Overlap Zone Research Articles

The butterfly fauna of the Pilliga Forest, a large woodland remnant in the Brigalow Belt South bioregion in northern inland New South Wales, Australia

Sixty-three butterfly species representing five families have been recorded from the Pilliga Forest in northern inland New South Wales – the largest surviving remnant of native forest on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range. This is one of the richest recorded butterfly faunas of any location on the New South Wales western slopes and adjacent plains, reflecting the location of the Pilliga Forest in a biogeographic overlap zone between northern and southern faunal assemblages with proximity to both the western plains and outliers of the mesic eastern highlands. No narrow-range endemic species or species of state or national conservation concern were recorded; however, half of the species recorded have patchy, discontinuous distributions within their broad range due to specific habitat requirements. Some minor western range extensions are recorded and two hilltopping sites are documented. This study highlights the significant biodiversity conservation value of the Pilliga Forest in the predominantly cleared western slopes bioregions.

Coexisting large carnivores: spatial relationships of tigers and leopards and their prey in a prey-rich area in lowland Nepal

ABSTRACTIn the Shuklaphanta National Park (Nepal), we sampled the spatial distributions and diel activity patterns of tigers and leopards during three winter (dry) seasons. Densities of both predators were similar and rather low (≤ 3/100 km2), but total prey base was high (> 150 animals/km2). From camera trapping, 20 different tigers and leopards were identified. While leopards (9) were confined to areas along the reserve border, tigers (11) were located significantly farther inside, where the abundance of large-sized wild prey was higher and that of small-sized prey lower than closer to the border. In the inter-specific spatial overlap zones, the two species were never photographed at the same locations. Diel activity patterns did not differ. Normally, leopards avoid tigers owing to social interference. In our study, the spatial segregation was interpreted to be due to low predator-prey ratios (e.g., food not limiting for either species), with each species distributed in areas with highest densities of their preferred prey. Social interference behavior ‒ although probably occurring ‒ played a minor role. The concentration of leopards along the reserve border, coupled with a diet that included domestic dogs, suggest that different behavioral adaptations to anthropogenic factors might also have played a role.

Calculation and verification of Start/Stop optimum overlapping rate on metal DLF technology

Laser cladding represents an advanced repair and modification technology for the failed parts and high-performance parts of controlled the surface onto the needing area. When the cylinder geometry or complex geometry which has circular and partition fusion is required, maybe there appears an overlap in poles of the laser clad track and linear or circular clad edge zone, and in Start/Stop zone of the laser clad track. When the distance of the overlap is not attached importance, the unsuitable height of the overlapping region may result in the defect of the coatings and even the failure of the parts. This paper establishes T-shape overlapping model and Start-Stop overlapping model, and reports several overlap strategies that are used to verify the model and tested to solve the overlapping problem. The 500W IPG fiber laser was used to perform laser cladding experiments, 45 steel substrate size: 100 × 100 × 10 mm and coating powder: YCF101 alloy powder. 3D measuring laser microscope was used to study the height of overlapping zone by different overlapping strategies. These strategies were designed according to different combinations of the poles and clad edge. Coating height inside the overlap zone was identified and overlapping formula was verified for YCF101alloy.

A hybrid phonon Monte Carlo-diffusion method for ballistic-diffusive heat conduction in nano- and micro- structures

The existing phonon Monte Carlo (MC) for ballistic-diffusive heat conduction are limited to small and simple structures owing to the huge time cost following with the increasing scale. This article presents a new hybrid phonon Monte Carlo-diffusion method for ballistic-diffusive heat conduction, which successfully characterizes the ballistic effect with significantly reducing the computational cost. Based on the idea that the phonon-boundary scattering mainly affects the regions adjacent to the boundaries when the system is considerably large, the whole system is divided into three zones: the boundary MC zone and the middle diffusion zone, between which is the overlap zone. By using an alternating method and setting virtual phonon bath or specular reflection as the boundary condition for the MC zones, the results of the phonon tracing MC and diffusion equation can be coupled and converge at the overlap zone. To verify, the cross-plane and in-plane film heat conduction, where slip boundary conditions are the major characteristics of the ballistic-diffusive regime, are simulated by the hybrid method as well as standard phonon tracing MC which works as a benchmark. It is found that the hybrid method can accurately predict the distributions of temperature and heat flux in the system with nearly the same precision as the phonon tracing MC while the computation time can reduce up to 90%, validating its potential use for larger and more complex structures.

교육복지 유관사업의 중복성과 사각지대 분석: 부산 지역을 중심으로

교육복지 유관사업의 중복성과 사각지대 분석: 부산 지역을 중심으로

Victim-warriors and iconic heroines: photographs of female combatants in Aceh, Indonesia

ABSTRACTAnalyzing photos and narratives of the “widows’ battalion” in Aceh, Indonesia that appeared in international and local print media between 2000 and 2002, this article traces how images of female combatants initially provided evidence of a uniformed, armed ethno-nationalist movement motivated by past state violence and linked to historical legends of women involved in armed resistance to colonialism. Subsequently, the heroines were recast as immoral young women pursuing inappropriate sexual relationships with the occupying military. The problems of intelligence gathering, double agents, and the indeterminate zone of overlap in which male soldiers collaborated in the past were rewritten as a problem of sexual or intimate relations that violated religious and cultural norms. In Aceh, the affective power and complexity of women’s positioning as both victim and combatant is fueled by the invocation of the iconic heroines of the anticolonial resistance and ideas about international human rights. Images and narration of the widows’ battalion appear to champion female combatants past and present, but in fact, contribute to the consolidation of the power of male commanders and combatants in the resistance movement. Analyses of human rights photography must consider the affective power of images beyond engaging the empathy of distant spectators to consider their role in conflict dynamics.

Using Approximate Bayesian Computation to infer sex ratios from acoustic data.

Population sex ratios are of high ecological relevance, but are challenging to determine in species lacking conspicuous external cues indicating their sex. Acoustic sexing is an option if vocalizations differ between sexes, but is precluded by overlapping distributions of the values of male and female vocalizations in many species. A method allowing the inference of sex ratios despite such an overlap will therefore greatly increase the information extractable from acoustic data. To meet this demand, we developed a novel approach using Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) to infer the sex ratio of populations from acoustic data. Additionally, parameters characterizing the male and female distribution of acoustic values (mean and standard deviation) are inferred. This information is then used to probabilistically assign a sex to a single acoustic signal. We furthermore develop a simpler means of sex ratio estimation based on the exclusion of calls from the overlap zone. Applying our methods to simulated data demonstrates that sex ratio and acoustic parameter characteristics of males and females are reliably inferred by the ABC approach. Applying both the ABC and the exclusion method to empirical datasets (echolocation calls recorded in colonies of lesser horseshoe bats, Rhinolophus hipposideros) provides similar sex ratios as molecular sexing. Our methods aim to facilitate evidence-based conservation, and to benefit scientists investigating ecological or conservation questions related to sex- or group specific behaviour across a wide range of organisms emitting acoustic signals. The developed methodology is non-invasive, low-cost and time-efficient, thus allowing the study of many sites and individuals. We provide an R-script for the easy application of the method and discuss potential future extensions and fields of applications. The script can be easily adapted to account for numerous biological systems by adjusting the type and number of groups to be distinguished (e.g. age, social rank, cryptic species) and the acoustic parameters investigated.

Overlap length for confinement of carbon and glass FRP-jacketed concrete columns

This paper presents the experimental results of a study on the occurrence of debonding along the overlap length of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) confined concrete prior to rupture of the FRP jacket. Plain concrete cylinders, twenty-six with 152 mm diameter and 305 mm height, and four with 100 mm diameter and 200 mm height, with cylinder compressive concrete strength 19 MPa, were wrapped with carbon- and glass-FRP jackets and tested under monotonic axial compression. Different overlap configurations and different FRP application methods were investigated. The parameters found to most significantly affect the bond resistance along the overlap zone are the type of the FRP material and the curing age of the resin when dry lay-up application is used.

The dermal arteries in the cutaneous angiosome of the descending genicular artery.

Studies examining thick skin of the thumb pad have challenged the existence of an arterial plexus in the papillary dermis. Instead of a plexus, discrete arterial units, interconnected by arterio-arterial anastomoses, were identified. We hypothesise that the dermal arteries of thin skin are arranged likewise and that there are fewer arterio-arterial anastomoses in the centre of an angiosome than in zones where neighbouring angiosomes overlap. To test these hypotheses, we examined the dermal arteries in the centre of the cutaneous angiosome of the descending genicular artery (DGA) and its zone of overlap with neighbouring angiosomes. Using traditional perfusion techniques, the cutaneous angiosomes of the DGA and the popliteal artery were identified in 11 fresh frozen human lower limbs. Biopsies were harvested from the centre of the cutaneous DGA angiosome and from the zone where neighbouring vascular territories overlapped. Employing high-resolution episcopic microscopy (HREM), digital volume data were generated and the dermal arteries were three-dimensionally reconstructed and examined. In all examined skin areas, the dermal arteries showed tree-like ramifications. The branches of the dermal arteries were connected on average by 1.73±1.01 arterio-arterial anastomoses in the centre of the DGA angiosome and by 3.27±1.27 in the zone where angiosomes overlapped. We demonstrate that discrete but overlapping dermal arterial units with a mean dimension of 1.62±1.34 and 1.80±1.56mm2 , respectively, supply oxygen and nutrients to the superficial dermis and epidermis of the thin skin of the medial femur. This forms the basis for diagnosing and researching skin pathologies.

Structure analysis of collagen fibril at atomic-level resolution and its implications for intra-fibrillar transport in bone biomineralization.

Bone is a hierarchical biocomposite material in which a collagen fibril matrix self-assembled in a three-dimensional (3-D) pseudohexagonal array controls many important processes in mineralization such as providing the pathways by which calcium and phosphate species are delivered and a template for the earliest nucleation sites, determining the spatial distribution of the mineral and the topology for binding of associated non-collagenous proteins. However, the structural characteristics of collagen molecules in the fibril remain unclear at the atomic level. Here we performed the first large-scale molecular dynamics simulations to provide a comprehensive all-atom structural analysis of the entire fibril of Type I collagen including intra-fibrillar water distribution. We found that the ideal fibril structure is preserved in specific sites where the earliest nucleation occurs, but is severely distorted in areas that mineralize later. In detail, the ideal pseudohexagonal structure is well-preserved in the overlap zone (c1, c2 and b bands), in the a bands of the hole zone but is severely distorted at the hole/overlap transition (d and c3 bands). As a result, the expected uniform "channel," formed by connecting holes in adjacent unit cells along the b-axis, and having dimensions of 1.5 nm height along the a-axis and width of 40 nm along the c-axis is not formed. The expected uniform channel of 1.5 nm height is preserved only in the a bands in a narrow sub-channel region only 5.8 nm wide. At the hole/overlap transition, an irregular, tortuous sub-channel of widely varying dimensions (∼1.8-4.0 nm height × ∼3.0 nm width) is formed. The well-defined sub-channel in the a bands along with their preferred orientation of charged amino acid residues could facilitate faster molecular diffusion than the tortuous sub-channels and ionic interactions, thus providing the first nucleation sites. Intra-fibrillar water occupies nano-spaces and shows low density (∼0.7 g cm-3), which should promote dehydration of ion species. These results provide the first atomic-level understanding of the structure of the collagen fibril and the properties of the aqueous compartments within the fibril, which offer a physical, chemical and steric explanation for calcium phosphate infiltration paths and for the initiation of mineralization at the a band collagen fibril. The mechanism revealed here for the observed specificity of collagen biomineralization in bone formation ultimately contributes to the biochemical and biomechanical functions of the skeleton.

Captive Hybridization of the Giant ClamsTridacna maxima(Röding, 1798) andTridacna noae(Röding, 1798)

The giant clam Tridacna noae is a recently resurrected taxon distinguished from Tridacna maxima on the basis of reproductive isolation, mitochondrial DNA differences, and mantle morphology and ornamentation; however, the morphological characteristics used to distinguish the two species are not consistent with genetic assignment throughout their zone of overlap. This has led to the suggestion that hybridization occurs and constituted a need to reexamine the reproductive isolation of T. noae and T. maxima. This study provides evidence that sympatric populations of T. maxima and T. noae in the center of their range overlap and can hybridize and produce juveniles. Breeding trials using T. maxima and T. noae for both maternal and paternal hybrid crosses were conducted to compare larval and early juvenile development. The fertilization success and survival of both hybrid crosses suggest potential for T. maxima and T. noae hybrids to exist in nature. On this basis, the previously reported reproductive isolation between T. maxima and T. noae may not be apposite across their zone of overlap. Future genetic, population demographic, and ecological studies should consider the possibility of hybridization between T. maxima and T. noae.

MODELING OF SMART PATCH/LAYER JOINTS UNDER DYNAMIC TIME HARMONIC LOAD WITH INTERFACE DEFECT

AbstractThe modified 1D shear lag analysis is applied to study the hygro‐thermal‐piezoelectric response of a smart patch/layer structure with and without an interface gap along the overlap zone at environmental conditions and under dynamic time harmonic and electrical loads. The overlap zone is divided into 3 parts – 2 of them belong to intact parts of the interface and 1 of them to the length of the gap. All three types of closed form analytical solutions are derived and obtained. The comparison of the model shear stress, electric gradient, stresses and debond length for both cases of the interface (continuous or with a gap) is done at an example of a PZT‐5H/CFRP structure. All results are shown in figures and discussed.

Hybrid Structured Illumination Expansion Microscopy Reveals Microbial Cytoskeleton Organization.

Recently developed tissue-hydrogel methods for specimen expansion now enable researchers to perform super-resolution microscopy with ∼65 nm lateral resolution using ordinary microscopes, standard fluorescent probes, and inexpensive reagents. Here we use the combination of specimen expansion and the optical super-resolution microscopy technique structured illumination microscopy (SIM) to extend the spatial resolution to ∼30 nm. We apply this hybrid method, which we call ExSIM, to study the cytoskeleton of the important human pathogen Giardia lamblia including the adhesive disc and flagellar axonemes. We determined the localization of two recently identified disc-associated proteins, including DAP86676 , which localizes to disc microribbons, and the functionally unknown DAP16263 , which primarily localizes to dorsal microtubules of the disc overlap zone and the paraflagellar rod of ventral axonemes. Based on its strong performance in revealing known and unknown details of the ultrastructure of Giardia, we find that ExSIM is a simple, rapid, and powerful super-resolution method for the study of fixed specimens, and it should be broadly applicable to other biological systems of interest.

Mechanical evolution of transpression zones affected by fault interactions: Insights from 3D elasto-plastic finite element models

The mechanical evolution of transpression zones affected by fault interactions is investigated by a 3D elasto-plastic mechanical model solved with the finite-element method. Ductile transpression between non-rigid walls implies an upward and lateral extrusion. The model results demonstrate that a, transpression zone evolves in a 3D strain field along non-coaxial strain paths. Distributed plastic strain, slip transfer, and maximum plastic strain occur within the transpression zone. Outside the transpression zone, fault slip is reduced because deformation is accommodated by distributed plastic shear. With progressive deformation, the σ3 axis (the minimum compressive stress) rotates within the transpression zone to form an oblique angle to the regional transport direction (∼9°–10°). The magnitude of displacement increases faster within the transpression zone than outside it. Rotation of the displacement vectors of oblique convergence with time suggests that transpression zone evolves toward an overall non-plane strain deformation. The slip decreases along fault segments and with increasing depth. This can be attributed to the accommodation of bulk shortening over adjacent fault segments. The model result shows an almost symmetrical domal uplift due to off-fault deformation, generating a doubly plunging fold and a ‘positive flower’ structure. Outside the overlap zone, expanding asymmetric basins subside to ‘negative flower’ structures on both sides of the transpression zone and are called ‘transpressional basins’. Deflection at fault segments causes the fault dip fall to less than 90° (∼86–89°) near the surface (∼1.5 km). This results in a pure-shear-dominated, triclinic, and discontinuous heterogeneous flow of the transpression zone.

Spatial characterization of cretaceous Western Interior Seaway paleoceanography using foraminifera, fuzzy sets and Dempster–Shafer theory

The spatial paleoceanography of the entire Western Interior Seaway (WIS) during the Cenomanian-Turonian Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE2) has been reconstructed quantitatively for the first time using Geographic Information Systems. Models of foraminiferal occurrences—derived from Dempster–Shafer theory and driven by fuzzy sets of stratigraphic and spatial data—reflect water mass distributions during a brief period of rapid biotic turnover and oceanographic changes in a greenhouse world. Locality data for four benthic and one planktic foraminiferal species and lithologic and geochemical data from sites distributed throughout the WIS were compiled from four ammonoid biozones of the upper Cenomanian and lower Turonian stages. Of the 14 environmental parameters included in the dataset, percent silt, percent total carbonate, and depositional environment (essentially water depth) were associated with foraminiferal occurrences. The inductive Dempster–Shafer belief models for foraminiferal occurrences reveal the positions of northern and southern water masses consistent with the oceanographic gyre circulation pattern that dominated in the seaway during the Cenomanian/Turonian Boundary Event. The water-mixing interface in the southwestern part of the WIS was mostly restricted to the Four Corners region of the US, while the zone of overlap of northern and southern waters encompassed a much larger area along the eastern margin, where southern waters occasionally entered from the tropics. In addition to its paleospatial significance, this study introduces a rigorous, quantitative methodology with which to analyze paleontological occurrence data, assess the degree of uncertainty and prioritize regions for additional data collection.

Determining the boundaries of migratory bird flyways: a Bayesian model for Eurasian teal Anas crecca in western Europe

Accurate flyway delineation is a prerequisite for effective conservation and management of migratory bird populations, yet such limits have so far mostly been set subjectively. We present a statistical method to infer population boundaries from the analysis of ring recoveries, using a Bayesian framework. The approach was applied to Eurasian teal Anas crecca ringed in Camargue, southern France, and Abberton Reservoir, Essex, eastern England. The results presented show the boundaries of the two teal flyways in western Europe, with a zone of overlap, broadly matching those previously defined. The percentage of teal switching flyways (abmigration rate) was 2.4–2.6%, greater in birds ringed as juveniles than as adults. Abmigrants ended up at sites within the other flyway where the density of local birds was lower than expected by chance, suggesting abmigration resulted from exploratory or aberrant behaviour. The methodology presented here can be used to infer flyway boundaries of any bird with an adequate ring‐re‐encounter dataset, which has crucial consequences for the evaluation of their trends in abundance and hence conservation status, and the management of sustainable harvests.

THE MISSING SOFT LINK? EVIDENCE FOR MARGINAL FAULT INTERACTION AT THE SOUTHERN MARGIN OF GERANEIA MOUNTAINS, CENTRAL GREECE

We examine the structure of the southern faulted margin of Geraneia Mountains, controlled by two marginal faults, namely the Loutraki and Kakia Skala Faults, which have been active in the Quaternary; however, Holocene activity on these structures has not been verified. Structural observations at the probable overlap zone between these two faults, suggest that they became soft-linked, or linkage ended at its early stage, before activity migrated basinwards, with consequent footwall backtilt. The affinity of the kinematics in the accommodation zone with the present-day extensional stress field might hint at possible Late Quaternary activity on these two major faults.

Phylogeography of the finless porpoise and potential implications for the taxonomy of Neophocaena spp.

The finless porpoise (genus Neophocaena) is a poorly known cetacean of great conservation concern. Within its range, from western Pacific to northwestern Indian Ocean, there are currently two species recognized (N. asiaeorientalis and N. phocaenoides), thought to be reproductively isolated since last glacial maximum, with the only sympatric overlap zone in Taiwan Strait. However, the genetic variation across the genus’ distribution has not yet been extensively studied, especially in the Indian Ocean. We performed an exhaustive review of molecular data of the finless porpoise across its range. Neighbor-net networks analyses based on two mitochondrial loci (control region/CR and cytochrome b/cyt b) suggest that finless porpoises from the Indian and Pacific Ocean constitute two distinct clades, well-defined by fixed mutations at both loci. A molecular clock analyses indicate early split (CR: 13.1 Ma, cyt b: 12.9 Ma) between these two oceanic lineages, while spatial genetic analyses further suggest that in the Pacific the divergence was primarily due to the taxon from Japanese waters rather than inter-species divergence across the Taiwan Strait. As extinction risks can be substantially underestimated if threatened species are pooled together with non-threatened, especially in the absence of long-distance migration, we suggest that the present 2-species taxonomy of the genus Neophocaena should be given further examination, with concerted sampling effort in the Western Indian Ocean. More research effort and genomic information is needed before taxonomic revisions can be considered; such further studies are strongly recommended as they may affect the current status classification of the species constituting the genus Neophocaena. Most notably, the narrow-ridged finless porpoise off Japan merits urgent conservation attention.

Influence of Interface Gap on the Stress Behaviour of Smart Single Lap Joints Under Time Harmonic Load

AbstractAdhesive joints are frequently used in different composite structures due to their improved mechanical performance and better understanding of the failure mechanics. The application of such structures can be seen in aerospace and high technology components. The authors developed and applied modified shear lag analysis to investigate the hygrothermalpiezoelectric response of a smart single lap joint at environmental conditions (with/without an interface gap along the overlap zone) and under dynamic time harmonic mechanical and electric loads. The main key is the study of the appearance of possible delamination along the interface. As illustrative examples, the analytical closed form solution of the structure shear and the axial stresses response, as well as the interface debond length, including influence of mechanical, piezoelectric, thermal characteristics and frequencies is performed and discussed. All results are presented in figures. The comparison of the shear stress and electric fields for both cases of overlap zone (continuous or with a gap) is also shown in figures and discussed.

The ecology of white-handed and pileated gibbons in a zone of overlap and hybridization in Thailand.

The study of related species in contact zones can elucidate what factors mediate species coexistence and geographical distributions. We investigated niche overlap and group interactions of two gibbon species and their hybrids co-occurring in a zone of overlap and hybridization. The location, composition and behavior of white-handed, pileated, and mixed-species gibbon groups were studied by following them during 31 consecutive months in a relatively large part of the contact zone. Twenty groups of white-handed gibbon were mapped followed by nine groups of pileated gibbons and five mixed-species groups. White-handed, pileated and mixed-species groups had similar sizes and composition, ate a high proportion of fruits, shared a large number of species in their diets, and presented similar habitat preferences. Group home range sizes did not differ between species and overlapped little with neighboring groups irrespective of species, and intraspecific and interspecific encounter rates were similar. Ecological similarities support that competition between the gibbon species exists and takes the form of interspecific territoriality. However, we could not find any clear mechanism of niche partitioning favoring coexistence between species. Our findings suggest that the contact zone is unstable and is maintained by dispersal inward from groups of the parental species. The relatively low numbers of mixed-species groups and hybrids found suggests a high degree of premating reproductive isolation, perhaps mediated by interspecific miscommunication. The existence of hybrids and backcrosses potentially undetectable from phenotypic characters alone raises the possibility of more widespread introgression than has been evident. Hence, while interspecific territoriality should reduce the rate of gene transfer, it would not necessarily present a barrier to introgression into contiguous populations of the opposite species.