Inferring extinction of mammals from sighting records, threats, and biological traits

For species with five or more sightings, quantitative techniques exist to test whether a species is extinct on the basis of distribution of sightings. However, 70% of purportedly extinct mammals are known from fewer than five sightings, and such models do not include some important indicators of the likelihood of extinction such as threats, biological traits, search effort, and demography. Previously, we developed a quantitative method that we based on species' traits in which we used Cox proportional hazards regression to calculate the probability of rediscovery of species regarded as extinct. Here, we used two versions of the Cox regression model to determine the probability of extinction in purportedly extinct mammals and compared the results of these two models with those of stationary Poisson, nonparametric, and Weibull sighting-distribution models. For mammals with five or more sightings, the stationary Poisson model categorized all but two critically endangered (flagged as possibly extinct) species in our data set as extinct, and results with this model were consistent with current categories of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. The scores of probability of rediscovery for individual species in one version of our Cox regression model were correlated with scores assigned by the stationary Poisson model. Thus, we used this Cox regression model to determine the probability of extinction of mammals with sparse records. On the basis of the Cox regression model, the most likely mammals to be rediscovered were the Montane monkey-faced bat (Pteralopex pulchra), Armenian myotis (Myotis hajastanicus), Alcorn's pocket gopher (Pappogeomys alcorni), and Wimmer's shrew (Crocidura wimmeri). The Cox model categorized two species that have recently disappeared as extinct: the baiji (Lipotes vexillifer) and the Christmas Island pipistrelle (Pipistrellus murrayi). Our new method can be used to test whether species with few records or recent last-sighting dates are likely to be extinct.     

Analysis of underlying causes of investigated loss of containment incidents in Dutch Seveso plants using the Storybuilder method

In the Netherlands there are around 400 “Seveso” sites that fall under the Dutch Major Hazards Decree (BRZO) 1999. Between 2006 and 2010 the Dutch Labour Inspectorate's Directorate for Major Hazard Control completed investigations of 118 loss of containment incidents involving hazardous substances from this group. On the basis of investigation reports the incidents were entered in a tailor-made tool called Storybuilder developed for the Dutch Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment for identifying the dominant patterns of technical safety barrier failures, barrier task failures and underlying management causes associated with the resulting loss of control events. The model is a bow-tie structure with six lines of defence, three on either side of the central loss of containment event. In the first line of defence, failures in the safety barriers leading to loss of control events were primarily equipment condition failures, pre start-up and safeguarding failures and process deviations such as pressure and flow failures. These deviations, which should have been recovered while still within the safe envelope of operation, were missed primarily because of inadequate indication signals that the deviations have occurred. Through failures of subsequent lines of defence they are developing into serious incidents. Overall, task failures are principally failures to provide adequate technical safety barriers and failures to operate provided barriers appropriately. Underlying management delivery failures were mainly found in equipment specifications and provisions, procedures and competence. The competence delivery system is especially important for identifying equipment condition, equipment isolation for maintenance, pre-start-up status and process deviations. Human errors associated with operating barriers were identified in fifty per cent of cases, were mostly mistakes and feature primarily in failure to prevent deviations and subsequently recover them. Loss of control associated with loss of containment was primarily due to the containment being bypassed (72% of incidents) and less to material strength failures (28%). Transfer pipework, connections in process plant and relief valves are the most frequent release points and the dominant release material is extremely flammable. It is concluded that the analysis of a large number of incidents in Storybuilder can support the quantification of underlying causes and provide evidence of where the weak points exist in major hazard control in the prevention of major accidents.     

Occupational hazards to health of port workers

Objectives. The aim of this article is to reduce the risk of occupational hazards and improve safety conditions by enhancing hazard knowledge and identification as well as improving safety behavior for freight port enterprises. Methods. In the article, occupational hazards to health and their prevention measures of freight port enterprises have been summarized through a lot of occupational health evaluation work, experience and understanding. Results. Workers of freight port enterprises confront an equally wide variety of chemical, physical and psychological hazards in production technology, production environment and the course of labor. Such health hazards have been identified, the risks evaluated, the dangers to health notified and effective prevention measures which should be put in place to ensure the health of the port workers summarized. Discussion. There is still a long way to go for the freight port enterprises to prevent and control the occupational hazards. Except for occupational hazards and their prevention measures, other factors that influence the health of port workers should also be paid attention to, such as age, work history, gender, contraindication and even the occurrence and development rules of occupational hazards in current production conditions.     

环境治理与地方政府——以日本公害防止协定为仍

1964年,日本横滨市政府率先和企业签订公害防止协定,由此揭开了政府和企业签署协定的序幕。协定主要涉及大气污染、水质污染、噪声、振动、恶臭和损害赔偿问题。经过多年实践,公害防止协定在很大程度上解决了公害问题,由此可见地方政府在治理公害问题上的重要性。当前我国正面临严重环境问题,各级地方政府需认真学习日本的做法,不仅要转变政府职能,更要积极主动地行动,从而加快建设资源节约型、环境友好型社会的步伐。     

化工园区重大危险源分级方法研究

以常州市新北区化工园区为例,对重大危险源的分级方法进行了研究.根据化工园区自身的特点,制定了重大危险源分级方法、程序,建立重大危险源分级模型,并利用建立的模型对该化工园区进行了重大危险源分级的实例研究.     

重庆市地质灾害孕灾环境分区研究

为探索重庆市地质灾害孕灾环境分布情况,以重庆市主要地质灾害为研究对象,在分析孕灾因子基础上,选取暴雨强度、地貌条件、地质岩性、年均降雨量、植被覆盖度和地质构造条件等6个因子,构建地质灾害孕灾环境分区指标体系,利用层次分析法(AHP)和专家效度相耦合方法确定各指标权重,并建立孕灾环境综合指数评价模型。在ArcGIS软件平台支持下,以1 km×1 km网格尺寸为单位精细获取各指标分析数据,计算得到各网格孕灾环境综合指数值,并根据该值进行重庆市地质灾害孕灾环境等级区划分。结果表明:重庆市地质灾害孕灾环境综合指数值在43～84之间,孕灾分区主要集中在高易发区和中易发区,其中危险区1.29×104 km2,占总面积的15.62%;高易发区4.42×104 km2,占53.68%;中易发区2.38×104 km2,占28.85%;低易发区0.15×104 km2,占1.85%。     

省内公路可移动危险源的模糊综合安全预警

为了对公路可移动危险源进行有效控制,分析了影响公路可移动危险源危险程度的因素,采用模糊综合评判方法,并通过公路可移动危险源模糊预警系统实现了公路可移动危险源的实时综合安全预警.结果表明,此方法考虑危险因素较全面,且可在屏幕实时显示各公路可移动危险源的预警结果,有利于提高安全管理水平.     

我国自然灾害时空分布及其粮食风险评估

分析了旱灾、水灾、风雹灾、霜冻灾、台风灾和农业病虫害、草害、鼠害8种自然灾害的时空分布情况,计算了其造成的历年粮食减产量,并在此基础上评估2020年自然灾害对粮食产量的影响。结果表明,2020年不同自然灾害对我国各省粮食生产的影响程度不同。旱灾风险区集中在我国北方地区,分布在黄淮海区、西北区等;涝灾风险区集中在我国南方地区,分布在长江中下游区等;风雹灾风险区对我国粮食产量影响相对较小,主要分布在新疆和青海;台风灾风险区集中在我国南方沿海地区;农业病虫害风险区集中在我国的南方地区,分布在华南沿海区和西南区等;而霜冻灾、农业草害、鼠害对粮食生产的影响范围和影响程度较小。     

加油站职业健康管理现状与应对措施

从能源企业工作实践出发,分析了加油站存在的主要职业病危害因素,针对加油站职业健康管理工作现状,分析其特点和存在不足,并提出相应的改进策略。