Traffic speeds associated with implementation of 80 mph speed limits on West Texas rural interstates

Problem

In 2006 Texas raised the daytime speed limit for passenger vehicles on segments of I-10 and I-20 from 75 to 80 mph. Methods: Traffic speeds were measured before and 3, 12, and 16 months after the limit was changed. Results: During the 16-month period following the speed limit increase, mean speeds of passenger vehicles on I-20 increased by 9 mph relative to the comparison road, where no speed limit change occurred and traffic speeds declined. On I-10 mean speeds increased by 4 mph relative to the comparison road. Limiting the analysis to the month before the speed limit change and 1 year later, the proportion of drivers exceeding 80 mph was 18 times higher on I-20 and 2 times higher on I-10. Discussion: The smaller speed increases on I-10 may be related to its proximity to the U.S. border with Mexico. Highly visible border patrol activity coincided with posting of the higher speed limit. Long-term monitoring in other states suggests that traffic speeds in Texas are likely to continue to increase. Impact on Industry: The present study adds to the wealth of evidence that increased speed limits lead to increased travel speeds. The primary countermeasures to reduce the risk of speed-related crashes include highly visible police traffic enforcement and the use of speed cameras accompanied by publicity.     

Estimation of Heavy Metals in Different Berberis Species and Its Market Samples

Popularity of herbal drugs is increasing all over the world because of lesser side effects as compared to synthetic drugs. Besides, it costs less and easily available to poor people particularly in developing countries. But quality assurance of herbal drugs is very necessary prior to its use. Because in today's polluted environment, even herbal drugs are not safe. Berberis spp. is very important medicinal plant, having various medicinal properties. It is also included in Indian and British pharmacopoeias. Its demand is quite high in herbal drug market. So, to check the quality of market samples of this drug, ten different samples were procured from different drug markets of India for heavy metal estimation. Besides, genuine samples of four species of Berberis viz. B. aristata, B. chitria, B. lycium, B. asiatica were also collected from natural habitats to compare heavy metal concentration in both market and genuine samples. It was found that market samples were much more contaminated than genuine samples. Lead (Pb) concentration is far beyond from WHO permissible limit (10 ppm) for herbal drugs, reaching to maximum 49.75 ppm in Amritsar market sample. Likewise, concentration of all other metals like Cd, Cr and Ni were also very high in market samples as compared to genuine samples.     

环境应力筛选与应力激发试验

结合工程实践体会,探讨了GJB1032对环境应力筛选规定的几点不合适的要求。通过回顾环境应力筛选的发展,指出了环境应力筛选本质上是一种应力激发试验。并简要介绍了应力激发试验．     

极端干湿循环作用下饱和泥浆红黏土的干缩裂隙发育特征

云贵高原红黏土常经历极端干湿循环过程,为研究极端干湿循环作用对红黏土干缩裂隙发育规律的影响,以昆明呈贡地区红黏土饱和泥浆样为研究对象,在室内进行5次干湿循环试验,通过监测红黏土质量和表面干缩裂隙的形成及其演化过程,分析了极端干湿循环作用对红黏土水分蒸发、干缩裂隙的形成及其演化、表面干缩裂隙网络结构形态的影响.结果 表明...     

压电石英传感器测定空气中氮氧化物

通过电化学活化和硅烷偶联剂在石英谐振器的金电极表面修饰对氮氧化物(NO_x)敏感的金属酞菁化合物,制成压电气体传感器.探讨了不同敏感材料对NO_x的响应灵敏度、检出限及载气流速、温度和干扰气体等对传感器的响应和回复特性的影响.结果表明:酞菁铅最敏感;其适宜的载气流速为40 mL/min,温度范围为10~40 ℃;在9.55×10_-4~1.91 mg/m₃质量浓度范围内,有良好的线性响应关系;用于大气中NO_x的测定,有较好的可靠性和准确性.使用寿命约300次.      

Using Multiple Chemical Criteria for Critical Loads of Acidity in Maritime Regions

Critical loads have become a well-establishedpart of the work programme of the UnitedNations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Conventionon Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP). Thelinking of ecosystem response to deposition level is thecentral principal of the critical loads approach. Foreach ecosystem, a biological indicator is chosen, asuitable chemical criterion selected and a criticalchemical limit assigned. The Bc:Al ratio is the mostwidely used chemical criterion for setting criticalloads. However, critical loads based on this criterionare very sensitive to marine deposition. In regions whichreceive high depositions of marine-derived base cations,such as the Republic of Ireland (ROI) and the UnitedKingdom (UK), critical loads based on the Bc:Al criterionwill inevitably be high. Therefore, it is proposed thatcritical loads are estimated using multiple chemicalcriteria with appropriate critical limits to protect thechosen biological indicators. The range of publishedchemical criteria have been applied to the ROI and theUK. The chemical criterion corresponding to the mostsensitive critical load have been mapped and thecontribution of each to the final maps investigated. Thesimulations indicate that the most sensitive criteria forsetting critical loads are based on specifying critical Hor Al concentrations. However, the choice of critical limits andmodel parameters will ultimately effect the criticalloads. Therefore, it is important that appropriate criticallimits are chosen to protect the biological indicator andreceptor ecosystem from long-term damage.     

石化行业中某些碳氢燃料爆炸危险性分析

借助于激波管测定了几种碳氢燃料和空气混合物的爆轰极限、临界起爆能。根据这些实验数据，分析了所研究的碳氢燃料的爆炸危险性。同时根据烷烃和烯烃键的不同饱和度，分析了它们爆炸危险性差别的原因。     

钢结构建筑的消防安全性能化设计——系统方法探析

根据钢结构建筑构件耐火性能的特点，应用建筑防火安全性能化设计系统方法对钢结构建筑发生火灾时热、烟对建筑结构和建筑内人员的影响进行了分析研究，确定了火灾下人员与建筑结构的安全准则。运用FDS4．0对一建筑实例建模，通过模型与建筑实际火灾相似性的计算机数值模拟研究，得出了火灾情况下建筑内的热、烟蔓延情况，同时采用ANSYS8．0分析技术对火灾下钢结构的结构反应进行了研究。以性能化设计系统方法对钢结构建筑发生火灾进行了耐火分析研究，在此基础上给出了定量的分析方法，为钢结构建筑的火灾安全工程设计和应用提供了一种新的技术。     

瓦斯对煤尘爆炸特性影响的实验研究

瓦斯的存在对煤尘爆炸特性的理论计算和数值仿真的结果与实际数据有一定差距,因此,通过不同浓度瓦斯与煤尘共存条件下爆炸实验研究,得出了矿井瓦斯对煤尘的最低着火温度、最小点火能量、爆炸下限浓度、最大爆炸压力和最大爆炸压力上升速度等爆炸特性影响的规律即瓦斯对煤尘最低着火温度影响不大;瓦斯可使煤尘的最小点火能量减小,尤其是对难于点燃的煤尘;混合物的爆炸下限浓度随瓦斯浓度的增加而降低;混合物的最大爆炸压力上升速度由于瓦斯的存在而增强,而最大爆炸压力几乎没有变化。同时研究了瓦斯对无爆炸性煤尘的影响。实验研究的结论对于现场防止煤尘爆炸的发生具有指导意义。     

由极限概念的教学谈数学再创造

从在教学中对极限概念的表述方式的改造出发,提出了数学的再创造。通过再创造活动,寻求数学理论的最佳反映方式,形成最优化的教学过程,从而达到最好的教学效果。