Spatial Adjustment Research Articles

Spatial and temporal adjustments allowing the coexistence among carnivores in Liguria (N-W Italy)

We investigated the seasonal spatial and temporal co-occurrence of three carnivore species in Liguria region (NW Italy)—the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), the European badger (Meles meles) and the wolf (Canis lupus)—using the information provided by camera-trapping monitoring. Data were collected from January 2013 to January 2015 by positioning camera traps in 200 sample stations. During 3479 trap days, we collected 1048 independent videos of target carnivore species, which revealed a general spatial coexistence among carnivores with some differences in seasonal occurrence of species. The red fox and the European badger showed temporal segregation, as their activity patterns suggested a differential use of night-time in all seasons. Activity patterns of the red fox and the wolf revealed moderate-high overlap and similar density distributions in all seasons except during winter. Coexistence between these species may be allowed by temporal segregation during winter and spatial segregation during spring. Finally, results regarding the European badger and the wolf suggest a moderate temporal segregation with a marked avoidance effect for the European badger induced by the presence of tracks left by wolves. Programmes aimed at carnivore conservation, and management should treat the entire guild, as it has been demonstrated that populations of different carnivores interact with each other in complex ways and that fine-scale mechanisms regulating carnivore assemblage influence different aspects of natural communities.

Spatial variation in the ecological relationships among the components of Beijing's carbon metabolic system

In this paper, we construct a spatially explicit model of carbon metabolism for the flows of carbon among the components of an urban area. We used the model to identify spatial heterogeneity in the ecological relationships within a carbon metabolic network. We combined land-use and cover type maps for Beijing from 1990 to 2010 with empirical coefficients and socioeconomic data to quantify the flows. We used utility analysis to determine the ecological relationships between the components of the system and analyzed their changes during urban development. We used ArcGIS to analyze their spatial variation. We found that the positive utilities in Beijing decreased over time and that negative relationships mostly outweighed positive relationships after 2000. The main ecological relationships were distributed throughout the entire urban area before 2000; subsequently, exploitation, control, and mutualism relationships became concentrated in the southeast, leaving competition relationships to dominate the northwest. Mutualism relationships were most common for natural components, but were not stable because they were easily disturbed by urban expansion. Transportation and industrial land and urban land were the most important contributors to exploitation and control relationships and may be important indicators of spatial adjustment. Increasing competition relationships unbalanced the carbon metabolism, and limitations on the area of land available for development and on the water resources led to increasingly serious competition. The results provide an objective basis for planning adjustments to Beijing's land-use patterns to improve its carbon metabolism and reduce carbon emission.

LFP-guided targeting of a cortical barrel column for in vivo two-photon calcium imaging.

Two-photon microscopy of bulk-loaded functional dyes is an outstanding physiological technique that enables simultaneous functional mapping of hundreds of brain cells in vivo at single-cell resolution. However, precise targeting of a specific cortical location is not easy due to its fine dimensionality. To enable precise targeting, intrinsic-signal optical imaging is often additionally performed. However, the intrinsic-signal optical imaging is not only time-consuming but also ineffective in ensuring precision. Here, we propose an alternative method for precise targeting based on local field potential (LFP) recording, a conventional electrophysiological method. The heart of this method lies in use of the same glass pipette to record LFPs and to eject calcium dye. After confirming the target area by LFP using a glass pipette, the calcium dye is ejected from the same pipette without a time delay or spatial adjustment. As a result, the calcium dye is loaded into the same ensemble of brain cells from which the LFP was obtained. As a validation of the proposed LFP-based method, we targeted and successfully loaded calcium dye into layer 2/3 of a mouse barrel column.

Abordajes teóricos sobre las transformaciones sociales, económicas y territoriales en las ciudades latinoamericanas contemporáneas

Realiza un recorrido conceptual por diversos abordajes teoricos sobre transformaciones sociales, economicas y territoriales en ciudades latinoamericanas contemporaneas. Para ello, se desarrollan tres de las principales perspectivas presentes en la literatura. El objetivo es analizarlas criticamente e integrarlas posteriormente en un marco conceptual mas adecuado. El argumento central es que dichas transformaciones se vinculan con el proceso mas general de acumulacion capitalista y su reestructuracion territorial, por lo que deben ser inscritas en este marco conceptual para evitar la fragmentacion teorica. Se propone el materialismo historico-geografico como marco analitico que postula que la reestructuracion territorial constituye una estrategia del sistema capitalista para reiniciar el ciclo de acumulacion en momentos de recesion y crisis. Asi, las transformaciones territoriales se inscriben en el universo de mecanismos de ajuste espacio-temporal y se vuelven centrales en la etapa actual del regimen de acumulacion capitalista.

A review of gauge–radar merging methods for quantitative precipitation estimation in hydrology

In the case of a significant precipitation event, hydrological models play a key role in flood mitigation. To develop a hydrological model that produces results with a high degree of confidence, it is imperative that the model be provided with accurate quantitative precipitation estimates as input. For flood forecasting purposes, quantitative precipitation estimates at high spatial and temporal resolutions are preferable. Rain gauges and weather radar are the most widely used instruments for near real-time collection of precipitation estimates. While rain gauges and radar demonstrate certain strengths, both instruments suffer from a wide variety of well-known errors which inhibit their ability to provide optimal precipitation estimates for hydrological models. Considering this, several methods have been developed to merge the estimates of these two instruments in order to minimize their individual weaknesses and take advantage of their respective strengths. The goal of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of gauge–radar merging methods and assess the opportunity for near real-time application of gauge–radar merging methods in hydrology. Methods presented include: mean field bias correction, Brandes spatial adjustment, local bias correction with ordinary kriging, range-dependent bias correction, Bayesian data combination, conditional merging, kriging with external drift and statistical objective analysis. While comparison of gauge–radar merging methods is difficult, several factors, including gauge network design, storm type and the temporal resolution of adjustment, have demonstrated a large effect on the overall accuracy of a particular merging method. The majority of research carried out on near real-time application of gauge–radar merging methods has been conducted outside of Canada. Further research is recommended to assess the capability of using gauge–radar merging schemes with Canadian radar products for precipitation estimation in hydrological applications, including operational hydrological modelling for flood forecasting.

Modelling of Building Interiors with Mobile Phone Sensor Data

Creating as-built plans of building interiors is a challenging task. In this paper we present a semi-automatic modelling system for creating residential building interior plans and their integration with existing map data to produce building models. Taking a set of imprecise measurements made with an interactive mobile phone room mapping application, the system performs spatial adjustments in accordance with soft and hard constraints imposed on the building plan geometry. The approach uses an optimisation model that exploits a high accuracy building outline, such as can be found in topographic map data, and the building topology to improve the quality of interior measurements and generate a standardised output. We test our system on building plans of five residential homes. Our evaluation shows that the approach enables construction of accurate interior plans from imprecise measurements. The experiments report an average accuracy of 0.24 m, close to the 0.20 m recommended by the CityGML LoD4 specification.

Measuring segregation as a spatial optimisation problem, revisited: a case study of London, 1991–2011

There has been long and wide-ranging debate in the social science literature about how best to conceptualise and to measure segregation. A popular measure is the dissimilarity index, usually attributed to Duncan and Duncan who were aware of its geographical limitations – that it, like most indices, is invariant to the precise spatial patterning of the segregation measured. Whilst one response to this shortcoming has been to develop a spatial adjustment, a number of papers from the 1980s and 1990s took the approach of treating the measurement as a (spatial) optimisation problem. This paper revisits that optimisation literature, arguing that what was computationally prohibitive in the past is now possible in the open-source software, R, and emblematic of the sorts of problem that might be more routinely solved in a cyberinfrastructure tailored to geographical analysis. Applying this method to UK Census data for London, and comparing the optimisation measure with the standard and adjusted dissimilarity indices, claims of ethnic desegregation are considered.

An integrated system dynamics model developed for managing lake water quality at the watershed scale

A reliable system simulation to relate socioeconomic development with water environment and to comprehensively represent a watershed's dynamic features is important. In this study, after identifying lake watershed system processes, we developed a system dynamics modeling framework for managing lake water quality at the watershed scale. Two reinforcing loops (Development and Investment Promotion) and three balancing loops (Pollution, Resource Consumption, and Pollution Control) were constituted. Based on this work, we constructed Stock and Flow Diagrams that embedded a pollutant load model and a lake water quality model into a socioeconomic system dynamics model. The Dianchi Lake in Yunnan Province, China, which is the sixth largest and among the most severely polluted freshwater lakes in China, was employed as a case study to demonstrate the applicability of the model. Water quality parameters considered in the model included chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP). The business-as-usual (BAU) scenario and three alternative management scenarios on spatial adjustment of industries and population (S1), wastewater treatment capacity construction (S2), and structural adjustment of agriculture (S3), were simulated to assess the effectiveness of certain policies in improving water quality. Results showed that S2 is most effective scenario, and the COD, TN, and TP concentrations in Caohai in 2030 are 52.5, 10.9, and 0.8 mg/L, while those in Waihai are 9.6, 1.2, and 0.08 mg/L, with sustained development in the watershed. Thus, the model can help support the decision making required in development and environmental protection strategies.

Reduction of livelihood risk for river bank erosion affected villagers

Abstract. Bank erosion process of the Ganga River created a serious livelihood risk for the villagers situated on left bank of the river in Malda district of the State of West Bengal, India since last four decades. Due to the erosion of agriculture land by the river, most of the villagers having agriculture as their only means of livelihood became jobless suddenly. Presently they are living in a miserable condition. One of the main objectives of this paper is to find out an alternative means of livelihood for the victims to improve their miserable socio-economic condition. It has been found from field survey that some erosion affected villagers have started to live and practice agriculture temporarily on the riverine islands (large and stable since thirteen years) as these islands have very fertile soil. If the re-emerged land plots can again be demarcated on the newly formed islands and distributed among the landless people to practice agriculture over there, then it will be a useful alternative livelihood strategy for the victims. The demarcation of re-emerged plots can be achieved by georeferencing the cadastral maps and then overlaying the plots on the present river course. In the present study area geo-referencing process of the cadastral maps became a serious issue as the study area has been very dynamic in terms of land cover and land use. Most of the villages were lost into the river course. Thus the common permanent features, required for geo-referencing, shown in the cadastral maps (surveyed during 1954–1962) were not found in the present satellite images. The second important objective of the present study is to develop a proper methodology for geo-referencing the cadastral maps of this area. The Spatial Adjustment Transformation and Automatic Digitization tools of Arc GIS were used to prepare geo-referenced plot maps. In Projective Transformation method the geometrically corrected block maps having village boundaries were used as source file. Then the georeferenced plot maps were overlaid on the present river course and the plots covered by islands or lands were extracted. For e.g., Gopalpur village contains nearly 29% of its total area as riverine island and 36% of total plots are covered by this island area. These plots can be distributed to the land less people so that they can utilize it and reduce their livelihood risk in future.

Manual action, fitting, and spatial planning: Relating objects by young children

This study uses motion tracking technology to provide a new way of addressing the development of the ability to prospectively orient objects with respect to one another. A group of toddlers between 16 and 33months of age (N=30) were studied in an object fitting task while they wore reflective markers on their hands to track spatial adjustments in three dimensions. Manual displacements of the handheld object were separated into translations and rotations. Results revealed that younger children largely used a two-step approach in which they initially translate an object to a target and subsequently attempt to rotate the object to match the target. In contrast, older children evidence more advanced spatial planning and integrate translational and rotational components throughout the entire period when they are transporting the object to the target. Additionally, at the oldest ages, children show even further improvements in coordinating translations and rotations by using relatively shorter translations (i.e., covering less distance) and by avoiding unnecessary rotations of the object. More broadly, the results offer insights into how manual problem solving becomes more efficient and planful during the toddler years.

Acute physical activity and delayed attention in primary school students.

To examine the influence of different types of exertion on immediate and delayed attention in 116 primary school children divided in three groups of exertion [cognitive exertion - CE (school curricular lesson), physical exertion - PE (traditional physical education lesson), mixed cognitive and physical exertion - CPE (coordinative physical education lesson)]. CPE was the combination of physical load due to the practice of physical exercises and of cognitive load requested to perform movement-based problem solving tasks requiring accurate timing, temporal estimations, temporal production, and spatial adjustments. Children's attentional capacity was tested before (pre) and after (at 0 min and at 50 min post) a CE, a PE, or a CPE lesson, using the d2-test of attention, and analyzed using a 3 × 3 × 2 mixed analysis of covariance with exertion type and time as within factors, gender as between factor, and baseline data as covariate. Effect sizes were calculated as partial eta squared (ƞ(2)). Results showed that participants' attentional performance was significantly affected by exertion type (P < 0.0001), by time (P < 0.0001) and by exertion type × time interactions (P < 0.0001). The effect sizes ranged from medium (0.039) to large (0.437). Varying the type of exertion has different beneficial influences on the level of attention in school children.

Spatiotemporal control of interlimb coordination during transverse split-belt locomotion with 1:1 or 2:1 coupling patterns in intact adult cats.

Interlimb coordination must be flexible to adjust to an ever-changing environment. Here adjustments in interlimb coordination were quantified during tied-belt (equal speed of the fore- and hindlimbs) and transverse split-belt (unequal speed of the fore- and hindlimbs) locomotion in five intact adult cats. Cats performed tied-belt locomotion at 0.4 m/s and 0.8 m/s. For transverse split-belt locomotion, the forelimbs stepped at 0.4 m/s and 0.8 m/s while the hindlimbs stepped at 0.8 m/s (4F8H condition) and 0.4 m/s (8F4H condition), respectively. In the 8F4H condition, the forelimbs could take two steps within one hindlimb cycle, or a 2:1 forelimb-hindlimb relationship. The sequence of limbs contacting the ground and the duration of support periods were differentially modified if the forelimbs stepped faster or slower than the hindlimbs. During transverse split-belt locomotion, the hindlimbs performed longer strides when the forelimbs took shorter strides. In the 8F4H condition with a 2:1 forelimb-hindlimb relationship, phase and gap intervals for the first and second steps were found around certain values and were not randomly distributed, indicating that a new coupling pattern was established. However, temporal and spatial coordination indexes revealed that bilateral coordination between hindlimbs was less accurate and more variable with a 2:1 coupling pattern. Importantly, the animals did not stumble, indicating that spatial and temporal adjustments in interlimb coordination allowed the animals to maintain dynamic stability. The results provide a better understanding of the spatiotemporal adjustments that take place among the four limbs during locomotion when interlimb coordination is challenged.

Analyzing spatial patterns of urban carbon metabolism: A case study in Beijing, China

Analyzing the spatial pattern of a city's carbon metabolism can provide insights into the spatial adjustments required to mitigate the greenhouse effect. Using GIS software and empirical coefficients, we analyzed the spatial distribution of Beijing's carbon metabolism in 5 years (1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2008), and analyzed both temporal and spatial changes in this pattern. Our results highlight the importance of the expansion of built-up areas in defining the patterns of Beijing's carbon metabolism, and let us explore options for changing these patterns. Carbon emission was high in the highly urbanized southeastern parts of the city and low in the less-urbanized northwestern parts, whereas carbon sequestration showed the opposite pattern (low in southeastern parts and high in northwestern parts). During the study period, carbon sequestration only offset 2.4% of carbon emission, indicating a serious imbalance of the city's carbon metabolism. The city's core built-up area expanded along eight axes, and its form fluctuated between simpler and more complex. From a small-scale perspective, the spatial pattern mainly showed expansion and aggregation of patches with high carbon emission and shrinkage and fragmentation of patches with high carbon sequestration. These results provide insights that will guide the development of more effective management of the spatial patterns of carbon emission and sequestration.

Habitat-Related Effects on Temporal Variations in Red-Legged PartridgeAlectoris rufaAbundance Estimations in Olive Groves

Surveys are very important tools for population monitoring, conservation and species management. Censuses aid in the sustainable harvesting of game species. Our aim in this study was to test whether some factors related to habitat and agricultural practices of olive cultivation may influence red-legged partridge abundance estimates. We investigated the effects of time of day and season of the year in which censuses are conducted, as well as of the reduction of herbaceous cover and the installation of irrigation systems, on red-legged partridge abundance estimates. In surveys conducted in winter, no differences were found in the estimates of abundance and density between partridge censuses at dawn and dusk. In surveys conducted in summer, the estimates made at dusk were significantly higher than those at dawn. The coefficients of variation of the estimates were lower at dusk in the two seasons. In winter, partridge abundance was not related to any of the factors studied. However, in summer partridge observations were related to the distances to the border of the olive grove, where herbaceous vegetation persists, and to water sources. There was an interaction between the time of the census and the habitat preferences of partridges. During the morning, partridges were more active and moved towards the borders of the grove. At dusk partridges were less active and returned to the olive grove. The results suggest that habitat use by red-legged partridges undergoes spatial and temporal adjustments in olive groves that seem to be related to some habitat features of the groves associated with agricultural practices. The temporal and spatial behaviour of the birds in the groves can influence the accuracy of surveys. Differences in the results of censuses carried out at dawn and dusk indicate that the two may not be comparable and suggest the need to take time of day into account when designing a survey.

Surface accuracy of a large-scale compact antenna test range considering mechanism, metrology and alignment

A large compact range (CR) having a width of 23 m and height of 16 m that will generate a Φ15 m quiet zone is presented. The antenna consists of 30 blocks and 76 serrated reflectors. Its mechanical accuracy is reflected in two aspects: surface precision and gap precision. In addition, the root-mean-square (RMS) surface accuracy should be less than or equal to 0.075 mm for achieving the highest operating frequency of 40 GHz, and the gaps between two segments should be controlled strictly to the tolerance of 0.4 ± 0.2 mm for avoiding gap diffraction and compensating for inter-block interference due to thermal deformation. The surface accuracy in terms of mechanical structure, metrology and alignment approach is very tight. First, a high-accuracy honeycomb sandwich panel, anisotropic back structure and spatial parallel adjustment mechanism are introduced, and the error contributions of these three mechanisms are 0.03 mm, 0.01 mm and 0.005 mm, respectively. Second, a measurement network based on laser tracker metrology was established, and the RMS error of the measurement system is controlled to 0.025 mm through the optimization of the measuring stations and weighted coordinate regression. Third, an original alignment approach that divides the entire assembly into three key phases by marked point edge-constrained surface is proposed. By performing a few iterations of onsite adjustment, the reflectors were aligned in the prescribed positions, and the gap quality was controlled effectively. Finally, the on-site alignment of the large CR is introduced. The final antenna surface RMS accuracy was up to 0.054 mm, and the gaps achieved the desired design index.

Multi-scale integrated assessment of urban energy use and CO2 emissions

Accurate and detailed accounting of energy-induced carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions is crucial to the evaluation of pressures on natural resources and the environment, as well as to the assignment of responsibility for emission reductions. However, previous emission inventories were usually production- or consumption-based accounting, and few studies have comprehensively documented the linkages among socio-economic activities and external transaction in urban areas. Therefore, we address this gap in proposing an analytical framework and accounting system with three dimensions of boundaries to comprehensively assess urban energy use and related CO2 emissions. The analytical framework depicted the input, transformation, transfer and discharge process of the carbon-based (fossil) energy flows through the complex urban ecosystems, and defined the accounting scopes and boundaries on the strength of ‘carbon footprint’ and ‘urban metabolism’. The accounting system highlighted the assessment for the transfer and discharge of socio-economic subsystems with different spatial boundaries. Three kinds methods applied to Beijing City explicitly exhibited the accounting characteristics. Our research firstly suggests that urban carbon-based energy metabolism can be used to analyze the process and structure of urban energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Secondly, three kinds of accounting methods use different benchmarks to estimate urban energy use and CO2 emissions with their distinct strength and weakness. Thirdly, the empirical analysis in Beijing City demonstrate that the three kinds of methods are complementary and give different insights to discuss urban energy-induced CO2 emissions reduction. We deduce a conclusion that carbon reductions responsibility can be assigned in the light of production, consumption and shared responsibility based principles. Overall, from perspective of the industrial and energy restructuring and the residential lifestyle changes, our results shed new light on the analysis on the evolutionary mechanism and pattern of urban energy-induced CO2 emissions with the combination of three kinds of methods. And the spatial structure adjustment and technical progress provides further elements for consideration about the scenarios of change in urban energy use and CO2 emissions.

Patterns of Dolphin Bycatch in a North-Western Australian Trawl Fishery

The bycatch of small cetaceans in commercial fisheries is a global wildlife management problem. We used data from skippers' logbooks and independent observers to assess common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) bycatch patterns between 2003 and 2009 in the Pilbara Trawl Fishery, Western Australia. Both datasets indicated that dolphins were caught in all fishery areas, across all depths and throughout the year. Over the entire datasets, observer reported bycatch rates (n = 52 dolphins in 4,124 trawls, or 12.6 dolphins/1,000 trawls) were ca. double those reported by skippers (n = 180 dolphins in 27,904 trawls, or 6.5 dolphins/1,000 trawls). Generalised Linear Models based on observer data, which better explained the variation in dolphin bycatch, indicated that the most significant predictors of dolphin catch were: (1) vessel - one trawl vessel caught significantly more dolphins than three others assessed; (2) time of day – the lowest dolphin bycatch rates were between 00:00 and 05:59; and (3) whether nets included bycatch reduction devices (BRDs) - the rate was reduced by ca. 45%, from 18.8 to 10.3 dolphins/1,000 trawls, after their introduction. These results indicated that differences among vessels (or skippers' trawling techniques) and dolphin behavior (a diurnal pattern) influenced the rates of dolphin capture; and that spatial or seasonal adjustments to trawling effort would be unlikely to significantly reduce dolphin bycatch. Recent skipper's logbook data show that dolphin bycatch rates have not declined since those reported in 2006, when BRDs were introduced across the fishery. Modified BRDs, with top-opening escape hatches from which dolphins might escape to the surface, may be a more effective means of further reducing dolphin bycatch. The vulnerability of this dolphin population to trawling-related mortality cannot be assessed in the absence of an ongoing observer program and without information on trawler-associated dolphin community size, broader dolphin population size and connectivity with adjacent populations.

A Vessel Flow Detection System based on Laser Sensors

A system using two laser sensors for vessel flow detection was introduced. Mathematical morphology on ship contour detection was studied and vesselâ??s contour was reconstructed based on geometric space projection, vesselâ??s width threshold filtering and connected graph merging. Also, the necessity of vesselâ??s contour reconstruction is verified by experiments. A data fusion method based on two laser sensors was researched for vesselâ??s length detection, which using spatial adjustment and data correlation to calculate the speed, and to estimate the length of a vessel. Finally, a vessel flow detection system was built and worked fine.

Warm-up with weighted bat and adjustment of upper limb muscle activity in bat swinging under movement correction conditions.

The effects of weighted bat warm-up on adjustment of upper limb muscle activity were investigated during baseball bat swinging under dynamic conditions that require a spatial and temporal adjustment of the swinging to hit a moving target. Seven male college baseball players participated in this study. Using a batting simulator, the task was to swing the standard bat coincident with the arrival timing and position of a moving target after three warm-up swings using a standard or weighted bat. There was no significant effect of weighted bat warm-up on muscle activity before impact associated with temporal or spatial movement corrections. However, lower inhibition of the extensor carpi ulnaris muscle activity was observed in a velocity-changed condition in the weighted bat warm-up, as compared to a standard bat warm-up. It is suggested that weighted bat warm-up decreases the adjustment ability associated with inhibition of muscle activation under movement correction conditions.

A methodology for transferring principles of plant movements to elastic systems in architecture

In architecture, kinetic structures enable buildings to react specifically to internal and external stimuli through spatial adjustments. These mechanical devices come in all shapes and sizes and are traditionally conceptualized as uniform and compatible modules. Typically, these systems gain their adjustability by connecting rigid elements with highly strained hinges. Though this construction principle may be generally beneficial, for architectural applications that increasingly demand custom-made solutions, it has some major drawbacks. Adaptation to irregular geometries, for example, can only be achieved with additional mechanical complexity, which makes these devices often very expensive, prone to failure, and maintenance-intensive.Searching for a promising alternative to the still persisting paradigm of rigid-body mechanics, the authors found inspiration in flexible and elastic plant movements. In this paper, they will showcase how today’s computational modeling and simulation techniques can help to reveal motion principles in plants and to integrate the underlying mechanisms in flexible kinetic structures. By using three case studies, the authors will present key motion principles and discuss their scaling, distortion, and optimization. Finally, the acquired knowledge on bio-inspired kinetic structures will be applied to a representative application in architecture, in this case as flexible shading devices for double curved facades.