Trends in motor vehicle crash mortality in Europe, 1980-2007

Recent trends (1980-2007) in mortality from road traffic crashes in European countries, and, for comparative purposes, in the USA and Japan were reviewed. Data came from the World Health Organisation database. Age-standardised rates, at all ages and at 15-24, 25-64, ?65 years, were computed. Joinpoint regression analyses to evaluate significant changes in trends were performed. In the European Union as a whole rates declined from 20.2 in 1987 to 13.5/100,000 in 2007 in men, and from 6.3 to 3.7/100,000 in women; European Union rates remained lower than USA, but higher than Japanese ones. In 2007, the highest male rates were in Lithuania (36.7/100,000), the Russian Federation (35.2), Ukraine (29.8), and Latvia (28.5), and the lowest ones in the Netherlands (6.2) and Sweden (6.9); the highest female rates were in the Russian Federation (11.3), Lithuania (9.7), Belarus, Latvia, and Ukraine (around 8), and the lowest ones in Switzerland (1.7), the UK, and Nordic countries (around 2). Mortality from motor vehicle crashes declined in northern and western European countries and - though to a lesser extent - in southern European countries, too. Mortality trends were also favourable in the Czech Republic and Poland since the mid 1990’s, whereas they were still upwards in Romania and the Russian Federation. No trend was observed in Hungary and Ukraine. Trends were consistent in various age groups considered. Thus, additional urgent and integrated intervention is required to prevent avoidable deaths from motor vehicle crashes, particularly in selected central and eastern European countries.     

Severity of motorcycle crashes in Dar es Salaam,Tanzania

Objective: Motorcycles are a common mode of transportation in low- and middle-income countries. Tanzania, in particular, has experienced an increased use of motorcycles in the last decade. In Dar es Salaam, motorcycles provide door-to-door travel and often operate where more conventional services are uneconomical or physically impossible to maneuver. Although motorcycles play a crucial role in improving mobility in the city, they have several safety issues. This study focuses on identifying factors influencing the severity of motorcycle crashes.

Method: A multinomial logit analysis was conducted to identify factors influencing the severity of motorcycle crashes in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The severity categories were fatal, severe injury, minor injury, and property damage only (PDO). The analysis was based on a total of 784 motorcycle crashes that occurred from 2013 to 2016.

Results: The following factors were found to increase the probability of a fatality: Speeding, driving under the influence, head-on impact, presence of horizontal curves, reckless riding, off-peak hours, violations, and riding without a helmet. The results indicate that crashes occurring on weekdays, during peak hours, at intersections, involving a rear-end impact, in daylight, on street roads, and under clear weather conditions decrease the probability of a fatality. However, minor injury and PDO crashes were found to be associated with crashes occurring during peak hours, at intersections, and on street roads, as well as failure to yield right-of-way.

Conclusions: Several countermeasures are recommended based on the study findings. The recommended countermeasures focus on the holistic safety improvement strategies constituting the three Es of highway safety, namely, engineering, education, and enforcement.     

Killing Tigers to Save Them: Fallacies of the Farming Argument

Abstract: The lucrative, illegal trade in tigers (Panthera tigris) remains a major conservation problem. Tiger farming has been proposed as a potential solution, with farmed tigers substituting for wild tigers. At first glance, this argument's logic seems simple: farming will increase the supply of tigers, prices will fall, and poaching will no longer be profitable. We contend, however, that this supply‐side argument relies on mistaken assumptions. First, tiger markets are imperfect, meaning they are dominated by a few producers who control price. Second, consumers prefer wild tigers to farmed tigers and therefore the two are not pure substitutes. In economic terms, products from wild tigers are luxury goods, commanding a price premium. Third, there is no evidence that farmed tigers can be produced or sold more cheaply than wild tigers. In sum, it is unlikely that farming will drive down the price of wild‐caught tigers or decrease profitability for tiger poachers. Rather, tiger farming is more likely to increase aggregate demand for tiger products and stimulate higher levels of poaching.     

厌氧污泥释放磷的规律及鸟粪石法回收磷的应用研究

城市污水处理厂进行脱氮除磷工艺时,大量的磷从水体转入活性污泥中,如不能回收这部分磷,将造成磷的大量流失,这与磷矿稀缺的现状形成矛盾。通过建立污泥停留时间5 d和10 d的两个厌氧反应系统,对污泥中磷的释放规律进行研究,并采用鸟粪石法对上清液中的磷进行回收。研究结果表明,厌氧污泥上清液中的磷含量高达150 mg.L-1,SRT为5 d和10 d的系统,分别在4 d和2 d后磷的质量浓度由14 mg.L-1上升到100 mg.L-1,且基本上都以正磷酸盐的形式存在。将pH从8.3上升到9.0,磷的回收率可以从60%提升到90%,当pH达到8.8时,磷的回收率即可超过80%,表现出了较好的磷回收效果。研究还发现镁离子和磷酸根的摩尔比对磷的回收率的影响较小,在pH=8.8时,将镁磷比从1.43提升到1.83,磷的回收率仅从79.2%提升到85.5%;在pH=9.0时提高镁磷比对磷的回收基本没有影响。     

高层住宅消防车通道设置问题探讨

通过对现行住宅及消防相关规范规定、条文解释的比照与分析,结合即将出台《建筑设计防火规范》、《高层民用建筑设计防火规范》合并的拟修订《建筑设计防火规范》稿及相关规定,根据住宅火灾危害表征及建设工程消防设计审核实践工作经验总结,提出对于高层住宅建筑消防车通道设置,建议可按现行《住宅建筑规范》规定执行,同时充实了新的消防登高车操作面、坡度、场地大小等要求,使得高层住宅消防车通道要求具体化。     

贫氧环境对煤低温氧化特性影响研究

浅埋藏煤层开采过程中,由于地表裂隙导致的漏风,使其经常处于变化的氧浓度场中。针对这一实际情况,利用煤氧化动力学测定系统,对煤样在21%,18%,14%,10.5%,5%,3%氧浓度下,进行程序升温试验。测得了不同温度下指标气CO,C2H4,C2H6,C3H8浓度,并分析了其随温度变化规律,测量并计算了不同氧浓度下交叉点温度以及升温速率;对氧浓度大小影响指标气产量和其随温度变化幅度原因,以及温度特征影响效果进行必要的机理分析。结果表明:不同氧浓度下指标气CO,C2H4,C2H6在70 ℃左右有明显产量变化,分别在120 ℃,125 ℃,120 ℃处开始大量释放,C3H8则在温度达到125 ℃左右开始大量释放;120 ℃前,各氧浓度下煤样温度按相同规律变化,120 ℃后,氧浓度越大则对应的升温速率越大,温度也越高;氧浓度不同影响了煤中脂肪烃侧链氧化产生-OH的过程,继而造成指标气产量与温度变化差异。     

基于三维结构分析的碳排放总量控制研究——以浙江省为例

控制碳排放总量是能源环境治理的重要手段,是高质量发展的应有之义,更是我国完成2030年前碳达峰、争取2060年前实现碳中和的必然要求,但目前国家和地方并未明确实行碳排放总量控制。本研究以浙江为例,从能源生产侧、能源消费侧、区域三个维度,分析识别出浙江省碳排放总量控制的重点和难点:能源生产侧减排的重点在于提高非化石电力占比,难点在于推进存量火电机组的碳减排;能源消费侧减排的重点在于控制新上重大产业项目排放,难点在于控制第三产业和居民生活领域碳排放;区域减排的重点在于优化产业布局和用能结构,难点在于对地区碳排放总量缺乏有效约束。并提出电力结构低碳化、重点行业控碳、试点城市率先达峰和政策协同四方面突破点,争取到"十四五"末浙江省碳排放总量得到有效控制,为全国碳排放达峰做出浙江贡献。     

Michigan's graduated driver licensing program: evaluation of the first four years

INTRODUCTION: To evaluate the four-year outcome of Michigan's graduated driver licensing (GDL) program, motor-vehicle crash data for 16-year-old drivers in 1996 (pre-GDL), and 1998-2001 (post-GDL) were analyzed. METHOD: Relative risks and 95% confidence intervals for several crash types were computed, and pre-post-GDL population-based crash rates were compared. Reductions in crash risks among 16-year-olds previously found in 1998 and 1999 were generally maintained in 2000 and 2001. RESULTS: Reductions in crash risk among 16-year-olds from 1996 to 2001 were 29% for all, 44% for fatal, 38% each for nonfatal-injury and fatal-plus-nonfatal-injury, 32% for day, 31% for evening, 59% for night, 32% for single-vehicle, and 28% for multi-vehicle crashes. Even after adjusting for more general population-wide changes among drivers 25 years and older that might have contributed to changes in 16-year-old crash risk, reductions remained impressive (19% for all crashes in 2001). IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: As one approach to reducing teenage motor-vehicle morbidity and mortality, GDL remains promising.     

The role of enforcement programs in increasing seat belt use

Seat belt laws by themselves led to increased belt use in the United States and Canada, but initial effects were limited. Canadian provincial officials launched highly publicized enforcement campaigns in the early 1980s that resulted in substantially increased belt use. Canadian-style enforcement programs subsequently were adopted in the United States, and the use of such programs has grown in recent years. Lessons from these efforts include the importance of police leadership, focused publicity about enforcement, and sustained rather than single-shot efforts. What is needed in the United States to achieve a national belt use rate of 90% or greater is widespread, methodical, and sustained application of enforcement programs augmented by creative publicity. Enhanced penalties-in particular drivers license points-likely will be needed to reach hard-core nonusers.