How future trends in societal aging, air bag availability, seat belt use, and fleet composition will affect serious injury risk and occurrence in the United States

The objective of this study was to quantify the importance of societal aging relative to other factors that are known to affect injury risk. An aging population's effect on Maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale (MAIS) 3+ injury trends for passenger car drivers in frontal crashes was projected and compared to the effects of projected changes in fleet composition, changes in seat belt usage, and changes in air bag availability. It was determined that increased frailty due to an aging population will result in 19,816 to 43,568 additional injuries to passenger car drivers in frontal crashes from 1996 to 2012. Aging was shown to have an effect similar to the increased presence of light trucks in the fleet (a cumulative increase of approximately 47,428 injuries). Aging and changing fleet composition were shown to have a smaller effect than the projected increases in seat belt use or air bag availability, though the effect of increased belt use is not much greater than the effect of aging. After 2012, however, air bag availability and seat belt use will plateau, while societal aging will continue.     

Renewable energy: Biomass power and biofuels as alternative sustainable energy sources

This article describes biomass fuels as renewable and sustainable energy resources in Minnesota as well as across the United States. This country has long benefited from surplus supplies of diverse energy resources, while our dependency on foreign petroleum supplies and domestic coal reserves has only recently prompted Congress to recognize the importance of renewable and alternative fuels such as biomass energy. Our further utilization of biomass power and biofuels can be an important step in altering our dependency on both coal and petroleum while simultaneously reducing carbon dioxide emissions. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

TESTING FOR TREND IN LAKE AND GROUND WATER QUALITY TIME SERIES1

ABSTRACT: The detection of gradual trends in water quality time series is increasing in importance as concern grows for diffuse sources of pollution such as acid precipitation and agricultural non-point sources. A significant body of literature has arisen dealing with trend detection in water quality variables that exhibit seasonal patterns. Much of the literature has dealt with seasonality of the first moment. However, little has been mentioned about seasonality in the variance, and its effect upon the performance of trend detection techniques. In this paper, eight methods of trend detection that arise from both the statistical literature as well as the water quality literature have been compared by means of a simulation study. Varying degrees of seasonality in both the variances and the means have been introduced into the artificial data, and the performances of these procedures are analyzed. Since the focus is on lake and ground water quality monitoring, quarterly sampling and short to moderate record lengths are examined.     

Automatic continuous river monitoring of nitrate using a novel ion-selective electrode

On-site continuous measurement of nitrate in the River Taw situated in Devon (UK) was performed automatically for two months using a recently developed ion-selective electrode (ISE). A non-submersible electrode support system was developed and a field instrument was constructed comprising the nitrate-ISEs, a reference electrode and a temperature probe connected through a pre-amplifier to a data-logger and battery supply. The nitrate-ISE was constructed using a commercially available electrode body with a membrane incorporated into the tip. This rubbery membrane contained the sensor molecule (N,N,N-triallylleucine betaine chloride, 6.5% m/m) covalently bound to polystyrene-block-polybutadiene-block-polystyrene, SBS, (43.5% m/m), with 2-nitrophenyloctyl ether (2-NPOE) as mediator (40% m/m). The Nernstian slope was -59.1 mV per decade over a linear range of 1400-0.07 mg L(-1) nitrate-N. The limit of detection was 0.007 mg L(-1) nitrate-N with a selectivity coefficient for nitrate against chloride (k(pot)NO3-, Cl-) of 3.4 x 10(-3). The speed of response was less than a minute over the linear Nernstian range. The lifetime in the laboratory exceeded 5 months with no potentiometric drift over the linear Nernstian range. A temperature correction algorithm was also used to accomodate the temperature changes encountered in the river. The river nitrate results obtained with the ISEs at hourly intervals compared very favourably (R2 = 0.9) with those obtained with laboratory automated chemical determinations made on contemporaneous river samples over a concentration range 0.55-2.00 mg L(-1) nitrate-N. The ISEs did not require re-calibration and no deterioration in performance or fouling of the membrane surface was observed during 40 days.     

Evaluating consistency of stakeholder input into participatory GIS-based multiple criteria evaluation: a case study of ecotourism development in Kurdistan

Multiple criteria evaluation (MCE) is often used with GIS to identify suitable sites for multi-purpose development such as ecotourism. Typically, expert or stakeholder consultation is used to identify weights reflecting the relative importance of map layers representing different criteria. The objective of this study was to evaluate a new consultative approach to GIS-based MCE, using ecotourism development in Kurdistan, Iraq, as a case study. In an initial and follow-up consultation, stakeholders were asked not only to assess the relative importance of different map layers for ecotourism development, but also to identify specific sites suitable for ecotourism. Seventy-eight ecotourism destinations nominated by participants had significantly higher MCE scores than a set of 58 locations chosen without reference to stakeholders (t-test = 21.16; p < 0.001). The approach thus provides a straightforward means of assessing the consistency of stakeholder input into MCE and could be adapted for use in other site suitability assessments.     

Converting moving-grate incineration from combustion to gasification - numerical simulation of the burning characteristics

Waste incineration is a politically sensitive issue in the UK. The major current technology is based on direct combustion of wastes in a moving-grate furnace. However, general public opinion prefers non-direct burning technologies. Waste gasification is one of those nearest technologies available. By reducing the primary air-flow rate through the grate of a packed-bed system, operation of the existing solid-waste incineration equipment can be easily converted from combustion mode to gasification mode without major modification of the hardware. The potential advantages of this are lower dust carry-over in the flue gases, lower bed temperature (and therefore lower NO(x) formation in the bed), simplified gas-treatment procedures and lower running cost, among other benefits. The major disadvantages are, however, reduced throughput of the wastes and possibly higher carbon in the ash at exit. In this study, numerical simulation of both combustion and gasification of municipal solid wastes in a full-scale moving grate furnace is carried out employing advanced mathematical models. Burning characteristics, including burning rate, gas composition, temperature and burning efficiency as a function of operating parameters are investigated. Detailed comparisons between the combustion mode and gasification mode are made. The study helps to explore new incineration technology and optimise furnace operating conditions.