A multilevel analysis of private-vehicle evacuation clearance times along the US Gulf Coast

This study uses multilevel regression analysis to examine the effect of social characteristics and the built environment on clearance time under an evacuation scenario. The primary unit of analysis is the US Census tract (N?=?1660), nested within 31 incorporated places spanning five US states. The dependent variable is an estimate of clearance time in hours derived using network analysis techniques within a geographic information system. We find that tracts with a more peripheral location, more female residents, a higher proportion of Hispanic residents, and higher median household incomes are associated with higher clearance times, on average. Our research suggests the relationship between suburbanization and clearance time is complex and evolving, mediated by past investments in the built environment and shifting social conditions. In addition to facilitating the evacuation of areas with low access to personal vehicles, urban planners and emergency management officials should also consider how the degree of connectivity in the street network impacts congestion and clearance time.     

A risk framework for preventing salinity

Salinity is an insidious soil conservation issue. Its expression can be greatly removed in time and space from its causes, so a focus on prevention is preferred. To avoid over or under-investment, a communication strategy for salinity needs to be a staged approach, the risks defined and the assets at risk identified.

This paper describes a risk assessment schema and associated information base designed to support community investment in preventative actions. It describes a new approach to salinity risk similar to the concepts of diagnosis and staging used by physicians for diseases such as cancer. It outlines the diagnostic tools now being developed to define the timeframes of salinity development, the biophysical features of the landscape within which salinity develops and the riskiness of current and alternative management systems and matches this with a complementary community process designed to build knowledge and intervention. A GIS/database system captures the concepts of salinity risk and a large array of diagnostic information in a form designed for the development of salinity knowledge in the community and to guide investment in salinity prevention. The communication strategy and the salinity risk system are being applied in the Fitzroy Basin, Australia, an area of approximately 150,000 km² straddling the Tropic of Capricorn.     

Sensitivity of Ozone Production to the Nmhc Composition,Aerosol Back-Scattering and High Chimney Emission

Abstract

In this paper, three sensitivity studies are designed to analyze the effect of the NMHC (Non-Methane HydroCarbon) composition, the aerosol back-scattering and the high chimney NO _x emission to the photochemical prodution of ozone by using a one-dimensional photochemistry-diffusion model under a favourable meteorological condition. Measurements of the NMHC composition in Taipei indicated that the percentage of iso-butene, cis-2-butene, trans-2-butene and benzene in a unit volume was much higher than of those observed in other major cities. the high ratio of benzene was directly linked to its high percentage in gasoline. As to the unusually high amount of iso-butene, cis-2-butene and trans-2-butene, more researches are needed to identify their source. Concerns are raised as to how productive is NMHC composition is to the photochemical production of the surface ozone. A rough estimate shows that the total reactivity of the Taipei NMHC composition is about 1.21 × 10^?9 cm³ s^?1 which is 1.6 times that of the Los Angeles (LA) NMHC composition, while the simulated noon peak will be different by 28 ppbv, i.e. 18% more than that simulated with a LA composition.

Meanwhile, high aerosol loading is a serious problem in Taipei. the attenuation of the UV radiation by aerosols cannot be ignored. A numerical simulation shows that the noon ozone level will decrease from 178 to 141ppbv, i. e. about 21% reduction, with deterioration of the visual range from 85 to 5 km.

In the southern Taiwan, industry parks are mixed with the populated Kaohsiung city, hence the large emission of NO _x from high chimneys cannot be ignored. in this study, NO _x is assumed to be emitted in the layer between 235–460 m high with an emission rate of 0.05 or 0.145 ppbv/sec. the results show that the NO _x emitted from the elevated stack lead to a considerable reduction of surface ozone. Such conclusion is obtained due to the fact that a one-dimensional model is used in this paper. Whereas, if a three-dimensional regional model was used, then a higher productivity of ozone downstream would be simulated.     

7种阔叶植物群落降噪的临界达标宽度

选取南京市部分主干路道路绿地的7种阔叶植物群落,通过沿道路纵向每间隔5m以及不定距移动测量,结果表明:测量时间段内路缘处噪声的等效连续A声级平均值都超出GB3096-2008中相应规定的限制,其中最高的超出6dB,最低的超出1.3dB;同一阔叶植物群落,随着离开路缘的距离增加,降噪效果更加明显;不同的阔叶植物群落在同一距离处的降噪效果不同,这与植物群落的组成和内部结构特征有密切关系;植物群落的降噪效果与林带宽度并非都呈线性关系;7种阔叶植物群落达到声环境功能区环境噪声限值的临界宽度值集中在5～15m范围内;达到一定宽度的阔叶植物群落可以基本满足城市主干路的降噪要求,在道路绿化中可以广泛应用。     

Computer modeling of genome complexity variation trends in prokaryotic communities under varying habitat conditions

There are two types of organisms’ grouping in nature: mono-species populations and multi-species communities. Here at during the process of evolution the adaptability of a trait is to be tested both at population and ecocenotic levels. Size of a genome is one of the major adaptive traits, which widely varies in eukaryotic species. By contrast, prokaryotes with their small genomes are considered to have genome reduction evolutionary trend. Domination of this trend is mostly founded on population-level models. In this paper we in silico study interactions of ecocenotic and population levels. The trend of genome and metabolism reduction in prokaryotic communities was shown to be major only in comfortable environmental conditions. In subcomfortable conditions, genome and metabolism reduction leads to community simplification (in extreme case to community death). Pessimum conditions promote metabolism integration of a community and induce reciprocal genes acquiring.     

基于SEM的建筑企业安全文化绩效形成机制研究

为探讨工程项目情境下建筑企业安全文化构成及其形成绩效机制,基于扎根理论,提出安全文化包含物质、制度、观念及情境4部分,依此构建其与安全绩效因果关系的结构方程模型(SEM),运用软件AMOS7.0对问卷调查所得数据进行分析并对模型进行验证。结果表明,安全情境文化对安全结果产生持续、微弱的负向影响;安全观念文化对安全结果产生较大间接影响;而安全制度文化和物质文化对安全结果的影响都有直接和间接影响(通过影响安全行为最终影响结果)2方面,并据此提出持续改进情境文化、综合采用行为管理方法与非行为管理方法的建议。     

长江三峡水库水污染控制若干问题

论述了三峡水库几个重要水环境问题,对近年来三峡水库水污染控制科学研究工作进行回顾,评述了一些重要研究成果,就三峡水库水质模拟、水体富营养化、水库泥沙截留淤积和重金属污染等问题进行了深入探讨。基于国际水协会最新推出的河流水质模型,提出了三峡水库水环境模拟研究的观点和方法;基于湖泊（水库）生态动力学模型原理,在对水体中磷元素预测的基础上,从营养盐含量、水深、流速、温度因素等与富营养化非线性映射关系出发,初步建立三峡水库水体富营养化人工神经网络模型,对三峡水库水体富营养化潜势进行研究,分析讨论了一些初步结果;论述了水库泥沙截留淤积及其与水体中污染物,特别是重金属污染的相互作用;建议三峡水库近期内应予以重视的一些重要水环境科学问题。     

中强地震区地震烈度统计拟合因素评估

目前地震危险性综合概率分析方法中的地震动参数衰减规律一般是由研究区地震烈度和参考区地震动参数经过映射方法得出的,而烈度统计结果依赖于不同模型和不同回归方法,因此,合理评估烈度影响因素有很大现实应用价值,它直接影响地震危险性分析结果。以我国中南地区地震烈度资料,用不同回归拟合方法研究该地区地震烈度随震中距和面波震级变化的等效圆、椭圆和综合椭圆模型分布关系,考虑震级和距离因素的相关性,比较分析已有结果,评估中强地震区烈度模型和回归方法对烈度的拟合影响,结果可供该地区地震小区划和设定地震动参数参考。     

城市系统碳循环与碳管理研究进展

城市化带来的土地利用变化和化石燃料燃烧是引起全球气候变化和温室效应的主要原因之一。了解不同区域城市系统碳循环的过程、途径、方向和机制,有助于更好地进行未来大气温室气体的情景预测,并提出相应的碳管理措施。论文在国内外城市系统碳循环研究的基础上,对城市系统的特征、空间范围和碳过程特征进行了总结和分析;从城市能源使用碳排放、城市植被和土壤碳研究、城市扩展对碳排放的影响、城市代谢与碳过程、城市系统碳循环模拟等方面对目前城市系统碳循环的主要研究内容进行了综述;结合URCM研究计划,对城市碳管理的理论框架、科学问题和主要措施及目标进行了探讨;最后提出了该领域未来研究的主要方向和建议。     

Cycling in ecosystems: An individual based approach

Cycling index is an important ecological indicator used in ecosystem analysis. The higher the cycling in an ecosystem, the higher the utilization of mass and energy within the system before it is lost due to respiration and other factors. For a stock-flow type ecosystem model at steady state, Finn’s cycling index (FCI) can be computed using simple matrix algebra. However, it is difficult to measure how well this index represents the actual cycling occurring in the system. In this paper, we study cycling in ecological networks using an individual based approach (particle tracking algorithm). This new simulation method provides access to the pathway data of individual particles that flow in the system, therefore one can quantify cycling using this pathway data quite literally. We used particle tracking simulations (PTS) to compute a cycling index using Finn’s idea of flux based cycling. Our simulation based results (using no matrix algebra) agree with Finn’s cycling index, verifying the accuracy of both the PTS, and the original linear algebraic formulation of FCI.