Validation of a booted finite element model of the WIAMan ATD lower limb in component and whole-body vertical loading impacts with an assessment of the boot influence model on response

Objective: A novel anthropomorphic test device (ATD) representative of the 50th percentile male soldier is being developed to predict injuries to a vehicle occupant during an underbody blast (UBB). The main objective of this study was to develop and validate a finite element (FE) model of the ATD lower limb outfitted with a military combat boot and to insert the validated lower limb into a model of the full ATD and simulate vertical loading experiments.

Methods: A Belleville desert combat boot model was assigned contacts and material properties based on previous experiments. The boot model was fit to a previously developed model of the barefoot ATD. Validation was performed through 6 matched pair component tests conducted on the Vertically Accelerated Loads Transfer System (VALTS). The load transfer capabilities of the FE model were assessed along with the force-mitigating properties of the boot. The booted lower limb subassembly was then incorporated into a whole-body model of the ATD. Two whole-body VALTS experiments were simulated to evaluate lower limb performance in the whole body.

Results: The lower limb model accurately predicted axial loads measured at heel, tibia, and knee load cells during matched pair component tests. Forces in booted simulations were compared to unbooted simulations and an amount of mitigation similar to that of experiments was observed. In a whole-body loading environment, the model kinematics match those recorded in experiments. The shape and magnitude of experimental force–time curves were accurately predicted by the model. Correlation between the experiments and simulations was backed up by high objective rating scores for all experiments.

Conclusion: The booted lower limb model is accurate in its ability to articulate and transfer loads similar to the physical dummy in simulated underbody loading experiments. The performance of the model leads to the recommendation to use it appropriately as an alternative to costly ATD experiments.     

Monitoring,imperfect detection,and risk optimization of a Tasmanian devil insurance population

Most species are imperfectly detected during biological surveys, which creates uncertainty around their abundance or presence at a given location. Decision makers managing threatened or pest species are regularly faced with this uncertainty. Wildlife diseases can drive species to extinction; thus, managing species with disease is an important part of conservation. Devil facial tumor disease (DFTD) is one such disease that led to the listing of the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) as endangered. Managers aim to maintain devils in the wild by establishing disease‐free insurance populations at isolated sites. Often a resident DFTD‐affected population must first be removed. In a successful collaboration between decision scientists and wildlife managers, we used an accessible population model to inform monitoring decisions and facilitate the establishment of an insurance population of devils on Forestier Peninsula. We used a Bayesian catch‐effort model to estimate population size of a diseased population from removal and camera trap data. We also analyzed the costs and benefits of declaring the area disease‐free prior to reintroduction and establishment of a healthy insurance population. After the monitoring session in May–June 2015, the probability that all devils had been successfully removed was close to 1, even when we accounted for a possible introduction of a devil to the site. Given this high probability and the baseline cost of declaring population absence prematurely, we found it was not cost‐effective to carry out any additional monitoring before introducing the insurance population. Considering these results within the broader context of Tasmanian devil management, managers ultimately decided to implement an additional monitoring session before the introduction. This was a conservative decision that accounted for uncertainty in model estimates and for the broader nonmonetary costs of mistakenly declaring the area disease‐free.     

Correlation of primary production as measured aboard ship in Southern California Coastal waters and as estimated from satellite chlorophyll images

Chlorophyll images suitable for the regional analysis of the Southern California Bight were obtained by satellite (Nimbus-7 Coastal Zone Color Scanner) on 27 February, 6 March and 11 March 1979. An algorithm to convert satellite chlorophyll data to primary production has been developed. In addition, primary production was measured along with other biological and physical factors from ships cruising in the Southern California Bight during late February and early March 1979. There was fair agreement between shipboard measurements and satellite estimations; for example, primary production (mg carbon m^-2 d^-1) averaged 554 mg from shipboard measurement and 403 mg from satellite estimation when averaged for the entire Bight for the course of the study. The high standard error associated with the variance in productivity index used in our algorithm prevented more accurate conversion of chlorophyll concentrations into primary productivity. However, the synoptic data provided by concurrent ship and satellite measurements can be used to quantify, and perhaps reduce, sampling errors associated with ship sampling alone and to provide estimates of the accuracy of primary productivity on a regional basis.     

不同碳源条件下草菇内切型纤维素酶基因（eg1）转录表达的分析

利用Northernblot方法分析了不同碳源条件下草菇切型纤维素酶基因(eg1)的表达.结果发现,在含有纤维素的液体培养基中生长10d,eg1在草菇菌丝中有高效表达;纤维二糖、α-乳糖、β-乳糖,也能诱导eg1的表达,但和纤维素相比,eg1的表达量相对较低,并且它们的诱导效应在加入这类糖12h后迅速减弱;槐糖和龙胆二糖的诱导作用非常弱.在天然稻草为基质的固体栽培料生长时,草菇eg1的表达和草菇菌丝生长与出菇相对应,在菌丝生长期(d8)可见eg1的表达,d12时菌丝已长满,表达减弱,在出菇及菇体的分化及增大期,eg1的表达量逐渐增强,在成熟期达到最高水平;表明在草菇菇体发育中需要更多碳源及能源的补充,eg1在这方面起着非常重要的作用.图4参14     

Manganese uptake and accumulation by the hyperaccumulator plant Phytolacca acinosa Roxb. (Phytolaccaceae)

The perennial herb Phytolacca acinosa Roxb. (Phytolaccaceae), which occurs in Southern China, has been found to be a new manganese hyperaccumulator by means of field surveys on Mn-rich soils and by glasshouse experiments. This species not only has remarkable tolerance to Mn but also has extraordinary uptake and accumulation capacity for this element. The maximum Mn concentration in the leaf dry matter was 19,300 microg/g on Xiangtan Mn tailings wastelands, with a mean of 14,480 microg/g. Under nutrient solution culture conditions, P. acinosa could grow normally with Mn supplied at a concentration of 8000 micromol/l, although with less biomass than in control samples supplied with Mn at 5 micromol/l. Manganese concentration in the shoots increased with increasing external Mn levels, but the total mass of Mn accumulated in the shoots first increased and then decreased. At an Mn concentration of 5000 micromol/l in the culture solution, the Mn accumulation in the shoot dry matter was highest (258 mg/plant). However, the Mn concentration in the leaves reached its highest value (36,380 microg/g) at an Mn supply level of 12,000 micromol/l. These results confirm that P. acinosa is an Mn hyperaccumulator which grows rapidly, has substantial biomass, wide distribution and a broad ecological amplitude. This species provides a new plant resource for exploring the mechanism of Mn hyperaccumulation, and has potential for use in the phytoremediation of Mn-contaminated soils.     

Assessment of the impact of rising carbon dioxide and other potential climate changes on vegetation

The projected doubling of current levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration ([CO(2)]) during the next century along with increases in other radiatively active gases have led to predictions of increases in global air temperature and shifts in precipitation patterns. Additionally, stratospheric ozone depletion may result in increased ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation incident at the Earth's surface in some areas. Since these changes in the Earth's atmosphere may have profound effects on vegetation, the objectives of this paper are to summarize some of the recent research on plant responses to [CO(2)], temperature and UV-B radiation. Elevated [CO(2)] increases photosynthesis and usually results in increased biomass, and seed yield. The magnitude of these increases and the specific photosynthetic response depends on the plant species, and are strongly influenced by other environmental factors including temperature, light level, and the availability of water and nutrients. While elevated [CO(2)] reduces transpiration and increases photosynthetic water-use efficiency, increasing air temperature can result in greater water use, accelerated plant developmental rate, and shortened growth duration. Experiments on UV-B radiation exposure have demonstrated a wide range of photobiological responses among plants with decreases in photosynthesis and plant growth among more sensitive species. Although a few studies have addressed the interactive effects of [CO(2)] and temperature on plants, information on the effects of UV-B radiation at elevated [CO(2)] is scarce. Since [CO(2)], temperature and UV-B radiation may increase concurrently, more research is needed to determine plant responses to the interactive effects of these environmental variables.     

Achieving forest carbon information with higher certainty: A five-part plan

International negotiations on the inclusion of land use activities into an emissions reduction system for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) have been partially hindered by the technical challenges of measuring, reporting, and verifying greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the policy issues of leakage, additionality, and permanence. This paper outlines a five-part plan for estimating forest carbon stocks and emissions with the accuracy and certainty needed to support a policy for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation, forest conservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (the REDD-plus framework considered at the UNFCCC COP-15) in developing countries. The plan is aimed at UNFCCC non-Annex 1 developing countries, but the principles outlined are also applicable to developed (Annex 1) countries. The parts of the plan are: (1) Expand the number of national forest carbon Measuring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) systems with a priority on tropical developing countries; (2) Implement continuous global forest carbon assessments through the network of national systems; (3) Achieve commitments from national space agencies for the necessary satellite data; (4) Establish agreed-on standards and independent verification processes to ensure robust reporting; and (5) Enhance coordination among international and multilateral organizations.     

The role of phosphorus in the metabolism of arsenate by a freshwater green alga, Chlorella vulgaris

A freshwater microalga, Chlorella vulgaris, was grown in the presence of varying phosphate concentrations( 10–500 μg/L P) and environmentally realistic concentrations of arsenate(As(Ⅴ))(5–50 μg/L As). Arsenic speciation in the culture medium and total cellular arsenic were measured using AEC-ICP-MS and ICP-DRC-MS, respectively, to determine arsenic biotransformation and uptake in the various phosphorus scenarios. At high phosphate concentration in the culture medium, 100 μg/L P, the uptake and biotransformation of As(Ⅴ) was minimal and dimethylarsonate(DMAs(Ⅴ)) was the dominant metabolite excreted by C. vulgaris, albeit at relatively low concentrations. At common environmental P concentrations, 0–50 μg/L P, the uptake and biotransformation of As(Ⅴ) increased. At these higher As-uptake levels, arsenite(As(Ⅲ)) was the predominant metabolite excreted from the cell. The concentrations of As(Ⅲ) in these low P conditions were much higher than the concentrations of methylated arsenicals observed at the various P concentrations studied. The switchover threshold between the(small) methylation and(large) reduction of As(Ⅴ) occurred around a cellular As concentration of 1 fg/cell. The observed nearly quantitative conversion of As(Ⅴ) to As(Ⅲ) under low phosphate conditions indicates the importance of As(Ⅴ) bio-reduction at common freshwater P concentrations. These findings on the influence of phosphorus on arsenic uptake, accumulation and excretion are discussed in relation to previously published research. The impact that the two scenarios of As(Ⅴ) metabolism, As(Ⅲ) excretion at high As(Ⅴ)-uptake and methylarsenical excretion at low As(Ⅴ)-uptake, have on freshwater arsenic speciation is discussed.     

Managing the nitrogen cycle to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from crop production and biofuel expansion

Public policies are promoting biofuels as an alternative to fossil fuel consumption in order to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, the mitigation benefit can be at least partially compromised by emissions occurring during feedstock production. One of the key sources of GHG emissions from biofuel feedstock production, as well as conventional crops, is soil nitrous oxide (N₂O), which is largely driven by nitrogen (N) management. Our objective was to determine how much GHG emissions could be reduced by encouraging alternative N management practices through application of nitrification inhibitors and a cap on N fertilization. We used the US Renewable Fuel Standards (RFS2) as the basis for a case study to evaluate technical and economic drivers influencing the N management mitigation strategies. We estimated soil N₂O emissions using the DayCent ecosystem model and applied the US Forest and Agricultural Sector Optimization Model with Greenhouse Gases (FASOMGHG) to project GHG emissions for the agricultural sector, as influenced by biofuel scenarios and N management options. Relative to the current RSF2 policy with no N management interventions, results show decreases in N₂O emissions ranging from 3 to 4 % for the agricultural sector (5.5–6.5 million metric tonnes CO₂?eq.?year^?1; 1 million metric tonnes is equivalent to a Teragram) in response to a cap that reduces N fertilizer application and even larger reductions with application of nitrification inhibitors, ranging from 9 to 10 % (15.5–16.6 million tonnes CO₂?eq.?year^?1). The results demonstrate that climate and energy policies promoting biofuel production could consider options to manage the N cycle with alternative fertilization practices for the agricultural sector and likely enhance the mitigation of GHG emissions associated with biofuels.     

内蒙古草原挥发性有机物排放通量的研究

2002年夏季,利用静态箱方法,对我国内蒙古草原生态系统挥发性有机物的排放进行了首次测量,同时观测了太阳辐射、温湿度等参数.结果表明,异戊二烯是草地挥发性有机物排放中的主要成分.异戊二烯的排放有明显的日变化、逐日变化和季节变化规律.因子分析表明,可见光辐射、温度、水汽含量是影响异戊二烯排放的主要因子,而且可见光辐射是控制其排放过程的最主要因子.根据相关分析,在考虑影响异戊二烯的排放因子时,不仅要考虑通常的影响因子--可见光辐射、温度,还要考虑水汽的作用.箱方法的使用不可避免地造成箱内外太阳辐射、温湿度等的差别,因此,必须考虑修正采样箱对挥发性有机物排放通量带来的影响.2002年夏季,异戊二烯排放通量(C)的最大值为1649.3μg/(m²·h).6、8、9月采样期间异戊二烯排放通量的日平均值分别为886.6、707.0、427.2μg/(m²·h).