Anisotropy of environmental perception caused by spatial changes during locomotion

Daily perception entails an immediate awareness of the environment surrounding the body. To explore its dynamic nature during locomotion, this study tests the hypothesis that significant changes in spatial volume induce the directional focusing (i.e., anisotropy) of environmental perception. To capture perceptual activity in its natural state, we have attempted an approach using the feeling of visual pressure (i.e., felt presence) caused by the surrounding environment. In the present experiment that uses a virtual reality setup, participants were required to continuously rate their feelings while moving along a virtual outdoor route. Their ratings were analyzed in relation to environmental measurements along the route, such as the visible area of buildings and the horizontal extent of surrounding space. The relationship between the ratings and measurements was explored by using two prediction models: with and without consideration of perceptual anisotropy. The results suggested that a consideration of anisotropy improved the prediction accuracy, thereby supporting our hypothesis.     

Industrial Carbon Emissions Status and Analysis Based on Energy Consumption

With frequent disastrous weathers and increasingly prominent GHG effects in recent years, normal existence and development of mankind are facing unprecedented threats and challenges. GHG emissions mitigation for the global climate changes has been the focus of concern of the world. As the biggest developing country and the second largest country of carbon-emission, China attaches importance to the carbon emission reduction. The major GHG component is carbon dioxide and in China, the emission of carbon dioxide is mainly from industrial production. In the paper, the status and trend of Co2 emission from industrial departments, high-carbon emission and its specific industries are shown in statistics. Meanwhile, the policy environment, industrial organization structure and technology of carbon high emission are all discussed based on practical situations in these departments and industries. At the end, through the analysis of gray correlation, correlativity is explored for both fossil energy consumption and total carbon emission, and also for the production value and carbon emission of each industrial sector. Some policy proposals for the establishment of low-carbon industries and transition of economic development pattern are set forth.     

基于改进云模型-IAHP的涉爆粉尘企业安全风险评估

为了评估涉爆粉尘企业安全风险,克服传统评估过程中数据随机性和模糊性的缺陷,建立了基于云理论和区间层次分析法(IAHP)的涉爆粉尘企业安全风险评估模型。针对粉尘爆炸事故的特点构建涉爆粉尘企业安全风险指标体系,使用云理论为主客观指标赋值,采用IAHP确定各指标权重并引入可能度修正权重结果,基于改进的云合并算法整合计算结果,以综合评估企业粉尘爆炸风险,并将该模型应用于某金属加工企业。研究结果表明:该企业的粉尘爆炸风险处于一般水平,其工人安全意识薄弱、防尘及防爆措施不完善、生产布局和管理不规范等原因导致了该企业的风险,该模型评估结果与实际情况相符,为提高企业安全管理水平提供依据。     

应用生态系统方法研究鄱阳湖枯水调节

2003年以来,鄱阳湖枯水期水位连创新低,持续时间延长,导致水质恶化、湿地生态系统遭受破坏、候鸟栖息地受到威胁;生产生活用水、农田灌溉、航运和水产捕捞受到严重影响。为了改变鄱阳湖枯水期持续处于低水位状态,确保江湖水系健康,利用生态系统方法,提出了鄱阳湖枯水调节的基本原则：改善生态环境为主要目的,调枯不调洪;从整体出发,做到江湖两利;以简单工程进行调节,趋利避害;保持工程运用的灵活性,实施适应性管理。同时,初步规划了鄱阳湖枯水调节工程的地点、规模和运行方式。作为一个以保护和改善生态环境为主的水利工程具有改善水环境、保护水生态、维护水安全,保护鄱阳湖湿地的生态环境和候鸟越冬条件,缓解长江下游枯水期低水位状态和促进湖区经济社会发展等方面的效益。     

Recognizing Indigenous peoples’ and local communities’ rights and agency in the post-2020 Biodiversity Agenda

The Convention on Biological Diversity is defining the goals that will frame future global biodiversity policy in a context of rapid biodiversity decline and under pressure to make transformative change. Drawing on the work of Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars, we argue that transformative change requires the foregrounding of Indigenous peoples’ and local communities’ rights and agency in biodiversity policy. We support this argument with four key points. First, Indigenous peoples and local communities hold knowledge essential for setting realistic and effective biodiversity targets that simultaneously improve local livelihoods. Second, Indigenous peoples’ conceptualizations of nature sustain and manifest CBD’s 2050 vision of “Living in harmony with nature.” Third, Indigenous peoples’ and local communities’ participation in biodiversity policy contributes to the recognition of human and Indigenous peoples’ rights. And fourth, engagement in biodiversity policy is essential for Indigenous peoples and local communities to be able to exercise their recognized rights to territories and resources.     

输气管道高后果区蒸气云爆炸超压预测方法探究

为准确预测输气管道高后果区在发生蒸气云爆炸事故时的超压分布情况,对国内外运用较为广泛的蒸气云爆炸超压预测经验模型和数值模拟方法进行调研,并分别应用其对某输气管道全尺寸泄漏燃爆实验进行超压预测,结合实验数据和输气管道高后果区管理现状进行方法准确性和工程适用性分析。研究结果表明：基于等效TNT假设的Henrych模型、Mills模型和等效TNT当量数值模拟方法均不适合准确预测蒸气云爆炸超压,TNO多能法和混合气体数值模拟方法所预测的结果较为接近实验结果。TNO多能法使用简便且推广性强,但主观性较大,易高估或低估爆炸后果;混合气体数值模拟方法操作繁琐且推广性差,但分析结果精度较高。在对高后果区进行安全管控时,可结合TNO多能法与混合气体数值模拟方法同时对管道工况进行评估,确定TNO多能法的爆源强度等级,继而推广使用TNO多能法。该研究结果可在较大程度上保证评估的准确性并节约成本。     

Minimum ignition temperatures and explosion characteristics of micron-sized aluminium powder

To forestall, control, and mitigate the detrimental effects of aluminium dust, a 20-L near-spherical dust explosion experimental system and an HY16429 type dust-cloud ignition temperature test device were employed to explore the explosion characteristics of micron-sized aluminium powder under different ignition energies, dust particle sizes, and dust cloud concentration (C_dust) values; the minimum ignition temperature (MIT) values of aluminium powder under different dust particle sizes and C_dust were also examined. Flame images at different times were photographed by a high-speed camera. Results revealed that under similar dust-cloud concentrations and with dust particle size increasing from 42.89 to 141.70 μm, the MIT of aluminium powder increased. Under various C_dust values, the MIT of aluminium dust clouds attained peak value when concentrations enhanced. Furthermore, the increase of ignition energy contributed to the increase of the explosion pressure (P_ex) and the rate of explosion pressure rise [(dP/dt)_ex]. When dust particle size was augmented gradually, the P_ex and (dP/dt)_ex attenuated. Decreasing particle size lowered both the most violent explosion concentration and explosive limits.     

川藏铁路沿线地区夏季气温日较差的影响因素研究

利用ERA5再分析资料,分析了1979—2018年川藏铁路沿线区域气候特征.研究了2014—2018年夏季气温日较差(DTR)的变化趋势,以及2014—2018年夏季DTR与地面太阳辐射(SSR)、总降水量(TP)、总云量(TCC)、海拔(DEM)和地表平均蒸发率(MER)的相关性.结果表明:研究区域气温呈上升趋势,2...     

Learning from UK disaster exercises: policy implications for effective emergency preparedness

With a view towards suggesting improvements to the official UK Guidance for disaster exercises, this paper critically examines a representative sample of recent disaster management exercises in the United Kingdom to determine how they are planned, conducted and assessed. Personal observations and in‐depth qualitative interviews were used to study three representative multi‐agency disaster exercises in the UK: (1) the Hitachi 395 Evacuation Workshop and Exercise Twin Bore, (2) Exercise Saxon Shore and (3) Exercise Operation Safe Return. The research demonstrates that disaster exercises in the UK generally consist of four main approaches: (1) disaster response and adaptability, (2) building‐block approach, (3) citizen participation and (4) discussion‐based debriefs. While the data demonstrates that each of these approaches has significant merit, it also elucidates key improvements that should be made to the official UK guidance and reflected in future exercises. In particular, the research suggests that the Guidance should highlight the importance of adaptability at the scene of a disaster, advance a building‐block methodology to organising exercises and reiterate the need for better debriefings of volunteer participants.     

Reconstructing historical trends of Berre lagoon contamination from surface sediment datasets: influences of industrial regulations and anthropogenic silt inputs

These last decades, the Berre lagoon (in southeastern France) has been deeply affected since the 1930s by strong inputs of contaminants associated with industrial development and since 1966 by huge inputs of freshwater and silts due to the installation of a hydroelectric power plant. Surveys of the surface sediment contamination have been sparsely performed since 1964 for management and research purposes. These surveys were performed by various laboratories that investigated different chemicals and sampling areas using different analysis protocols. Therefore, the available data are disconnected in time and space and differ in quality. In order to reconstruct coherent time series of sediment contamination from this heterogeneous datasets and to discuss the influences of industrial and hydroelectric discharges we used a statistical approach. This approach is based on Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Fuzzy clustering analysis on data from one extensive survey realized on surface sediments in 1976. The PCA allowed identifying two geochemical indexes describing the main surface sediment geochemical characteristics. The fuzzy clustering analysis on these indexes allowed identifying sub-areas under the specific influence of industrial or hydroelectric discharges. This allowed us to reconstruct, for each sub-area, a coherent and interpretable long-term time series of sediment contamination from the available database. Reconstructed temporal trends allowed us to estimate: (i) the overall decrease of sediment contamination since the mid-1970 attributed to industrial discharge regulations enacted at this period and (ii) the dilution of the concentrations of sediment bound contaminants induced by the hydroelectric power plant and its associated particulate matter inputs.