Environmental Monitoring and Assessment of a Great River Ecosystem: The Upper Missouri River Pilot

Most Great River ecosystems (GREs) are extensively modified and are not receiving adequate protection to prevent further habitat degradation and loss of biotic integrity. In the United States, ecological monitoring and assessment of GREs has lagged behind streams and estuaries, and the management of GREs is hampered by the lack of unbiased data at appropriate spatial scales. Properties of GREs that make them challenging to monitor and assess include difficult sample logistics and high habitat diversity. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) has developed a comprehensive, regional-scale, survey-based monitoring approach to assessment of streams and estuaries, but has not yet conducted research on applying these tools to GRE monitoring. In this paper we present an overview of an EMAP research project on the Upper Missouri River (UMR). We summarize the assessment objectives for the study, the design for selecting sample locations, the indicators measured at these sites and the tools used to analyze data. We present an example of the type of statements that can be made with EMAP monitoring data. With modification, the set of methodologies developed by EMAP may be well suited for assessment of GREs in general.     

Patchy Distribution Fields: An Interleaved Survey Design and Reconstruction Adequacy

A mathematical model was used to compare the effects of a regular (one-pass) or interleaved (two-pass) acoustic survey on the adequacy of reconstructing patchy distribution fields. The model simulates fish or plankton patches of different shapes and spatial orientations, and a set of parallel or zigzag transects forming a regular or interleaved acoustic survey. The efficiency of a survey is determined by the adequacy of a reconstructed field to that originally generated, which is evaluated by calculating their correlations. Regarding the immovable fields, the efficiency of a regular or interleaved acoustic survey was tested with the following two alternative assumptions: (1) the entire survey was completed; (2) the survey was interrupted for some reason at the moment when one transect remained non-accomplished. In the former case, the efficiencies of both acoustic surveys were nearly the same; in the latter case, the efficiency of an interleaved survey was superior to that of a regular one. With respect to movable fields, the efficiency of the completed interleaved surveys was even higher than that of the regular ones. Thus, the results obtained allow us to conclude that an interleaved survey is expedient in cases where there is no preference regarding the position of a vessel for further work.     

A comparison of fixed-site and non-fixed-site approaches for species protection

The efficacy of simultaneously advancing two distinct conceptual designs (referred to here as fixed-site and non-fixed-site) for species conservation and protection is addressed. In the literature, numerous models can be found that typically stem from a particular design, but rarely are comparisons made between approaches. This paper presents a more integrated optimization framework that models landowner behavior and species viabilities at a landscape scale. Regional demand for resource extraction is used as the economic driver, a variant of simulated annealing is used to solve the model under different species protection approaches, and a detailed species population simulator is utilized to measure biological responses. When directly comparing the outcomes of different species protection strategies from a case study in Oregon (USA), it was found that neither approach was universally superior in terms of financial value or degree of protection for two late seral forest dependent species.     

Green chemistry

A grand challenge facing government, industry, and academia in the relationship of our technological society to the environment is reinventing the use of materials. To address this challenge, collaboration from an interdisciplinary group of stakeholders will be necessary. Traditionally, the approach to risk management of materials and chemicals has been through inerventions intended to reduce exposure to materials that are hazardous to health and the environment. In 1990, the Pollution Prevention Act encouraged a new tact-elimination of hazards at the source. An emerging approach to this grand challenge seeks to embed the diverse set of environmental perspectives and interests in the everyday practice of the people most responsible for using and creating new materials—chemists. The approach, which has come to be known as Green Chemistry, intends to eliminate intrinsic hazard itself, rather than focusing on reducing risk by minimizing exposure. This chapter addresses the representation of downstream environmental stakeholder interests in the upstream everyday practice that is reinventing chemistry and its material inputs, products, and waste as described in the “12 Principles of Green Chemistry”.     

北方缓流水体水质在线自动监测系统采样口的设计思考

以DO作为水体的污染指标来判定水质类别存在一定的缺陷,北方缓流水体在不同季节常存在不同的DO分层现象,现设在河床底以上0.5米处的自动监测采样口设计缺少科学性。在叙述缓流水体DO特点的同时,介绍一种新的水质在线自动监测采样口的方案,便于类似水体水质自动监测设计中借鉴。     

吸波结构聚氨酯泡沫基体材料耐老化性能评估试验设计

目的针对吸波结构的基体材料——一种软质聚氨酯泡沫耐老化性能的考核,设计一种环境适应性试验,确定施加的环境应力和产品老化性能的表征参数。方法通过吸波结构的聚氨酯泡沫材料的特征性能参数分析,根据产品应用要求和预试验结果,确定合适的老化性能的主要表征指标,通过多应力水平试验和方差分析,确定采用的主要加速老化环境应力。结果通过预试验与分析认为,吸波结构用聚氨酯泡沫材料耐老化性能可采用断裂伸长率来作表征,由于防水覆膜能很好地阻隔水汽对聚氨酯材料的影响,采用单温度应力便可以来考核其老化性能。结论针对具有防水覆膜的吸波结构用聚氨酯泡沫材料,采用单温度应力作用下的断裂伸长率变化可以对其耐老化性能进行有效评估。     

汽车环境风洞设计概述

为了模拟真实的自然环境进行整车试验,汽车环境风洞是必不可少的试验手段。简述了汽车环境风洞的整体设计概念,并对最重要的空气动力学和环境模拟系统的设计进行了较为细致的论述。风洞流道不同部件均有独特的作用,各个部件的协同设计会带来优秀的空气动力学性能。环境模拟系统的设计考虑到了风洞设备和实验的热负荷,以及风洞升降温速率的要求,保证制冷能力能够满足汽车环境实验工况的要求,并且配备了道路、阳光、雨雪等自然环境的模拟设备。环境风洞不同部件发挥各自的功能,可以带来优秀的空气动力学和热力学能力。通过多方面的综合设计,汽车环境风洞可以非常好地模拟自然的环境条件,进而进行整车实验。     

核动力工程设计项目管理进度控制影响因素分析

为确保项目目标实现,在总结核动力工程特点和科研设计院所设计流程的基础上,根据项目进度控制的定义和内容,结合行业特点,针对管理与技术互为影响的实际,按设计过程阶段,对影响核动力工程设计项目进度的内部因素和外部因素进行分析。在理论和实践层面,就如何有效实施核动力工程项目管理、控制设计进度进行了探讨。从策划、组织管理、信息沟通等方面,针对性地提出了有关管理对策措施的建议,以期优化改进项目进度控制工作,持续提高项目管理水平。     

岛屿地形下的核电厂护岸防洪设计研究

对国内第一个岛屿地形下核电厂的护岸防洪设计进行了研究,提出直立式护岸结构方案以满足核电厂防洪和避让毗邻海岛的要求。在波浪数值模拟计算结果基础上,开展了波浪整体物理模型试验、波浪局部整体物理模型试验和波浪断面物理模型试验,对护岸的越浪量和结构稳定性进行了优化验证。研究结果表明,岛屿地形下,波浪破碎和波能集中导致护岸堤身坡脚处波高增大,须加高挡浪墙和优化挡浪墙结构型式;在相同的越浪量标准下,采用直立堤结构相对斜坡堤结构对应的护岸挡浪墙的高程须明显加高;利用部分海岛地形斜坡高地作为厂区护岸一部分时,原状海岛地形斜坡高地处的波浪爬高效应明显,须加高邻近护岸挡浪墙的高程。     

Evaluation of design alternatives for sewing scissors with respect to hand performance,discomfort and usability

The effects of three re-designed models of sewing scissors on hand performance measures, discomfort and usability were investigated, and the results were compared with those of conventional scissors. Adjustments were made to the scissors handle with emphasis on more neutral wrist postures (bent handle - model A), correction of the thumb's position and movements (model B) and reducing hand/finger discomfort (model C) while working with the tool. The results showed some improvements in hand performance, muscular effort, usability and discomfort with model B compared to the conventional model. Better hand performance and usability and lower discomfort were recorded with model C compared to the conventional model. The results suggest that the correction of the thumb's position and movement (model B) or even reduced hand/finger discomfort (model C) are perhaps more important considerations in scissors design than improved wrist posture (model A) for improving users' performance and usability of the tool.