Using Twitter to communicate conservation science from a professional conference

Scientists are increasingly using Twitter as a tool for communicating science. Twitter can promote scholarly discussion, disseminate research rapidly, and extend and diversify the scope of audiences reached. However, scientists also caution that if Twitter does not accurately convey science due to the inherent brevity of this media, misinformation could cascade quickly through social media. Data on whether Twitter effectively communicates conservation science and the types of user groups receiving these tweets are lacking. To address these knowledge gaps, we examined live tweeting as a means of communicating conservation science at the 2013 International Congress for Conservation Biology (ICCB). We quantified and compared the user groups sending and reading live tweets. We also surveyed presenters to determine their intended audiences, which we compared with the actual audiences reached through live tweeting. We also asked presenters how effectively tweets conveyed their research findings. Twitter reached 14 more professional audience categories relative to those attending and live tweeting at ICCB. However, the groups often reached through live tweeting were not the presenters’ intended audiences. Policy makers and government and non‐governmental organizations were rarely reached (0%, 4%, and 6% of audience, respectively), despite the intent of the presenters. Plenary talks were tweeted about 6.9 times more than all other oral or poster presentations combined. Over half the presenters believed the tweets about their talks were effective. Ineffective tweets were perceived as vague or missing the presenters’ main message. We recommend that presenters who want their science to be communicated accurately and broadly through Twitter should provide Twitter‐friendly summaries that incorporate relevant hashtags and usernames. Our results suggest that Twitter can be used to effectively communicate speakers’ findings to diverse audiences beyond conference walls.     

A composite medium approximation for unsaturated flow in layered sediments

Saturated-unsaturated flow in strictly layered sediments proceeds via conductors in parallel in the direction parallel to bedding, and via resistors in series in the direction perpendicular to bedding. On sufficiently small scales of space and time, flow in such media will be subject to approximate capillary equilibrium locally, which provides a basis for approximating the effective hydraulic conductivity of a composite multi-layer medium in terms of the conductivities of the individual layers. Equations for the hydraulic conductivity tensor in "composite medium approximation" (COMA) are given in a coordinate system aligned with bedding. Hydraulic conductivity parallel to bedding is generally larger than in the perpendicular direction. The anisotropy depends on the spread of the conductivity distribution, and tends to increase for dryer conditions. The COMA model was implemented in a multi-phase flow simulator and tested by comparison with high-resolution simulations in which all layering heterogeneity is resolved explicitly. Under favorable conditions, COMA is found to accurately represent sub-grid scale flow and transport processes, providing a practical method for simulating field-scale flow and transport in layered media. The approximation improves when layers are thinner, and when flow rates are smaller.     

基于流媒体技术的远程教育平台的设计与实现

流媒体技术采用流式传输的方式在Internet／Intranet播放的媒体格式，其数据流随时传送随时播放，缩短了启动延时，降低了对系统缓存容量的需求，极大地减少了用户的等待时间，因此广泛应用于网络教育、网络电台、视频点播、收费播放等方面。文中主要介绍了流媒体技术的特点、原理，进一步阐述了用于在局域网和Internet中传送流式多媒体内容的开发工具windows media，给出了一种利用Windows media流媒体技术构建远程教育系统的具体方案，很好的解决了音频，视频信息的传送问题和数据间的同步问题。     

Testes mass in megachiropteran bats varies in accordance with sperm competition theory

Sperm competition is a widespread phenomenon influencing a range of characters, including investment in gonadal tissue. Conspecific proximity is one factor which can influence the risk of sperm competition and hence testicular investment, and decreased confidence of paternity may be one cost of group living. Aspects of female biology may also influence spermatogenic investment and sperm morphology. This study examines the associations between relative testes mass and roost-group size across 17 species of Megachiroptera. Associations between breeding season duration and investment in spermatogenesis are also examined, as are associations between female reproductive tract dimensions and testes mass and dimensions of spermatozoa across all bats. Relative testes mass was significantly positively associated with roost-group size at a species level and after appropriate phylogenetic control (pairwise comparisons and comparison of independent contrasts). There were no significant relationships between breeding season duration and relative testes mass. Across all bats, neither testes mass nor sperm length were significantly related to dimensions of the female tract. The results are discussed in the context of sperm competition. Received: 7 January 1998 / Accepted after revision: 8 August 1998     

确定岩体斜坡滑动面抗剪强度的动态反分析方法

滑动结构面的抗剪强度在岩体滑坡的稳定性计算中是最重要的参数,也是最难以确定的。基于岩体抗剪强度是多种因素影响下的随机变量这一认识前提下,本文以西柏坡“中共中央解放军总部”旧址滑坡为例提出了确定岩体斜坡滑动面抗剪强度的动态反分析方法,并对该方法获得的抗剪强度的实用性进行了分析。结果表明,反分析方法是获得岩体斜坡滑动面抗剪强度的最经济、合理的途径。     

液化四氟乙烷小孔泄漏试验研究

采用高速摄影技术,考察了液化四氟乙烷发生小孔泄漏时,其水平泄漏和垂直泄漏的初始云团演化行为、泄漏的质量流率、喷射速度和喷射角,并与理论计算公式进行了对比。结果表明:水平喷射两相云团尾部出现涡流,涡流大幅加快了云团向空气中扩散的速率;垂直喷射的两相云团在地面形成液池,液池大幅增加了液化气体向空气中蒸发的速率。水平泄漏试验的喷射角与容器内超压变化规律相似,泄放初期喷射角逐渐增大,经历一段平坦期,到泄放末期喷射角减小。水平泄漏和垂直泄漏的初始喷射速度分别为25 m/s和20 m/s,与理论值26.6 m/s基本吻合。水平泄漏的质量流率的试验值和理论值分别为0.0598 kg/s和0.0684 kg/s,垂直泄漏的分别为0.0472 kg/s和0.059 6 kg/s,结果对比基本吻合,推荐的泄漏质量流率和小孔喷射速度公式可以用于液化四氟乙烷小孔泄漏。     

Social media and disasters: a functional framework for social media use in disaster planning,response, and research

A comprehensive review of online, official, and scientific literature was carried out in 2012–13 to develop a framework of disaster social media. This framework can be used to facilitate the creation of disaster social media tools, the formulation of disaster social media implementation processes, and the scientific study of disaster social media effects. Disaster social media users in the framework include communities, government, individuals, organisations, and media outlets. Fifteen distinct disaster social media uses were identified, ranging from preparing and receiving disaster preparedness information and warnings and signalling and detecting disasters prior to an event to (re)connecting community members following a disaster. The framework illustrates that a variety of entities may utilise and produce disaster social media content. Consequently, disaster social media use can be conceptualised as occurring at a number of levels, even within the same disaster. Suggestions are provided on how the proposed framework can inform future disaster social media development and research.