Morphometric variables of honeybees Apis mellifera used in ecotypes characterization in Argentina

The honeybee Apis mellifera has evolved in different environments and has developed different ecotypes. The objective of the Honeybee Genetic program in Argentina (MeGA) is to select honeybees adapted to different regions in the country using an important number of colonies as base population. In the last years, morphometric analyses are being incorporated into the Program as a tool for characterization of genetic materials; this fact has motivated the present work. A random sample of honeybee workers (250) was taken from 30 colonies situated in different regions in the country. The proboscis, right hind leg, right forewing and hind wing were placed on a slide and the following variables were measured: length and width of forewing and hind wing, different angles and length of wing veins, the length of the tibia, femur and metatarsi, the width of the metatarsi and the length of the proboscis. Thirty morphometrical variables were analyzed and the distribution and relation between them were recorded.     

A functional perspective on the analysis of land use and land cover data in ecology

Assessments of large-scale changes in habitat are a priority for management and conservation. Traditional approaches use land use and land cover data (LULC) that focus mostly on “structural” properties of landscapes, rather than “functional” properties related to specific ecological processes. Here, we contend that designing functional analyses of LULC can provide important and complementary information to traditional, structural analyses. We substantiate this perspective with an example of functional changes in habitat due to industrial anthropogenic footprints in Alberta’s boreal forest, where there has been little overall forest loss (~ 6% structural change), but high levels of functional change (up to 93% functional change) for species’ habitat, biodiversity, and wildfire ignition. We discuss the methods needed to achieve functional LULC analyses, when they are most appropriate to add to structural assessments, and conclude by providing recommendations for analyses of LULC in a future of increasingly high-resolution, dynamic remote sensing data.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s13280-020-01434-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

10万t锌系统电除尘器的设计与应用

对某厂采用普通型板式电除尘器处理l0万t锌沸腾焙烧烟气,在使用不到一年时间,造成设备腐蚀,甚至腐烂,严重影响了沸腾焙烧和制酸的正常生产,而被迫废弃的原因进行了较详细的叙述与剖析,并在此基础上重新设计研制了1台与实际生产相适应的GW1-55P-4 型电除尘器,于1998年9月建成并一次试车投产成功.     

嘉陵江流域洪水区域分析

嘉陵江流域位于长江上游 ,是长江流域面积最大的支流 ,也是长江洪水的主要来源之一。用一种新的洪水区域分析方法———标度分析法对年最大洪峰流量区域变化的性质进行了研究。标度分析法的基本思想是认为在具有相似的地理、地质和气候条件的区域内洪水的空间变化满足标度不变性 ,将不同的地区划分成不同的区域 ,在同一子区域内用标度变换来对洪水资料进行处理 ,这种思想具有现实的普遍意义。对嘉陵江流域洪水资料研究的结果表明标度不变性在一定程度上确实存在 ,且表现出多标度性 ,也就是说不同频率 p下的标度指数θ(p)有不同的值。因此用标度分析法进行洪水区域分析是可行的。为了实际应用 ,最后还计算了嘉陵江流域不同频率p的标度指数θ(p)值 ,由这些结果可以实现由有资料地区的洪水资料对无资料地区洪水进行粗估     

Human serum paraoxonase gene polymorphisms and association with chronic symptoms of pesticide toxicity in Indian farmers

The association between PON1 (serum paraoxonase) genotype and symptoms of pesticide toxicity was examined in a total of 268 farm workers in Andhra Pradesh, India. Approximately 140 of the farm workers who did not report at least two of the symptoms of chronic toxicity, such as abdominal pain, nausea, dizziness, headache, drowsiness, fatigue, tremors of fingers, numbness, or limb weakness were categorized as controls. The remaining 128 farmers showed 2 or more of the above symptoms. All the farm workers were genotyped for polymorphisms of PON1 gene at amino acid positions 55 (exon 3) and 192 (exon 6). A decrease in the percentage of high-activity genotypes at both L55M and Q192R was observed in the farm workers reporting symptoms of pesticide toxicity. When combined genotype distribution at both exons was analyzed, a marked increase in the percentage of low-activity genotypes LLQQ, LMQQ, MMQQ, and MMQR was also observed in symptomatic farmers compared to controls. Age, working years, smoking, duration of exposure, and alcoholism were not statistically significant when compared to symptoms of chronic toxicity. Our findings suggest that L55M and Q192R gene polymorphisms influence the variable susceptibility of farmers to pesticide; and thus may be considered a useful biomarker of genetic susceptibility in assessing an individual's risk of pesticide exposures.     

Transport and fate of organic wastes in groundwater at the Stringfellow hazardous waste disposal site, southern California

In January 1999, wastewater influent and effluent from the pretreatment plant at the Stringfellow hazardous waste disposal site were sampled along with groundwater at six locations along the groundwater contaminant plume. The objectives of this sampling and study were to identify at the compound class level the unidentified 40-60% of wastewater organic contaminants, and to determine what organic compound classes were being removed by the wastewater pretreatment plant, and what organic compound classes persisted during subsurface waste migration. The unidentified organic wastes are primarily chlorinated aromatic sulfonic acids derived from wastes from DDT manufacture. Trace amounts of EDTA and NTA organic complexing agents were discovered along with carboxylate metabolites of the common alkylphenolpolyethoxylate plasticizers and nonionic surfactants. The wastewater pretreatment plant removed most of the aromatic chlorinated sulfonic acids that have hydrophobic neutral properties, but the p-chlorobenzene-sulfonic acid which is the primary waste constituent passed through the pretreatment plant and was discharged in the treated wastewaters transported to an industrial sewer. During migration in groundwater, p-chlorobenzenesulfonic acid is removed by natural remediation processes. Wastewater organic contaminants have decreased 3- to 45-fold in the groundwater from 1985 to 1999 as a result of site remediation and natural remediation processes. The chlorinated aromatic sulfonic acids with hydrophobic neutral properties persist and have migrated into groundwater that underlies the adjacent residential community.     

HYDRAULIC GEOMETRY RELATIONSHIPS FOR URBAN STREAMS THROUGHOUT THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA1

ABSTRACT: Hydraulic geometry relationships, or regional curves, relate bankfull stream channel dimensions to watershed drainage area. Hydraulic geometry relationships for streams throughout North Carolina vary with hydrology, soils, and extent of development within a watershed. An urban curve that is the focus of this study shows the bankfull features of streams in urban and suburban watersheds throughout the North Carolina Piedmont. Seventeen streams were surveyed in watersheds that had greater than 10 percent impervious cover. The watersheds had been developed long enough for the streams to redevelop bankfull features, and they had no major impoundments. The drainage areas for the streams ranged from 0.4 to 110.3 square kilometers. Cross‐sectional and longitudinal surveys were conducted to determine the channel dimension, pattern, and profile of each stream and power functions were fitted to the data. Comparisons were made with regional curves developed previously for the rural Piedmont, and enlargement ratios were produced. These enlargement ratios indicated a substantial increase in the hydraulic geometry for the urban streams in comparison to the rural streams. A comparison of flood frequency indicates a slight decrease in the bankfull discharge return interval for the gaged urban streams as compared to the gaged rural streams. The study data were collected by North Carolina State University (NCSU), the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC), and Charlotte Storm Water Services. Urban regional curves are useful tools for applying natural channel design in developed watersheds. They do not, however, replace the need for field calibration and verification of bankfull stream channel dimensions.     

UNIT HYDROGRAPHS FOR DEVELOPING DESIGN FLOOD HYDROGRAPHS1

ABSTRACT: In Illinois, a procedure has been developed to derive unit hydrographs for generating 100-year and probable maximum flood hydrographs, on the basis of 11 parameters that define the hydrograph shape very well. Regional regressions of these parameters with basin factors show very high correlation. Thus satisfactory values of parameters can be determined for ungaged areas or those with a few years' record. The nonlinearity in unit hydrographs derived from usual floods is largely attributed to mixing within-channel and overbank-flow flood events. To minimize the effects of nonlinearity and to derive unit hydrographa suitable for calculating spillway design floods, use of the proposed method of developing such hydrographs is recommended.     

基于减振降噪分析的高效堆垛机设计

物流业的快速发展,使得堆垛机趋向结构大型化和运行高速化。而随之出现的是振动过大及噪声污染问题,既影响产品的动态性能,又存在着安全隐患。为解决上述问题,从堆垛机的结构入手,重点分析振动和噪声产生的主要原因,运用SolidW orks(三维绘图)及其插件Cosmos/W orks(有限元分析)、Cosmos/Motion(动态仿真)软件,通过对不同结构参数和不同结构形式的(超高速/大高度)高效率堆垛机的三维建模、动态仿真与有限元分析,评价其模态和频率指标,摒弃原设计的等截面形式而采用效果最佳的变截面结构形式。结果表明,改进的设计满足设计规范要求,并进一步总结和分析应当重视的问题,对解决高效率堆垛机振动过大和噪音污染问题具有现实的指导意义。     

高速铁路列车运行冲突管理总论

为提高铁路行车指挥水平、保障行车安全,研究了高速铁路列车运行冲突管理问题。以高速铁路运输系统特点分析为基础,在定义高速铁路列车运行冲突后,对列车运行冲突从4个不同角度进行分类。分析列车运行冲突的特点,阐述高速铁路列车运行冲突管理的内涵。列车运行冲突的形成机理研究、冲突分析、冲突消解和基于冲突管理的列车运行调整方法和运行图研究等问题构成中国高速铁路冲突管理的主要研究框架体系。高速铁路冲突管理理论体系的研究是高速铁路运输组织优化的关键问题之一,是高速铁路行车安全的重要保障。