基于多元统计的宁夏典农河水质演替特征探究

宁夏典农河是黄河宁夏段的主要入黄排水沟之一,其水质状况对黄河宁夏-内蒙古段跨省流域水质安全至关重要。选取典农河2011—2020年10个监测点位的16项水质参数,采用综合污染指数(WPI)法,结合相关性分析、主成分分析、聚类分析等分析方法,综合分析该流域水污染特征,并对污染程度进行评估,对污染因子和污染原因进行解析,最终提出管控建议。研究结果表明：2011—2020年,影响典农河水质的主要污染因子为COD_Cr、NH₃-N、TP、TN,对应的年均浓度范围分别为22.3～71.5、0.64～9.09、0.173～0.662、2.89～21.52 mg/L,超标率分别为46%、8%、13%、85%。典农河2011—2020年WPI范围为0.59～1.74,重金属含量一直维持在较低水平。流域TN与TP年均浓度比值范围为20～84,整体呈下降趋势,且各监测点的差异性逐渐减小;BOD₅与COD_Cr浓度比值范围为0.02～0.19,反映出典农河流域水体可生化性较差。各监测断面污染物之间存在较强相关性,其中：流域C...     

某石化工业园区大气中VOCs垂直分布的无人机监测研究

利用无人机对某石化工业园区地面至100 m大气中的VOCs进行监测,通过不同高度数据对比,总结该石化工业园区挥发性有机物的垂直分布特征,并分析其化学反应活性.监测结果表明,VOCs体积分数和总臭氧生成潜势随高度增加均呈下降趋势,地面和15～30 m高度的VOCs浓度及臭氧生成潜势基本一致.主要VOCs物种浓度垂直分布特...     

郑州市PM2.5浓度时空分布特征及预测模型研究

利用统计学原理和GIS技术,对郑州市2013年8月17—12月31日期间PM2.5浓度时空分布特征进行分析,同时结合气象资料与前一日污染数据,建立人工神经网络反向传播算法模型(BP-ANN)和多元线性回归模型用于该市细颗粒物污染的短期预测。结果表明,郑州市PM2.5浓度日变化呈单峰模式,随逆温现象的发生和交通的密集于上午11:00达到峰值,午后逐步下降。在工作日、周末与国庆节的对比中,国庆节期间颗粒物污染浓度高出平日32.8%,表明人为活动的加剧影响PM2.5的排放;周末与工作日期间无显著差异。在空间分布上,金水区、管城回族区污染最为严重,工业燃煤、地铁施工等源排放是造成污染的主要原因;位于远郊的岗里水库,受秸秆焚烧和市区污染输送等影响,PM2.5浓度亦维持较高水平。最后,研究将所构建的BP-ANN预测模型和多元线性回归模型对比,结果发现两模型在建模阶段预测值与真实值的拟合一致性指标分别为0.944、0.918,均方根误差分别为59.788、70.611;验证阶段拟合一致性指标分别为0.854、0.794,平均绝对误差分别为25.298、32.775,表明BP-ANN模型在预测郑州市PM2.5污染过程中更具优势。     

火场环境下无人机热损伤试验研究

无人机(UAV)逐步运用于火场搜救,但同时会因为火场高温而受损,为提高UAV在火场救援中的工作效率,设计一种UAV动态测试平台,开展UAV火场飞行试验;分析火场环境下UAV的热损伤情况,探究UAV在火场中的机身温度变化特征和UAV火场飞行安全距离.结果 表明:火场热辐射和热对流是造成UAV热损伤的主要形式;旋翼产生的气...     

Effect of pavement condition and geometrics at signalised intersections on casualty crashes

IntroductionThis study investigated the effects of pavement surface condition and other control factors on casualty crashes at signalized intersections. It involved conducting a before and after study for road surface condition and situational factors. It also included assessing the effects of geometric characteristics on safety performance of signalized intersections post resurfacing to control for the effect of pavement surface condition. Pavement surface condition included roughness, rutting, and skid resistance. The control factors included traffic volume, light and surface moisture condition, and speed limit. The geometric characteristics included approach width, number of lanes, intersection depth, presence of median, presence of shared lane, and presence of bus stop.MethodTo account for the repeated observations of the effect of light and surface moisture conditions in four occasions (day-dry, day-wet, night-dry and night-wet) Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) with Negative Binomial (NB) and log link function was applied. For each signalized intersection in the sample, condition data are collected for the year before and after the year of surface treatment. Crash data, however, are collected for a minimum of three and maximum of five years before and after treatment years.ResultsThe results show that before treatment, light condition, road surface moisture condition, and skid resistance interaction with traffic volume are the significant contributors to crash occurrence. For after treatment; light condition, road surface moisture condition, their interaction product, and roughness interaction with light condition, surface moisture condition, and traffic volume are the significant contributors. The geometric variables that were found to have significant effects on crash frequency post resurfacing were approach width interactions with presence of shared lane, bus stop, or median.ConclusionsThe findings confirm that resurfacing is significant in reducing crash frequency and severity levels.Practical Applications: The study findings would help for better understanding of how geometric characteristics can be improved to reduce crash occurrence.     

Miss-and-run: Factors contributing to two-vehicle phantom vehicle crashes in Florida

Objective: Phantom vehicle crashes (PVCs), or miss-and-run crashes, are a topical issue in car insurance coverage because of controversies over testimony and compensation. However, no peer-reviewed literature has examined the perceptions and deliberations involved in this infrequent type of car crash. A novel taxonomy of roadway traffic crashes is proposed in this study on the basis of whether physical collisions did occur (hit or miss) and whether the perpetrators stayed at the crash scene (stay or run). In this way, this study poses the issue of PVCs within the scope of traffic safety research and aims to investigate the statistically significant factors that are likely to induce PVCs.

Methods: A binary logistic regression method was adopted to model the probability and occurrence of 2-vehicle PVCs (TV-PVCs) in Florida. Data derived from the Crash Analysis Reporting system in 2012–2014 consisted of 45,319 2-vehicle crashes, of which 1,376 (3.04%) were confirmed as positive TV-PVCs. Sixteen factors with 50 variables on crash information, roadway characteristics, and environmental conditions were included in the original consideration of the TV-PVC model.

Results: The results indicated that a 2-vehicle crash is more likely to be a PVC when the crash happens on weekends, on roadways with no traffic control or speed control, full access control; on curving and sloping roadways; on roadways of National Highway System; and in low-density and other areas. A TV-PVC is less likely to occur on dry roads, in daylight, or at intersections or driveways. Moreover, alcohol involvement in a 2-vehicle crash is associated with hit-and-stay crashes than PVCs, and uninsured motorists are more likely to be the victims of PVCs because they tend to avoid physical collisions due to the potential self-paid loss.

Conclusions: Several conclusions for better understanding the occurrence of PVCs are proposed for traffic management departments and car insurers. Cautious driving behavior including concentrated attention and deliberate lane changes should be encouraged for motorists to engage in appropriate levels of driving freedom, and drunk driving should be strictly supervised to keep motorists behind the wheel conscious. Car insurance is encouraged to compensate for economic loss resulting from roadway crashes. Road monitoring systems with well-performing illumination devices are recommended to help drivers provide potent testimony for compensation claims.     

Factors contributing to serious and fatal injuries in belted rear seat occupants in frontal crashes

Abstract

Objectives: Earlier research has shown that the rear row is safer for occupants in crashes than the front row, but there is evidence that improvements in front seat occupant protection in more recent vehicle model years have reduced the safety advantage of the rear seat versus the front seat. The study objective was to identify factors that contribute to serious and fatal injuries in belted rear seat occupants in frontal crashes in newer model year vehicles.

Methods: A case series review of belted rear seat occupants who were seriously injured or killed in frontal crashes was conducted. Occupants in frontal crashes were eligible for inclusion if they were 6 years old or older and belted in the rear of a 2000 or newer model year passenger vehicle within 10 model years of the crash year. Crashes were identified using the 2004–2015 National Automotive Sampling System Crashworthiness Data System (NASS-CDS) and included all eligible occupants with at least one Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) 3 or greater injury. Using these same inclusion criteria but split into younger (6 to 12 years) and older (55+ years) cohorts, fatal crashes were identified in the 2014–2015 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and then local police jurisdictions were contacted for complete crash records.

Results: Detailed case series review was completed for 117 rear seat occupants: 36 with Maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale (MAIS) 3+ injuries in NASS-CDS and 81 fatalities identified in FARS. More than half of the injured and killed rear occupants were more severely injured than front seat occupants in the same crash. Serious chest injury, primarily caused by seat belt loading, was present in 22 of the injured occupants and 17 of the 37 fatalities with documented injuries. Nine injured occupants and 18 fatalities sustained serious head injury, primarily from contact with the vehicle interior or severe intrusion. For fatal cases, 12 crashes were considered unsurvivable due to a complete loss of occupant space. For cases considered survivable, intrusion was not a large contributor to fatality.

Discussion: Rear seat occupants sustained serious and fatal injuries due to belt loading in crashes in which front seat occupants survived, suggesting a discrepancy in restraint performance between the front and rear rows. Restraint strategies that reduce loading to the chest should be considered, but there may be potential tradeoffs with increased head excursion, particularly in the absence of rear seat airbags. Any new restraint designs should consider the unique needs of the rear seat environment.     

Situational characteristics of fatal pedestrian accidents involving vehicles traveling at low speeds in Japan

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the situational characteristics of fatal pedestrian accidents involving vehicles traveling at low speeds in Japan. We focused on vehicles with 4 or more wheels. Such characteristics included daytime or nighttime conditions, road type, vehicle behaviors preceding the accident, and vehicle impact locations.

Methods: Pedestrian fatality data on vehicle–pedestrian accidents were obtained from the Institute for Traffic Accident Research and Data Analysis of Japan (ITARDA) from 2005 to 2014. Nine vehicle classifications were considered: Trucks with gross vehicle weight (GVW) ≥7.5 tons and <7.5 tons, buses, box vans, minivans, sport utility vehicles (SUVs), sedans, light passenger cars (LPCs), and light cargo vans (LCVs). We compared the situational daytime or nighttime conditions, road type, vehicle behaviors preceding the accident, and vehicle impact locations for accident-involved vehicles traveling at low and higher speeds across all vehicle types.

Results: The results indicate that pedestrian fatalities involving vehicles traveling at low speeds occurred more often under daytime conditions across all vehicle types. At signalized intersections, the relative proportions of pedestrian fatalities were significantly higher when vehicles were traveling at low speed, except when the accidents involved box vans or SUVs. Similarly, when vehicles turned right, the relative proportions of pedestrian fatalities were significantly higher when vehicles traveling at low speed were involved across all vehicle types. In terms of the frontal right vehicle impact location, the relative proportions of pedestrian fatalities were significantly higher when trucks with GVW ≥7.5 tons or <7.5 tons, sedans, or LCVs traveling at low speed were involved.

Conclusions: The situational characteristics of fatal pedestrian accidents involving vehicles traveling at low speeds identified in this study can guide targeted development of new traffic safety regulations or technologies specific to vehicle–pedestrian interactions at low vehicle travel speeds (i.e., driver alert devices or automated emergency braking systems). Ultimately, these developments can improve pedestrian safety by reducing the frequency or severity of vehicle–pedestrian accidents for vehicles turning right at intersections and/or reducing the number of resultant pedestrian fatalities.     

A semi-automated tool for identifying agricultural roadway crashes in crash narratives

Objective: Crash reports contain precoded structured data fields and a crash narrative that can be a source of rich information not included in the structured data. The narrative can be useful for identifying vulnerable roadway users, such as agricultural workers. However, using the narratives often requires manual reviews that are time consuming and costly. The objective of this research was to develop a simple and relatively inexpensive, semi-automated tool for screening crash narratives and expediting the process of identifying crashes with specific characteristics, such as agricultural crashes.

Methods: Crash records for Louisiana from 2010 to 2015 were obtained from the Louisiana Department of Transportation (LaDOTD). Records with narratives were extracted and stratified by vehicle type. The majority of analyses focused on a vehicle type of farm equipment (Type T). Two keyword lists, an inclusion list and an exclusion list, were created based on the published literature, subject-matter experts, and findings from a pilot project. Next, a semi-automated tool was developed in Microsoft Excel to identify agricultural crashes. Lastly, the tool’s performance was assessed using a gold standard set of agricultural narratives identified through manual review.

Results: The tool reduced the search space (e.g., number of narratives that need manual review) for narratives requiring manual review from 6.7 to 59.4% depending on the research question. Sensitivity was high, with 96.1% of agricultural crash narratives being correctly classified. Of the gold standard agricultural narratives, 58.3% included an equipment keyword and 72.8% included a farm equipment brand.

Conclusion: This article provides information on how crash narratives can supplement structured crash data. It also provides an easy-to-implement method to facilitate incorporating narratives into safety research along with keyword lists for identifying agricultural crashes.     

Kinetic assessment of persistent halogenated xenobiotics in cell culture models: comparison of mono- and poly-halogenated compounds

We evaluated the suitability of single and multiple cell type cultures as model systems to characterise cellular kinetics of highly lipophilic compounds with potential ecotoxicological impact. Confluent mono-layers of human skin fibroblasts, rat astrocytoma C6 cells, non-differentiated and differentiated mouse 3T3 cells were kept in culture medium supplemented with 10% foetal calf serum. For competitive uptake experiments up to four different cell types, grown on glass sectors, were exposed for 3 h to ¹⁴C-labelled model compounds, dissolved either in organic solvents or incorporated into unilamellar lecithin liposomes. Bromo-, or chloro-benzenes, decabromodiphenylether (DBP), and dichlorodiphenyl ethylene (DDE) were tested in rather high concentration of 20 μM. Cellular toxicity was low. Compound levels were related to protein, DNA, and triglyceride contents. Cellular uptake was fast and dependent on physico-chemical properties of the compounds (lipophilicity, molecular size), formulation, and cell type. Mono-halogenated benzenes showed low and similar uptake levels (= low accumulation compounds). DBP and DDE showed much higher cellular accumulations (= high accumulation compounds) except for DBP in 3T3 cells. Uptake from liposomal formulations was mostly higher than if compounds were dissolved in organic solvents. The extent of uptake correlated with the cellular content of triglycerides, except for DBP. Uptake competition between different cell types was studied in a sectorial multi-cell culture model. For low accumulation compounds negligible differences were found among C6 cells and fibroblasts. Uptake of DDE was slightly and that of DBP highly increased in fibroblasts. Well-defined cell culture systems, especially the sectorial model, are appropriate to screen for bioaccumulation and cytotoxicity of (unknown) chemical entities in vitro.