Contaminant blubber burdens in Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from two southeastern US estuarine areas: Concentrations and patterns of PCBs, pesticides, PBDEs, PFCs, and PAHs

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), chlorinated pesticides (i.e., dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its metabolites, chlordanes (CHLs), dieldrin, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and mirex), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs), and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured in blubber biopsy samples collected from 139 wild bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) during 2003-2005 in Charleston (CHS), SC and the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), FL. Dolphins accumulated a similar suite of contaminants with ∑ PCB dominating (CHS 64%, IRL 72%), followed by ∑ DDT (CHS 20%, IRL 17%), ∑ CHLs (CHS 7%; IRL 7%), ∑ PBDE (CHS 4%, IRL 2%), PAH at 2%, and dieldrin, PFCs and mirex each 1% or less. Together ∑ PCB and ∑ DDT concentrations contributed ∼ 87% of the total POCs measured in blubber of adult males. ∑ PCBs in adult male dolphins exceed the established PCB threshold of 17 mg/kg by a 5-fold order of magnitude with a 15-fold increase for many animals; 88% of the dolphins exceed this threshold. For male dolphins, CHS (93,980 ng/g lipid) had a higher ∑ PCBs geomean compared to the IRL (79,752 ng/g lipid) although not statistically different. In adult males, the PBDE geometric mean concentration was significantly higher in CHS (5920 ng/g lipid) than the IRL (1487 ng/g). Blubber ∑ PFCs concentrations were significantly higher in CHS dolphins. In addition to differences in concentration of PCB congeners, ∑ PBDE, TEQ, ∑ CHLs, mirex, dieldrin, and the ratios ∑ DDE/∑DDT and trans-nonachlor/cis-nonachlor were the most informative for discriminating contaminant loads in these two dolphin populations. Collectively, the current ∑ PCB, ∑ DDT, and ∑ PBDEs blubber concentrations found in CHS dolphins are among the highest reported values in marine mammals. Both dolphin populations, particularly those in CHS, carry a suite of organic chemicals at or above the level where adverse effects have been reported in wildlife, humans, and laboratory animals warranting further examination of the potential adverse effects of these exposures.     

Relationship between persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and ranging patterns in common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from coastal Georgia, USA

Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are apex predators in coastal southeastern U.S. waters; as such they are indicators of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in coastal ecosystems. POP concentrations measured in a dolphin's blubber are influenced by a number of factors, including the animal's sex and ranging pattern in relation to POP point sources. This study examined POP concentrations measured in bottlenose dolphin blubber samples (n = 102) from the Georgia, USA coast in relation to individual ranging patterns and specifically, distance of sightings from a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) point source near Brunswick, Georgia. Dolphin ranging patterns were determined based upon 5 years of photo-identification data from two field sites approximately 40 km apart: (1) the Brunswick field site, which included the Turtle/Brunswick River Estuary (TBRE), and (2) the Sapelo field site, which included the Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve (SINERR). Dolphins were categorized into one of three ranging patterns from photo-identification data. Individuals with sighting histories exclusively within one of the defined field sites were considered to have either Brunswick or Sapelo ranging patterns. Individuals sighted in both field sites were classified as having a Mixed ranging pattern. Brunswick males had the highest concentrations of PCBs reported for any marine mammal. The pattern of PCB congeners was consistent with Aroclor 1268, a highly chlorinated PCB mixture associated with a Superfund site in Brunswick. PCB levels in Sapelo males were lower than in Brunswick males, but comparable to the highest levels measured in other dolphin populations along the southeastern U.S. Female dolphins had higher Aroclor 1268 proportions than males, suggesting that the highly chlorinated congeners associated with Aroclor 1268 may not be offloaded through parturition and lactation, as easily as less halogenated POPs. Individuals sighted farther from the Superfund point source had lower Aroclor 1268 proportions.     

海豚充电器产品与模具开发制造

以海豚充电器上壳模具开发制造为例,重点探讨运用数字化建模制造技术、模流分析理论以及现代成型技术设计制造模具的过程,包括产品造型、成型零件的加工、型腔数量及模架确定、浇注系统设计、推出方式确定、以及冷却系统设计.     

瓶鼻海豚的click声信号特性

对自然环境下圈养在网箱内的瓶鼻海豚的发声及信号特性进行研究,利用实验室构建的宽频信号记录系统,获取大量的海豚原始发声信号,借助Matlab软件对这些信号进行时域、频谱分析。结果表明,瓶鼻海豚的发声信号复杂多样,主要分为滴答声、哨叫声和爆裂脉冲等三类。重点研究的的答声属于高频窄脉冲,频率分布范围广,集中在2～160 kHz,峰值频率在110 kHz附近,高于室内环境下瓶鼻海豚的答声信号的峰值频率;并且不同的声行为下,瓶鼻海豚发出的答声的次数有明显不同,喂食和训练时,发声次数较多,但频谱特性的变化趋势基本一致。     

Partially observed epidemics in wildlife hosts: modelling an outbreak of dolphin morbillivirus in the northwestern Atlantic,June 2013–2014

Morbilliviruses cause major mortality in marine mammals, but the dynamics of transmission and persistence are ill understood compared to terrestrial counterparts such as measles; this is especially true for epidemics in cetaceans. However, the recent outbreak of dolphin morbillivirus in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean can provide new insights into the epidemiology and spatio-temporal spread of this pathogen. To deal with uncertainties surrounding the ecology of this system (only stranded animals were observed), we develop a statistical framework that can extract key information about the underlying transmission process given only sparse data. Our self-exciting Poisson process model suggests that individuals are infectious for at most 24 days and can transfer infection up to two latitude degrees (220 km) within this time. In addition, the effective reproduction number is generally below one, but reaches 2.6 during a period of heightened stranding numbers near Virginia Beach, Virginia, in summer 2013. Network analysis suggests local movements dominate spatial spread, with seasonal migration facilitating wider dissemination along the coast. Finally, a low virus transmission rate or high levels of pre-existing immunity can explain the lack of viral spread into the Gulf of Mexico. More generally, our approach illustrates novel methodologies for analysing very indirectly observed epidemics.     

蒸汽轮机末级应用海豚型静叶的数值仿真

分别对海豚型叶型和常规设计的蒸汽轮机叶型进行了一级全三维气液两相数值计算,对比发现所设计的海豚型叶型在改善常规叶型流场的气动性能、提高汽轮机轮周效率的同时,可以提高流道内叶片段区域的湿蒸汽干度,改善流道内湿蒸汽的分布。海豚型叶型具有短的扩压段,使激波和附面层干扰区域具有更强的防汽流脱落能力,这样可减少此区域内水膜被高速汽流急剧撕裂成二次水滴的可能。海豚型叶型通道内湿蒸汽湿度沿叶高的分布特点有利于在叶片上表面开设除湿槽,进行高效除湿。     

Understanding of the concept of numerically "less" by bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus).

In 2 experiments, bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) judged the ordinal relationship between novel numerosities. The dolphins were first trained to choose the exemplar with the fewer number of items when presented with just a few specific comparisons (e.g., 2 vs. 6, 1 vs. 3, and 3 vs. 7). Generalization of this rule was then tested by presenting the dolphins with all possible pairwise comparisons between 1 and 8. The dolphins chose the exemplar with the fewer number of items at levels far above chance, showing that they could recognize and represent numerosities on an ordinal scale. Their pattern of errors was consistent with the idea of an underlying analog magnitude representation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

一种六自由度仿生机器海豚

为提升机动性与灵活度,设计一种具有图像传输功能的六自由度仿生机器海豚。对机器海豚的刚性头部、 偏航腰部和两关节俯仰尾部的四关节系统进行设计;采用Arduino Uno3 单片机输出PWM 信号控制7 路舵机,制定 电气系统控制方案和防水密封方案,利用PS2 手柄遥控机器海豚,通过尾部两关节上下摆动实现推进,腰部偏航关 节实现转弯,舵机驱动配重块和一对单自由度的胸鳍实现俯仰姿态调节,通过实验验证方案的可行性。结果表明, 该设计能实现机器海豚加减速前进、偏航、俯仰、原地转弯和双胸鳍拍水的运动姿态。     

Multi-objective optimization on multi-layer configuration of cathode electrode for polymer electrolyte fuel cells via computational-intelligence-aided design and engineering framework

Polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) have attracted considerable interest within the research community due to the increasing demands for renewable energy. Within the PEFCs’ many components, a cathode electrode plays a primary function in the operation of the cell. Here, a computational-intelligence-aided design and engineering (CIAD/CIAE) framework with potential cross-disciplinary applications is proposed to minimize the over-potential difference η and improve the overall efficiency of PEFCs. A newly developed swarm dolphin algorithm is embedded in a computational-intelligence-integrated solver to optimize a triple-layer cathode electrode model. The simulation results demonstrate the potential application of the proposed CIAD/CIAE framework in the design automation and optimization of PEFCs.     

Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) prefer to cooperate when petted: Integrating proximate and ultimate explanations ii.

Cooperation poses theoretical problems because the behaviors of individuals can benefit others. Evolutionary and game-theory explanations that focus on maximizing one's own material outcomes are usually supported by experimental models with isolated and anonymous subjects. Cooperation in the natural world, however, is often a social act whereby familiar individuals coordinate behaviors for shared outcomes. Social cooperation is also associated with a cooperation bias expressed as a preference for cooperation even when noncooperation is immediately more beneficial. The authors report on evidence for such a bias in a captive group of bottlenose dolphins that voluntarily preferred to receive petting from human guides by using a pairwise coordinated approach, even though this was more difficult, and total petting amount was thereby reduced. To explain why this bias occurs, the authors propose an integrated behavioral-evolutionary approach whereby performance is determined by two kinds of immediate outcomes: material gains and intrinsic affective states associated with cooperating. The latter can provide reinforcement when immediate material gains are reduced, delayed, or absent. Over a lifetime, this proximate mechanism can lead to cooperative relationships whose long-term ultimate consequences can be adaptive. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)