Contrasting patterns of population structure and gene flow facilitate exploration of connectivity in two widely distributed temperate octocorals

This is the final version of the article. Available from Springer Nature via the DOI in this record.Connectivity is an important component of metapopulation dynamics in marine systems and can influence population persistence, migration rates and conservation decisions associated with Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). In this study, we compared the genetic diversity, gene flow and population structure of two octocoral species, Eunicella verrucosa and Alcyonium digitatum, in the northeast Atlantic (ranging from the northwest of Ireland and the southern North Sea, to southern Portugal), using two panels of thirteen and eight microsatellite loci, respectively. Our results identified regional genetic structure in E. verrucosa partitioned between populations from southern Portugal, northwest Ireland, and Britain/France; subsequent hierarchical analysis of population structure also indicated reduced gene flow between southwest Britain and northwest France. However, over a similar geographical area, A. digitatum showed little evidence of population structure, suggesting high gene flow and/or a large effective population size; indeed, the only significant genetic differentiation detected in A. digitatum occurred between North Sea samples and those from the English Channel/northeast Atlantic. In both species the vast majority of gene flow originated from sample sites within regions, with populations in southwest Britain being the predominant source of contemporary exogenous genetic variants for the populations studied. Unsurprisingly, historical patterns of gene flow appeared more complex, though again southwest Britain appeared an important source of genetic variation for both species. Our findings have major conservation implications, particularly for E. verrucosa, a protected species in UK waters and listed by the IUCN as ‘Vulnerable’, and for the designation and management of European MPAs.We thank Natural England (project No. RP0286, contract No. SAE 03-02-146), the NERC (grant No. NE/L002434/1) and the University of Exeter for funding this research. Additional funding for sample collection, travel and microsatellite development was provided by the EU Framework 7 ASSEMBLE programme, agreement no. 227799, and NERC grant No. NBAF-362

A carbon fiber solder matrix composite for thermal management of microelectronic devices

A carbon fiber based tin-silver-copper alloy matrix composite (CF-TIM) was developed via electrospinning of a mesophase pitch with polyimide and carbonization at 1000 \ub0C, followed by sputter coating with titanium and gold, and alloy infiltration. The carbonized fibers, in film form, showed a thermal conductivity of ?4 W m-1 K-1 and the CF-TIM showed an anisotropic thermal conductivity of 41 \ub1 2 W m-1 K-1 in-plane and 20 \ub1 3 W m-1 K-1 through-plane. The thermal contact resistance of the CF-TIM was estimated to be below 1 K mm2 W-1. The CF-TIM showed no reduction in effective through-plane thermal conductivity after 1000 temperature cycles, which indicates the potential use of CF-TIM in thermal management applications

Carbon fiber solder matrix composite for thermal management of high power electronics

A carbon fiber based tin–silver–copper alloy matrix composite (CF-TIM) was developed via electrospinning of a mesophase pitch with polyimide and carbonization at 1000 \ub0C, followed by sputter coating with titanium and gold, and alloy infiltration. The carbonized fibers, in film form, showed a thermal conductivity of [similar]4 W m−1 K−1 and the CF-TIM showed an anisotropic thermal conductivity of 41 \ub1 2 W m−1 K−1 in-plane and 20 \ub1 3 W m−1 K−1 through-plane. The thermal contact resistance of the CF-TIM was estimated to be below 1 K mm2 W−1. The CF-TIM showed no reduction in effective through-plane thermal conductivity after 1000 temperature cycles, which indicates the potential use of CF-TIM in thermal management applications