Driver speed selection on high-speed two-lane highways: Comparing speed profiles between uniform and differential speed limits

Objective: Although a considerable amount of prior research has investigated the impacts of speed limits on traffic safety and operations, much of this research, and nearly all of the research related to differential speed limits, has been specific to limited access freeways. The unique safety and operational issues on highways without access control create difficulty relating the conclusions from prior freeway-related speed limit research to 2-lane highways, particularly research on differential limits due to passing limitations and subsequent queuing. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess differences in driver speed selection with respect to the posted speed limit on rural 2-lane highways, with a particular emphasis on the differences between uniform and differential speed limits.

Methods: Data were collected from nearly 59,000 vehicles across 320 sites in Montana and 4 neighboring states. Differences in mean speeds, 85th percentile speeds, and the standard deviation in speeds for free-flowing vehicles were examined across these sites using ordinary least squares regression models.

Results: Ultimately, the results of the analysis show that the mean speed, 85th percentile speed, and variability in travel speeds for free-flowing vehicles on 2-lane highways are generally lower at locations with uniform 65 mph speed limits, compared to locations with differential limits of 70 mph for cars and 60 mph for trucks.

Conclusions: In addition to posted speed limits, several site characteristics were shown to influence speed selection including shoulder widths, frequency of horizontal curves, percentage of the segment that included no passing zones, and hourly volumes. Differences in vehicle speed characteristics were also observed between states, indicating that speed selection may also be influenced by local factors, such as driver population or enforcement.     

基于技术和水质相结合的排污许可限值核定技术研究

“十三五”期间,我国排污许可管理制度已基本建立;“十四五”时期,我国排污许可管理将逐步过渡到注重水质达标的管理阶段.为适应我国排污许可新的管理需求,研究了基于技术和水质相结合的排污许可限值核定技术.其中,基于技术的排放限值核定主要根据企业的行业属性和核定产能,结合环境影响评价批复的污染物排放额度,确定其排放浓度限值和排放总量限值;基于水质的排放限值核定需建立污染源与水质之间的响应关系,以地表水水质达标为目标,计算各污染源的最大允许排放量.最终的排污许可限值为基于技术的排污许可限值和基于水质的排污许可限值的最小值.以常州为例,从常州排污许可证核发重点行业选取了两家化工企业A和B,核算其基于技术的排放限值;采用水质模拟和污染物最大允许排放量分配技术,计算了污染物最大允许排放量,并分配到两家化工企业,作为基于水质的排放限值.结果表明:A化工企业COD_Cr和NH₃-N的最终排污许可限值分别为6.53和0.075 t/a,其中,COD_Cr的最终取值为基于水质的排放限值,NH₃-N基于技术和基于水质的排放取值相同;B化工企业COD_Cr和NH₃-N的最终排放限值分别为11.60和0.17 t/a,最终取值均为基于技术的排放限值.研究显示,基于水质的排许可限值受到企业自身和外部水环境容量的双重影响,应从严制定排污许可限值,既能达到企业行业排放标准和环境影响评价批复的要求,又能满足水环境质量达标的目标.      

基于Petri网与OPMSE的屠宰行业排放限值仿真

通过文献查询及现场调研,对清河流域屠宰行业产生污水的各指标浓度(BOD5、COD、NH3-N)进行统计,得出排放污水中各污染物指标的浓度值范围。通过OPMSE的仿真计算,得出排放污水经过BAT处理后,污染物浓度正态分布均值在90%、95%、99%置信水平下的置信区间。在置信水平为99%时,屠宰行业的COD置信区间为(43.31,52.86),BOD5置信区间为(20.83,23.78),NH3-N置信区间为(6.83,8.13)。同时,依据仿真计算结果还得出,处理后污染物浓度的极小值和极大值,屠宰行业的最佳出水各指标浓度为ρ(COD)为17.34 mg/L,ρ(BOD5)为14.18 mg/L,ρ(NH3-N)为3.09 mg/L,最差出水各指标浓度为ρ(COD)为97.32 mg/L,ρ(BOD5)为39.66 mg/L,ρ(NH3-N)为13.29 mg/L。将仿真结果与现有排放标准对比,拟定屠宰行业的污染物直接排放限值为ρ(COD)为60 mg/L,ρ(BOD5)为25 mg/L,ρ(NH3-N)为10 mg/L。     

Do plants’ emissions respond to ambient environmental quality? Evidence from the clean water act

In this paper we show that plants respond to downstream ambient water quality after controlling for permitted levels of pollution. We find if past water quality declines by one percent, plants reduce current pollution by 0.35 percent. The magnitude of this coefficient is comparable to the coefficient on permitted discharge levels i.e. regulatory stringency itself. Results are consistent with two mechanisms. First, a decline in water quality may lead to more stringent permits that would raise the cost of abatement of a plant significantly. Second, the plant is likely to be subject to increased public pressure in response to poor water quality. Indeed, as expected, the impact of water quality becomes stronger in locations with higher median household income, higher percent carpooling to work, or lower percent of manufacturing employment but surprisingly with lower median age of residents, lower percent with bachelor׳s degree or higher percent of families with children.     

Protection of Genetic Diversity and Maintenance of Connectivity among Reef Corals within Marine Protected Areas

Abstract: High‐latitude coral reefs (HLRs) are potentially vulnerable marine ecosystems facing well‐documented threats to tropical reefs and exposure to suboptimal temperatures and insolation. In addition, because of their geographic isolation, HLRs may have poor or erratic larval connections to tropical reefs and a reduced genetic diversity and capacity to respond to environmental change. On Australia's east coast, a system of marine protected areas (MPAs) has been established with the aim of conserving HLRs in part by providing sources of colonizing larvae. To examine the effectiveness of existing MPAs as networks for dispersal, we compared genetic diversity within and among the HLRs in MPAs and between these HLRs and tropical reefs on the southern Great Barrier Reef (GBR). The 2 coral species best represented on Australian HLRs (the brooding Pocillopora damicornis and the broadcast‐spawning Goniastrea australensis) exhibited sharply contrasting patterns of diversity and connectedness. For P. damicornis, the 8‐locus genetic and genotypic diversity declined dramatically with increasing latitude (N_a= 3.6–1.2, H_e= 0.3–0.03, N_g:N = 0.87–0.06), although population structure was consistent with recruitment derived largely from sexual reproduction (G_o:G_e= 1.28–0.55). Genetic differentiation was high among the HLRs (F_ST[SD]= 0.32 [0.08], p < 0.05) and between the GBR and the HLRs (F_ST= 0.24 [0.06], p < 0.05), which indicates these temperate populations are effectively closed. In contrast for G. australensis, 9‐locus genetic diversity was more consistent across reefs (N_a= 4.2–3.9, H_e= 0.3–0.26, N_g:N = 1–0.61), and there was no differentiation among regions (F_ST= 0.00 [0.004], p > 0.05), which implies the HLRs and the southern GBR are strongly interconnected. Our results demonstrate that although the current MPAs appear to capture most of the genetic diversity present within the HLR systems for these 2 species, their sharply contrasting patterns of connectivity indicate some taxa, such as P. damicornis, will be more vulnerable than others, and this disparity will provide challenges for future management.     

Theoretical estimation of the lower flammability limit of fuel-air mixtures at elevated temperatures and pressures

We present an approach for predicting the lower flammability limits of combustible gas in air. The influence of initial pressure and temperature on lower flammability limit has been examined in this study. The lower flammability limits of methane, ethylene and propane in air are estimated numerically at the pressure from one to 100 bar and the temperature from ambient to 1200 K. It was found that the predicted LFLs of methane, ethylene and propane decrease slightly with the elevated pressure at the high temperature. The LFLs variation for methane-air mixture is 0.17, 0.18, 0.18 volume% with the initial pressure from one to 100  bar at the initial temperature of 800 K, 1000 K and 1200 K respectively, which is significantly higher than that at lower temperature. And the LFL of methane-air mixture at 1200 K and 100 bar reaches 1.03 volume% which is much lower than that at 1 bar and ambient temperature. On the other hand, the LFLs variation is 0.11–0.12 volume% for ethylene-air mixture and 0.06–0.07 volume% for propane-air mixture with the initial temperature from 800 K to 1200 K at the same range of pressure. The LFL values at high temperatures and pressures represent higher risk of explosion.     

气态硫闪爆事故原因分析及对策

对处理硫磺回收装置高温掺合阀故障时发生的硫闪爆事故进行了分析,提出了相应的对策.     

Are politicians office or policy motivated? The case of U.S. governors' environmental policies

Are elected politicians primarily motivated by holding office, thus choosing environmental policies accordingly? Or are they motivated by the chance to implement their preferred environmental policies? Do governors have character, in the sense that they promise and implement environmental policies consistent with their own preferences? To answer these questions, we study the differences in environmental spending across both re-electable and lame duck governors from the two main political parties. In our empirical analysis, we make use of parametric and non-parametric regression-discontinuity approaches. While re-electable governors do not set significantly different policies, lame duck governors do. We argue that in the area of environmental policy governors appear to be primarily office motivated and lack character.     

GLOBAL WATER ISSUES AND THE WORLD WATER COUNCIL1

ABSTRACT: The key events and the process that led to the creation of the World Water Council on World Water Day 1996 are reviewed and its characteristics summarized. The development of this new organization is discussed in the context of the major global trends in water and water-related issues, viz. growing water scarcity with its links to limits on food production and demographic patterns. In response to the need to find solutions to these pressing water issues, the development of a Technical Program based on the deliberations of the founding member organizations and a number of short-term activities have been outlined to demonstrate the evolution of the Council in this first year of its existence. Given the importance of complementarity between the Council and the Global Water Partnership, an attempt has been made to articulate the mutually-reinforcing roles of the two organizations.     

基于BAT-OOPN理论的煤电机组超低排放限值研究

应用由经典Petri网发展而来的面向对象Petri网的理论和方法,将Petri网移植引入绥电超低排放(BAT)工艺中,对绥电超低排放(BAT)数值模拟进行研究。结果表明,在置信水平为99%时,颗粒物、SO2、NOx的浓度正态分布均值置信区间为颗粒物(4.0,4.9),SO2(10.9,14.2),NOx(35.1,39.1);最佳排放质量浓度为:颗粒物1.7 mg/m^3,SO22.0 mg/m^3,NOx19.8 mg/m^3;最差排放质量浓度为:颗粒物7.5 mg/m^3,SO231.0 mg/m^3,NOx47.9 mg/m^3。根据最佳排放浓度指出污染物削减潜力以及绥电减排的空间,可以根据最差排放浓度进行污染源预警;依据仿真结果并结合现有的排放标准,拟定燃煤电厂超低排放限值为颗粒物5.0mg/m^3,SO215 mg/m^3,NOx40 mg/m^3。