Sumatra as seen by a Botanist

I would like to point out that the flora of Sumatra is in many respects as spectacular as Rafflesia and the giant Amorphophallus make one suspect (Meijer, unpublished). People should learn to attach the same scientific and aesthetic value to the loss of this flora as to the disappearance of rhinos, tigers, and tapirs. The only fruitful approach to save the tropical rain‐forests of Sumatra is absolute protection of the whole Bukit Barisan Range as a vital water catchment area of this island, to establish buffer zones in the foothills of this reserve, to establish enough reserves in the coastal plain regions and the peat swamps, the mangrove swamps, limestone hills, and Tiga Puluh Mountains to save representative areas. A massive botanical/ecological survey of the whole island is needed for a rational conservation plan. In this, access to centres of higher learning, participation of local universities, and the establishment of a series of local educational and research centres should play a major role. It has been discovered now in Central America (Costa Rice and Panama) that the only feasible way to preserve tropical rain‐forests is through a network of research stations and related scientific tourism.

Also in Sumatra with its local centres of diverse cultures, nature conservation can go hand‐in‐hand with cultural preservation and stimulation of local pride in people's natural heritage.     

The noon and midnight mid-latitude trough as seen by Ariel 4

The electron density data returned by the polar orbiting satellites Ariel 3 and Ariel 4 revealed that the mid-latitude trough is one of the distinct large-scale features of the ionosphere at about 550 km. Recent work (e.g. Tulunay and Grebowsky, 1975) on the data included the investigation of the temporal development of the latitudinal position of the mid-latitude electron density trough at dawn and dusk during the large magnetic storms of May 1967 and May 1972. Model calculations which assumed that the equatorial convection E-field varies in step with the K_p index reproduced on the average the observed behaviour. In the present paper, trough observations made at noon and midnight during the period, 12–21 December 1971 which encompassed a relatively large magnetic storm have been discussed. In this context, model calculations have been employed as a guide of average approximations of the actual situation in predicting the plasmapause location. It is also shown that the trough observed on the noon passes is not generally plasmapause related as we expect the nightside troughs to be.     

The nation as seen from below: Rome in 1870

When Rome joined the Kingdom of Italy in 1870, its symbolic importance played a large part in its role as the new capital of the nation-state. That very symbolic weight, though, left but a small space for the Romans themselves, particularly the lower classes. While recent scholarship on Italian nation-building has explored the cultural project underlying its political developments, it still remains to be understood how the lower classes first experienced and responded to their incorporation into the nation. Courted by the new nation-state, its clerical opposition and its radical opposition alike, their Risorgimento was different from that of the Romantic tropes informing the new national politics.     

The equatorial electrojet and associated currents as seen in Magsat data

Magsat data are re-examined with regard to the presence and character of fields due to the equatorial electrojet and meridional currents at dawn and dusk local times. Dip-latitude organized field variations at dawn are:

• 1.(1) extremely weak,
• 2.(2) extremely variable with longitude,
• 3.(3) inconsistent with the pattern expected from a line or narrow sheet current.

It is shown that the use of Magsat dusk data can ‘contaminate’ a main field model, introducing apparent equatorial electrojet effects into the dawn data.Fields due to the equatorial electrojet and (presumably) associated meridional currents are clearly present in the dusk data. They show a variation with longitude which is apparently associated with the longitudinal variation of the strength, or square of the strength, of the main field in the E-region. Also evident is a variation with time of the year, although data are available for only a six month period. The meridional currents are generally minimum during January and February and maximum either during November and December or March and April, depending upon longitude. The E-region horizontal currents are minimum in November and December and maximum in March and April, except for − 30° to −90° longitude when the maximum occurs in January and February.Assuming that field gradients in local time are considerably smaller than field gradients in dip-latitude, current densities are estimated to be 1–3.6μA/m² for the horizontal current at 110km and about 10–20 × 10⁻⁹ A/m² for the vertical currents at 400km altitude. These results confirm and extend earlier results of Takeda and Maeda.Most models of the electrojet system in the literature disagree severely with these measurements either because their scope is inadequate or because of the wind system they assume. Those models which best describe the data invoke an eastward wind and/or an eastward electric field at dusk local time.     

由出土文献看祝融传说之起源

祝融是中国古代传说中的南方火神。过去有关祝融传说的记载,主要见于春秋战国以来的典籍。由于史料的不足,从伏羲到祝融的世系,千百年来始终迷漫纷呈,扑朔迷离。近年来,随着地下文物的不断出土,尤其楚简帛书,加之殷商甲骨文,均不乏探索祝融传说起源的记载,进一步...     

《诸司职掌》与明代会典的纂修

《诸司职掌》是明初的职官法典,与明代《会典》的纂修有着非常密切的联系。明代《会典》正是在其续编的过程中揭开了纂修的序幕,又是以其为蓝本完成了弘治、正德、嘉靖三朝的纂修、校订、刊行和续修工作。尽管在万历朝重修过程中其地位大大下降,而且由于史官的重大失误使其内容在时间标注上出现了一些谬误,但这并不影响其在明代《会典》纂修过程中所起的重要作用。     

Angle-of-arrival oscillations in the mesosphere as seen by medium frequency (MF) radar

The Saskatoon MF radar operates continuously in the spaced antenna mode with 5 min resolution, primarily for horizontal wind analysis at mesospheric heights. Mean Doppler frequency and antenna-pair phase difference are available as byproducts. Clear oscillations are sometimes seen in the latter. Spectral analysis shows that these also occur in the Doppler and extend over a range of heights. The two cases shown are almost certainly perturbations in specular reflecting layers moving with horizontal velocity close to that of the wind. Downward phase propagation is apparent, and when the oscillations are present, the wind appears to be decelerating. The tentative explanation of a breaking gravity wave decelerating the mean flow is put forward, although the relations between frequency, and horizontal and vertical wavelengths, contradict linear gravity wave theory.     

美洲·唯美布油画

五百多年前,西方一个名叫哥伦布的乌托邦主义者,为寻找传说中的伊甸乐园涉险出海。他没有想到的是,一个未知世界的面纱就此被揭开。如今,这方土地已是世界上最现代化的地方,遍布着精致的酒店、饕餮美食、香水时装,以及热情友善的人们。时光把这里斧凿得如此明澈,让狂野与优雅得到最好的妥帖。就如布面油画上厚重的色彩,层层叠叠、清晰可辨。     

The First Crusade and the Latin east as seen from Venice: the account of the Translatio sancti Nicolai

The Translatio sancti Nicolai is the earliest Venetian source to describe the deeds of the first crusaders from Venice. It is most likely based on an eyewitness account of the events that was later rewritten in order to provide the historical context for the translation of St Nicholas's relics to Venice. This source ambivalently depicts the nature of the crusader battles, both emphasizing the spiritual value of this fight, mainly seen as a way to fulfil the sequela Christi , and highlighting the significant economic implications of the Christian conquest of the Holy Land.     

The winter anomaly as seen in the propagation of low frequency 40 kHz radio waves

An analysis of propagation data for LF 40 kHz radio waves shows that the field strength of the sky wave is enhanced during day-time on winter anomaly days (WAD), in striking contrast to the severe attenuation of HF radio waves. This peculiar enhancement of the field strength may be ascribed to an increase in the reflection coefficient. The analysis also demonstrates that the reflection height is lower on WAD, which seems to be associated with enhancements of ionization in the D-region. Moreover, it was found that WAD are characterized by an earlier occurrence in the morning and a delayed occurrence in the evening of pronounced interference maxima and minima, respectively.     

行省中的罗马军队:以罗马不列颠为中心

进入帝国时期以后,罗马的扩张活动基本上偃旗息鼓。相应地,元首制时期的罗马军队经历了两个重要变化。一是兵源募选日益本土化,这使军团和辅助军之间的区别日渐淡化。二是行省驻军日益定居化,这使军队作为自成一体的社会具有隔离于非军事区的趋势。由于这两个变化,军队在和平时期的非军事功能日益突出。对不列颠罗马驻军的考察表明,军队对行省的影响主要体现在：军队对城市化进程起重要的推动作用;向军队供应粮食带动了不列颠南方地区的农业发展;军队是普及罗马公民权的重要渠道。关注这些非军事功能有助于更充分地理解作为罗马帝国主义工具的军队。     

英伦汉籍闻见录

2005年1月22日至29日,我们应大英图书馆国际敦煌项目的邀请赴英访学.其间访问了大英图书馆、大英博物馆、伦敦大学亚非学院图书馆、牛津大学鲍德利图书馆以及Sam Fogg文物商店,重点考察了中国古籍善本、老照片、西文书修复、敦煌文书修复等情况,收获良多.现以考察时间为序,将这次访学的过程及心得介绍给国内同行.