A two-stage cyclone using microcentrifuge tubes for personal bioaerosol sampling

Personal aerosol samplers are widely used to monitor human exposure to airborne materials. For bioaerosols, interest is growing in analyzing samples using molecular and immunological techniques. This paper presents a personal sampler that uses a two-stage cyclone to collect bioaerosols into disposable 1.5 ml Eppendorf-type microcentrifuge tubes. Samples can be processed in the tubes for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or immunoassays, and the use of multiple stages fractionates aerosol particles by aerodynamic diameter. The sampler was tested using fluorescent microspheres and aerosolized fungal spores. The sampler had first and second stage cut-off diameters of 2.6 microm and 1.6 microm at 2 l min(-1)(geometric standard deviation, GSD = 1.45 and 1.75), and 1.8 microm and 1 microm at 3.5 l min(-1)(GSD = 1.42 and 1.55). The sampler aspiration efficiency was >or=98% at both flow rates for particles with aerodynamic diameters of 3.1 microm or less. For 6.2 microm particles, the aspiration efficiency was 89% at 2 l min(-1) and 96% at 3.5 l min(-1). At 3.5 l min(-1), the sampler collected 92% of aerosolized Aspergillus versicolor and Penicillium chrysogenum spores inside the two microcentrifuge tubes, with less than 0.4% of the spores collecting on the back-up filter. The design and techniques given here are suitable for personal bioaerosol sampling, and could also be adapted to design larger aerosol samplers for longer-term atmospheric and indoor air quality sampling.     

面向实时人群动力学分析的深度基本图网络

当前行人疏散实验中基本图计算方法通常是通过对每个行人进行跟踪实现的.但这种跟踪方法难以实现实时人群动力学分析.针对这一问题,提出了深度基本图网络.实验提出的网络框架由两个模块组成,即多尺度递归卷积神经网络(MSR-Net)和光流模块,分别对行人密度和行人速度进行估计.具体来讲,MSR-Net学习了输入图像与行人密度图之...     

吊拖船队通过限制性顺直航段安全限制因素研究

为了保障吊拖船队通过顺直航道的航行安全,充分考虑吊拖船队的柔性结构特征和航道条件,深入研究限制性航道顺直航段航道特点,运用船舶操纵与引航理论,建立以吊拖船队为研究对象的顺直航段航道宽度计算模型,从而确定针对航道宽度的吊拖船队通过顺直航段的安全限制因素,运用实船试验数据和现有航道维护尺度对建立的公式进行验算。提出了符合我国运河航道条件和吊拖船队航行特点的运河限制性航道顺直航段航道宽度计算公式,以期为保障吊拖船队在顺直航道安全航行提供理论支撑,弥补我国运河以吊拖船队为主要船型的航道技术尺度计算方面的不足。     

侧墙结构纵向多窗口羽流火焰融合的数值模拟

为了给高层建筑外部火蔓延防控提供参考,利用火灾动态仿真模拟软件PyroSim对无侧墙建筑的纵向多窗口羽流火焰与侧墙建筑的纵向多窗口羽流火焰进行了数值模拟,并改变侧墙长度,引入危险温度T=540℃、T1=350℃及T2=250℃,综合分析窗口温度曲线及等温线数据。结果表明:纵向多窗口羽流火焰产生相互融合现象,无侧墙建筑纵向相邻两窗口与三窗口的危险温度高度相似,比单窗口的危险温度高度提升了2.5~3.0 m;侧墙结构引起烟囱效应的作用效果与侧墙的长度呈正比,侧墙长度为3.6 m时,纵向多窗口的危险温度高度与无侧墙建筑相比,对T1和T2,高度提升了2.0~2.5 m,而对T,高度的影响较弱,羽流火焰的形状在纵向被拉长。     

地铁区间隧道烟气层化现象研究

以重庆某一地铁区间隧道为原型,搭建了1∶15小尺寸隧道试验台,通过小尺寸试验与FDS 6.5.2数值模拟开展隧道顶部烟气温度分布及分层规律研究。基于Newman提出的烟气层分区条件,研究了不同纵向风速下的烟气分层现象,提出了烟气稳定层化长度的概念,并分析了火源热释放速率及断面型式对烟气层化长度的影响。试验证明了Newman提出的烟气分层计算方法是可信的。结果表明:纵向风速较小时,火源下游能呈现烟气分层现象;烟气稳定层化长度受火源热释放速率影响较大,随热释放速率增大而增大;隧道高度的变化对烟气稳定层化长度的影响较小。     

A comparative study of vocational education and occupational safety and health training in China and the UK

In order to enhance Chinese workers’ occupational safety awareness, it is essential to learn from developed countries’ experiences. This article investigates thoroughly occupational safety and health (OSH) in China and the UK; moreover, the article performs a comparison of Chinese and British OSH training-related laws, regulations and education system. The following conclusions are drawn: China’s work safety continues to improve, but there is still a large gap compared with the UK. In China a relatively complete vocational education and training (VET) system has been established. However, there exist some defects in OSH. In the UK, the employer will not only pay attention to employees’ physiological health, but also to their mental health. The UK’s VET is characterized by classification and grading management, which helps integrate OSH into the whole education system. China can learn from the UK in the development of policies, VET and OSH training.     

Evaluation of geometrically personalized THUMS pedestrian model response against sedan–pedestrian PMHS impact test data

Objective: Evaluating the biofidelity of pedestrian finite element models (PFEM) using postmortem human subjects (PMHS) is a challenge because differences in anthropometry between PMHS and PFEM could limit a model's capability to accurately capture cadaveric responses. Geometrical personalization via morphing can modify the PFEM geometry to match the specific PMHS anthropometry, which could alleviate this issue. In this study, the Total Human Model for Safety (THUMS) PFEM (Ver 4.01) was compared to the cadaveric response in vehicle–pedestrian impacts using geometrically personalized models.

Methods: The AM50 THUMS PFEM was used as the baseline model, and 2 morphed PFEM were created to the anthropometric specifications of 2 obese PMHS used in a previous pedestrian impact study with a mid-size sedan. The same measurements as those obtained during the PMHS tests were calculated from the simulations (kinematics, accelerations, strains), and biofidelity metrics based on signals correlation (correlation and analysis, CORA) were established to compare the response of the models to the experiments. Injury outcomes were predicted deterministically (through strain-based threshold) and probabilistically (with injury risk functions) and compared with the injuries reported in the necropsy.

Results: The baseline model could not accurately capture all aspects of the PMHS kinematics, strain, and injury risks, whereas the morphed models reproduced biofidelic response in terms of trajectory (CORA score = 0.927 ± 0.092), velocities (0.975 ± 0.027), accelerations (0.862 ± 0.072), and strains (0.707 ± 0.143). The personalized THUMS models also generally predicted injuries consistent with those identified during posttest autopsy.

Conclusions: The study highlights the need to control for pedestrian anthropometry when validating pedestrian human body models against PMHS data. The information provided in the current study could be useful for improving model biofidelity for vehicle–pedestrian impact scenarios.     

Effects of Topographical Heterogeneity and Dispersal Limitation on Species Turnover in a Temperate Mountane Ecosystem: a Case Study in the Henan Province,China

Species turnover patterns can be inconsistent due to differences in the dispersal ability of different growth forms. Here, species of trees, shrubs, herbs, and bryophytes in the Xiaoqinling National Nature Reserve in China were analyzed to determine patterns of species turnover along an elevation and spatial gradient. Variance partitioning was used to assess the relative contribution of topographic heterogeneity and dispersal limitation to species turnover. Our results suggest that the effect of dispersal limitation is more important than topographic heterogeneity on species turnover in temperate mountane ecosystems in the study area. Dispersal limitation has a greater effect on trees species turnover than on shrubs, herbs or bryophytes species turnover.     

Comparative Analysis of Variation in Ecological Forms of Altai Osman, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Oreoleuciscus potanini</Emphasis> (Cyprinidae), in Lakes Ayrag,Khyargas, and Nogon (Western Mongolia)

Analysis of variation in morphological characters of Potanin Altai osman, Oreoleuciscus potanini, from two freshwater and one brackish water lakes of Western Mongolia has shown that specimens of different ecological forms—herbivorous and piscivorous—form two integral and, at the level under consideration, internally indivisible units in the system of phenetic diversity of the species O. potanini.     

Annual Nutritional Organ Mass Cycle of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bufo gargarizans</Emphasis> (Cantor, 1842) in Response to Extreme High Temperature

The annual relative mass of storage organs cycle of Bufo gargarizans in southwestern China was studied from December 2005 to November 2006. We described how those organs changed in response to extreme temperatures. Energy reservation dropped to the lowest levels after dormancy for both sexes, and then increased for period of 4.25 month. However, the mass of these organs dropped again rapidly until August (liver) and September (fat bodies) due to the constraint from extreme high temperature occurred during the summer, and then non-significantly increased before hibernation. For ovaries, varied with a different profile to those of liver and fat bodies have a resting period of four months. In addition, the toads’ ovaries kept growing when the mass of liver and fat bodies declining accordingly during hibernation. Therefore, ovarian mass increased during the hibernation and non-hibernation period.