Sustainability Appraisal in neighbourhood planning in England

The preparation of strategic environmental assessment (SEA) inclusive sustainability appraisals (SAs) for neighbourhood plans (NPs) in England may be required when significant environmental effects are expected to arise from an NP. In this paper, we report on the result of a Ph.D. project, conducted between 2012 and 2015, in which all 15 NP SEA inclusive SAs that had been completed at the time were evaluated. In this context, the quality of SA practice was found to differ substantially. SAs were prepared either ‘in-house’ (i.e. by neighbourhood planning steering groups) or by consultants. The quality of SAs was found to be associated with their overall perceived degree of influence on the underlying NPs. Whilst the focus of this paper is on practice in England, findings are expected to be of interest to a wider international audience, in particular to those experimenting with voluntary neighbourhood/local level plan SA/SEA.     

Importance of awareness in improving performance of emergency medical services (EMS) systems in enhancing traffic safety: A lesson from India

Objective: India has been slow in implementing a central emergency medical services (EMS) system across the country. “108 services” is one of the most popular services that is functional under the public–private partnership model. Limited available literature shows that despite access to services, many traffic crash victims are transported using private vehicles. The objective of this study is to understand the effectiveness of 108 services from a traffic safety perspective.

Method: A questionnaire survey is conducted to understand the awareness of EMS and their function. Using traffic-related fatalities as the dependent variable, a fixed effect panel data model is developed to analyze the effectiveness of the 108 services in improving the traffic safety.

Results: The results from the survey show that, in general, people are not aware of the 108 services. A majority of the population prefers taking victims to the hospital using their personal vehicles or any other vehicles available compared to calling an ambulance. Results from panel data analysis show that despite having an efficient system, these services failed to make significant improvement in the safety of road users in the states in which their services were subscribed.

Discussion: The lack of awareness of an important safety service is alarming. This could be a major reason for lower utilization of 108 services for transporting victims of traffic crashes. This article shows the importance of having efficient awareness campaigns to improve the efficiency of any similar programs that are aimed to enhance the safety of a region.     

离心机考核测试和带式机脱水性能试验研究

为配合吉林化学工业股份有限公司 30万t乙烯工程A/O工艺废水处理工程化学污泥脱水的需要 ,进行了生产运行离心机性能考核测试和小型带式压滤机应用于化学污泥脱水的中试性能试验研究。本研究确定了小型带式压滤机最佳投泥量、投药量和产泥量等指标。达到了验收的各项技术经济指标 ,具有显著的经济和环境效益。     

国外快速测定化学消油剂消油效果的几种方法

化学消油剂消油效果的现场评定方法必须满足适合现场操作、材料价廉易得、结果可靠准确等条件。对国外现有的现场快速测定消油剂效果的5种方法进行比较,结果表明,英国的佩内特鉴别法、挪威的菲勒溢出油检测装置和加拿大的梅蒂现场测定法存在一定的缺陷,不推荐使用。美国环保局的现场测定法(EPA FDET)简单、快速、准确。加拿大渥太华一家环境研究机构研制出的现场试验法比EPA FDET法耗时多,但原材料价格低廉,操作简单,结果可靠,值得推广应用。     

Restraint use and seating position among children less than 13 years of age: Is it still a problem?

Introduction

The purpose of this study was to calculate national estimates and examine the extent to which children prematurely use adult seat belts and ride in the front seat of a vehicle during a 30 day period.

Methods

Data were obtained from a nationally representative cross-sectional random-digit-dial telephone survey that included child-specific questions on motor vehicle restraint use and seating position.

Results

Among children less than 13 years, parents reported an estimated 618,337 who rode unrestrained and more than one million who rode in the front seat of a vehicle at least some of the time in the past 30 days. During the same time period, close to 11 million children 8 years and younger reportedly used only adult seat belts.

Discussion

Our results highlight the need for continued outreach to parents regarding optimal restraint use and rear seating position for children every trip, every time.     

气泡雾化细水雾灭火有效性实验研究

气泡雾化技术是一种双流体的细水雾发生方法。作者根据气泡雾化的雾化机理自行设计了一种气泡雾化喷嘴，并通过先进的实验诊断手段和模拟实验，对该喷嘴产生的细水雾的雾场特性进行了测量，研究了其熄灭煤油火和酒精火的有效性，为发展新型的细水雾发生方法积累了必要的实验数据。     

基于水量变化的塔里木河统一管理成效评价

为科学明确评价塔里木河统一管理成效,论文基于源流及干流的来水与耗水量数据,利用非参数检验、周期叠加模型等构建人类活动对源流区水量影响分离模型,进而结合距平百分比和变异系数等参数,对比分析统一管理措施对塔里木河利用管理水平的影响,结果表明：1）人类活动对源流区水资源的影响程度在1994—2001、2002—2010、2011—2013年呈减弱趋势,流域过度引水的现象得到一定的好转,源流区水资源利用水平和管理效能提高;2）实施统一管理后,干流来水保证度提高,干流来水距平百分比的变异系数由-4.67减小至0.33,源流与干流来水距平百分比差异的平均值由-19.6%变为-4.9%,且源流干流来水差异值累积距平曲线由上升转为下降,源流和干流来水的波动性减弱,尤其是干流来水波动性要弱于源流,同时源流及干流来水更具协调性,管理部门对塔里木河径流的调度和管控能力明显提升,统一管理成效显著。     

平原丘陵过渡带土壤有机碳空间分布及环境影响

为定量分析景观过渡带中土壤有机碳空间分布及环境影响,将环境因子纳入空间自回归模型与地理加权回归模型分析比较,并以普通最小二乘回归模型作对照.结果表明:土壤性质指标中,容重及有效铁与土壤有机碳存在极显著相关关系;地形及区位因子中,纬度、高程、坡度、粗糙度等稳定性因素与土壤有机碳存在极显著相关关系;土壤有机碳的局部集聚性多发生在核心景观过渡带;空间回归模型的拟合优度均优于普通最小二乘回归模型,估计值的空间自相关变化趋势与实测值一致,残差的空间模式显著减弱;能够灵活调整权函数与带宽的地理加权回归模型能够更好地分析土壤有机碳的空间变异.模型评价方面,GWR-1和GWR-2的残差平方和较OLS分别降低了20.717%和8.799%; SLM、SEM、GWR-1、GWR-2的AIC值较OLS分别减小了5.108、5.391、19.887和11.751.除本身存在的空间自相关外,模型中土壤性质指标及环境因子能大幅解释土壤有机碳的异质性.本研究引入辅助变量,运用空间回归模型分析了平原丘陵过渡带土壤有机碳的空间变异,可为生态恢复、环境变化指示及研究区典型柑橘区的区划提供依据.     

绿化带对不同频率城市交通噪声的衰减作用

植物绿化对交通噪声具有一定的阻挡与衰减作用,其衰减效果取决于绿化带的构成、纵深等。研究选取杭州西湖风景区5个绿化带和1个空地区,测量1/3倍频程下交通噪声的衰减情况。结果表明：10 m左右纵深的绿化带可使交通噪声降低3-5 dB;绿化带的降噪效果在中低频要好于高频,最高在315-400 Hz之间;绿化带辅助地形的下降可有效提高降噪效果;绿化带中乔木选用阔叶类植物的降噪量高于针叶类植物3 dB左右,在低频段降噪量的提升要高于中高频段。     

Mapping Change in Human Pressure Globally on Land and within Protected Areas

It is widely accepted that the main driver of the observed decline in biological diversity is increasing human pressure on Earth's ecosystems. However, the spatial patterns of change in human pressure and their relation to conservation efforts are less well known. We developed a spatially and temporally explicit map of global change in human pressure over 2 decades between 1990 and 2010 at a resolution of 10 km². We evaluated 22 spatial data sets representing different components of human pressure and used them to compile a temporal human pressure index (THPI) based on 3 data sets: human population density, land transformation, and electrical power infrastructure. We investigated how the THPI within protected areas was correlated to International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) management categories and the human development index (HDI) and how the THPI was correlated to cumulative pressure on the basis of the original human footprint index. Since the early 1990s, human pressure increased 64% of the terrestrial areas; the largest increases were in Southeast Asia. Protected areas also exhibited overall increases in human pressure, the degree of which varied with location and IUCN management category. Only wilderness areas and natural monuments (management categories Ib and III) exhibited decreases in pressure. Protected areas not assigned any category exhibited the greatest increases. High HDI values correlated with greater reductions in pressure across protected areas, while increasing age of the protected area correlated with increases in pressure. Our analysis is an initial step toward mapping changes in human pressure on the natural world over time. That only 3 data sets could be included in our spatio‐temporal global pressure map highlights the challenge to measuring pressure changes over time. Mapeo del Cambio en la Presión Humana Global en Tierra y Dentro de Áreas Protegidas