Learning to recognize novel predators under weakly acidic conditions: the effects of reduced pH on acquired predator recognition by juvenile rainbow trout

Summary. Recent studies have demonstrated that under weakly acidic conditions (pH 6.0), many prey fishes, including juvenile rainbow trout (Onchorhynchus mykiss), do not exhibit overt antipredator responses to conspecific chemical alarm cues. In laboratory trials, we investigated the potential effects of reduced pH on the ability of hatchery reared, predator naïve juvenile rainbow trout to acquire the recognition of a novel predator (yellow perch, Perca flavenscens). Initially, we exposed trout to the odour of a predatory yellow perch, buffered to pH 6.0 (weakly acidic) or pH 7.0 (neutral) paired with conspecific skin extracts (also buffered to pH 6.0 or 7.0) or a distilled water control. Juvenile trout exhibited significant increase in antipredator behaviour when exposed to neutral skin extract (pH 7.0). When retested 48 hours later to perch odour alone (pH 7.0), only trout initially conditioned with neutral skin extracts (pairs with either neutral or acidic perch odour) exhibited a learned recognition of perch odour as a predator risk. Those initially exposed to weakly acidic skin extract or the distilled water control did not show a learned response to predator odour. These results demonstrate that the ability to acquire the recognition of novel predators is impaired under weakly acidic conditions, as would occur in natural waterways affected by acidic precipitation.     

公路滑坡灾害链式反应阶段性识别方法研究

为了对公路滑坡的发育阶段做出准确判别,研究了公路滑坡灾害发育的链式反应机理,将滑坡的发育阶段划分为3个阶段。采用广泛调研和专家咨询的技术手段,从发育阶段的表现特征中选定了滑坡识别的相关因素集和评分,在此基础上采用模糊数学的方法对公路滑坡灾害的发育阶段进行了识别,并在陕南公路滑坡调查中初步应用。     

Nestmate recognition and the genetic relatedness of nests in the ant Formica pratensis

Genetic relatedness of the mound-building ant Formica pratensis was determined by means of microsatellite DNA polymorphism, and its impact on nestmate recognition was tested in a population in Southern Sweden (Oeland). Recognition between nests was measured by testing aggression levels between single pairs of workers. The genetic distances of nests (Nei's genetic distance) and the spatial distance of nests were correlated and both showed a strong relation to the aggression behavior. Multiple regression analysis revealed a stronger impact of genetic relatedness rather than spatial distances on aggression behavior. Neighbouring nests were more closely related than distant nests, which may reflect budding as a possible spreading mechanism. The genetic distance data showed that nestmate recognition was strongly genetically influenced in F. pratensis. Received: 2 October 1997 / Accepted after revision: 10 January 1998     

多级模糊模式识别方法用于河流水质评价

应用多级模糊模式识别模型进行水质量分类评价,克服了最大隶属度原则所不适用的地方,而且以相对隶属度、隶属函数为基础理论,使隶属度、隶属函数的计算更容易。建立了多级模糊模式识别模型,并应用于汾河水质分类评价中,应用结果表明,该方法合理、可行。     

MULTICRITERION DECISION MAKING FOR FLOOD CONTROL OPERATIONS: THEORY AND APPLICATIONS1

ABSTRACT: Flood control operations are generally complex in nature, as they are often associated with a large quantity of uncertain factors in combination of noncommensurable criteria. It has been found that the use of fuzzy set theory coupled with multicriterion decision making (MCDM) methods is very promising. In this paper, a multicriterion fuzzy recognition model is established for flood control operations. A subjective preference and iterative weights method is proposed for weight assessment. First, an initial solution of criteria weights, which is directly analyzed from the selected alternatives, is obtained by using the proposed fuzzy recognition model. Then, according to their knowledge related to real time flood operations, operators may modify the initial weights if necessary. When the relative membership grades of alternatives belonging to all rankings are fixed, a defuzzification equation is used to calculate the rank feature value vector. Based on the rank feature value vector, one can evaluate the alternative set. Two flood operation cases are provided to illustrate the application of the proposed model. With the incorporation of the operator's knowledge related to flood operations, the proposed model is flexible in giving weights and realizes more practical flood control operations.     

城市风暴潮灾害快速评估的模糊决策方法——以厦门市为例

综合考虑了反映风暴潮灾害的自然特征和社会属性的4个指标,将其作为评估指标,建立了基于模糊决策的风暴潮发生过程中城市灾害的快速评估模型,并以街道为最小评估单元,对厦门市进行了一次模拟风暴潮的灾害综合快速评估。由于模型考虑了少量具有代表性的因素,故能保证评估过程的快速性、评估结果的时效性,能为政府在有限的时间和资源下做出救灾减灾的优先工作策略提供决策依据。     

基于DSP虹膜识别防疲劳驾驶报警系统的研究

防止疲劳驾驶以主观监测和客观检测为主,但其在可靠性、成本、检测方法上存在不足,为此,设计了一套基于DSP虹膜识别防止疲劳驾驶报警系统。借鉴国内外学者的研究,遵循实时性、准确性、简洁性及经济性的设计原则,以虹膜识别算法为依据,DSP微处理器控制技术为基础进行了开发,该报警系统可在不干扰驾驶员的情况下,识别驾驶员身份,记录驾驶时间,识别疲劳驾驶并报警。测试结果表明:系统结构简单,实现了模块化。虹膜识别模块、计时模块基本满足了准确性和实时性的要求。     

一种高分辨率遥感影像建筑物边缘提取方法

提出一种利用高分辨率遥感影像半自动提取建筑物边缘的方法。先对遥感影像进行预处理,对所有边缘进行边缘检测。然后进行边缘跟踪,提取建筑物的主方向线,利用模型进行线段关系判断,再进行线段关系处理、区域分割和区域生长,最后进行区域合并提取出建筑物的轮廓。用上述方法对Quick Bird卫星的高分辨率影像进行了实验,实验结果证明该方法有较高的识别率、较好的准确性,具有一定的实用价值。     

Does the potential safety risk affect whether particular construction hazards are recognized or not?

Introduction: Evidence from the global construction industry suggests that an unacceptable number of safety hazards remain unrecognized in construction workplaces. Unfortunately, there isn’t a sufficient understanding of why particular safety hazards remain unrecognized. Such an understanding is important to address the issue of poor hazard recognition and develop remedial interventions. A recent exploratory effort provided anecdotal evidence that workers often fail to recognize safety hazards that are expected to impose relatively lower levels of safety risk. In other words, the research demonstrated that the underlying risk imposed by a safety hazard can affect whether a hazard will be recognized or not. Method: The presented research focused on empirically testing this preliminary finding. More specifically, the study tested the proposition that Construction workers are more likely to recognize safety hazards that impose higher levels of safety risk than those that impose relatively lower levels of safety risk. The research goals were accomplished through a number of steps. First, a set of 16 construction case images depicting a variety of construction operations that included a number of known safety hazards was presented to a panel of four construction safety experts. The experts were tasked with examining each of the known safety hazards and providing a rating of the relative safety risk that the individual hazards impose. Having obtained an estimate of the underlying safety risk, a hazard recognition activity was administered to 287 workers recruited from 57 construction workplaces in the United States. The hazard recognition activity involved the examination of a random sample of two construction case images that were previously examined by the expert panel and reporting relevant safety hazards. Results: The results of the study provided support for the proposition that workers are more likely to recognize hazards that impose relatively higher levels of safety risk. Practical Applications: The findings of the study can be leveraged to improve existing hazard recognition methods and develop more robust interventions to address the issue of poor hazard recognition levels.     

Simulating forest succession after blowdown events: The crucial role of space for a realistic management

Ecological patterns vary in space and time. Therefore, when using dynamic models in ecology, the spatial aspect should not be neglected prematurely since it could possibly change the model outcomes to a considerable extent. In view of this problem, we describe here a method how to construct a non-spatial version from a spatially explicit simulation model. The principle idea is to suppress the spatial correlations of cells in a grid in time by continuously re-assigning a random neighbourhood for each cell on the grid. Since this procedure actually eliminates the spatial dimensions, it allows to quantify the unadulterated impact of spatial processes on the model results. To illustrate an important application of this approach in the context of forest management we use a grid-based model that simulates succession of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) at mountainous sites after blowdown events. The output of this model is compared with the results of the deduced non-spatial version of this model regarding the predicted amount of re-growing trees. The non-spatial version dramatically overestimates the number of spruce trees on different microsites. Thus, the uncritical use of the non-spatial model might give reason to wrong management decisions that are based on too optimistic predictions. In practice, this may lead to dangerous situations, especially in mountain forests serving as protection against avalanches and landslides. This example demonstrates the successful applicability of our approach. Our method can be interpreted as a contribution to an extended sensitivity analysis: it analyses the sensitivity of the results due to structural changes of the model. This sensitivity allows one to estimate the redundancy or the necessity of spatially explicit processes in a model with regard to the parsimony principle of modelling. Since our approach is not dependent on special features of the simulation model used here, it is assumed to be applicable for other spatial models, too, and can thus be considered of general interest for a diligent model analysis.