Co-Harvest Phase-Change Enthalpy and Isomerization Energy for High-Energy Heat Output by Controlling Crystallization of Alkyl-Grafted Azobenzene Molecules

Photoisomerization-induced phase change are important for co-harvesting the latent heat and isomerization energy of azobenzene molecules.Chemically optimizing heat output and energy delivery at alternating temperatures are challenging because of the differences in crystallizability and isomerization.This article reports two series of asymmetrically alkyl-grafted azobenzene(Azo-g),with and without a methyl group,that have an optically triggered phase change.Three exothermic modes were designed to utilize crystallization enthalpy(△H_(c))and photothermal(isomerization)energy(△H_(p))at different temperatures determined by the crystallization.Azo-g has high heat output(275-303 J g^(-1))by synchronously releasing△H_(c)and△H_(p)over a wide temperature range(-79℃to 25℃).We fabricated a new distributed energy utilization and delivery system to realize a temperature increase of 6.6℃at a temperature of-8℃.The findings offer insight into selective utilization of latent heat and isomerization energy by molecular optimization of crystallization and isomerization processes.

Habitat selection and food choice of White-naped Cranes(Grus vipio)at stopover sites based on satellite tracking and stable isotope analysis

By combining satellite tracking,land-cover extracted from Landsite 8 images,and the traditional stable isotope analysis,we studied the habitat selection and food preference of a vulnerable migratory waterbird,the Whitenaped Crane(Grus vipio),in one of its key stagging sites,the Shandian River Basin in the semi-arid northern China,to provide knowledge that is critical for its conservation in the Anthropocene.Our results showed that the White-naped Cranes used both uplands and natural wetlands in the stopover site.While the cranes used farmland and natural land cover equally as night-time roosting grounds,they spent most daytime foraging at farmlands.Despite the extensive usage of croplands as their foraging ground,the Bayesian mixing models based on stable isotopic analysis revealed that crop residues after harvesting,such as Maize(Zea mays)and Naked Oat(Avena chinensis),were only a small fraction of the White-naped Cranes’diet(~19%),and their diet composited mainly natural plants,such as Allium ledebourianum,Potentilla anserina,and P.tanacetifoli.Moreover,more than 20%of the total wetlands in the region were modelled as home range of the cranes.On contrast,less than 10%of croplands and about 1%of the unused uplands were identified as home range.In addition,the entire core habitats were located in natural wetlands.Our findings demonstrated the importance of natural wetlands for the survival of the threatened crane.However,the satellite-derived land cover data showed that croplands increased rapidly in the last decade in this area,at the expense of natural wetlands.With the sharp decrease of White-naped Crane population in China,the conservation of stopover sites becomes imperative.Based on our analysis,we recommend the following management actions:conserving adequate natural wetland area,regulating anthropogenic pressures such as the use of herbicides,expanding the duration and extent of current conservation regulations,establishing a comprehensive monitoring program,and initiating basin-scale ecological restoration,for effective conservation of this threatened species.These integrated conservation strategies for migratory waterbirds are necessary,considering the rapid land-cover changes and agricultural expansion that have been occurring in East Asian-Australasian Flyway,especially in the semi-arid temperate zone.

Home range establishment and utilization by reintroduced lions(Panthera leo)in a small South African wildlife reserve

Understanding of animal spatial behavior is essential for informed management decisions.In southern Africa,reintroduction of lions(Panthera leo)to small reserves(<1000 km2)has increased since the early 2000s,however studies on their ranging behavior in these enclosed systems remain lacking.We applied Time Local Convex Hull(T-LoCoH)methods to study the home range establishment and utilization of 11 lions reintroduced to Dinokeng Game Reserve,South Africa,during 2011 through 2014.Lions established home ranges close to their release sites and during the following 3 years their home range sizes continued to increase,but in each individual case the size remained smaller than half of the reserve area(<70 km2).Space use strategies differed between the core and the entire home range,with higher frequency of visits found in core areas.Exceptionally high rates(>60 separate visits)around the largest dam and along rivers suggest the importance of water and its surrounding vegetation in the lions’space utilization pattern.The home range size did not differ with season or sex of the individuals,whereas shifts in locations of home ranges revealed differences in the response of the 2 sexes to territorial conflicts and management interventions.Our study shows a dynamic home range utilization pattern and highlights the importance of both fine-scale space use patterns(frequency and duration of visits)and broadscale home range changes in understanding the ranging behavior of reintroduced animals.

Multi-Terabit Long-Haul Transmission System Utilizing Distributed Raman Amplification Technologies

Here we summarize multi-terabit long-haul transmission experiment and distributed Raman amplification (DRA) technologies. As well, we investigate the configuration of dispersion-managed fibers for the DRA-based system from the viewpoint of the fiber non-linear effect and required pumping power.