Developing Metapopulation Connectivity Criteria from Genetic and Habitat Data to Recover the Endangered Mexican Wolf

Restoring connectivity between fragmented populations is an important tool for alleviating genetic threats to endangered species. Yet recovery plans typically lack quantitative criteria for ensuring such population connectivity. We demonstrate how models that integrate habitat, genetic, and demographic data can be used to develop connectivity criteria for the endangered Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi), which is currently being restored to the wild from a captive population descended from 7 founders. We used population viability analysis that incorporated pedigree data to evaluate the relation between connectivity and persistence for a restored Mexican wolf metapopulation of 3 populations of equal size. Decreasing dispersal rates greatly increased extinction risk for small populations (<150–200), especially as dispersal rates dropped below 0.5 genetically effective migrants per generation. We compared observed migration rates in the Northern Rocky Mountains (NRM) wolf metapopulation to 2 habitat‐based effective distance metrics, least‐cost and resistance distance. We then used effective distance between potential primary core populations in a restored Mexican wolf metapopulation to evaluate potential dispersal rates. Although potential connectivity was lower in the Mexican wolf versus the NRM wolf metapopulation, a connectivity rate of >0.5 genetically effective migrants per generation may be achievable via natural dispersal under current landscape conditions. When sufficient data are available, these methods allow planners to move beyond general aspirational connectivity goals or rules of thumb to develop objective and measurable connectivity criteria that more effectively support species recovery. The shift from simple connectivity rules of thumb to species‐specific analyses parallels the previous shift from general minimum‐viable‐population thresholds to detailed viability modeling in endangered species recovery planning. Desarrollo de Criterios de Conectividad Metapoblacional a Partir de Datos Genéticos y de Hábitat para Recuperar al Lobo Mexicano en Peligro de Extinción     

Experimental investigations on regeneration energy and energy management strategy in series hydraulic/electric synergy system

This research work draws an insight into the experimental investigations on a series hydraulic/electric synergy system—a green transportation system. An experimental test rig of the system with all necessary sensors and instrumentation has been developed to study the energy saving through hydraulic regenerative braking. The effect of various system parameters, such as braking time, maximum accumulator pressure, pre-charge pressure of hydro-pneumatic accumulator, volumetric displacement of the hydraulic master pump, and hydraulic regeneration pump on the quantum of regeneration energy, was analyzed. In addition, an AMESim model of the real-time experimental test rig has been developed and validated with experimental results. A set of five different experimental designs (parameter variations) of the system is defined with the available standard component sizes. The best design is selected of the available experimental designs based on the maximum hydraulic regeneration energy and regeneration efficiency. It was observed that the selected design has an energy efficiency of 13.3% and a regeneration efficiency of 43.8%. An accumulator-centric control strategy for energy management is developed and implemented on the experimental test rig configured with the selected design. The effectiveness of the control strategy is tested through experiments and simulation on the developed test rig.     

“Science is Everywhere,but No One Knows It”: Assessing the Cultural Distance to Science of Rural South African Publics

ABSTRACT

In science communication, a prerequisite for reaching different parts of a society is to find out how these publics experience and interpret science. Since rural South African publics are perceived to exhibit a large cultural distance to science, the present exploratory study aimed to know in more detail how rural South Africans perceive and understand science in their local and social contexts. Theoretical notions on cultural distance and the methodological approach of segmentation studies were considered. Semi-structured interviews with rural South Africans were carried out in four towns (n?=?52) that differ with respect to having a large scientific installation in their vicinity, or not. Sensitively comparing local and social contexts helped identifying three different publics who differed regarding their perceptions of science; however, the large scientific installations only made a difference in perceptions for those publics who were generally less exposed to and less knowledgeable about science.     

海洋中微塑料的环境行为和生态影响

微塑料一般指直径小于5 mm的微小型塑料颗粒或碎片,海洋中常见的微塑料类型主要包括聚乙烯、聚丙烯、聚苯乙烯、聚氯乙烯等。由于形状、颜色多变,分子量大,结构稳定,粒径范围与浮游植物相近,海洋中的微塑料很容易对浮游植物、浮游动物和其他海洋动物等产生影响。微塑料还可以为病毒、细菌提供附着载体,影响浮游植物分布,进入海洋生物消化道或进一步转移到组织中对机体产生毒性效应,甚至通过捕食作用沿食物链传递,对高等动物及人类健康造成威胁。此外,微塑料可以作为海水中痕量化学物质的吸附载体,对生物产生联合毒性。根据目前对微塑料的研究进展情况,未来应加强对海洋微塑料分离、鉴定技术的研发以及海洋微塑料的生物毒性效应和生物传递效应机制等问题的研究。     

近距煤层无煤柱协调开采布局研究与应用*

为了解决老母矿近距煤层的开采难题,通过理论分析并利用FLAC 3D数值模拟软件进行模拟,分析出煤层前后推进150 m是最合理的步距，侧向采动支撑压力在15~50 m内存在影响。基于这些理论数据，确定回采巷道的合理位置,进而确定以内错距离范围为30~60 m的内错式布置方式布置巷道和无煤柱协调开采布局，并进行井下工程应用。最后把无煤柱协调开采布局与双巷掘进开采布局对比，得出无煤柱协调开采布局的先进性和优势，研究结果可为同类条件下的工程应用提供借鉴。     

TSLCDM长袋低压脉冲布袋除尘器及其应用

为了使电炉烟气治理过程中污染源的排放达到国家排放标准,提出一种TSLCDM长袋低压脉冲除尘器(简称TSLCDM除尘器)。通过对该除尘器结构、除尘原理以及不同工况下除尘效率和过滤阻力的分析,得到该除尘器的除尘效率>99.9%,压力损失<1200 Pa,最终排出的烟气含尘质量浓度约5.54 mg/m3,满足了国家的超低排放要求,以泉州某公司电炉项目除尘系统为研究对象,证明了该新型脉冲布袋除尘器在电炉烟气治理除尘系统的应用效果,具有很好的经济和环境效益。     

Method for Rapidly Assessing the Overtopping Risk of Bridges Due to Flooding over a Large Geographic Region

Hydraulic events are a leading cause of bridge failures. While these hydraulic events are accounted for in bridge design, changing environmental and land use conditions require continual updating of this risk. For example, after a bridge has been constructed, streamflow can change in unanticipated ways as a result of land use changes, geomorphic changes, and climate change. The objective of this research was to create a screening method able to quickly and inexpensively estimate overtopping risk across a collection of bridges based on the current streamflow conditions. The method uses a geographic information system, nationally available and standardized datasets, and recent regression equations to quantify bridge vulnerability to overtopping for flooding with varying return periods. This screening method could also be used to assist decision makers in updating the Waterway Adequacy field in the National Bridge Inventory, which indicates the overtopping risk of bridges. The method was applied to a portion of the Hampton Roads region of Virginia, United States that includes 475 bridges. The results of the analysis, when combined with transportation data for bridges, aid decision makers to assign further resources to complete more detailed analyses of bridges identified as being at risk for overtopping.     

The green dividend of urban biking? Evidence of improved community and sustainable development

As the cost of car ownership has skyrocketed, urban biking has experienced the largest share increase of any transportation mode, rising by 40% between the years 2000 and 2014. Growing attention is being paid to the potential local economic development impacts of urban neighbourhoods becoming more bike-friendly. It is now a green economic development strategy in cities as diverse as Chicago, New York City, Portland, and San Francisco to increase bicycling as a transportation mode. This paper reports the results of a survey of 2032 responses from faculty, staff, and students of a car-dependent, downtown university. We use a mixed methods approach, including data from the American Community Survey, to support our arguments and to inform potential savings and economic benefit calculations that can be achieved from bicycle infrastructure investments and anticipated redistributed spending patterns. We argue that urban biking results in a green dividend that promotes local community development and more importantly results in zero carbon emissions.     

An investigation on the fuel savings potential of hybrid hydraulic refuse collection vehicles

Refuse trucks play an important role in the waste collection process. Due to their typical driving cycle, these vehicles are characterized by large fuel consumption, which strongly affects the overall waste disposal costs. Hybrid hydraulic refuse vehicles offer an interesting alternative to conventional diesel trucks, because they are able to recuperate, store and reuse braking energy. However, the expected fuel savings can vary strongly depending on the driving cycle and the operational mode. Therefore, in order to assess the possible fuel savings, a typical driving cycle was measured in a conventional vehicle run by the waste authority of the City of Stuttgart, and a dynamical model of the considered vehicle was built up. Based on the measured driving cycle and the vehicle model including the hybrid powertrain components, simulations for both the conventional and the hybrid vehicle were performed. Fuel consumption results that indicate savings of about 20% are presented and analyzed in order to evaluate the benefit of hybrid hydraulic vehicles used for refuse collection.     

铁路运输含硫原油过程中H_2S挥发规律模拟试验研究

以塔河12区含硫原油为研究对象,通过模拟铁路运输原油工况,研究罐内原油中H_2S挥发规律.结果表明,铁路运输过程中原油里H_2S析出浓度与时间的关系近似为6次多项式,并建证了H_2S浓度随时间变化的曲线方程;对影响罐内原油中H_2S挥发的2个主要因素罐内原油温度和罐车振动强度进行了分析.结果表明,罐内原油温度是原油中H_2S挥发的主要影响因素,升高罐内原油温度可以明显增加H_2S的挥发浓度.加大罐车振动强度对原油中H_2S挥发有促进作用,但不明显.