Suitability of Multi-Agent Simulations to study irrigated system viability: application to case studies in the Senegal River Valley

It is assumed that Agent-Based Modeling is a useful technique for water management issues. In particular, it may provide a suitable framework for representing irrigated systems. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate its potential for a specific use: research on irrigated systems’ viability in the Senegal River Valley. The main assumption to be verified is that Multi-Agent Systems constitute a suitable architecture to study theoretically irrigated systems’ viability using simulations. By using Multi-Agent Systems, virtual irrigated systems can be designed that might then be used as virtual laboratories. These virtual labs constitute an alternative when real labs cannot exist for some reason.

In this paper we report on experiments we have conducted using such virtual labs for exploring an Agent-Based Model through the simulation of scenarios. A scenario is defined as a triplet: an environment, a set of individual rules, a set of collective rules. It is evaluated according to the longevity of the irrigated system. An index is defined, based on the ratio of long-enduring simulations among a set of repetitions of a given scenario. Even if simulation results display significant diversity for a given scenario due to random factors in the processes simulated, the ratio of long-enduring simulations is repeatable. This entails to explore the overall behavior of the virtual irrigated system and to build theories concerning the viability of Senegalese irrigated systems. An example is given showing the need for strong coherence for a given environment among individual rules and collective rules.     

基于拉格朗日的冗余驱动并联机构刚体动力学建模

针对4-UPS-RPU 4自由度冗余驱动并联机构的刚体动力学建模问题,基于拉格朗日方程建立冗余驱动并联机构动力学模型。首先,推导出4-UPS-RPU冗余驱动并联机构系统的动能表达式、势能表达式和作用于并联机构非保守力的等效广义力;然后,应用拉格朗日法建立4-UPS-RPU冗余驱动并联机构的动力学模型,为并联机构驱动力的求解以及整个机构的动力学分析奠定基础;最后结合算例,采用Matlab编程对动力学模型进行数值计算并绘制了机构驱动杆驱动力变化曲线,将上述分析结果与ADAMS虚拟仿真结果对比验证了所建动力学模型的正确性。研究不仅为4-UPS-RPU 4自由度冗余驱动并联机构动力学优化设计和控制等后续研究提供了理论依据,也为其他冗余驱动并联机构的动力学建模提供了可行的方法。     

Adopters,testers or pseudo-adopters? Dynamics of the use of improved tree fallows by farmers in western Kenya

Although there has been increasing research on the adoption of agroforestry technologies over the last decade, few such studies have assessed uptake over a long period and many are based on a single snapshot in time. Furthermore, most of these studies have mainly looked at non-adopters and adopters: only recently have social scientists considered testers. A further category of users neglected in adoption studies has been re-adopters of technologies. Studying this group provides an interesting and more nuanced understanding of adoption and re-adoption. Methodologically, most adoption studies use quantitative methods and fail to link their findings to wider socio-economic, political and institutional settings. This paper presents a study of the dynamics of improved tree fallow use by farmers in Siaya and Vihiga districts of western Kenya over a period of eight years. It uses both qualitative and quantitative data to critically discuss the motivations of adopters, testers/rejecters and re-adopters. The results show that the process of adoption is highly dynamic and variable with farmers planting improved fallows and discontinuing or re-adopting them due to a whole range of factors, of which soil fertility improvement is just one. These factors included incentives from projects, the tying of adoption to credit programmes, prestige, participation in seminars/tours and the availability of a seed market from projects promoting improved fallows. Farmers planting improved fallows for such reasons may be termed ‘pseudo-adopters’. There were significant differences in adoption between the two districts, with more farmers in Siaya planting improved fallows than in Vihiga. A majority of farmers in Vihiga (53%) who were given seed never planted improved fallows, even though they had been exposed to the technology. Some 40% of farmers in Siaya and 38% in Vihiga planted improved fallows but later rejected them. This has some important implications for research and development. For improved fallow technologies to be attractive to farmers, they must provide other tangible economic benefits besides soil fertility improvement. This presents a challenge to researchers who must better attune themselves to the needs and demands of farmers if they wish to see their research findings widely adopted.     

遗传算法在离心泵叶片优化设计中的应用

对遗传算法在流体机械优化设计中的应用现状作了较为全面的总结；提出了将遗传算法应用于离心泵叶片优化设计中，分析了遗传算法在离心泵优化设计中应用的可行性以及存在的问题；对离心泵优化设计的发展提出了一些新建议和尝试。     

神农架地区区域景观格局时空变化分析

神农架生态环境特殊、生物多样性丰富,是中国乃至全球生物多样性重点保护地区之一。同时,作为中国中部生态旅游热点地区,神农架生物多样性保护也面临严峻的挑战。本研究通过对神农架地区2000年、2010年和2020年的landsat 5、landsat 8遥感影像数据(30 m×30 m分辨率)进行解析,获得了这3个不同时期研究区的耕地、林地、灌草地、湿地、水体和建设用地等6种不同景观类型的分布图及不同景观类型的时空动态变化特征。结果表明：在这20年内,神农架的主体景观森林得到了较好地保护,面积基本保持了动态平衡,耕地面积也基本稳定,建筑用地和水体显著增加,而灌草地则显著减少,湿地在2010～2020年也显著减少;且不同景观类型之间的变化幅度在2000～2010年要显著大于2010～2020年。因此,在未来应该注意加强对该地区灌草地及湿地的保护,并严格限制建设类项目。本研究的结果能够为神农架地区的生态系统及生物多样性保护策略的制定提供一定的参考。     

悬架橡胶件对汽车平顺性影响的多体动力学分析

应用有限元分析了汽车减振器橡胶支撑件的弹性特性,在此基础上,应用SIM PACK软件建立了整车多体动力学模型,分析了橡胶支撑件的刚度、阻尼对汽车行驶平顺性的影响。分析结果表明：在车身共振区,橡胶件对地板加速度功率谱影响较小,但在4-13Hz中频区,即人体比较敏感的范围内,橡胶件可以使地板加速度功率谱峰值减小6.5%-25.4%,因此悬架橡胶件对汽车行驶平顺性有明显的改善。此外,还得出对于刚度较大的橡胶件应选取较小阻尼,对于较软的橡胶件,可以忽略阻尼影响的结论。     

复配剂中霜脲氰在马铃薯和土壤中残留动态研究

采用田间试验方法，研究了霜脲氰在马铃薯及土壤中的残留动态，应用液相色谱法测定了霜脲氰在马铃薯和土壤中的残留量。结果表明，霜脲氰在马铃薯和土壤中消解较快，半衰期分别为2．26d和5．75d，施药3240g ai·hm^-23次时，末次施药距收获间隔28d，霜脲氰的残留量在马铃薯中低于0．0098mg·kg^-1，在土壤中为ND-0．0100mg·kg^-1。该药属易分解农药（％〈30d），按推荐使用剂量使用是安全的。     

Legume–barley intercropping stimulates soil N supply and crop yield in the succeeding durum wheat in a rotation under rainfed conditions

Legume–cereal intercropping is increasingly being appreciated in dryland areas, where severe climatic conditions and intensive agricultural practices, generally dominated by continuous cereal cultivation, determine depletion of soil nutrient resources and decline of soil fertility. This research aimed to assess whether and to what extent a newly introduced legume-based intercropping system is able to ameliorate the biological fertility status of an arable soil in a way that is still noticeable during the succeeding durum wheat cropping season in terms of changes in bacterial community structure, soil C and N pools, and crop yield. A field experiment was carried out under rainfed conditions in Southern Italy on a sandy clay loam soil cultivated with durum wheat following in the rotation a recently established grain legume (pea, faba bean)–barley intercropping. Soil chemical, biochemical and eco-physiological variables together with compositional shifts in the bacterial community structure by LH-PCR fingerprinting were determined at four sampling times during the durum wheat cropping season. Soil fertility was estimated by using a revised version of the biological fertility index. Results showed that even though the microbial biomass was significantly altered, the preceding legume intercrops stimulated C-related functional variables thus leading to an increased release of mineral N, which was larger in crop treatments succeeding pea-based than faba bean-based intercropping. The increased N made available in soil enabled the succeeding durum wheat to achieve an adequate grain yield with a reduced N-fertilizer use. Soil type and environmental conditions rather than crop treatments were major determinants of bacterial community structure. The biological fertility status was not varied, suggesting that in intensively managed rainfed areas long-term crop rotations with intercropped legumes are needed to consistently ameliorate it.     

Excessive nitrogen application decreases grain yield and increases nitrogen loss in a wheat–soil system

Abstract

Excessive use of nitrogen (N) fertilizers in wheat fields has led to elevated NO₃-N concentrations in groundwater and reduced N use efficiency. Three-year field and ¹⁵N tracing experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of N application rates on N uptake from basal and topdressing ¹⁵N, N use efficiency, and grain yield in winter wheat plants; and determine the dynamics of N derived from both basal and topdressing ¹⁵N in soil in high-yielding fields. The results showed that 69.5–84.5% of N accumulated in wheat plants derived from soil, while 6.0–12.5%and 9.2–18.1% derived from basal ¹⁵N and top ¹⁵N fertilizer, respectively. The basal N fertilizer recovery averaged 33.9% in plants, residual averaged 59.2% in 0–200 cm depth soil; the topdressing N fertilizer recovery averaged 50.5% in plants, residual averaged 48.2% in 0–200 cm soil. More top ¹⁵N was accumulated in plants and more remained in 0–100 cm soil rather than in 100–200 cm soil at maturity, compared with the basal ¹⁵N. However, during the period from pre-sowing to pre-wintering, the soil nitrate moved down to deeper layers, and most accumulated in the layers below 140 cm. With an increase of N fertilizer rate, the proportion of the N derived from soil in plants decreased, but that derived from basal and topdressing fertilizer increased; the proportion of basal and top ¹⁵N recovery in plants decreased, and that of residual in soil increased. A moderate application rate of 96–168 kg N ha^?1 led to increases in nitrate content in 0–60 cm soil layer, N uptake amount, grain yield and apparent recovery fraction of applied fertilizer N in wheat. Applying above 240 kg N ha^?1 promoted the downward movement of basal and top ¹⁵N and soil nitrate, but had no significant effect on N uptake amount; the excessive N application also obviously decreased the grain yield, N uptake efficiency, apparent recovery fraction of applied fertilizer N, physiological efficiency and internal N use efficiency. It is suggested that the appropriate application rate of nitrogen on a high-yielding wheat field was 96–168 kg N ha^?1.     

21世纪头十年徐州市鸟类种群变化

对徐州市1999年和2012年间鸟的种类和数量变化进行了分析.两次调查结果表明,总的种数变化不大,但种的组成变化较大,两次调查中均出现的种仅占总种数的50％左右.