基于地形网格剖分的射线追踪法的时间优化

地形的网格剖分程度直接影响着电磁仿真的计算精度及其计算量。以同一块地理模型为例,分析不同精度网格对电磁环境仿真精度和计算量的影响。正向算法中,辐射源的剖分精细情况也直接影响着电磁环境仿真精度和计算时间。结合电磁环境中辐射源和接收机的分布特点,提出了在保证仿真精度前提下减少仿真时间的网格剖分方法。     

基于拓扑优化的某航天产品支架结构设计与试验验证

本文利用拓扑优化技术对某航天产品的支架结构进行拓扑寻优,找到了结构最佳传力路径,设计了满足重量要求情况下基频最大的支架结构。最终产品基频能够满足要求,而且仿真与试验结果呈现较好的一致性,达到了节省研制周期和成本的目的,表明了文中所述方法的合理有效性。     

太空跑台结构力学仿真分析

为保证宇航员在太空中的身体健康,太空跑台成为重要的设备之一;太空跑台通过安装支架固定安装在空间站核心舱小柱段上行。本文的目的是为验证太空跑台安装结构能够耐受上升段力学环境,对太空跑台进行有限元仿真分析。仿真结果表明：太空跑台结构设计合理,能够耐受空间站核心舱上升段力学环境。     

基于温度应力试验的电子产品可靠性仿真分析

本文针对某伺服机构控制器电路板采用故障物理方法进行失效分析,然后在不同温度应力下开展该电子产品温升试验和热仿真,之后基于Coffin-Manson模型进行产品焊点疲劳寿命仿真并求解各元器件寿命分布,最后构建竞争失效模型进行电路板寿命预计。通过温度应力试验得到了关键元器件温升值在（23～31）℃范围内,基于CRAFE热仿真得到了产品各元器件温度,应用Coffin-Manson模型得到了元器件寿命分布,运用竞争失效方法计算了产品失效概率函数,评估了产品工作10年的可靠度为0.94,在可靠度指标为0.9时其工作寿命为12.11年。本文基于温度应力试验和热仿真,通过进行故障物理分析和元器件竞争失效分析有效评估了电子产品工作寿命,对其他类似电子产品可靠性分析提供了一定参考。     

基于响应面法的机械可靠性设计与仿真方法研究

为研究机械结构可靠性设计与仿真方法。本文基于应力-强度干涉模型,应用响应面法(RSM),充分考虑结构分析中各参数的随机分布特性,利用ANSYS-PDS模块对法兰进行结构可靠性仿真。仿真结果显示,在进行10000次循环模拟计算后,法兰的结构可靠度为92.9%,灵敏度分析显示屈服极限与压力对可靠性影响最大。证明基于响应面法的可靠性分析方法为机械结构优化及可靠性计算提供指导,具有一定的工程应用价值。     

某车载大型相控阵天线支架多工况拓扑优化设计

为满足某车载大型相控阵天线支架在风载荷、振动和冲击试验刚度要求基础上实现支架的轻量化设计，基于变密度法以4种载荷工况下的支架重量为目标，以装配关系为约束条件对支架进行拓扑优化研究。根据相控阵天线支架的装机空间和可装配性设计支架初始三维模型，结合工程可行性分析和多工况拓扑优化形成天线支架结构设计方法，并对优化后的天线支架进行风载荷、振动和冲击强度校核。结果表明，采用该方法优化后的支架结构在满足力学环境使用条件下，重量仅为初始设计的58%，满足设计要求，该方法工程应用前景广阔。     

导体表面雷电脉冲电流分布研究

为研究雷电脉冲电流在导体表面的分布情况,研制了巨磁阻(Giant Magneto Resisti ve,GMR)表面电流测量系统,利用该系统对平面薄铝板表面脉冲电流密度进行了测量研究。为验证测量结果,采用时域有限差分(FDTD)法和CST软件分别进行了相应的数值分析和仿真计算,取得与测量相一致的结果。在此基础上,对雷电流在弧面表面分布情况进行了探索性研究。     

金属板及钢板网对雷电电磁脉冲磁场传播特性的影响

为分析公众曝露在多个频段磁场中的耦合效应,选取了8/20和10/350两种雷电电磁脉冲耦合波形作为激励源,在分析了二者能量分布规律的基础上,对空间中不同测点的感应磁场进行了计算,探讨了不同材质金属板及钢板网对磁场传播特性的影响。仿真结果表明,雷电电磁脉冲能量主要集中在1MHz以下,屏蔽室结构相对其波长为电小尺寸;不同材质金属板及其工程结构对磁场屏蔽效能影响较小,且与钢板网的效果类似;根据公众曝露限值,在相对激励源波长为电小尺寸的屏蔽室构建中,全封闭式的电磁屏蔽并不必要。     

基于光子晶体的太赫兹滤波器

采用时域有限差分法（FDTD）对太赫兹波在光子晶体中传输进行仿真研究,得到了晶格常数和空气孔径对阻带性能的影响关系。在分析点缺陷对透射峰影响的基础上,设计了225GHz,3db通带带宽为1.9GHz的工字型缺陷光子晶体太赫兹滤波器,并对该滤波器进行了仿真分析,研究表明该滤波器能够实现对225GHz频段的有效滤波。     

螺栓拧紧顺序对振动夹具安装间隙的影响研究

针对振动试验夹具安装时螺栓预紧顺序的影响进行仿真研究,不同的预紧顺序会对夹具与台面的间隙和夹具表面上翘位移（平行度）产生影响,进而影响振动试验效果,对被试品产生不利影响,本文研究了不同预紧顺序对安装夹具的影响,在此基础上更改了夹具直径大小进行仿真对比分析。首先对分析系统建立几何模型,对模型进行离散化,并对确定螺栓预紧方案,对不同直径的振动夹具进行仿真分析,分析表明,方案二中夹具与台面间隙最小,夹具表面平行度最好,为最佳预紧顺序,且振动夹具直径越大,螺栓预紧顺序对结果影响越大。     

Conversion of temperate forests into heaths: Role of ecosystem disturbance and ericaceous plants

Fire and logging in nutrient-poor temperate forests with certain ericaceous understory plants may convert the forests into heaths. The process of disturbance-induced heath formation is documented by using examples ofCalluna in western Europe,Kalmia in Newfoundland, andGaultheria (salal) in coastal British Columbia. In a cool, temperate climate, rapid vegetative growth ofCalluna, Kalmia, and salal following disturbance results in increasing organic accumulation (paludification), nutrient sequestration, soil acidification, and allelochemicals. These are thought to be the main reasons to conifer regeneration failure in disturbed habitats. If continuation in forest is a land-use objective, then temperate forests with an ericaceous understory should not be logged unless effective silvicultural methods are devised to control the ericaceous plants and restore forest regeneration. Preharvest vegetation control may be considered as an option. Failure to control the understory plants may lead to a long-term vegetation shift, from forest to heathland, particularly in nutrient-poor sites. Successful methods of controllingKalmia andGaultheria, however, have yet to be developed. While theKalmia- andGaultheria- dominated heathlands are undesirable in Canada and the Pacific Northwest, a wide range ofCalluna heathlands of western Europe are being conserved as natural and seminatural vegetation.     

Using Paleo Reconstructions to Improve Streamflow Forecast Lead Time in the Western United States

In water stressed regions, water managers are exploring new horizons that would help in long‐range streamflow forecasts. Oceanic‐atmospheric oscillations have been shown to influence streamflow variability. In this study, long‐lead time streamflow forecasts are made using a multiclass kernel‐based data‐driven support vector machine (SVM) model. The extended streamflow records based on tree ring reconstructions were used to provide a longer time series data. Reconstructed data were used from 1658 to 1952 and the instrumental record was used from 1953 to 2007. Reconstructions for oceanic‐atmospheric oscillations included the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation, Pacific Decadal Oscillation, Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, and North Atlantic Oscillation. Streamflow forecasts using all four oscillations were made with one‐year to five‐year lead times for 21 gages in the western United States. This is the first study that uses both instrumental and reconstructed data of oscillations in SVM model to improve streamflow forecast lead time. SVM model was able to provide “satisfactory” to “very good” forecasts with one‐ to five‐year lead time for the selected gages. The use of all the oscillation indices helped in achieving better predictability compared to using individual oscillations. The SVM modeling results are better when compared with multiple linear regression model forecasts. The findings are statistical in nature and are expected to be useful for long‐term water resources planning and management.     

Urban ecological systems: scientific foundations and a decade of progress

Urban ecological studies, including focus on cities, suburbs, and exurbs, while having deep roots in the early to mid 20th century, have burgeoned in the last several decades. We use the state factor approach to highlight the role of important aspects of climate, substrate, organisms, relief, and time in differentiating urban from non-urban areas, and for determining heterogeneity within spatially extensive metropolitan areas. In addition to reviewing key findings relevant to each state factor, we note the emergence of tentative "urban syndromes" concerning soils, streams, wildlife and plants, and homogenization of certain ecosystem functions, such as soil organic carbon dynamics. We note the utility of the ecosystem approach, the human ecosystem framework, and watersheds as integrative tools to tie information about multiple state factors together. The organismal component of urban complexes includes the social organization of the human population, and we review key modes by which human populations within urban areas are differentiated, and how such differentiation affects environmentally relevant actions. Emerging syntheses in land change science and ecological urban design are also summarized. The multifaceted frameworks and the growing urban knowledge base do however identify some pressing research needs.     

Neighbourhood characteristics and urban gardens in the Toledo metropolitan area: staffing and voluntarism,food production,infrastructure, and sustainability practices

Urban gardens are important sources of sustenance for communities with limited access to food. Hence, this study focuses on food production in gardens in the Toledo metropolitan area in Northwest Ohio. We administered surveys to 150 garden managers from November 2014 to February 2015 in our attempt to better understand how neighbourhood racial composition and poverty levels are related to staffing and voluntarism, food production and distribution, the development of infrastructure, and the adoption of sustainability practices in urban gardens. The results from 30 gardens are presented in this paper. We used Geographic Information Systems to map the gardens and overlay the map with 2010 census data so that we could conduct demographic analyses of the neighbourhoods in which the gardens were located. Though the gardens were small – two acres or less – up to 46 varieties of food were grown in a single garden. Gardens also operated on small budgets. Food from the gardens was gifted or shared with friends, family, and neighbourhood residents. Gardens in predominantly minority neighbourhoods tended to have fewer institutional partners, less garden infrastructure, and had adopted fewer sustainable practices than gardens in predominantly White neighbourhoods. Nonetheless, residents of predominantly minority and high-poverty neighbourhoods participated in garden activities and influenced garden operations. Volunteering and staffing were racialised and gendered.     

Predicting deer-vehicle collisions in an urban area

Collisions with deer and other large animals are increasing, and the resulting economic costs and risks to public safety have made mitigation measures a priority for both city and wildlife managers. We created landscape models to describe and predict deer-vehicle collision (DVCs) within the City of Edmonton, Alberta. Models based on roadside characteristics revealed that DVCs occurred frequently where roadside vegetation was both denser and more diverse, and that DVCs were more likely to occur when the groomed width of roadside right-of-ways was smaller. No DVCs occurred where the width of the vegetation-free or manicured roadside buffer was greater than 40 m. Landscape-based models showed that DVCs were more likely in more heterogeneous landscapes where road densities were lower and speed limits were higher, and where non-forested vegetation such as farmland was in closer proximity to larger tracts of forest. These models can help wildlife and transportation managers to identify locations of high collision frequency for mitigation. Modifying certain landscape and roadside habitats can be an effective way to reduce deer-vehicle collisions.     

BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS AND BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF ESTUARINE/COASTAL POLLUTION1

ABSTRACT: Sustained interest in and concern about the health status of the aquatic environment has resulted in extensive research focused on (1) effects of pollution on survival, growth, and reproduction of resource species at all life stages; (2) diseases of fish and shellfish, as they may be related to pollution and as they may serve as indicators of environmental stress; and (3) contaminant body burdens in fish and shellfish - their effects on the aquatic animals and their potential effects on humans. Effects, lethal and sublethal, of pollutants on life history stages of fish and shellfish have been documented, as have impacts on local stocks in badly degraded habitats, but as yet there has been no adequate quantitative demonstration of effects on entire aquatic species - probably because of the difficulty in sorting out relative effects of the many environmental factors that influence abundance. Sublethal effects, especially those that result in disease, have been examined intensively, and some diseases and disease syndromes have been associated statistically with pollution. Other pollution indicators (biochemical, physiological, genetic, behavioral, and ecological) have also received some attention, as have body burdens of contaminants in aquatic species. Research, especially that conducted during the past decade, has done much to clarify the many pathways and toxic effects of contaminants on aquatic animals, and has also helped to identify mechanisms for survival of fish and shellfish in the presence of environmental changes caused by human activities.     

Journalists' views of advertiser pressures on agricultural news

All major journalism ethical codes explicitly state that journalists should protect editorial copy from undue influence by outside sources. However, much of the previous research on agricultural information has concentrated on what information various media communicate (gatekeeping studies) or communication's role in increasing innovation adoption (diffusion studies). Few studies have concentrated specifically on organizational and structural constraints that might adversely affect agricultural journalists' ethical standards; those that have, focus largely on farm magazines. A study of newspaper reporters who cover agricultural news found that the most pressing ethical concern is the effect of advertiser (agri-business) pressure on editorial copy, and that their concerns in general parallel those of farm magazine writers and editors. The majority reported being in situations in which they might be exposed to advertiser pressure, including pressures to change or withhold editorial copy. Large minorities suggested that advertising pressures affect the overall environment in which agricultural journalists work, and more than one in ten said they allow advertiser pressures to influence editorial decisions. The newspaper reporters who cover agricultural beats showed slightly more resistance to advertiser pressure than did farm magazine editors in a parallel study.     

Definition Procedures Have Little Effect on Performance of Environmental Classifications of Streams and Rivers

Mapped environmental classifications are defined using various procedures, but there has been little evaluation of the differences in their ability to discriminate variation in independent ecological characteristics. We tested the performance of environmental classifications of the streams and rivers of France that had been defined from the same environmental data using geographic regionalization and numerical classification of individual river valley segments. Test data comprised invertebrate assemblages, water chemistry, and hydrological indexes obtained from sites throughout France. Classification performance was measured by analysis of similarity (ANOSIM). Geometric regions defined by a regular grid and without regard to environmental variables and a posteriori classifications based on clustering the test datasets defined lower and upper bounds of performance for a given number of classes. Differences in classification performances were generally small. The ANOSIM statistics for the a posteriori classifications were around twice that of all environmental classifications, including geometrically defined regions. The hydro-ecoregions performed slightly better for the invertebrate data and the network classification performed slightly better for the chemistry and hydrological data. Our results indicate that environmental classifications that are defined using different procedures can be comparable in terms of their ability to discriminate variation of ecological characteristics and that alleged differences in performance arising from different classification procedures can be small relative to unexplained variation. We conclude that definition procedures might have little effect on the performance of large-scale environmental classifications and decisions over which procedures to use should be based primarily on pragmatic considerations.     

MANGANESE CYCLE IN IMPOUNDMENT WATER

Manganese entering impounded water will undergo a cyclic transformation. Oxidation precipitates manganese from top waters. At the bottom of the lake, biological activity will render manganese soluble by both intracellular as well as extracellular activity. The study was made to demonstrate that biological reduction and transformation, organometallic complexation, together with the presence of carbon dioxide and the lowering of pH all have some effect on the solubility of manganese. Dissolved manganese may be brought back to top waters during the lake overturn and therefore deteriorates the water quality.     

Provincial development plans in Zimbabwe: an analysis of their content,structure and methodology

Zimbabwean provincial plans were instituted to help in the achievement of the national goal of the creation of an egalitarian, socialist and integrated society. The national goal itself was adopted as an antithesis to the dualist society characterised by spatial, economic, social, politican and technological inequalities that Zimbabwe inherited from colonialism. This meant that provincial plans had to play both a functional (or growth allocating/distribution) and a territorial (or redistribution) role.

This paper reviews their role in achieving the national goal by examining their functions, content, structure and methodology. The paper concludes that because of their nature, provincial plans are not suitable tools for the achievement of the national goal.