中国政府环境信息公开实施效果评价

环境信息公开是国际上公认的新一代环境治理手段,也是我国建设＂阳光政府＂的基本要求.在《环境信息公开办法》实施2 a后,针对31个省级、5个计划单列市和27个省会城市环境保护局落实环境信息公开的制度和行动进行调查分析,通过资料调查、实际公开申请和深入访谈,全面评估政府环境信息公开办法实施的有效性,以期为该办法的进一步完善...     

Ammonia effects on microinvertebrates and fish in outdoor experimental streams

Laboratory data on ammonia effects, the US EPA national water quality criteria for ammonia, and ammonia site-specific criteria were evaluated in four outdoor experimental streams (one control and three treatment streams) over a 76-week period. Calculated un-ionised ammonia concentrations varied daily and seasonally according to pH and temperature changes. Populations of four major microinvertebrate taxonomic groups (cladocerans, copepods, rotifers and protozoans) were monitored during a 4-week period early in the study, and six fish species (fathead minnows, bluegills, channel catfish, white suckers, walleyes, and rainbow trout) were tested for various time intervals, from 4 to 26 weeks, throughout the 76-week study period. Copepods and rotifers were unaffected in all three treatment streams, based on comparisons with the control stream. Cladoceran and protozoan populations were reduced in at least two treatment streams, but because of large variability, effects were considered to be inconclusive. However, complete mortality of cladocerans did occur in the high and medium treatments when placed in in situ biomonitor chambers. All six fish species were affected in one or more treatments. Generally, the fish effect values agreed with most laboratory effect values. Of 12 fish groups tested, one channel catfish group and one white sucker group were affected below the recommended protection levels of the national and site-specific criteria. The lowest effect concentrations tested for the other ten groups occurred above the criteria levels.     

Dependent competing risks: Bounds for net survival functions with fixed crude survival functions

Using the formulation of latent failure times, the problem of inference on survival time in the presence of competing risks is discussed. Even for the simplified problem where dose and other covariates are fixed, it is not well known that the distributions of the latent failure times are not identifiable from the usual competing risks data. Bounds for the joint survival function and marginal survival functions for the latent failure times are given, and an example illustrates the determination of empirical bounds that estimate the true bounds. In general, the bounds are wide and therefore not very useful. Some alternate approaches are briefly mentioned.     

Studying job stress: Are we making mountains out of molehills?

Job stress researchers are urged to examine job conditions which threaten workers' experienced quality of life. The relationship between measures of job-related strains and well-being is discussed. Past theorizing and research suggests that it is not safe to assume that job conditions which have an adverse impact on affective reactions to the job (a frequently used indicator of job strain) will also have a negative impact on overall subjective well-being. One set of job conditions which may be particularly relevant for well-being is identified and discussed, namely those conditions related to the economic instrumentality of work. Finally, some methodological suggestions for future research in the job stress area are offered.     

Some results from the demonstration of indoor radon reduction measures in block basement houses

Active soil ventilation techniques have been tested in 26 block-wall basement houses in eastern Pennsylvania with significantly elevated indoor radon concentrations, generally above 740 Bq/m³, and the results indicate that radon levels can be reduced substantially often below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guideline of 148 Bq/m³, if effective suction can be drawn on the soil underneath the concrete slabs of these houses. Such effective suction appears achievable when either: 1) the house has a complete loop of drain tile around its footings for water drainage purposes, and suction is drawn on that loop; or 2) a sufficient number of suction pipes can be inserted at the proper locations into the crushed rock or the soil underneath the slab.     

Predictors of willingness to relocate for managerial and professional employees

This study explored possible determinants, both inside and outside the job sphere, of willingness to relocate. Data were collected from a large sample of managerial and professional employees in one organization. Unlike previous research, this study investigated willingness to relocate for three different purposes: (1) for a better job or career development; (2) to help the organization; or (3) to remain employed. However, only two factors of willingness to relocate emerged: willingness to relocate for career enhancement or company needs, and willingness to relocate to remain employed. Results showed that the strongest predictors of willingness to relocate to remain employed were job sphere variables such as satisfaction with career development opportunities and propensity to remain, while family and community variables were much more important in predicting willingness to relocate for career enhancement or company needs. The implications of these results for both the organization and individuals are discussed.     

The genesis of Lofer cycles of the Dachstein Limestone, Northern Calcareous Alps, Austria

Peritidal carbonate platform Lofer cycles have been regarded as a record of sea-level oscillations driven by variations in the earth's orbit. Fresh analysis of a newly measured 700?m thick section from the Steinernes Meer is presented here. Estimation of stratigraphic completeness indicates that this sequence is only 0.75–9.5% complete, strongly suggesting that Milankovitch patterns are not preserved. Analysis of cycle thickness-frequency distributions reveals an exponential pattern, strongly suggestive of aperiodic, random deposition rather than periodic deposition in response to orbital forcing. Evidence for the importance of autocyclic processes (e.g. lateral migration of inter- to supratidal mudbanks and subtidal areas) and syn-sedimentary tectonic downfaulting events within this already active Late Triassic extensional zone is presented.