Heterospecific song matching in two closely related songbirds (Parus major and P. caeruleus): great tits match blue tits but not vice versa

To date, song research has focused primarily on the interactions of conspecifics. However, frequent interactions of songbirds with heterospecifics may necessitate adequate communication outside the species boundary. In this study, we focus on heterospecific communication behaviour of two small sympatric congeneric passerines, great and blue tits (Parus major and Parus caeruleus), which breed in overlapping territories and compete for food and nesting cavities. By means of a first playback experiment, we show that (1) heterospecific matching (imitating songs of the other species) is a strategy frequently used by great tits but not by blue tits, (2) both blue tit trilled and untrilled song can be accurately matched by great tits and that (3) almost half of the great tits in our study population match at least one blue tit song across all studied breeding stages, indicating that this heterospecific matching behaviour is a common feature in this population. A second playback experiment showed that these great tit imitations of blue tit songs do not function in intraspecific communication between male great tits. Hence, these heterospecific imitations appear to be designed for interspecific communication with blue tits. These findings suggest a strong heterospecific influence on the vocal learning process, repertoire composition and repertoire use in great tits and provide a possible mechanism that can drive song convergence in songbirds.     

岷江水系河水与沉积物中稀土,稀有元素背景值及其特征初探

报告了岷江水系河水及沉积物中８种稀土元素（Ｌａ，Ｃｅ，Ｎｄ，Ｓｍ，Ｅｕ，Ｔｂ，Ｙｂ，Ｌｕ）及８种稀有元素（Ｒｂ，Ｃｓ，Ｓｒ，Ｂａ，Ｓｂ，Ｔｈ，Ｓｃ，Ｕ）的背景值及其特征，并对元素的排列顺序及元素间的相关关系进行了初步探索，还列出了１６种元素在原水同积物中的相关矩阵及相互间的相关回归方程。     

西北地区县域生态系统服务的供需匹配——以甘肃古浪县为例

作为人类福利的源泉,生态系统服务的供需特征及匹配状况反映了区域生态与环境资源的空间配置,分析其供需匹配关系是评价与优化生态系统服务管理、促进生态系统服务供需平衡的重要前提。以西北地区河西走廊东端的古浪县为例,利用气象观测、土地利用、统计年鉴等多源数据,基于InVEST模型、ArcGIS等方法,分析古浪县2017年的产水、碳固持、食物供给和土壤保持四项生态系统服务的供需及其匹配状况。结果表明：（1）古浪县产水、碳固持、食物供给和土壤保持服务供给与需求的总量均表现出供大于求的状态,其供求总量差值依次为：12.45×10⁸ m³、21.55×10⁷ t、3.8×10⁷ t、1.28×10⁷ t,且不同类型的生态系统服务供给与需求存在明显差异。（2）古浪县各项生态系统服务供需匹配类型可划分为高供给高需求、低供给高需求、低供给低需求、高供给低需求,不同区域与不同生态系统服务间的匹配模式存在明显的空间异质性。（3）古浪县生态系统服务供需匹配表现出南中北空间差异性,且呈现集中连片的态势,说明匹配类型相同的乡镇存在“相邻相似”的特征。基于对生态系统服务的供给、需求及匹配状况的分析,进一步提出了不同匹配类型下生态经济发展、城镇化建设、生态可持续化管理、国土空间规划等方面的优化对策。     

矿井主扇合理匹配安全及经济效益分析

部分矿井由于受到各方面因素影响,实际生产能力不能达到设计生产能力,有些采区安装的主要通风机的通风能力大于采区实际需要风量,即主要通风机匹配的电动机不合理,不但造成经济效益的损失,而且影响矿井的本质安全。本文以嘉禾煤矿浦溪井为例,通过简述矿井主要通风机与电动机匹配的合理改造,分析其运行效果和对矿井安全的影响;并浅述改造后的经济效益。     

A causal analysis of time-varying speed camera safety effects based on the propensity score method

Introduction: Speed limit enforcement cameras provide an effective approach to reduce vehicle speeds and the number of road accidents. However, it is still unclear whether the safety effects of speed cameras show durability over long periods of time. This paper analyses how the effects of speed cameras on road accidents change over time. A total number of 771 camera sites and 4787 potential control sites are observed for a period of 18 years (1999–2016) across England. Method: Covariates such as road class, crash history, speed limit, and annual average daily traffic (AADT) are included in the data set. A difference in difference (DID) based propensity score matching (PSM) method is employed to select proper control sites and estimate the treatment effects. The safety effects of speed cameras are then evaluated from a long-term perspective. The post-treatment period is divided into four equal-length periods: early, medium 1 and 2, and late. Results and Conclusions: The results show that speed cameras have significantly reduced the number of road accidents near the camera sites. However, the effects vary across different time periods. The safety effects of speed cameras experienced a sharp decrease during the medium periods after an initial period of highly reduced accidents (medium 1: −53.1%, medium 2: −40.7%) and recovered slightly during the late period. In addition, to evaluate the criteria for selecting camera sites in the UK, we further investigated whether speed cameras at high risk sites have better safety performance. The results show that while safety effects at high risk camera sites also decreased during the medium periods, the reduction was smaller (medium 1: −20.8%, medium 2: −2.1%). Practical Applications: Appropriate road traffic regulations and management, as well as proper camera sites selection criterion, are important to maintain the effectiveness of speed cameras.     

A new methodology for the synthesis of an optimum flexible water networks

This paper presents a new optimization model for the synthesis of direct reuse/recycle water networks with data uncertainties. In this case, data uncertainties were originated from the varying parameters of the water sources and sinks, which fluctuate within a given range of values. The aim of the method is to design an optimum flexible water network (FWN) that ensures minimum fresh water consumption and yet fulfilling all process constraints and uncertain parameters. The resulting FWN also features the minimum number of pipelines, which will ease process operation and control. Due to the complexity of the problem, multistep solving method based on theorem of corner points has been developed. The FWN obtained using the proposed method also includes information on the maximum flow rate in the pipelines, which is essential for detailed network design stage. The resulting model is a mixed integer linear problem (MILP), which may be solved to obtain global optimum solution. Two case studies were used to elucidate the newly proposed method.     

试论高压水射流清洗系统的合理匹配

随着高压水射流清洗的应用领域日益广泛， 高压水射流清洗系统的合理匹配已成为急待解决的问题。因为只有高压水射流清洗系统的合理匹配，才能充分发挥高压水射流的高效、高质量清洗及节能、污染小的特点。笔者利用系统分析的方法，从实际应用角度出发，结合理论与实验，从高压泵技术指标的选择、清洗设备的选择及参数简析、清洗压力的选择等几个方面，分析了合理匹配高压水射流清洗系统主要参数的一般方法和原则，并将其应用于铁路罐车的高压水射流清洗系统的匹配。实际应用结果表明，这种方法是行之有效的     

环境空气污染物预测浓度与环境背景值叠加应注意的问题

着重阐述了建设项目环境影响评价中环境空气污染物的预测值和背景值相加必须具备的条件 ,得出了在大气环境影响评价中一、二类评价的叠加及三类评价的操作方法。     

Management of hazardous road derived respirable particulates using magnetic properties of tree leaves

The magnetic properties of tree leaves along with their ecological, economical and aesthetic importance can be used to control road derived respirable particulates. Isothermal remanent magnetization (IRM₃₀₀ mT) of three different tree leaves viz. Mango (Mangifera indica), Sisso (Dalbergia sisso) and Banyan (Ficus benghalensis) were determined and IRM₃₀₀ mT normalized for the leaf area. The normalized 2-D magnetization of leaves as shown by results is dominantly controlled by leaf morphology and traffic density. F. benghalensis (Banyan) leaf has highest 2-D magnetization and D. sisso (Sisso) leaf having least 2-D magnetization suggesting greater ability of F. benghalensis (Banyan) tree leaves to reduce magnetic particulates. The particle size of the magnetic grains falls in the category of PM2.5, a particle size hazardous to human health due to its capacity to be inhaled deeply into the lungs.     

Subjective modeling choices and the robustness of impact evaluations in conservation science

Arbitrary modeling choices are inevitable in scientific studies. Yet, few empirical studies in conservation science report the effects these arbitrary choices have on estimated results. I explored the effects of subjective modeling choices in the context of counterfactual impact evaluations. Over 5000 candidate models based on reasonable changes in the choice of statistical matching algorithms (e.g., genetic and nearest distance mahalanobis matching), the parametrization of these algorithms (e.g., number of matches), and the inclusion of specific covariates (e.g., distance to nearest city, slope, or rainfall) were valid for studying the effect of Virunga National Park in Democratic Republic of the Congo on changes in tree cover loss and carbon storage over time. I randomly picked 2000 of the 5000 candidate models to determine how much and which subjective modeling choices affected the results the most. All valid models indicated that tree cover loss decreased and carbon storage increased in Virunga National Park from 2000 to 2019. Nonetheless, the order of magnitude of the estimates varied by a factor of 3 (from −4.78 to −13.12 percentage points decrease in tree cover loss and from 20 to 46 t Ce/ha for carbon storage). My results highlight that modeling choices, notably the choice of the matching algorithm, can have significant effects on point estimates and suggest that more structured robustness checks are a key step toward more credible findings in conservation science.