Is there a material Kuznets curve for aluminium? evidence from rich countries

The paper tests the material Kuznets Curve (MKC) hypothesis with regard to aluminium consumption for 20 high-income countries over the period 1970 to 2009. The test is based on the suggestion of Narayan and Narayan (2010). Various unit root and cointegration tests are applied. The aluminium and GDP series are found to be integrated of order one and cointegrated. Additionally, the Blundell–Bond system generalized methods-of-moments (GMM) is employed to conduct a panel causality test in a vector error-correction mechanism (VECM) setting. Unidirectional causality running from real per capita GDP to the aluminium intensity is uncovered in both the short-run and long-run. While controlling for structural shocks, the MKC hypothesis is found to hold at individual levels for Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Italy, Japan, and United Kingdom as well as for the whole panel. A 1% increase in GDP generates an increase of 0.87% in metal intensity in the short-run and a fall of 0.82% in the long-run for the panel.     

建筑物消防系统可靠性分析

为评估建筑物消防系统的可靠性,首先将系统分为探测报警系统和灭火系统等部分,再用事件树法分析事故发生时消防系统不同部分的反应情况.通过贝叶斯理论及历史统计数据得到系统失效率的不确定性概率分布,建立消防系统可靠性随时间变化的数学模型; 用蒙特卡罗方法模拟求得系统可靠性的时间函数并对模型的不确定性参数进行敏感性分析.该方法将统计数据与经验公式、理论方法相结合,并利用蒙特卡罗方法处理模型中的不确定性,不仅能够有效估计消防系统的可靠性,还可对其他类似系统的可靠性进行分析,并通过敏感性分析为进一步减少估计的不确定性提出合理建议.     

Using data linkage to assess the impact of motorized recreational vehicle-related injuries in Ohio

Problem

Motorized recreational vehicle (MRV)-related injuries can result in severe medical and financial consequences. The objective of this study was to describe the epidemiology, and clinical and financial impact of MRV-related injuries in Ohio.

Method

Probabilistically linked statewide Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and hospital (inpatient and emergency department) data for 2003 and 2004 were examined. Record pairs with a MRV-related E-code (E821-E823, E825) were included in this study.

Results

There were 2,893 patients with MRV-related injuries, who had linked EMS and hospital records, resulting in more than $15 million in hospital charges and 1,921 inpatient days of hospitalization. The male-to-female ratio was nearly 4:1, and 19% were younger than 16. Almost 82% of cases were not wearing a helmet; there was a trend of decreasing helmet use with increasing age. Mean (SE) inpatient hospital charges and length of stay (LOS) were $22,218 ($1,290) and 3.8 (0.2) days, respectively. The mean (SE) Injury Severity Score (ISS) for inpatients was 9.2 (0.4). Individuals injured on a street/highway were 3.20 times more likely to sustain an ISS ≥ 16 (95% CI: 1.03, 9.88; p = 0.044) and 3.05 times more likely to sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) (95% CI: 1.17, 7.94; p = 0.024) than those who were injured at a place designated for sport or recreation. Children aged 12 to 15 and young adults aged 16 to 25 were 2.47 and 2.14 times more likely, respectively, to sustain a TBI than adults aged 36 or older (aged 12 to 15: 95% CI: 1.13, 5.38; p = 0.024; aged 16 to 25: 95% CI: 1.26, 3.64; p = 0.005). Higher ISS was associated with both higher total charges (p < 0.001) and longer LOS (p < 0.001).

Discussion

This study demonstrates that MRV-related injuries are an important public health problem in Ohio, with a substantial clinical and financial impact.

Impact on Industry

Enactment and enforcement of statewide MRV safety legislation and training of MRV users offer valuable opportunities to prevent these costly injuries.     

Evaluation of a healthcare safety climate measurement tool

Problem

Psychometrically validated measurement tools are needed to evaluate an organization's safety climate. In 2000, Gershon and colleagues published a new healthcare safety climate measurement tool to determine its relationship to safe work behavior (Gershon, R., Karkashian, C., Grosch, J., Murphy, L., Escamilla-Cejudo, A., Flanagan, P., et al. (2000). Hospital safety climate and its relationship with safe work practices and workplace exposure incidents. American Journal of Infection Control, 28, 211-21). The present study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Gershon tool when modified to address respiratory rather than bloodborne pathogen exposures.

Method

Medical practitioners, nurses, and nurse aides (n = 460) were surveyed using the modified Gershon tool. Data were analyzed by factor analysis and psychometric properties of the tool evaluated.

Results

Eight safety climate dimensions were extracted from 25 items (Cronbach's alpha range: 0.62 - 0.88). Factor extractions and psychometric properties were reasonably consistent with those of the Gershon tool.

Impact on Industry

The Gershon safety climate tool appears to have sufficient reliability and validity for use by healthcare decision makers as an indicator of employee perceptions of safety in their institution.     

Numerical simulation of hydrogen–air detonation for damage assessment in realistic accident scenarios

An accidental hydrogen release within an equipment enclosure may result in the presence of detonable mixture in a confined environment. From a safety standpoint, it is then useful to assess the potential for damage. In that context, numerical simulation of the sequence of events subsequent to detonative ignition provides a useful tool, although with obvious limitations. This article describes the procedure, summarizes two case studies, and reviews the limitations. First, a hydrogen dispersion pattern is obtained from numerical simulation of dispersion, using a commercial package designed primarily for incompressible flow. This dispersion cloud is then used as the initial condition in an inviscid, compressible, reactive flow simulation. To force detonative ignition, a sufficiently large amount of energy is deposited in a small region that corresponds to the ignition location. Chemistry is modeled using a single step Arrhenius model. Because the wave thickness is small compared with the computational domain, a fine mesh is needed, limiting the practicality of the process to two-dimensional geometries. This is the most significant limitation; it is conservative. The two cases described in the paper include an electrolyzer, in which a small release occurs, leading potentially to some damage to the enclosure, and a reformer, in which the consequences are potentially more serious.     

区域红壤资源信息系统的建立

将GIS技术与数学模型相结合,探讨区域红壤资源信息系统的建立与应用.在明确红壤资源信息系统研制的目的、任务与基本原则的基础上,进行系统的总体设计.划分系统的模块和确定系统的各个组成部分,并确定系统的软硬件配置、设计系统界面.建立空间数据库及多种分析与应用模型.     

支撑环境监测预警体系的计算机信息系统建设思路

环境监测预警体系只有依靠计算机信息系统才能发挥其作用,根据预警体系的特点、内容以及要实现的功能,论述了信息系统硬件建设和软件建设的基本要求、系统的组成和系统实现的方法。     

完善突发环境事件应急管理体系的几点建议

分析了我国突发环境事件中以预案、法制、体制和机制为核心的应急管理体系现状,分析了在"一案三制"体系建设中存在的问题,并对"一案三制"的应急管理体系建设提出了相关建议。     

土壤中酞酸酯类化合物监测方法的质量控制研究

从监测结果控制的角度对近10年的土壤中PAEs监测方法进行了探讨,重点比较了索氏萃取柱净化GC/MS、微波萃取柱净化GC、加速溶剂萃取柱净化GC/MS和加速溶剂萃取GPCGC/MS方法的检出限、精密度和准确度。旨在为中国土壤监测方法的建立提供基础支撑,为开展质量控制工作提供评价依据。