Overview of motorcycling in the United States: a national telephone survey

Objectives

Motorcycle registrations have risen in recent years. Although motorcyclist crash fatalities in 2009 were 16% lower than in 2008, they were double the number of deaths in 1997. The present study examined current motorcyclists’ travel patterns and views of motorcycle helmets and other safety topics.

Methods

Motorcycle drivers were interviewed in a national telephone survey conducted in 2009. A weighted sample of 1,606 motorcyclists resulted from adjusting for the oversampling of those younger than 40 and those in the three states without a motorcycle helmet use law (Illinois, Iowa, New Hampshire). All analyses were based on the weighted sample, which was intended to result in a nationally representative sample of motorcyclists.

Results

About one-quarter of respondents said they did not always wear helmets. Of these respondents, 57% said a law requiring helmet use would persuade them to do so, and 27% said nothing would. Ninety-four percent of respondents in states with universal helmet laws said they always ride helmeted, compared with about half of respondents in other states. About half of all respondents favored these laws. About three-quarters said they believe helmets keep riders safer, including two-thirds of respondents who oppose universal laws and almost half of drivers who rarely/never wear helmets. Drivers ages 18–29 and drivers of sport/unclad sport, sport touring, and super sport motorcycles were more likely to always wear helmets, support universal helmet laws, and believe helmets keep riders safer. About half of respondents said antilock braking systems (ABS) enhance safety and that they would get ABS on their next motorcycle. Less than one-quarter thought an airbag would protect a motorcyclist in a crash, and even fewer would consider getting one on their next motorcycle. Forty-three percent of motorcyclists said they had crashed at least once; 62% of the most recent crashes involved no vehicles besides the motorcycle. Respondents reported riding their motorcycles about 5,400 miles, on average, during the past year. Drivers ages 18–29 reported riding fewer miles, on average, than older drivers and more often rode at night and to/from work or school. Drivers of touring and sport touring motorcycles traveled more miles and took more long trips.

Conclusions

Motorcyclists’ travel patterns and views vary widely, but there are distinct patterns by driver age and motorcycle type. Drivers who believe helmets keep riders safer are more likely to always wear them, but this belief appears insufficient to motivate some drivers to wear them. However, universal helmet laws appear effective in increasing helmet use. Many drivers are receptive to purchasing ABS on their next motorcycle.

Impact on industry

States should be encouraged to enact universal helmet laws, and motorcycle manufacturers should be encouraged to offer ABS.     

初冬一次冷锋输送过程对中国东部霾天气的影响

利用常规地面气象资料、NCEP/NCAR再分析资料以及全国PM_2.5浓度数据,并结合后向轨迹、空气污染输送指数和传输通量分析,针对2019年12月10~11日一次冷锋输送造成我国中东部地区出现的大范围霾天气过程进行了分析.结果表明：（1）霾期间高空500hPa以经向环流为主,伴随着高空低压槽引导地面冷锋向东南方向移动,污染物浓度大值区也依次由华北地区移至黄淮、江淮地区.（2）冷锋过境前,华北至长江三角洲区域PM_2.5浓度均有明显增涨;北京以偏南方向的污染物输入为主,济南以西北和偏东方向输入为主,南京则主要是偏北和偏西方向的输入.（3）冷锋过境时,冷空气迅速将北京站的污染物清除;而济南站则受高压底部偏东风回流的影响,PM_2.5浓度维持在50μg/m³左右;冷锋推进至南京站时西北风已较小,对污染物的清除作用不明显.以江苏省为例,整个过程中,江苏本地污染物贡献占25.8%,江苏以外的污染物贡献占74.2%,以输送为主.（4）冷锋过境后,3站的边界层结构也略有不同,北京站的逆温层迅速被打破;济南站由于受海上暖湿平流影响,近地面由等温层变成逆温层;而南京站的近地面则由逆温层变为等温层.本研究揭示了在冷锋南下过程中,上游污染物对下游地区的影响,以及南北方站点表现出不同的污染物变化和清除特征.     

Antipredator defenses along a latitudinal gradient in Rana temporaria

Antipredator defenses are expected to decrease toward higher latitudes because predation rates are predicted to decrease with latitude. However, latitudinal variation in predator avoidance and defense mechanisms has seldom been studied. We studied tadpole antipredator defenses in seven Rana temporaria populations collected along a 1500-km latitudinal gradient across Sweden, along which previous studies have found increasing tadpole growth and development rates. In a laboratory common garden experiment, we measured behavioral and morphological defenses by raising tadpoles in the presence and absence of a predator (Aeshna dragonfly larva) in two temperature treatments. We also estimated tadpole survival in the presence of free-ranging predators and compared predator densities between R. temporaria breeding ponds situated at low and high latitudes. Activity and foraging were generally positively correlated with latitude in the common garden experiment. While all populations responded to predator presence by decreasing activity and foraging, high-latitude populations maintained higher activity levels in the presence of the predator. All populations exhibited defensive morphology in body and tail shape. However, whereas tail depth tended to increase with latitude in the presence of predator, it did not change with latitude in the absence of the predator. Predator presence generally increased larval period and decreased growth rate. In the southern populations, predator presence tended to have a negative effect on metamorphic size, whereas in the northern populations predators had little or a positive effect on size. Latitude of origin had a strong effect on survival in the presence of a free-ranging predator, with high-latitude tadpoles experiencing higher mortality than those from the low latitudes. In the wild, predator densities were significantly lower in high-latitude than in mid-latitude breeding ponds. Although the higher activity level in the northern populations seems to confer a significant survival disadvantage under predation risk, it is probably needed to maintain the high growth and development rates. However, the occurrence of R. temporaria at high latitudes may be facilitated by the lower predator densities in the north.     

Household solid waste characteristics and management in Chittagong, Bangladesh

Solid waste management (SWM) is a multidimensional challenge faced by urban authorities, especially in developing countries like Bangladesh. We investigated per capita waste generation by residents, its composition, and the households' attitudes towards waste management at Rahman Nagar Residential Area, Chittagong, Bangladesh. The study involved a structured questionnaire and encompassed 75 households from five different socioeconomic groups (SEGs): low (LSEG), lower middle (LMSEG), middle (MSEG), upper middle (UMSEG) and high (HSEG). Wastes, collected from all of the groups of households, were segregated and weighed. Waste generation was 1.3kg/household/day and 0.25kg/person/day. Household solid waste (HSW) was comprised of nine categories of wastes with vegetable/food waste being the largest component (62%). Vegetable/food waste generation increased from the HSEG (47%) to the LSEG (88%). By weight, 66% of the waste was compostable in nature. The generation of HSW was positively correlated with family size (r(xy)=0.236, p<0.05), education level (r(xy)=0.244, p<0.05) and monthly income (r(xy)=0.671, p<0.01) of the households. Municipal authorities are usually the responsible agencies for solid waste collection and disposal, but the magnitude of the problem is well beyond the ability of any municipal government to tackle. Hence dwellers were found to take the service from the local waste management initiative. Of the respondents, an impressive 44% were willing to pay US$0.3 to US$0.4 per month to waste collectors and it is recommended that service charge be based on the volume of waste generated by households. Almost a quarter (22.7%) of the respondents preferred 12-1pm as the time period for their waste to be collected. This study adequately shows that household solid waste can be converted from burden to resource through segregation at the source, since people are aware of their role in this direction provided a mechanism to assist them in this pursuit exists and the burden is distributed according to the amount of waste generated.     

Mutagenicity of particulate matter fractions in areas under the impact of urban and industrial activities

Organisms in the environment are exposed to a mixture of pollutants. Therefore the purpose of this study was to analyze the mutagenicity of organic and inorganic responses in two fractions of particulates (TSP and PM2.5) and extracts (organic and aqueous). The mutagenicity of organic and aqueous particulate matter extracts from urban-industrial and urban-residential areas was evaluated by Salmonella/microsome assay, through the microsuspension method, using strain TA98 with and without liver metabolization. Additionally, strains YG1021 and YG1024 (nitro-sensitive) were used for organic extracts. Aqueous extracts presented negative responses for mutagenesis and cytotoxicity was detected in 50% of the samples. In these extracts the presence of potential bioavailable metals was identified. All organic extracts presented mutagens with a higher potential associated with PM2.5. This study presents a first characterization of PM2.5 in Brazil, through the Salmonella/microsome assay. The evaluation strategy detected the anthropic influence of groups of compounds characteristically found in urban and industrial areas, even in samples with PM values in accordance with quality standards. Thus, the use of a genotoxic approach in areas under different anthropic influences will favor the adoption of preventive measures in the health/environment relation.     

环渤海海岸大气微塑料污染时空分布特征与表面形貌

微塑料污染已成为国内外的热点环境问题.目前,针对大气环境中微塑料污染的研究仅在少数地区开展.为比较环渤海沿海城市大气微塑料污染的长周期分布特征,本研究以烟台、天津和大连3个城市为例,于2018年6月—2019年5月进行大气沉降样品的采集,经体视显微镜、扫描电子显微镜和显微傅里叶红外光谱仪观察,分析了大气微塑料的类型、颜色、粒径、成分、微观形貌及主要成分等特征,并计算了微塑料的大气沉降通量.结果表明,在3个采样点大气沉降样品中共同存在纤维、薄膜、碎片和颗粒4种类型的微塑料,其中绝大部分为纤维类（>90%）.大气沉降微塑料的颜色主要包括透明、蓝色、红色、黑色等;粒径大多<1 mm.大气沉降样品中的微塑料主要成分为赛璐玢（>50%）和聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯（>30%）,且微塑料表面存在明显风化特征.烟台、天津和大连地区单位面积微塑料年沉降量分别为2.7×10⁴、8.9×10⁴和7.2×10⁴粒·m^-2.研究结果可为环渤海海岸城市大气微塑料污染与防控研究提供科学依据.     

曝气对高铁地下水化学特性的影响

氧气进入还原性的地下水中,会与地下水中的还原性组分发生系列化学反应,从而改变地下水的化学特性,通过调控这些化学反应有望快速修复污染地下水。为此,该文以江汉平原高铁地下水为例,研究曝气对地下水化学特性的影响。曝气实验在湖北省潜江市一口高铁浅层地下水井中进行,测定曝气过程中地下水溶解氧(DO)、氧化还原电位(ORP)、pH值和其中铁、锰、三氮、磷、碳酸氢根等浓度的变化。研究结果表明,曝气在增加地下水中DO和ORP的同时,地下水中的铁、锰快速完全氧化,磷酸盐随之沉淀;碳酸根减少,使pH值增加近一个单位;同时,氨态氮含量略增加,硝态氮含量先增后减,暗示曝气后期好氧反硝化作用的存在。这些结果可为污染地下水修复技术提供重要的参考依据。     

接触燃烧产物将增加食管癌的危险性

已经肯定烟酒嗜好是食管癌的重要危险因素。据报道在硫化工人、沥青工人以及石油化学工业的工人中，食管癌的危险性增加与职业性接触石棉和各种金属有关。在一系列接触燃烧副产物的工人，如烟囱清扫工人、废物焚烧工人、可燃气工人以及接触柴油机排出废气的汽车修理工人的研究中，调查了死亡率和癌症发病率。在这些人群中食管癌的标准化死亡率范围是１５０—３８６，并且得出合并后的标准化死亡率为２８９（９５％可信限１７４—４５２）。有关吸烟嗜好和饮酒的间接影响所取得的资料表明这种增高不能单独归咎于这些因素。看来职业性接触燃烧产物与食管癌的危险性增加有关。     

Desorption kinetics of neutral hydrophobic organic compounds from field-contaminated sediment

The chemical release rates from a field-contaminated sediment (Lake Charles, LA) using Tenax desorption were studied. Two dichlorobenzenes (m-, p-), hexachlorobutadiene, and hexachlorobenzene were investigated. Contrary to reports that sorption rates are inversely related to K(OW), the slow desorption rates were found to be similar for the four compounds. The data were modeled by a two-compartment irreversible adsorption and radial diffusion model. Desorption kinetics from the first irreversible compartment can be modeled by radial diffusion and assume an irreversible adsorption constant and soil tortuosity of 4.3. The desorption half-life is approximately 2-7 days. Desorption from the second irreversible compartment is very slow (half-life of approximately 0.32-8.62 years) presumably caused by entrapment in soil organic matter that increases the constrictivity of the solid phase to chemical diffusion. From the kinetic data, it is deduced that the diffusion pore diameter of the second irreversible compartment is approximately equal to the critical molecular diameter. The mass of chemicals in this highly constrictive irreversible compartment is approximately one-fourth of the maximum irreversible, or resistant, compartment. The slow kinetics observed in this study add additional support to the notion that the irreversibly sorbed chemicals are 'benign' to the environment.