The relationships between air pollutants, meteorological parameters and concentration of airborne fungal spores

Fungal spores are an important component of bioaerosol and also considered to act as indicator of the level of atmospheric bio-pollution. Therefore, better understanding of these phenomena demands a detailed survey of airborne particles.The objective of this study was to examine the dependence of two the most important allergenic taxa of airborne fungi - Alternaria and Cladosporium - on meteorological parameters and air pollutant concentrations during three consecutive years (2006-2008). This study is also an attempt to create artificial neural network (ANN) forecasting models useful in the prediction of aeroallergen abundance.There were statistically significant relationships between spore concentration and environmental parameters as well as pollutants, confirmed by the Spearman’s correlation rank analysis and high performance of the ANN models obtained. The concentrations of Cladosporium and Alternaria spores can be predicted with quite good accuracy from meteorological conditions and air pollution recorded three days earlier.     

Neural network forecasting of air pollutants hourly concentrations using optimised temporal averages of meteorological variables and pollutant concentrations

The new method for the forecasting hourly concentrations of air pollutants is presented in the paper. The method was developed for a site in urban residential area in city of Zagreb, Croatia, for four air pollutants (NO₂, O₃, CO and PM₁₀). Meteorological variables and concentrations of the respective pollutant were taken as predictors. A novel approach, based on families of univariate regression models, was employed in selecting the averaging intervals for input variables. For each variable and each averaging period between 1 and 97 h, a separate model was built. By inspecting values of the coefficient of correlation between measured and modelled concentrations, optimal averaging periods for each variable were selected. A new dataset for building the forecasting model was then calculated as temporal moving averages (running means) of former variables. A multi-layer perceptron type of neural networks is used as the forecasting model. Index of agreement, calculated for the entire dataset including the data for model building, ranged from 0.91 to 0.97 for the respective pollutants. As suggested by the analysis of the relative importance of the input variables, different agreements for different pollutants are likely due to different sources and production mechanisms of investigated pollutants. A comparison of the new method with more traditional method, which takes hourly averages of the forecast hour as input variables, showed similar or better performance. The model was developed for the purpose of public-health-oriented air quality forecasting, aiming to use a numerical weather forecast model for the prediction of the part of input data yet unknown at the forecasting time. It is to expect that longer term averages used as inputs in the proposed method will contribute to smaller input errors and the greater accuracy of the model.     

Predicting land cover using GIS, Bayesian and evolutionary algorithm methods

Modelling land cover change from existing land cover maps is a vital requirement for anyone wishing to understand how the landscape may change in the future. In order to test any land cover change model, existing data must be used. However, often it is not known which data should be applied to the problem, or whether relationships exist within and between complex datasets. Here we have developed and tested a model that applied evolutionary processes to Bayesian networks. The model was developed and tested on a dataset containing land cover information and environmental data, in order to show that decisions about which datasets should be used could be made automatically. Bayesian networks are amenable to evolutionary methods as they can be easily described using a binary string to which crossover and mutation operations can be applied. The method, developed to allow comparison with standard Bayesian network development software, was proved capable of carrying out a rapid and effective search of the space of possible networks in order to find an optimal or near-optimal solution for the selection of datasets that have causal links with one another. Comparison of land cover mapping in the North-East of Scotland was made with a commercial Bayesian software package, with the evolutionary method being shown to provide greater flexibility in its ability to adapt to incorporate/utilise available evidence/knowledge and develop effective and accurate network structures, at the cost of requiring additional computer programming skills. The dataset used to develop the models included GIS-based data taken from the Land Cover for Scotland 1988 (LCS88), Land Capability for Forestry (LCF), Land Capability for Agriculture (LCA), the soil map of Scotland and additional climatic variables.     

BP神经网络在台风路径预报中的应用

利用前馈型BP神经网络模型,对发生于中国沿海的热带气旋的移动路径进行了预报应用研究.根据中国<台风年鉴>发布的每个台风过程记录,对预报试验的台风个例分别选取了经度、纬度、中心气压和最大风速等81个因子,由多元回归选取了其中相关性好的因子,进行网络的学习训练,在获取前24h间隔6h的4次台风信息的基础上,用来预报了台风未来24h,48h和72h的短期路径变化.将该方法预报结果与CLIPER模式预报结果进行了比较,结果表明,BP神经网络模式的预报精度比CLIPER模式的高.     

Choosing a Food Future: Differentiating Among Alternative Food Options

This article examines the diversity of food networks that fit within the alternative food system of the United States. While farmers’ markets, community supported agriculture schemes, and corporate organic food markets all fit within the alternative food system, they differ greatly in the conventions and beliefs that they represent. The alternative food system has divided into two movements: corporate, weak alternative food networks; and local, strong alternative food networks. The weak corporate version focuses on protecting the environment; however, it neglects issues concerning labor standards, animal welfare, rural communities, small-scale farmers, and human health. Local, strong alternative food networks not only assure environmental protection, but they also address the issues that weak alternatives neglect. Using three case studies from the Washington, D.C. metro area, the author explains that strong alternative food networks are better suited to create social and political change because they challenge the foundations of the conventional food system: standardized and generic products, price-based competition, consolidated power, and global scale. To affect true social and political change in the United States, the author recommends supporting strong alternative food networks by creating the requisite cultural and political space for them to succeed.     

人工神经网络方法在拟建小区域环境质量评价中的应用

人工神经网络的评价方法用于小区域环境质量评价中,根据本地区特点因地制宜地选择环境质量参数,代入模型中进行环境质量评价及预测,对用于环境质量评价的BP人工神经网络模型进行了改进,即对网络模型的训练样本进行了扩充,从而提高了模型的抗干扰能力和准确性.将改进了的BP人工神经网络模型应用于四川省资阳市沱江二桥拟建项目小区域的大气、地表水环境质量评价中, 对该市小区域大气、地表水环境质量状况进行评价,评价结果表明,BP人工神经网络模型用于环境质量评价是可行的,且评价结论客观,评价模型普遍适用.     

基于模糊神经网络的机动车驾驶教练员职业适宜性研究

提出应用模糊神经网络系统,建构教练员职业适宜性的3个要素(即心理素质、驾驶技能和知识的表达阐述能力)的学习样本,分析"三要素"的8项特征参数指标——场依存性、速度估计能力、交通安全意识、简单反应、选择反应、跟踪能力、行车注意力、表达阐述能力等,使用K-均值法对实验样本进行初始分类,形成标准学习样本,使用该样本对所构建系统进行训练和调试。利用经调试训练后的系统,依据所测教练员的心理、心理参数对其职业适宜性进行评价。试验表明:建立的教练员职业适宜性仿真模型能取得很好的评价效果。     

基于粗糙集-神经网络的矿山地质环境影响评价模型及应用

采用衡山白果地区石膏矿山的11个评价指标,综合运用粗糙集和神经网络理论,构建了基于粗糙集-神经网络(RS-ANN)的矿山地质环境影响评价模型,对RSES软件约简的数据和无约简的数据采用EasyNN-plus软件进行预测评价。神经网络模型的输入属性为8个,而粗糙集-神经网络模型的输入属性为6个,训练样本均为13个,预测样本均为4个,前者的平均预测精度为1.85%～24.86%,后者为1.23%～15.28%。研究发现,粗糙集在保留关键信息的前提下可有效地对数据表进行约简,约简后的神经网络预测结果与实际情况吻合,并比无约简时总体精度有较大幅度提高。     

基于MSPA与MCR模型的余江县生态网络构建基于MSPA与MCR模型的余江县生态网络构建

在我国社会经济快速发展的背景下,城市化进程的不断推进导致城市生态斑块日益减少,生态环境问题正在逐年增加,构建生态网络是改善城市生态环境与服务功能的有效方法之一。以余江县为研究区,采用形态学空间格局分析(MSPA)方法和景观指数法,提取对生态网络具有重要意义的生态源地,并基于MCR模型构建综合阻力面,采用最小成本路径方法生成潜在廊道,再基于重力模型、中介中心度等对关键廊道及踏脚石斑块进行识别并提取,从而构建研究区潜在生态网络。结果表明：MSPA方法能够与MCR模型有机的结合,通过定量的分析识别出研究区潜在生态廊道,并根据斑块的中介作用选定踏脚石斑块,明确研究区景观要素的保护优先度,将景观中的潜在生态源地及廊道作为生态网络构建的主要依据,能够更加科学地为余江县生态网络的构建提供指导,同时也可为其他区域提供参考。     

响应面法和神经网络优化Acinetobacter sp. DNS32发酵基质

为了提高阿特拉津降解菌Acinetobacter sp.DNS32的产量,分别采用响应曲面法和基于人工神经网络的遗传算法对阿特拉津降解菌DNS32发酵培养基中3个重要基质成分(玉米粉、豆饼粉、K2HPO4)进行优化研究。响应曲面法确定3种成分的含量为玉米粉39.494 g/L,豆饼粉25.638 g/L和K2HPO43.265 g/L时,预测发酵活菌最大生物量为7.079×108CFU/mL,实测量为7.194×108CFU/mL;人工神经网络结合遗传算法优化确定3种主要成分含量为玉米粉为39.650 g/L,豆饼粉为25.500 g/L,K2HPO4为2.624 g/L时,预测最大值为7.199×108CFU/mL,实测量为7.244×108CFU/mL;最终确定培养基配方:玉米粉为39.650 g/L,豆饼粉为25.500 g/L,K2HPO4为2.624 g/L,CaCO3为3.000 g/L,MgSO4.7H2O和NaCl均为0.200 g/L;优化后阿特拉津降解菌DNS32发酵生物量比优化前提高了36.6%。结果表明,在阿特拉津降解菌DNS32发酵培养基组分优化方面,响应面法和基于人工神经网络的遗传算法都是可行的,基于人工神经网络的遗传算法具有更好的拟合度和预测准确度。