Autonomous emergency braking systems adapted to snowy road conditions improve drivers' perceived safety and trust

Objective: This study investigated drivers' evaluation of a conventional autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system on high and reduced tire–road friction and compared these results to those of an AEB system adaptive to the reduced tire–road friction by earlier braking. Current automated systems such as the AEB do not adapt the vehicle control strategy to the road friction; for example, on snowy roads. Because winter precipitation is associated with a 19% increase in traffic crashes and a 13% increase in injuries compared to dry conditions, the potential of conventional AEB to prevent collisions could be significantly improved by including friction in the control algorithm. Whereas adaption is not legally required for a conventional AEB system, higher automated functions will have to adapt to the current tire–road friction because human drivers will not be required to monitor the driving environment at all times. For automated driving functions to be used, high levels of perceived safety and trust of occupants have to be reached with new systems. The application case of an AEB is used to investigate drivers' evaluation depending on the road condition in order to gain knowledge for the design of future driving functions.

Methods: In a driving simulator, the conventional, nonadaptive AEB was evaluated on dry roads with high friction (μ = 1) and on snowy roads with reduced friction (μ = 0.3). In addition, an AEB system adapted to road friction was designed for this study and compared with the conventional AEB on snowy roads with reduced friction. Ninety-six drivers (48 males, 48 females) assigned to 5 age groups (20–29, 30–39, 40–49, 50–59, and 60–75 years) drove with AEB in the simulator. The drivers observed and evaluated the AEB's braking actions in response to an imminent rear-end collision at an intersection.

Results: The results show that drivers' safety and trust in the conventional AEB were significantly lower on snowy roads, and the nonadaptive autonomous braking strategy was considered less appropriate on snowy roads compared to dry roads. As expected, the adaptive AEB braking strategy was considered more appropriate for snowy roads than the nonadaptive strategy. In conditions of reduced friction, drivers' subjective safety and trust were significantly improved when driving with the adaptive AEB compared to the conventional AEB. Women felt less safe than men when AEB was braking. Differences between age groups were not of statistical significance.

Conclusions: Drivers notice the adaptation of the autonomous braking strategy on snowy roads with reduced friction. On snowy roads, they feel safer and trust the adaptive system more than the nonadaptive automation.     

应用鱼类生物完整性指数评价荔浦河河流健康

生物完整性指数是河流生态系统健康评价主要方法之一。为评价荔浦河河流健康状况,选择鱼类作为指示生物,构建了基于鱼类生物完整性指标体系。2017年1月、4月、7月和10月对荔浦河4次采样共采集到鱼类21 192尾,经鉴定共计94种,隶属于6目17科62属。以S1(修仁镇)、S10(马岭镇)、S11(双江镇)作为参考点,经过分布范围分析、箱体图判别能力分析及相关性分析等指标筛选过程从25个候选指标筛选出5个指标,即鱼类总物种数、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、肉食性鱼类数量百分比、敏感性鱼类数量百分比、产漂浮型卵鱼类数量百分比。将荔浦河河流健康等级分为"健康"、"一般"、"较差"、"极差"和"无鱼"5个等级。结果表明,荔浦河青山镇、荔浦县及蒲芦乡河段健康状态为"一般"水平,东昌镇、龙怀乡、杜莫镇及新坪镇河段健康状态为"较差"水平,茶城乡河段健康状态为"极差"水平。筑坝工程、架桥工程和修路工程等人类活动导致荔浦河支流上的健康状况比干流更差。上述研究结果可为荔浦河的河流管理和保护提供理论依据和技术支持。     

广西不同石漠化等级下SPAC水势梯度及其环境效应

以野外观测为基础,对广西不同石漠化等级(无石漠化、轻度石漠化、中度石漠化和重度石漠化)下土壤-植被-大气连续体(Soil-Plant-Atmosphere Continuum,简称SPAC)系统中的水势日变化、气象因子日变化过程进行了研究。结果表明:随着石漠化程度的增加,大气水势降低,大气水势对不同石漠化程度的反应敏感。岩溶区石漠化等级下植物和土壤水势较低,不同石漠化条件下的植物叶水势在-7.79±0.43~-2.68±0.11 Mpa之间,土壤水势在-4.00±0~-0.08±0.04 Mpa之间,重度石漠化等级下植物处于萎蔫状态。植物在正午受到的水分亏缺程度为:重度石漠化中度石漠化无石漠化轻度石漠化。无石漠化下植物叶片水势与大气温度呈正相关关系,与大气相对湿度呈负相关关系,轻度石漠化、中度石漠化和重度石漠化下植物叶片水势与大气温度呈负相关关系,与大气相对湿度呈正相关关系。水分在SPAC系统中运移,其能量消耗主要集中在叶片-大气的过程。叶-气水势差差值大小为:中度石漠化重度石漠化轻度石漠化无石漠化。随着石漠化程度的增加,SPAC水势梯度提高,各介质层水势差的增大,提高了水分循环和能量交换的强度。     

北川震后重构聚落的地质灾害灾情分析

北川羌族自治县是2008年"5·12"地震的极重灾区,地震给其境内的各类城乡建筑造成了严重的损失,经过3a多的灾后重建,该县聚落空间得到快速的重构。2013年的7·9洪灾之后,北川境内的地质灾害事件全面爆发,给重构聚落空间的安全造成了严重的威胁。以2013年7·9洪灾之后的灾情普查数据和北川的土地利用图为基础数据,利用GIS技术,使用最邻近法及主成份分析法分析评价了北川境内聚落空间的地质灾害灾情特征,并根据各个聚落斑块的灾情指数值的大小将其划分为灾情轻微、较重、严重和极严重的4个等级。评价的结果表明:北川县境内共有1 016个聚落斑块受到地质灾害点的威胁,占聚落斑块总数的5.702%;其中,灾情极重的聚落有45个、灾情严重的聚落有64个、灾情较重的聚落有775个、灾情较轻的聚落有132个。该评价结果可以为地方政府根据各受灾聚落灾情的轻重缓急而制定出科学的防灾减灾决策提供基本依据。     

2011年10月珠江三角洲一次区域性空气污染过程特征分析

2011年10月18—25日珠江三角洲地区出现了一次区域性空气污染过程,重污染区域集中在西部,后期向中部转移,PM₁₀为首要污染物.针对本次空气污染过程的研究发现,此次珠江三角洲地区空气污染过程主要受大尺度冷高压活动的影响,一直为下沉气流所控制,500 m以下近地层风速很小,边界层高度较低,存在贴地逆温层,非常不利于污染物的输送和扩散.PM₁₀浓度与风速、能见度呈显著的负相关关系,与温度相关性不显著;且与风速和温度的相关性存在滞后性.稳定天气形势、大范围下沉气流、近地层静小风和贴地逆温是导致这次区域性空气污染过程的气象原因,PM₁₀浓度增加导致珠江三角洲能见度下降.     

岩溶地下水补给的地表河流溶解无机碳昼夜变化与钙沉降

溶解无机碳昼夜动态变化对河流水体碳通量的估算有重要影响。本文选择由地下水补给且富含水生植物的典型河流,开展高分辨率水文地球化学监测和高频率水样取样工作,分析了水化学的昼夜动态变化特征,钙与无机碳昼夜循环产生的生物地球化学控制机理,估算了钙与无机碳昼夜通量。结果表明,白天pH、SIC上升,产生钙沉降和水体无机碳(主要为HCO-3)含量的下降,夜间得到地下水的补给,Ca2+和HCO-3浓度回升。监测期间,官村地下河出口地表河流钙与溶解有机碳的流失或沉降量分别为69.04kg/d和168.68kg/d,即51.14g/(m·d)和124.95g/(m·d),分别占输入量的6.2%和4.7%。受水生植物光合作用和钙化作用控制,沿流程发生无机碳向有机碳转化,是真正意义上的自然碳汇。     

基于MODIS GPP/NPP数据的三江源地区草地生态系统碳储量及碳汇量时空变化研究

陆地生态系统碳循环研究是全球变化与地球科学研究领域的前沿与热点问题,准确地评估陆地生态系统碳储量和碳汇量是估算未来大气 CO2浓度,预测气候变化及其对陆地生态系统影响的关键。已有相关研究多集中于对区域生态系统碳储量和碳汇量的量的估算,而缺乏针对时间尺度上的变化过程的分析,以及对变化特征空间差异性的分析。本研究基于MODIS NPP数据,结合土地利用数据及土壤有机碳密度分布数据,对三江源地区2000─2010年草地生态系统碳储量时空变化特征进行了分析,同时,基于MODIS GPP数据及China FLUX和America FLUX数据,建立草地生态系统呼吸估算模型,对其碳汇量的时空变化特征进行了分析,以期明确该地区的碳储存能力及其变化过程,为该区域草地生态系统保护和管理提供科学依据。研究结果表明：（1）三江源地区草地生态系统总碳储量为53.38×108 t,平均碳密度为14.94 kg·m-2（以C计）。土壤和植被碳储量分别为53.07×108 t和0.31×108 t,平均碳密度分别为14.85 kg·m-2和86.77 g·m-2。（2）近10多年来,三江源地区草地生态系统多年平均碳汇量为0.4×108 t,单位面积平均碳汇量为86.80 g·m-2·a-1（以C计）,表明该地区草地生态体统是一个碳汇。（3）2000年以来,三江源地区草地生态系统总碳储量及总碳汇量均呈波动增加趋势,碳汇功能有所增强。（4）三江源地区草地生态系统碳储量及碳汇量的空间分布格局及其变化趋势的空间分布均呈现明显的空间差异性。（5）MODIS GPP/NPP数据能够支撑较大尺度草地生态系统碳储量及碳汇量格局与变化趋势分析,较传统方法更为便捷高效。     

京津冀地区面向人居环境之水安全格局初探

采用文献法对近年京津冀水资源、水环境、水污染、水灾害、水管理等水安全情势进行相关数据分析,从总体上显示出水危机问题和京津冀地区快速城市化发展的关联性.结果表明:1)京津冀城市群必须向节水型社会模式转型;2)建立区域及城市间的协调机制,才能有效克服流域与区域等级的水问题;3)实现京津冀地区水安全格局的治理行动计划网络,提出保护恢复体系、净化循环体系、限制节约体系、调度再造体系、蓄滞防洪减灾体系五大体系.     

互花米草入侵对广西北海光滩大型底栖动物群落的影响

为探讨互花米草入侵对广西北部湾光滩的生态影响,于2012年7月—2013年9月对北海市青山头地区的互花米草群丛和光滩2种生境分别连续进行5次大型底栖动物群落采样,分析不同采样时间和生境下大型底栖动物的物种组成、生物量、总栖息密度、群落生物多样性、群落结构等群落特征.结果表明:1该区域内大型底栖动物共15种,隶属于4门5纲11科,其中中国绿螂(Glauconome chinensis)占互花米草群丛大型底栖动物个体总数的86.7%,为绝对优势物种;短指和尚蟹(Mictyris brevidactylus)为光滩的优势物种.2双因素方差分析(two-way ANOVA)结果显示,互花米草入侵光滩后大型底栖动物物种数量显著增加,并且互花米草群丛中中国绿螂个体数量的剧增也显著增加了大型底栖动物的生物量和总栖息密度,而采样时间对大型底栖动物物种数、生物量和总栖息密度的影响不显著;不同生境和采样时间均未对大型底栖动物的多样性指数产生显著影响.3非度量多维度分析(non-metric multidimensional scaling,NMDS)结果表明,互花米草群丛与光滩的大型底栖动物物种群落相似度较高,但与2012年10月相比,2013年9月互花米草和光滩大型底栖动物群落相似度降低,因此可能随着互花米草入侵时间的增加,其对大型底栖动物群落的影响也不同.     

Perceptions of safety on a shared road: Driving,cycling, or walking near an autonomous vehicle

Introduction: While improved safety is a highly cited potential benefit of autonomous vehicles (AVs), at the same time a frequently cited concern is the new safety challenges that AVs introduce. The literature lacks a rigorous exploration of the safety perceptions of road users who will interact with AVs, including vulnerable road users. Addressing this gap is essential because the successful integration of AVs into transportation systems hinges on an understanding of how all road users will react to their presence. Methods: A stated preference survey of the Phoenix, Arizona, metropolitan statistical area (Phoenix MSA) was conducted in July 2018. A series of ordered probit models was estimated to analyze the survey responses and identify differences between various population groups with respect to the perceived safety of driving, cycling, and walking near AVs. Results: Greater exposure to and awareness of AVs are not uniformly associated with increases in perceived safety. Various attitudinal factors, level of AV automation, and other intrinsic and extrinsic factors are related to safety perceptions of driving, walking, and cycling near AVs. Socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, such as gender, age, income, employment, and automobile usage and ownership, have various relationships with perceived safety. Conclusions: Cycling near an AV was perceived as the least safe activity, followed by walking and then driving near an AV. Both similarities and differences were observed among the factors associated with the perceived safety of different travel alternatives. Practical Applications: Public perception will guide the development and adoption of AVs directly and indirectly. To help maintain control of public perception, transportation planners, decision makers, and other stakeholders should consider more deliberate and targeted messaging to address the concerns of different road users. In addition, more careful pilot testing and more direct attention to vulnerable road users may help avoid a backlash that could delay the rollout of this technology.