重要基础设施脆弱性评价模型及其应用

将重要基础设施脆弱性定义为威胁情景、保护作用和重要性的函数,并提出一种可定量化的重要基础设施脆弱性评价模型。模型结合系统理论知识分解系统,选取威慑、延迟、检测、响应4个评价因子评估系统各环节。模型由相关领域专家确定系统各环节权重以及为评价因子赋值,应用线性加权聚集模拟技术,综合评价因子信息;依据系统状况,建立系统各环节价值函数,运行模型得到脆弱性概率密度函数,以数学期望值表示系统脆弱性总值。并将模型应用于天津市部分供水系统,不仅得到系统各环节的实际评价值,而且可得整个供水系统脆弱性评价值,为更好地改进天津市供水系统各环节的安全运行提供了科学依据。     

The challenge of biased evidence in conservation

Efforts to tackle the current biodiversity crisis need to be as efficient and effective as possible given chronic underfunding. To inform decision-makers of the most effective conservation actions, it is important to identify biases and gaps in the conservation literature to prioritize future evidence generation. We used the Conservation Evidence database to assess the state of the global literature that tests conservation actions for amphibians and birds. For the studies in the database, we investigated their spatial and taxonomic extent and distribution across biomes, effectiveness metrics, and study designs. Studies were heavily concentrated in Western Europe and North America for birds and particularly for amphibians, and temperate forest and grassland biomes were highly represented relative to their percentage of land coverage. Studies that used the most reliable study designs—before-after control-impact and randomized controlled trials—were the most geographically restricted and scarce in the evidence base. There were negative spatial relationships between the numbers of studies and the numbers of threatened and data-deficient species worldwide. Taxonomic biases and gaps were apparent for amphibians and birds—some entire orders were absent from the evidence base—whereas others were poorly represented relative to the proportion of threatened species they contained. Metrics used to evaluate effectiveness of conservation actions were often inconsistent between studies, potentially making them less directly comparable and evidence synthesis more difficult. Testing conservation actions on threatened species outside Western Europe, North America, and Australasia should be prioritized. Standardizing metrics and improving the rigor of study designs used to test conservation actions would also improve the quality of the evidence base for synthesis and decision-making.     

籽粒苋苹果酸酶(NAD-ME)基因密码子偏好性分析

遗传密码子是生命信息的基本遗传单位,每种氨基酸对应1～6个同义密码子.特定物种在长期进化中形成了适应自身基因组环境的密码子使用偏性.运用CHIPS、CUSP和CodonW程序分析自主克隆的籽粒苋NAD-ME基因的密码子偏好性,并与马铃薯等7种植物的ME基因密码子偏好性进行比较,以期为该基因在作物遗传改良中选择合适的受体植物提供依据.结果表明,籽粒苋NAD-ME基因偏好于以A或T结尾的密码子,其它几种被比较作物的ME基因也有同样的趋势,但双子叶植物的偏好性更强.基于NAD-ME基因的密码子使用偏性的系统聚类分析表明,籽粒苋与马铃薯、拟南芥、葡萄、蓖麻、毛果杨等双子叶植物聚为1类,玉米和高粱这2个单子叶植物聚为1类,预示籽粒苋NAD-ME基因更适合导入马铃薯等双子叶植物.对籽粒苋NAD-ME基因的密码子偏好性与大肠杆菌和酵母的基因组密码子偏好性进行比较,发现均存在差异,与大肠杆菌的差异高于酵母,表明酵母表达系统要优于大肠杆菌表达系统.若要进一步提高籽粒苋NAD-ME基因在大肠杆菌或酵母中的表达水平,尚需对其密码子进行优化.     

Using unobtrusive sensors to measure and minimize Hawthorne effects: Evidence from cookstoves

People act differently when they know they are being observed. This phenomenon, the Hawthorne effect, can bias estimates of program impacts. Unobtrusive sensors substituting for human observation can alleviate this bias. To demonstrate this potential, we used temperature loggers to measure fuel-efficient cookstoves as a replacement for three-stone fires. We find a large Hawthorne effect: when in-person measurement begins, participants increase fuel-efficient stove use approximately three hours/day (53%) and reduce three-stone fire use by approximately two hours/day (29%). When in-person measurement ends, participants reverse those changes. We then examine how this Hawthorne effect biases estimates of fuel use and pollution concentrations. Our results reinforce concerns about Hawthorne effects, especially in policy-relevant impact evaluations. By measuring the Hawthorne effect we permit researchers to correct for the bias it introduces.     

The Effects of Discussion of Familiar or Non-Familiar Information on Opinions of Anthropogenic Climate Change

ABSTRACT

The study found that encountering new information in an online chat rather than information that participants already knew and were familiar with was more likely to reduce support for the view that climate change is due to anthropogenic causes, even though the majority of the presented information supported anthropogenic causes. Participants reported feeling more competent and knowledgeable about the topic and felt less ostracized from others in the chat when participants were already familiar with information others discussed than when information discussed by others in the chat was new information. However, they viewed other chat members as more competent and knowledgeable when those others mentioned new information. Results are discussed within knowledge deficit model of science communication and the bias for common information.     

A method to combine non-probability sample data with probability sample data in estimating spatial means of environmental variables

In estimating spatial means of environmental variables of a region from datacollected by convenience or purposive sampling, validity of the results canbe ensured by collecting additional data through probability sampling. Theprecision of the estimator that uses the probability sample can beincreased by interpolating the values at the nonprobability sample points tothe probability sample points, and using these interpolated values as anauxiliary variable in the difference or regression estimator. Theseestimators are (approximately) unbiased, even when the nonprobability sampleis severely biased such as in preferential samples. The gain in precisioncompared to the estimator in combination with Simple Random Samplingis controlled by the correlation between the target variable andinterpolated variable. This correlation is determined by the size (density)and spatial coverage of the nonprobability sample, and the spatialcontinuity of the target variable. In a case study the average ratio of thevariances of the simple regression estimator and estimator was 0.68for preferential samples of size 150 with moderate spatial clustering, and0.80 for preferential samples of similar size with strong spatialclustering. In the latter case the simple regression estimator wassubstantially more precise than the simple difference estimator.     

发动机综合监控系统的效能评估方法研究

目的提高航空发动机地面维护工作的效率。方法采用融合层次分析法和专家调查法,对新型航空发动机监控系统的实际工作效能评估方法进行研究和分析。结果得出10名专家对该系统效能的评估结果。结论通过分析系统各部分工作能力的效能优劣,建议相关部门不仅要关注发动机监测方法和措施的提高,更要重视监测工作中发现的问题和异常情况的及时反馈,从而提高发动机综合保障能力。     

A quantitative global review of species population monitoring

Species monitoring, defined here as the repeated, systematic collection of data to detect long-term changes in the populations of wild species, is a vital component of conservation practice and policy. We created a database of nearly 1200 schemes, ranging in start date from 1800 to 2018, to review spatial, temporal, taxonomic, and methodological patterns in global species monitoring. We identified monitoring schemes through standardized web searches, an online survey of stakeholders, in-depth national searches in a sample of countries, and a review of global biodiversity databases. We estimated the total global number of monitoring schemes operating at 3300–15,000. Since 2000, there has been a sharp increase in the number of new schemes being initiated in lower- and middle-income countries and in megadiverse countries, but a decrease in high-income countries. The total number of monitoring schemes in a country and its per capita gross domestic product were strongly, positively correlated. Schemes that were active in 2018 had been running for an average of 21 years in high-income countries, compared with 13 years in middle-income countries and 10 years in low-income countries. In high-income countries, over one-half of monitoring schemes received government funding, but this was less than one-quarter in low-income countries. Data collection was undertaken partly or wholly by volunteers in 37% of schemes, and such schemes covered significantly more sites and species than those undertaken by professionals alone. Birds were by far the most widely monitored taxonomic group, accounting for around half of all schemes, but this bias declined over time. Monitoring in most taxonomic groups remains sparse and uncoordinated, and most of the data generated are elusive and unlikely to feed into wider biodiversity conservation processes. These shortcomings could be addressed by, for example, creating an open global meta-database of biodiversity monitoring schemes and enhancing capacity for species monitoring in countries with high biodiversity. Article impact statement: Species population monitoring for conservation purposes remains strongly biased toward a few vertebrate taxa in wealthier countries.     

The perils of flawed science in wildlife trade literature

Despite broad scientific consensus that sustainable use of wildlife can enhance conservation efforts, ethical concerns have led some community groups to oppose use of wild animals. Voicing those concerns is legitimate, but underlying philosophical bias should not influence science-based analysis and interpretation. We argue that philosophical biases are common in the scientific literature on trade in wildlife. The critically important case of bias surrounding the use of reptile leathers for luxury fashion illustrates the problem. Based on analysis of official seizures of fashion products made from wildlife, a recent study inferred that criminal activity (as inferred by noncompliance with regulations) was common and increasing and, hence, that authorities needed to adopt more stringent restrictions on the trade. In fact, the conclusions of that study are artifacts of pseudoreplication (e.g., multiple counts of single violations) and biased sampling (e.g., focus on companies with high rates of error) and run directly opposite to actual patterns in the data. As a proportion of overall trade, rates of noncompliance are exceptionally low (<0.4%), are declining, and result primarily from paper-work errors rather than criminal intent (e.g., such errors are more frequent for goods shipped by government authorities than by the commercial fashion industry). The recommendation by the study authors to prohibit the international trade in wildlife-based fashion products is imperiling a sustainable trade that can benefit biodiversity and people's livelihoods by providing financial incentives for conservation of species and habitats. This example offers a warning of the dangers of basing research on the wildlife trade on ethical or philosophical positions rather than objective evaluations of evidence.     

ESTIMATES OF MEAN CHLOROPHYLL-a CONCENTRATION: PRECISION,ACCURACY, AND SAMPLING DESIGN1

ABSTRACT: Data from 56 north-temperate lakes and reservoirs are used to develop models predicting temporal variance as a function of the mean chlorophyll-a concentration. Trophy, as estimated by mean chlorophyll-a concentration, is shown to have little effect on the sampling effort required to achieve a pre-determined level of precision for lakes sampled year-round. Collecting ten observations results in a coefficient of variation that averaged 20 percent; collecting more than ten observations yields increasingly marginal improvements in precision. The same guidelines apply to mesotrophic or eutrophic lakes sampled in the summer, whereas oligotrophic lakes sampled in the summer require fewer observations to achieve the same level of precision. The bias resulting from collecting too few observations is minimized if five or more observations are collected.