

Science.gov (United States)

Bednarz, Hedi; Schim, Stephanie; Doorenbos, Ardith

2010-01-01

Increasing diversity in the classroom challenges nursing educators to identify issues that complicate teaching (perils), analyze barriers for themselves and their students (pitfalls), and select new strategies for working with nontraditional students (pearls). This article identifies concerns arising from attitudes and values within nursing and common approaches to diversity education, and then discusses key issues in nursing education that relate to human nature, culture, faculty workload, and student demographics. Finally, some strategies are proposed for increasing the effectiveness of professional preparation with diverse students through a focus on culturally congruent education and development of faculty cultural competence. PMID:20143759

Mapping QTLs Controlling Flowering Time and Important Agronomic Traits in Pearl Millet.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Sushil; Hash, C Tom; Nepolean, T; Satyavathi, C Tara; Singh, Govind; Mahendrakar, Mahesh D; Yadav, Rattan S; Srivastava, Rakesh K

2017-01-01

Pearl millet [ Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] is a staple crop for the people of arid and semi-arid regions of the world. It is fast gaining importance as a climate resilient nutricereal. Exploiting the bold seeded, semi-dwarf, and early flowering genotypes in pearl millet is a key breeding strategy to enhance yield, adaptability, and for adequate food in resource-poor zones. Genetic variation for agronomic traits of pearl millet inbreds can be used to dissect complex traits through quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping. This study was undertaken to map a set of agronomically important traits like flowering time (FT), plant height (PH), panicle length (PL), and grain weight (self and open-pollinated seeds) in the recombinant inbred line (RIL) population of ICMB 841-P3 × 863B-P2 cross. Excluding grain weight (open pollinated), heritabilities for FT, PH, PL, grain weight (selfed) were in high to medium range. A total of six QTLs for FT were detected on five chromosomes, 13 QTLs for PH on six chromosomes, 11 QTLs for PL on five chromosomes, and 14 QTLs for 1,000-grain weight (TGW) spanning five chromosomes. One major QTL on LG3 was common for FT and PH. Three major QTLs for PL, one each on LG1, LG2, and LG6B were detected. The large effect QTL for TGW (self) on LG6B had a phenotypic variance ( R 2 ) of 62.1%. The R 2 for FT, TGW (self), and PL ranged from 22.3 to 59.4%. A total of 21 digenic interactions were discovered for FT ( R 2 = 18-40%) and PL ( R 2 = 13-19%). The epistatic effects did not reveal any significant QTL × QTL × environment (QQE) interactions. The mapped QTLs for flowering time and other agronomic traits in present experiment can be used for marker-assisted selection (MAS) and genomic selection (GS) breeding programs.

Constitutive water-conserving mechanisms are correlated with the terminal drought tolerance of pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.].

Science.gov (United States)

Kholová, Jana; Hash, C Tom; Kakkera, Aparna; Kocová, Marie; Vadez, Vincent

2010-01-01

Pearl millet, a key staple crop of the semi-arid tropics, is mostly grown in water-limited conditions, and improving its performance depends on how genotypes manage limited water resources. This study investigates whether the control of water loss under non-limiting water conditions is involved in the terminal drought tolerance of pearl millet. Two pairs of tolerant x sensitive pearl millet genotypes, PRLT 2/89-33-H77/833-2 and 863B-P2-ICMB 841-P3, and near-isogenic lines (NILs), introgressed with a terminal drought tolerance quantitative trait locus (QTL) from the donor parent PRLT 2/89-33 into H77/833-2 (NILs-QTL), were tested. Upon exposure to water deficit, transpiration began to decline at lower fractions of transpirable soil water (FTSW) in tolerant than in sensitive genotypes, and NILs-QTL followed the pattern of the tolerant parents. The transpiration rate (Tr, in g water loss cm(-2) d(-1)) under well-watered conditions was lower in tolerant than in sensitive parental genotypes, and the Tr of NILs-QTL followed the pattern of the tolerant parents. In addition, Tr measured in detached leaves (g water loss cm(-2) h(-1)) from field-grown plants of the parental lines showed lower Tr values in tolerant parents. Defoliation led to an increase in Tr that was higher in sensitive than in tolerant genotypes. The differences in Tr between genotypes was not related to the stomatal density. These results demonstrate that constitutive traits controlling leaf water loss under well-watered conditions correlate with the terminal drought tolerance of pearl millet. Such traits may lead to more water being available for grain filling under terminal drought.

Influence of agricultural practice on trace metals in soils and vegetation in the water conservation area along the East River (Dongjiang River), South China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luo, Chunling, E-mail: clluo@gig.ac.cn [Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640 (China); Yang, Renxiu [Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon (Hong Kong); Wang, Yan; Li, Jun; Zhang, Gan [Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640 (China); Li, Xiangdong [Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon (Hong Kong)

2012-08-01

Dongjiang (East River) is the key resource of potable water for the Pearl River Delta region, South China. Although industrial activities are limited in the water conservation area along this river, agriculture is very intensive. The present study evaluated trace metals in four soils under different cultivation. The total concentrations of trace metals decreased in the order orchard soil > vegetable soil > paddy soil > natural soil, reflecting decreasing inputs of agrochemicals to soils. Relatively high concentrations of Cd were recorded in the 60-cm soil profiles. The {sup 206}Pb/{sup 207}Pb ratio in the above-ground tissues of plant was significantly lower than their corresponding soils. In combination with the low transfer factor of Pb from soil to plant shoots, atmospheric deposition is probably a major pathway for Pb to enter plant leaves. Regular monitoring on the soil quality in this area is recommended for the safety of water resource and agricultural products. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Soil Cd exceeded the upper limit of Chinese standard for agricultural soils. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Relatively high concentrations of Cd were recorded in the 60-cm soil profiles. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Agricultural soil had higher concentrations of metals and lower {sup 206}Pb/{sup 207}Pb ratios. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Pb in above-ground tissues of plant was more anthropogenic than soil. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Atmospheric deposition may be a major pathway for Pb to enter plant leaves.

Response of Pearl Millet to nitrogen as affected by water deficit

OpenAIRE

Diouf , O.; Brou , Yao Télesphore; Diouf , M.; Sarr , B.; Eyletters , M.; Roy-Macauley , H.; Delhaye , J.

2004-01-01

International audience; In the Sahelian zone, low soil N could be as limiting as drought in pearl millet production. Although growth and crop productivity depend on several biochemical reactions in which the nitrogen metabolism plays a great role, there is little information available on how N uptake and key enzymes, nitrate reductase and glutamine synthetase, are affected by nitrogen and water interaction in millet. For this purpose, the millet variety cv. Souna III was grown in the field du...

Analysis of thematic mapper simulator data acquired during winter season over Pearl River, Mississippi, test site

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, J. E.; Kalcic, M. T. (Principal Investigator)

1982-01-01

Digital processed aircraft-acquired thematic mapping simulator (TMS) data collected during the winter season over a forested site in southern Mississippi are presented to investigate the utility of TMS data for use in forest inventories and monitoring. Analyses indicated that TMS data are capable of delineating the mixed forest land cover type to an accuracy of 92.5 % correct. The accuracies associated with river bottom forest and pine forest were 95.5 and 91.5 % correct. The accuracies associated with river bottom forest and pine forest were 95.5 and 91.5 % correct, respectively. The figures reflect the performance for products produced using the best subset of channels for each forest cover type. It was found that the choice of channels (subsets) has a significant effect on the accuracy of classification produced, and that the same channels are not the most desirable for all three forest types studied. Both supervised and unsupervised spectral signature development techniques are evaluated; the unsupervised methods proved unacceptable for the three forest types considered.

Revisiting "Pearl Harbor": Resistance to Reel and Real Events in an English Language Classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Mackie, Ardiss; Norton, Bonny

2006-01-01

In this article, we draw on disruptive scenes in a postsecondary classroom to examine a critical incident concerning conflicting readings of the film "Pearl Harbor" (2001). We raise crucial questions for pedagogical work with popular film: Who speaks for whom about the meaning of a given film? Under what conditions do students resist…

Aerosol size and chemical composition measurements at the Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Lab (PEARL) in Eureka, Nunavut

Science.gov (United States)

Hayes, P. L.; Tremblay, S.; Chang, R. Y. W.; Leaitch, R.; Kolonjari, F.; O'Neill, N. T.; Chaubey, J. P.; AboEl Fetouh, Y.; Fogal, P.; Drummond, J. R.

2016-12-01

This study presents observations of aerosol chemical composition and particle number size distribution at the Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory (PEARL) in the Canadian High Arctic (80N, 86W). The current aerosol measurement program at PEARL has been ongoing for more than a year providing long-term observations of Arctic aerosol size distributions for both coarse and fine modes. Particle nucleation events were frequently observed during the summers of 2015 and 2016. The size distribution data are also compared against similar measurements taken at the Alert Global Atmospheric Watch Observatory (82N, 62W) for July and August 2015. The nucleation events are correlated at the two sites, despite a distance of approximately 500 km, suggesting regional conditions favorable for particle nucleation and growth during this period. Size resolved chemical composition measurements were also carried out using an aerosol mass spectrometer. The smallest measured particles between 40 and 60 nm are almost entirely organic aerosol (OA) indicating that the condensation of organic vapors is responsible for particle growth events and possibly particle nucleation. This conclusion is further supported by the relatively high oxygen content of the OA, which is consistent with secondary formation of OA via atmospheric oxidation.Lastly, surface measurements of the aerosol scattering coefficient are compared against the coefficient values calculated using Mie theory and the measured aerosol size distribution. Both the actual and the calculated scattering coefficients are then compared to sun photometer measurements to understand the relationship between surface and columnar aerosol optical properties. The measurements at PEARL provide a unique combination of surface and columnar data sets on aerosols in the High Arctic, a region where such measurements are scarce despite the important impact of aerosols on Arctic climate.PEARL research is supported by the Natural Sciences and

Variation of particle number size distributions and chemical compositions at the urban and downwind regional sites in the Pearl River Delta during summertime pollution episodes

Science.gov (United States)

Yue, D. L.; Hu, M.; Wu, Z. J.; Guo, S.; Wen, M. T.; Nowak, A.; Wehner, B.; Wiedensohler, A.; Takegawa, N.; Kondo, Y.; Wang, X. S.; Li, Y. P.; Zeng, L. M.; Zhang, Y. H.

2010-10-01

In order to characterize the features of particulate pollution in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) in the summer, continuous measurements of particle number size distributions and chemical compositions were simultaneously performed at Guangzhou urban site (GZ) and Back-garden downwind regional site (BG) in July 2006. Particle number concentration from 20 nm to 10 μm at BG was (1.7±0.8)×104 cm-3, about 40% lower than that at GZ, (2.9±1.1)×104 cm-3. The total particle volume concentration at BG was 94±34 μm3 cm-3, similar to that at GZ, 96±43 μm3 cm-3. More 20-100 nm particles, significantly affected by the traffic emissions, were observed at GZ, while 100-660 nm particle number concentrations were similar at both sites as they are more regional. PM2.5 values were similar at GZ (69±43 μg m-3) and BG (69±58 μg m-3) with R2 of 0.71 for the daily average PM2.5 at these two sites, indicating the fine particulate pollution in the PRD region to be regional. Two kinds of pollution episodes, the accumulation pollution episode and the regional transport pollution episode, were observed. Fine particles over 100 nm dominated both number and volume concentrations of total particles during the late periods of these pollution episodes. Accumulation and secondary transformation are the main reasons for the nighttime accumulation pollution episode. SO42-, NO3- accounted for about 60% in 100-660 nm particle mass and PM2.5 increase. When south or southeast wind prevailed in the PRD region, regional transport of pollutants took place. Regional transport contributed about 30% to fine particulate pollution at BG during a regional transport case. Secondary transformation played an important role during regional transport, causing higher increase rates of secondary ions in PM1.0 than other species and shifting the peaks of sulfate and ammonium mass size distributions to larger sizes. SO42-, NO3-, and NH4+ accounted for about 70% and 40% of PM1.0 and PM2.5, respectively.

Experimental investigation of different fill materials in arch bridges with particular focus on Pearl-Chain Bridges

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lund, Mia Schou Møller; Hansen, Kurt Kielsgaard; Hertz, Kristian Dahl

2016-01-01

Pearl-Chain Bridge technology is a recently developed prefabricated arch solution for road and railway bridges allowing faster, more environmentally friendly, and cheaper bridge construction. This study compared the strength and durability properties of three different types of fill material...

Milheto na alimentação de poedeiras = Pearl millet in the diet of laying hens

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Flávia Quiles Marques Garcia

2011-01-01

Full Text Available O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar os efeitos da utilização de milheto como alimento energético, nas rações de poedeiras sobre o desempenho e qualidade de ovos, bem como realizar uma avaliação econômica a fim de verificar a viabilidade da utilização de milheto. Foram utilizadas 336 poedeiras comerciais, distribuídas em um delineamento inteiramente casualizado com seis tratamentos, sete repetições e oito aves por unidade experimental. Os tratamentos consistiram em uma ração-testemunha à base de milho e farelo de soja e as demais com 20, 40, 60, 80 e 100% de substituição ao milho. A inclusão do milheto não influenciou o consumo de ração, porcentagem de postura, conversão alimentar e a qualidade interna e externa dos ovos. Para o índice de coloração de gema, houve redução linear à medida que o nível de milheto foi crescente nas rações. Comrelação à variável econômica, o nível de 20% de substituição por milheto mostrou menor viabilidade, quando comparado ao milho. Assim, o milheto pode substituir o milho em níveis superiores a 20% sem prejuízos para o desempenho e qualidade dos ovos, sendo economicamente viável. Porém, deve-se considerar a necessidade da inclusão de pigmentantes.The present study examined the effects of the use of pearl millet, as energetic source, in the diets of laying hens on the performance and eggs quality, as well as to accomplish an economic evaluation in order to verify the viability of using the pearl millet. Three hundred thirty-six commercial laying hens were used, distributed in a completely randomized experimental design, with six treatments, seven replicates and eight birds for experimental unit. The treatments consisted in a control diet based on corn and soybean meal and the others with different levels of pearl millet (0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100%. The pearl millet inclusion did not influence the feed intake, egg production (%, feed conversion and internal and

Van der Waals interactions between planar substrate and tubular lipid membranes undergoing pearling instability

Science.gov (United States)

Valchev, G. S.; Djondjorov, P. A.; Vassilev, V. M.; Dantchev, D. M.

2017-10-01

In the current article we study the behavior of the van der Waals force between a planar substrate and an axisymmetric bilayer lipid membrane undergoing pearling instability, caused by uniform hydrostatic pressure difference. To do so, the recently suggested "surface integration approach" is used, which can be considered a generalization of the well known and widely used Derjaguin approximation. The static equilibrium shape after the occurrence of the instability is described in the framework of Helfrich's spontaneous curvature model. Some specific classes of exact analytical solutions to the corresponding shape equation are considered, and the components of the respective position vectors given in terms of elliptic integrals and Jacobi elliptic functions. The mutual orientation between the interacting objects is chosen such that the axis of revolution of the distorted cylinder be parallel to the plane bounding the substrate. Based on the discussed models and approaches we made some estimations for the studied force in real experimentally realizable systems, thus showing the possibility of pearling as an useful technique for reduction of the adhesion in variety of industrial processes using lipid membranes as carriers.

A Sperm Spawn-Inducing Pheromone in the Silver Lip Pearl Oyster (Pinctada maxima).

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, A; Mills, D; Wang, T; Ntalamagka, N; Cummins, S F; Elizur, A

2018-04-28

Pheromones are considered to play an important role in broadcast spawning in aquatic animals, facilitating synchronous release of gametes. In oysters, the sperm has been implicated as a carrier for the spawn-inducing pheromone (SIP). In hatchery conditions, male pearl oysters (Pinctata maxima) can be stimulated to spawn through a variety of approaches (e.g. rapid temperature change), while females can only be induced to spawn through exposure to conspecific sperm, thus limiting development of targeted pairing, required for genetic research and management. The capacity for commercial production and improvement of genetic lines of pearl oysters could be greatly improved with access to a SIP. In this study, we prepared and sequenced crude and semi-purified P. maxima sperm extracts that were used in bioassays to localise the female SIP. We report that the P. maxima SIP is proteinaceous and extrinsically associated with the sperm membrane. Bioactivity from pooled RP-HPLC fractions, but not individual fractions, suggests that the SIP is multi-component. We conclude that crude sperm preparations, as described in this study, can be used as a sperm-free inducer of female P. maxima spawning, which enables for a more efficient approach to genetic breeding.

In situ observations of Pc1 pearl pulsations by the Van Allen Probes

Science.gov (United States)

Paulson, K. W.; Smith, C. W.; Lessard, M. R.; Engebretson, M. J.; Torbert, R. B.; Kletzing, C. A.

2014-03-01

We present in situ observations of Pc1 pearl pulsations using the Van Allen Probes. These waves are often observed using ground-based magnetometers, but are rarely observed by orbiting satellites. With the Van Allen Probes, we have seen at least 14 different pearl pulsation events during the first year of operations. These new in situ measurements allow us to identify the wave classification based on local magnetic field conditions. Additionally, by using two spacecraft, we are able to observe temporal changes in the region of observation. The waves appear to be generated at an overall central frequency, as often observed on the ground, and change polarization from left- to right-handedness as they propagate into a region where they are resonant with the crossover frequency (where R- and L-mode waves have the same phase velocity). By combining both in situ and ground-based data, we have found that the region satisfying electromagnetic ion cyclotron wave generation conditions is azimuthally large while radially narrow. The observation of a similar modulation period on the ground as in the magnetosphere contradicts the bouncing wave packet mechanism of generation.

76 FR 22865 - Action Affecting Export Privileges; Orion Air, S.L. and Syrian Pearl Airlines

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-25

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Bureau of Industry and Security Action Affecting Export Privileges; Orion Air, S.L. and Syrian Pearl Airlines In the Matter of: Orion Air, S.L., Canada Real de Merinas, 7... days the Order Temporarily Denying the Export Privileges of Respondents Orion Air, S.L. (``Orion Air...

PM{sub 2.5} acidity at a background site in the Pearl River Delta region in fall-winter of 2007–2012

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fu, Xiaoxin [Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (China); Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong (China); Shenzhen Research Institute, Hong Kong Polytechnic University (China); Guo, Hai, E-mail: ceguohai@polyu.edu.hk [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong (China); Shenzhen Research Institute, Hong Kong Polytechnic University (China); Wang, Xinming, E-mail: wangxm@gig.ac.cn [Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (China); Ding, Xiang; He, Quanfu; Liu, Tengyu; Zhang, Zhou [Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (China)

2015-04-09

Highlights: • 24-h PM{sub 2.5} samples were collected in fall-winter of 2007–2012. • The annual reduction trends of [H{sup +}]{sub total} and [H{sup +}]{sub in-situ} of PM{sub 2.5} was −32 ± 1.5 and −9 ± 1.7 nmol m{sup −3}, respectively. • On hazy days, the concentration of OM showed significant enhancement when [H{sup +}]{sub in-situ} ranged from 85 to 240 nmol m{sup −3}. • [H{sup +}]{sub in-situ} presented a close relationship with NO{sub 3}{sup −} formation mechanisms in low and high acidity of PM{sub 2.5}. - Abstract: Based on field observations and thermodynamic model simulation, the annual trend of PM{sub 2.5} acidity and its characteristics on non-hazy and hazy days in fall-winter of 2007–2012 in the Pearl River Delta region were investigated. Total acidity ([H{sup +}]{sub total}) and in-situ acidity ([H{sup +}]{sub in-situ}) of PM{sub 2.5} significantly decreased (F-test, p < 0.05) at a rate of −32 ± 1.5 nmol m{sup −3} year{sup −1} and −9 ± 1.7 nmol m{sup −3} year{sup −1}, respectively. The variation of acidity was mainly caused by the change of the PM{sub 2.5} component, i.e., the decreasing rates of [H{sup +}]{sub total} and [H{sup +}]{sub in-situ} due to the decrease of sulfate (SO{sub 4}{sup 2−}) exceeded the increasing rate caused by the growth of nitrate (NO{sub 3}{sup −}). [H{sup +}]{sub total}, [H{sup +}]{sub in-situ} and liquid water content on hazy days were 0.9–2.2, 1.2–3.5 and 2.0–3.0 times those on non-hazy days, respectively. On hazy days, the concentration of organic matter (OM) showed significant enhancement when [H{sup +}]{sub in-situ} increased (t-test, p < 0.05), while this was not observed on non-hazy days. Moreover, when the acidity was low (i.e., R = [NH{sub 4}{sup +}]/(2 × [SO{sub 4}{sup 2−}] + [NO{sub 3}{sup −}]) > 0.6), NH{sub 4}NO{sub 3} was most likely formed via homogenous reaction. When the acidity was high (R ≤ 0.6), the gas-phase formation of NH{sub 4}NO{sub 3} was

Measuring consumers' interest in instant fortified pearl millet products: a field experiment in Touba, Senegal.

Science.gov (United States)

De Groote, Hugo; Kariuki, Sarah W; Traore, Djibril; Taylor, John Rn; Ferruzzi, Mario G; Hamaker, Bruce R

2018-04-01

In Africa, food-processing industries are emerging fast, especially for cereals. New low-cost extrusion cookers give small enterprises an opportunity to enter the market for processed cereal products, in particular instant, fortified and flavoured mixes. Before engaging in the marketing of these products, consumers' interest needs to be assessed. This study used a combination of affective tests and experimental auctions with 200 consumers in Touba, Senegal, to evaluate four new products with conventional pearl millet flour as the control: instant pearl millet flour, instant pearl millet flour with added dry mango and carrot powder (naturally fortified), and the previous products with added conventional chemical micronutrient fortificants. During affective tests, consumers made little distinction between the five products in appearance, aroma, taste and overall appreciation. The experimental auctions showed that, without providing additional information on the products, there was no difference in 'willingness to pay' (WTP) between them. However, after that information is provided, consumers were willing to pay a modest premium for instant flour, and a large premium for added mango and carrot extract and for added micronutrients, but were not willing to pay a premium if those micronutrients came from natural sources. Income increased overall WTP, while education increased WTP for instant flour. There is a potential market in low-income African countries for instant and fortified cereal food products, but likely in the higher income and education groups. The increased cost needs to be compared to the premiums consumers are willing to pay. In the next step, the new and promising products could be tested in pilot markets, with target consumers. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

The Phylogeography and Population Demography of the Yunnan Caecilian (Ichthyophis bannanicus: Massive Rivers as Barriers to Gene Flow.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hui Wang

Full Text Available Ichthyophis bannanicus is the only caecilian species in China. In this study, the phylogeography and population demography of I. bannanicus were explored, based on the mitochondrial DNA genes (cyt b and ND2 and 15 polymorphic microsatellite loci. Altogether 158 individuals were collected from five populations in Yunnan province, Guangxi province, Guangdong province, and Northern Vietnam. Phylogeographical and population structure analysis identified either two groups (Xishuangbanna, Northern Vietnam-Yulin-Yangchun-Deqing or three groups (Xishuangbanna, Northern Vietnam-Yulin-Yangchun, and Deqing, indicating that the Red River and Pearl River systems may have acted as gene-flow barriers for I. bannanicus. Historical population expansion that happened 15-17 Ka ago was detected for mtDNA data and was possibly triggered by warmer weather after the Last Glacial Maximum. However, the Bayesian simulations of population history based on microsatellite data pinpointed population decline in all populations since 19,123 to 1,029 years ago, demonstrating a significant influence of anthropogenic habitat alteration on I. bannanicus.

Integrating Traditional Chinese Medicine Services in Community Health Centers: Insights into Utilization Patterns in the Pearl River Region of China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vincent C. H. Chung

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In China's healthcare reform, community health centers (CHCs are designed to take a pivotal role in providing primary care. Whilst about 20% of all outpatient care in China is delivered by the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM sector, hospitals, instead of CHCs, are major providers. Using current patterns of patient utilization this study aims to inform CHCs on how they may strengthen access to TCM services. Three thousand three hundred and sixty CHC patients from six cities within the urban Pearl Delta Region were enumerated using multistage cluster sampling. Fifty-two percent had visited herbalists within three months with a mean visit frequency of 1.50 times. Herbal treatments, which are cheaper than western medicines, were more popular amongst those who needed to pay out of pocket including the uninsured. Herbal medicines appeared to be an alternative for those who are underinsured. Acupuncturists and massage therapists were visited by smaller proportions, 6.58% and 5.98%, respectively, with a mean three-month visit of 0.27 and 0.26 times. Access was restricted by lack of social insurance coverage. Whilst increasing provision of TCM in CHCs might respond to patient demand, increasing insurance coverage for TCM needs to be evaluated using current evidence on safety and effectiveness.

Effect of periodic environmental fluctuations on the Pearl-Verhulst model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rogovchenko, Svitlana P.; Rogovchenko, Yuri V.

2009-01-01

We address the effect of periodic environmental fluctuations on the Pearl-Verhulst model in population dynamics and clarify several important issues very actively discussed in the recent papers by Lakshmi [Lakshmi BS. Oscillating population models. Chaos Solitons and Fractals 2003;16:183-6; Lakshmi BS. Population models with time dependent parameters. Chaos Solitons and Fractals 2005;26:719-21], Leach and Andriopoulos [Leach PGL, Andriopoulos K. An oscillatory population model. Chaos Solitons and Fractals 2004;22:1183-8], Swart and Murrell [Swart JH, Murrell HC. An oscillatory model revisited. Chaos Solitons and Fractals 2007;32:1325-7]. Firstly, we review general results regarding existence and properties of periodic solutions and examine existence of a unique positive asymptotically stable periodic solution of a non-autonomous logistic differential equation when r(t)>0. Proceeding to the case where r(t) is allowed to take on negative values, we consider a modified Pearl-Verhulst equation because, as emphasized by Hallam and Clark [Hallam TG, Clark CE. Non-autonomous logistic equations as models of populations in deteriorating environment. J Theor Biol 1981;93:303-11], use of the classic one leads to paradoxical biological conclusions. For a modified logistic equation with ω-periodic coefficients, we establish existence of a unique asymptotically stable positive periodic solution with the same period. Special attention is paid to important cases where time average of the intrinsic growth rate is non-positive. Results of computer simulation demonstrating advantages of a modified equation for modeling periodic environmental fluctuations are presented.

75 FR 56130 - Pearl Harbor National Wildlife Refuge, Honolulu County, HI; Comprehensive Conservation Plan and...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-15

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS-R1-R-2010-N160; 1265-0000-10137-S3] Pearl Harbor National Wildlife Refuge, Honolulu County, HI; Comprehensive Conservation Plan and... Kamehameha Highway, Room 2C, Hale`iwa, HI 96712. Alternatively, you may fax comments to the refuge at (808...

High performance parallelism pearls 2 multicore and many-core programming approaches

CERN Document Server

Jeffers, Jim

2015-01-01

High Performance Parallelism Pearls Volume 2 offers another set of examples that demonstrate how to leverage parallelism. Similar to Volume 1, the techniques included here explain how to use processors and coprocessors with the same programming - illustrating the most effective ways to combine Xeon Phi coprocessors with Xeon and other multicore processors. The book includes examples of successful programming efforts, drawn from across industries and domains such as biomed, genetics, finance, manufacturing, imaging, and more. Each chapter in this edited work includes detailed explanations of t

Harnessing the Power of Education Research Databases with the Pearl-Harvesting Methodological Framework for Information Retrieval

Science.gov (United States)

Sandieson, Robert W.; Kirkpatrick, Lori C.; Sandieson, Rachel M.; Zimmerman, Walter

2010-01-01

Digital technologies enable the storage of vast amounts of information, accessible with remarkable ease. However, along with this facility comes the challenge to find pertinent information from the volumes of nonrelevant information. The present article describes the pearl-harvesting methodological framework for information retrieval. Pearl…

Heavy metal(loid)s and organic contaminants in groundwater in the Pearl River Delta that has undergone three decades of urbanization and industrialization: Distributions, sources, and driving forces.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Guanxing; Zhang, Ming; Liu, Chunyan; Li, Liangping; Chen, Zongyu

2018-09-01

Urbanization and industrialization have increased groundwater resource demands, and may drive the change of heavy metal(loid)s and organic chemicals in groundwater in the Pearl River Delta (PRD), southern China. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of the distributions, sources, and driving forces of heavy metal(loid)s and organic chemicals in groundwater in the PRD is vital for water resource management in this region. In this study, eight heavy metal(loid)s and fifty-five organic chemicals in groundwater across the PRD were investigated. The results show that undrinkable groundwater related to heavy metal(loid)s was mainly due to high concentrations of Fe (19.3%) and As (6.8%). Eighteen organic contaminants were detected in groundwater in the PRD, where the most frequently detected organic contaminant was naphthalene, and its detection rate was 2.51%. In 5.3% of all groundwater samples, one or more organic contaminants were found. All detected organic contaminants, except ones without allowable limits, in groundwater were at concentrations below allowable limits of China. The mean concentrations of heavy metal(loid)s in granular aquifers were higher than those in fissured and karst aquifers, especially for Fe and As. Except Se, the mean concentrations of other heavy metal(loid)s and the frequency of detection of organic contaminants in groundwater in urbanized and peri-urban areas were higher than those in non-urbanized areas, especially for Hg, Co, and organic contaminants. Fe, As, and Se in groundwater mainly originated from the release of Fe/As/Se rich sediments. The former two were driven by reduction reactions, while the latter was driven by oxidation resulting from the infiltration of NO 3 - . In contrast, other five heavy metal(loid)s and organic contaminants in groundwater mainly originated from the anthropogenic sources, such as the infiltration of industrial sewage. It is evident that urbanization and industrialization are two powerful driving forces for

3 CFR 8463 - Proclamation 8463 of December 4, 2009. National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, 2009

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... who selflessly served our Nation at home and abroad during World War II. On a tranquil Sunday morning, as war raged around the globe, the attack on Pearl Harbor effectively ended American isolation... have hereunto set my hand this fourth day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and...

"Tugboat Annie:" nursing's hero of Pearl Harbor--Grace Lally (1897-1983).

Science.gov (United States)

Hawkins, J W; Matthews, I

1991-01-01

In 1991 we will mark the 50th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Few nurses know that the Chief Nurse aboard the USS Solace, the only hospital ship in port on that fateful day, played a critical role in caring for the survivors. Grace Lally's calm, professional manner, along with her sensitivity to the needs of her patients, her 12 nurses, and the crew of the Solace made her a hero. This study is an investigation of her role on December 7, 1941, and her contributions as a career military nurse.

Exploring potential of pearl millet germplasm association panel for association mapping of drought tolerance traits.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deepmala Sehgal

Full Text Available A pearl millet inbred germplasm association panel (PMiGAP comprising 250 inbred lines, representative of cultivated germplasm from Africa and Asia, elite improved open-pollinated cultivars, hybrid parental inbreds and inbred mapping population parents, was recently established. This study presents the first report of genetic diversity in PMiGAP and its exploitation for association mapping of drought tolerance traits. For diversity and genetic structure analysis, PMiGAP was genotyped with 37 SSR and CISP markers representing all seven linkage groups. For association analysis, it was phenotyped for yield and yield components and morpho-physiological traits under both well-watered and drought conditions, and genotyped with SNPs and InDels from seventeen genes underlying a major validated drought tolerance (DT QTL. The average gene diversity in PMiGAP was 0.54. The STRUCTURE analysis revealed six subpopulations within PMiGAP. Significant associations were obtained for 22 SNPs and 3 InDels from 13 genes under different treatments. Seven SNPs associations from 5 genes were common under irrigated and one of the drought stress treatments. Most significantly, an important SNP in putative acetyl CoA carboxylase gene showed constitutive association with grain yield, grain harvest index and panicle yield under all treatments. An InDel in putative chlorophyll a/b binding protein gene was significantly associated with both stay-green and grain yield traits under drought stress. This can be used as a functional marker for selecting high yielding genotypes with 'stay green' phenotype under drought stress. The present study identified useful marker-trait associations of important agronomics traits under irrigated and drought stress conditions with genes underlying a major validated DT-QTL in pearl millet. Results suggest that PMiGAP is a useful panel for association mapping. Expression patterns of genes also shed light on some physiological mechanisms underlying

Alpha particle analysis using PEARLS spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKlveen, J.W.; Klingler, G.W.; McDowell, W.J.; Case, G.N.

1984-01-01

Alpha particle assay by conventional plate-counting methods is difficult because chemical separation, tracer techniques, and/or self-absorption losses in the final sample may cause either non-reproducible results or create unacceptable errors. PEARLS (Photon-Electron Rejecting Alpha Liquid Scintillation) Spectrometry is an attractive alternative since radionuclides may be extracted into a scintillator in which there would be no self-absorption or geometry problems and in which up to 100% chemical recovery and counting efficiency is possible. Sample preparation may include extraction of the alpha emitter of interest by a specific organic-phase-soluble compound directly into the liquid scintillator. Detection electronics use energy and pulse-shape discrimination to provide discrete alpha spectra and virtual absence of beta and gamma backgrounds. Backgrounds on the order of 0.01 cpm are readily achievable. Accuracy and reproducibility are typically in the 100 +-1% range. Specific procedures have been developed for gross alpha, uranium, plutonium, thorium, and polonium assay. This paper will review liquid scintillation alpha counting methods and reference some of the specific applications. 8 refs., 1 fig

Assessing reference genes for accurate transcript normalization using quantitative real-time PCR in pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L. R. Br].

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Prasenjit Saha

Full Text Available Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L. R.Br.], a close relative of Panicoideae food crops and bioenergy grasses, offers an ideal system to perform functional genomics studies related to C4 photosynthesis and abiotic stress tolerance. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR provides a sensitive platform to conduct such gene expression analyses. However, the lack of suitable internal control reference genes for accurate transcript normalization during qRT-PCR analysis in pearl millet is the major limitation. Here, we conducted a comprehensive assessment of 18 reference genes on 234 samples which included an array of different developmental tissues, hormone treatments and abiotic stress conditions from three genotypes to determine appropriate reference genes for accurate normalization of qRT-PCR data. Analyses of Ct values using Stability Index, BestKeeper, ΔCt, Normfinder, geNorm and RefFinder programs ranked PP2A, TIP41, UBC2, UBQ5 and ACT as the most reliable reference genes for accurate transcript normalization under different experimental conditions. Furthermore, we validated the specificity of these genes for precise quantification of relative gene expression and provided evidence that a combination of the best reference genes are required to obtain optimal expression patterns for both endogeneous genes as well as transgenes in pearl millet.

Diseases and parasites of laboratory reared and wild population of banded pearl spot Etroplus suratensis (Cichlidae) in Goa

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Rattan, P.; Parulekar, A.H.

Banded Pearl spot Etroplus suratensis, the inhabitant of coastal backwaters and lagoons is one among the few finfish species identified for brackishwater farming. Common diseases and parasites from the wild population of Goa and from the laboratory...

Evaluating the provenance of fine sediment in degraded Freshwater Pearl Mussel habitats.

Science.gov (United States)

Blake, Will; Haley, Steve; Goddard, Rupert; Stone, Peter; Broadhead, Kat

2015-04-01

Freshwater Pearl Mussels (FWPM), Margaritifera margaritifera, are among the most critically threatened freshwater bivalves worldwide. In addition to their important roles in particle processing, nutrient release, and sediment mixing, they also serve as an ideal target species for evaluation of aquatic ecosystem functioning especially in the context of their symbiotic relationship with Atlantic salmon Salmo salar and brown or sea trout Salmo trutta. Poor water quality, particularly eutrophication, and siltation are considered major contributory factors in the decline of the species hence management of diffuse water pollution from agriculture (DWPA) is a key priority in catchments that host FWPM habitats. Against this background, this study adopted a combined monitoring, surveying and sediment fingerprinting approach to determine the principal sources of fine sediment impacting FWPM habitats in the River Clun, a Special area of Conservation (SAC) for FWPMs in central western UK. Potential sediment production hotspot areas in the ca 200 km2 catchment area upstream of FWPM habitats were initially evaluated using the SCIMAP risk mapping tool. Suspended sediment monitoring was undertaken on the main stem channel where FWPM habitats are located and wet weather catchment walkover surveys undertaken along the upstream river and stream network. Within this monitoring framework, sediment fingerprinting was undertaken at two levels. The first level aimed to link primary catchment sources (cultivated and uncultivated soil, channel bank erosion, and material transported via roads and tracks) to suspended sediment output from each main tributary upstream of the FWPM beds. The second level linked silt in the FWMP beds to the main tributaries, as integrated source end-members, with the inclusion of main channel bank erosion, a notable feature of walkover surveys as an additional source. Geochemical fingerprints, determined by XRF spectroscopy, were dominated by conservative mineral

CRED 20m Gridded bathymetry and IKONOS estimated depths of Pearl and Hermes Atoll, Hawaii, USA (Arc ASCII format)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Gridded bathymetry and IKONOS estimated depths of the shelf and slope environments of Pearl and Hermes Atoll, Hawaii, USA. Bottom coverage was achieved in depths...

CRED 5 m Gridded bathymetry and IKONOS estimated depths of Pearl and Hermes Atoll, Hawaii, USA (Arc ASCII format)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Gridded bathymetry and IKONOS estimated depths of the shelf and slope environments of Pearl and Hermes Atoll, Hawaii, USA. Bottom coverage was achieved in depths...

CRED 20 m Gridded bathymetry and IKONOS estimated depths of Pearl and Hermes Atoll, Hawaii, USA (NetCDF format)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Gridded bathymetry and IKONOS estimated depths of the shelf and slope environments of Pearl and Hermes Atoll, Hawaii, USA. Bottom coverage was achieved in depths...

CRED 5 m Gridded bathymetry and IKONOS estimated depths of Pearl and Hermes Atoll, Hawaii, USA (NetCDF format)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Gridded bathymetry and IKONOS estimated depths of the shelf and slope environments of Pearl and Hermes Atoll, Hawaii, USA. Bottom coverage was achieved in depths...

Integration of gene-based markers in a pearl millet genetic map for identification of candidate genes underlying drought tolerance quantitative trait loci

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sehgal Deepmala

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Identification of genes underlying drought tolerance (DT quantitative trait loci (QTLs will facilitate understanding of molecular mechanisms of drought tolerance, and also will accelerate genetic improvement of pearl millet through marker-assisted selection. We report a map based on genes with assigned functional roles in plant adaptation to drought and other abiotic stresses and demonstrate its use in identifying candidate genes underlying a major DT-QTL. Results Seventy five single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP and conserved intron spanning primer (CISP markers were developed from available expressed sequence tags (ESTs using four genotypes, H 77/833-2, PRLT 2/89-33, ICMR 01029 and ICMR 01004, representing parents of two mapping populations. A total of 228 SNPs were obtained from 30.5 kb sequenced region resulting in a SNP frequency of 1/134 bp. The positions of major pearl millet linkage group (LG 2 DT-QTLs (reported from crosses H 77/833-2 × PRLT 2/89-33 and 841B × 863B were added to the present consensus function map which identified 18 genes, coding for PSI reaction center subunit III, PHYC, actin, alanine glyoxylate aminotransferase, uridylate kinase, acyl-CoA oxidase, dipeptidyl peptidase IV, MADS-box, serine/threonine protein kinase, ubiquitin conjugating enzyme, zinc finger C- × 8-C × 5-C × 3-H type, Hd3, acetyl CoA carboxylase, chlorophyll a/b binding protein, photolyase, protein phosphatase1 regulatory subunit SDS22 and two hypothetical proteins, co-mapping in this DT-QTL interval. Many of these candidate genes were found to have significant association with QTLs of grain yield, flowering time and leaf rolling under drought stress conditions. Conclusions We have exploited available pearl millet EST sequences to generate a mapped resource of seventy five new gene-based markers for pearl millet and demonstrated its use in identifying candidate genes underlying a major DT-QTL in this species. The reported gene

Effect of varying concentrations of dietary crude protein and metabolizable energy on laying performance of Pearl Grey guinea fowl hens.

Science.gov (United States)

Nahashon, S N; Adefope, N A; Amenyenu, A; Wright, D

2007-08-01

This study was conducted to evaluate optimum dietary concentrations of ME and CP for egg production performance of the Pearl Gray guinea fowl laying hens. In a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement, 360 Pearl Gray guinea fowl replacement pullets (22 wk of age) were randomly assigned to experimental diets with 2,800 and 2,900 kcal of ME/kg of diet, each containing 14, 16, and 18% CP, respectively. Each dietary treatment was replicated 4 times, and feed and water were provided ad libitum. Experimental birds were raised in laying cages and received 16 h of light throughout the study period. The birds were observed for feed consumption, hen-day egg production (HDEP), egg weight (EW), egg mass (EM), feed conversion ratio, internal egg quality, shell thickness (ST), and BW at the end of each 28-d lay period at 26 to 50 wk of age and at 62 to 86 wk of age. Mortality was recorded as it occurred. Mean HDEP, EW, EM, and ST were higher (P treatments. Differences in feed consumption, EW, internal egg quality, BW, and mortality among dietary ME and CP concentrations were not significant (P > 0.05). Overall, diets composed of 2,800 kcal of ME/kg of diet and 14% CP were utilized more efficiently by the Pearl Gray guinea fowl laying hens at 26 to 50 and 62 to 86 wk of age.

广西珍珠品牌塑造策略研究%Research on the Brand Strategies of Guangxi Pearl

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

邬镇宁

2013-01-01

Guangxi enjoys rich pearl resources,but provides the market only with low-end products. The study holds that the branding of Guangxi pearl should take the local history resources,geographical advan-tages and annual China-ASEAN Exposition into account,and consider the ways that help it stand out from the fierce competition. With analysis and discussion of the problems in the branding of Guangxi Pearl and the related reasons,the article points out some brand strategies on the basis of targeting consumers,product experience,advertising strategy and integrated marketing communication.%针对广西珍珠资源丰富，但是只能提供低端产品的现状，思考与强势对手在竞争中如何脱颖而出，充分考虑广西本土的历史资源、地理优势和东盟博览会等现实凭借，在对广西珍珠品牌的问题以及原因思考的基础上，围绕明确消费者、产品体验、广告策略、整合营销传播等提出了广西珍珠品牌的塑造策略。

Spatiotemporal Distribution of Droughts in the Xijiang River Basin, China and Its Responses to Global Climatic Events

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jizhong Qiu

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The Xijiang River is a main branch of the Pearl River, the largest river in South China. Droughts in this area have seriously influenced local water resource utilization, and socio-economic development. The spatiotemporal distribution of droughts and its responses to global climatic events are of critical significance for the assessment and early warning of drought disasters. In this paper, the spatiotemporal patterns of droughts characterized by Rotated Empirical Orthogonal Function/Rotated Principal Components (REOF/RPC in the Xijiang River Basin, China were evaluated using the Self-calibrated Palmer Drought Severity Index (Sc-PDSI. The drought responses to El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO, Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO, India Ocean Dipole (IOD, and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO were analysed by Pearson correlation and multiple stepwise regression. The results showed that one year earlier NAO was the dominant factor impacting the droughts in the Xijiang Basin. Its contribution for the RPC2s of the annual, the first and second half years, winter, summer, autumn, and February were −0.556, −0.419, 0.597, −0.447, 0.542, 0.600, and −0.327, respectively. Besides the two adjacent Pacific and India oceans, the droughts seem be influenced by distant Atlantic climatic events. These results offer new reference insights into the early warning of droughts as well as the planning and management of water resources in the study area.

Biodiversity of marine communities in Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii with observations in 1996 on introduced exotic species (NODC Accession 0000330)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The marine and estuarine invertebrate and fish communities in Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii were surveyed between January and October, 1996. Samples were taken and...

Investigations of introduced species in Pearl Harbor; Oahu, Hawaii, from 1996-01-11 to 1996-09-18 (NODC Accession 0000330)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The marine and estuarine invertebrate and fish communities in Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii were surveyed between January and October, 1996. Samples were taken and...

Pearls and pitfalls in clinical interpretation of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted PET imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sheikhbahaei, Sara; Solnes, Lilja B.; Javadi, Mehrbod S.; Pomper, Martin G.; Rowe, Steven P. [Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Baltimore, MD (United States); Afshar-Oromieh, Ali; Haberkorn, Uwe [Heidelberg University Hospital, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Heidelberg (Germany); Eiber, Matthias [David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Technical University of Munich, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Munich (Germany); Ross, Ashley E.; Pienta, Kenneth J.; Allaf, Mohamad E.; Gorin, Michael A. [Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, The James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute and Department of Urology, Baltimore, MD (United States)

2017-11-15

The rapidly expanding clinical adaptation of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted PET imaging in the evaluation of patients with prostate cancer has placed an increasing onus on understanding both the potential pearls of interpretation as well as limitations of this new technique. As with any new molecular imaging modality, accurate characterization of abnormalities on PSMA-targeted PET imaging can be accomplished only if one is aware of the normal distribution pattern, physiological variants of radiotracer uptake, and potential sources of false-positive and false-negative imaging findings. In recent years, a growing number of reports have come to light describing incidental non-prostatic benign or malignant pathologies with high uptake on PSMA-targeted PET imaging. In this review, we have summarized the published literature regarding the potential pearls and technical and interpretive pitfalls of this imaging modality. Knowledge of these limitations can increase the confidence of interpreting physicians and thus improve patient care. As PSMA-targeted PET is expected to be evaluated in larger prospective trials, the dissemination of potential diagnostic pitfalls and the biologic underpinning of those findings will be of increased importance. (orig.)

Pearls and pitfalls in clinical interpretation of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted PET imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sheikhbahaei, Sara; Solnes, Lilja B.; Javadi, Mehrbod S.; Pomper, Martin G.; Rowe, Steven P.; Afshar-Oromieh, Ali; Haberkorn, Uwe; Eiber, Matthias; Ross, Ashley E.; Pienta, Kenneth J.; Allaf, Mohamad E.; Gorin, Michael A.

2017-01-01

The rapidly expanding clinical adaptation of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted PET imaging in the evaluation of patients with prostate cancer has placed an increasing onus on understanding both the potential pearls of interpretation as well as limitations of this new technique. As with any new molecular imaging modality, accurate characterization of abnormalities on PSMA-targeted PET imaging can be accomplished only if one is aware of the normal distribution pattern, physiological variants of radiotracer uptake, and potential sources of false-positive and false-negative imaging findings. In recent years, a growing number of reports have come to light describing incidental non-prostatic benign or malignant pathologies with high uptake on PSMA-targeted PET imaging. In this review, we have summarized the published literature regarding the potential pearls and technical and interpretive pitfalls of this imaging modality. Knowledge of these limitations can increase the confidence of interpreting physicians and thus improve patient care. As PSMA-targeted PET is expected to be evaluated in larger prospective trials, the dissemination of potential diagnostic pitfalls and the biologic underpinning of those findings will be of increased importance. (orig.)

Linkages between ENSO/PDO signals and precipitation, streamflow in China during the last 100 years

Science.gov (United States)

Ouyang, R.; Liu, W.; Fu, G.; Liu, C.; Hu, L.; Wang, H.

2014-09-01

This paper investigates the single and combined impacts of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) on precipitation and streamflow in China over the last century. Results indicate that the precipitation and streamflow overall decrease during El Niño/PDO warm phase periods and increase during La Niña/PDO cool phase periods in the majority of China, although there are regional and seasonal differences. Precipitation and streamflow in the Yellow River basin, Yangtze River basin and Pearl River basin are more significantly influenced by El Niño and La Niña events than is precipitation and streamflow in the Songhua River basin, especially in October and November. Moreover, significant influence of ENSO on streamflow in the Yangtze River mainly occurs in summer and autumn while in the Pearl River influence primarily occurs in the winter and spring. The precipitation and streamflow are relatively greater in the warm PDO phase in the Songhua River basin and several parts of the Yellow River basin and relatively less in the Pearl River basin and most parts of Northwest China compared to those in the cool PDO phase, though there is little significance detected by Wilcoxon signed-rank test. When considering the combined influence of ENSO and PDO, the responses of precipitation/streamflow are shown to be opposite in northern China and southern China, with ENSO-related precipitation/streamflow enhanced in northern China and decreased in southern China during the warm PDO phases, and enhanced in southern China and decreased in northern China during the cool PDO phases. It is hoped that this study will be beneficial for understanding the precipitation/streamflow responses to the changing climate and will correspondingly provide valuable reference for water resources prediction and management across China.

Numerical Simulation of Borehole Flow in Deep Monitor Wells, Pearl Harbor Aquifer, Oahu, Hawaii

Science.gov (United States)

Rotzoll, K.; Oki, D. S.; El-Kadi, A. I.

2010-12-01

Salinity profiles collected from uncased deep monitor wells are commonly used to monitor freshwater-lens thickness in coastal aquifers. However, vertical flow in these wells can cause the measured salinity to differ from salinity in the adjacent aquifer. Substantial borehole flow has been observed in uncased wells in the Pearl Harbor aquifer, Oahu, Hawaii. A numerical modeling approach, incorporating aquifer hydraulic characteristics and recharge rates representative of the Pearl Harbor aquifer, was used to evaluate the effects of borehole flow on measured salinity profiles from deep monitor wells. Borehole flow caused by vertical hydraulic gradients associated with the natural regional groundwater-flow system and local groundwater withdrawals was simulated. Model results were used to estimate differences between vertical salinity profiles in deep monitor wells and the adjacent aquifer in areas of downward, horizontal, and upward flow within the regional flow system—for cases with and without nearby pumped wells. Aquifer heterogeneity, represented in the model as layers of contrasting permeability, was incorporated in model scenarios. Results from this study provide insight into the magnitude of the differences between vertical salinity profiles from deep monitor wells and the salinity distributions in the aquifers. These insights are relevant and are critically needed for management and predictive modeling purposes.

Overcoming Phosphorus Deficiency in West African Pearl Millet and Sorghum Production Systems: Promising Options for Crop Improvement

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