Evaluation of driver performance with a prototype cyber physical mid-block crossing advanced warning system

Introduction: Using connected vehicle technologies, pedestrian to vehicle (P2V) communication applications can be installed on smart devices allowing pedestrians to communicate with drivers by broadcasting discrete safety messages, received by drivers in-vehicle, as an alternative to expensive fixed-location physical safety infrastructure. Method: This study consists of designing, developing, and deploying an entirely cyber-physical P2V communication system within the cellular vehicle to everything (C-V2X) environment at a mid-block crosswalk to analyze drivers’ reactions to in-vehicle advanced warning messages, the impacts of the advanced warning messages on driver awareness, and drivers’ acceptance of this technology. Results: In testing human subjects with, and without, advanced warning messages upon approaching a mid-block crosswalk, driver reaction, acceptance, speed, eye tracking data, and demographic data were collected. Through an odds ratio comparison, it was found that drivers were at least 2.44 times more likely to stop for the pedestrian with the warning than without during the day, and at least 1.79 times more likely during the night. Furthermore, through binary logistic regression analysis, it was found that driver age, time of the day, and the presence of the advanced warning message all had strong, significant impacts with a confidence value of at least 98% (p < 0.02) on the rate at which drivers stopped for the pedestrian. Conclusions: The results from this study indicate that the advanced warning message sent within the C-V2X had a strong, positive impact on driver behavior and understanding of pedestrian intent. Practical Applications: Pedestrian crashes and fatality rates at mid-block crossings continue to increase over the years. Connected vehicle technology utilizing smart devices can be used as a means for communications between pedestrians and drivers to deliver safety messages. State and local city planners should consider geofencing designated mid-block crossings at which this technology operates to increase pedestrian safety and driver awareness.     

Insight into the safety distance of ground and underground installations in typical petrochemical plants

Petrochemical plants are continuously turning into large-size corporations, the installations of facilities show a developing trend from ground to underground because of the difference in land using rate. In this regard, the safety distance of petrochemical equipment buried in both ground and underground cases were investigated based on risk assessment. As a case study, gasoline tank and LPG tank set on the ground and underground are singled out to compare the risks involved. The research showed that the setting case of installation had a great influence on safety distance. Two cases have 80% reduction of equivalent safety distance compared with the rest of the cases. It was found that when the gasoline storage tank was placed underground alone, the PLL value decreased by 36.7%. Only LPG tank was placed underground, and the PLL decreased by 6.33%, and the gasoline and LPG storage tanks were placed underground simultaneously, the PLL value declined by 42.3%. Thus, the layout of plants could be further optimized, which can greatly improve the performances of land use efficiency and safety. In addition, this paper, the selection of embedding methods and the sensitivity of underground case to overpressure was resumed from two aspects: soil properties and burial depth. For the soil properties, it was found that the water saturated sandy soil with high air content and the low density unsaturated sandy soil had better effects on weakening overpressure. Such properties are particularly beneficial to reducing the occurrence rate of accidents. In terms of burial depth, it can be observed that as the burial depth was changed from 0.5m to 1.1m, the value of overpressure has dropped dramatically. When the burial depth was 2m, the damage to personnel and buildings has been greatly reduced beyond 2m from the explosion center.     

Assessment of the effect of technical and management characteristics on the frequency of release from piping: An application to a gas storage facility

The assessment of the frequencies of release from piping due to losses of containment is an essential step in the preparing Safety Reports, drawn up as required by the so-called “Seveso” Directive. These are usually calculated starting from the frequencies of random rupture included in international databases and are not plant-specific, furthermore, the quantification of the effect of the safety management system of the facility is not easy. A simple and flexible approach quantifying technical and management characteristics of the plant has been proposed by Milazzo and co-workers in 2010; it is based on the modification of the frequency taken from literature, through the use of the percentages of failure causes actually possible in that plant, and the judgment about their management. The data about the failure causes are taken from the literature and modified by using corrective factors to adapt them to the industrial context. To make possible the application of the method to a large number of major-hazard industry types, some aspects of the approach needed to be improved; these have been identified during a development project coordinated by RINA Consulting, on behalf of Saipem, with the collaboration of the University of Messina. The improvement of the approach focused on two main points, the development of a method to calculate the corrective factors for the failure causes associated with corrosion and erosion phenomena and the strengthening of the methodology for the formulation of the judgment about the safety management. This paper illustrates the fully improved method, as well as an application to a typical gas storage plant.     

Why we need theory in the organization sciences

To make the case that theory is a necessary part of research in the organization sciences, I develop three lines of argument. In the first, drawing upon Staw and Sutton's (1995, “What theory is not” Administrative Science Quarterly, 40, 371–384) classic piece, I outline the boundaries of theory and, using a recently published empirical article as an example, demonstrate how research based on literature references and line‐and‐box diagrams instead of explanatory theory can make only a limited contribution to the literature. I next discuss more generally the pitfalls of conducting research without first developing theory, citing the example of malaria. In the final section of the article, I defend the role of theory‐review articles, such as those published in the Academy of Management Review, and illustrate (again by reference to an example) how such articles are critical to advancing organizational research. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A review on different pipeline fault detection methods

Pipeline faults like leakage and blockage always create problem for engineers. Detection of exact fault quantity and its location is necessary for smooth functioning of a plant or industry and safety of the environment. In this paper brief discussion is made on various pipeline fault detection methods viz. Vibration analysis, Pulse echo methodology, Acoustic techniques, Negative pressure wave based leak detection system, Support Vector Machine (SVM) based pipeline leakage detection, Interferometric fibre sensor based leak detection, Filter Diagonalization Method (FDM), etc. In this paper merit and demerits of all methods are discussed. It is found that these methods have been applied for specific fluids like oil, gas and water, for different layout patterns like straight and zigzag, for various lengths of pipeline like short and long and also depending on various operating conditions. Therefore, a comparison among all methods has been done based on their applicability. Among all fault detection methods, Acoustic reflectometry is found most suitable because of its proficiency to identify blockages and leakage in pipe as small as 1% of its diameter. Moreover this method is economical and applicable for straight, zigzag and long, short length pipes for low, medium and high density fluid.     

马克思恩格斯关于依靠科学技术发展生态农业的思想及其当代启示

马克思恩格斯虽然没有专门论述生态农业的著作,但在他们的理论文本中蕴涵着深刻的生态农业思想。在马克思恩格斯看来,依靠技术,改良耕作方法,可以保持和改良土质;通过在农业中利用现代科学技术能够提高农业生产率,促进农业发展。马克思恩格斯关于依靠科学技术发展生态农业的思想,为我国的农业发展指明了方向。     

化学科学研究与环境保护的机理相关性

环境问题已经引起世界各国政府和全社会的广泛关注。环境保护是利用环境科学的理论和方法,协调人类与自然环境的关系,以保护和改善环境的一切人类活动的总称。本文将首先分析由化学物质引起环境污染的案例,进而给出进行环境友好型的化学科学研究的方法及其重要性,以及通过化学科学的不断发展来解决业已存在的环境污染问题。     

地震新闻报道同质化对策研究

在深入分析地震新闻报道同质化特征及其原因的基础上,本文认为有效解决地震新闻报道同质化的途径有三：一是相关部门要转变思想,明确地震新闻在地震科普中的重要作用;二是新闻媒体要转变地震新闻报道方式,追求差异化报道;三是要引导受众转变新闻消费观念,以刺激新闻生产者的积极性。     

环境科学文献资料的手工检索方法

鉴于目前国内大多数图书馆尚未建立计算机检索专业文献系统,本文介绍了国内外常用的检索环境科学文献资料的工具书,论述了手工检索科技文献资料的方法和步骤.为科技工作者查阅有关国内外科技文献资料提供参考.     

全国乡镇工业污染源调查数据的计算机处理

在总结回顾全国乡镇工业污染源调查数据录入、汇总计算机软件系统的基础上,针对进一步使用现代信息技术———多媒体技术、地理信息系统技术和网络技术对调查数据进行深层次加工处理,提出了一些设想。