Examination of factors associated with use rates after transition from a universal to partial motorcycle helmet use law

Objectives: Motorcycle riders account for a disproportionately high number of traffic injuries and fatalities compared to occupants of other vehicle types. Though research has demonstrated the benefits of helmet use in preventing serious and fatal injuries in the event of a crash, helmet use has remained relatively stable in the United States, where the most recent national estimates show a 64% use rate. Use rates have been markedly lower among those states that do not have a universal helmet law for all riders. In 2012, the state of Michigan repealed its longstanding mandatory helmet use law. In order to gain insights as to the effects of this legislative change, a study was conducted to examine short-term changes in helmet use and identify factors associated with use rates.

Methods: A statewide direct observation survey was conducted 1 year after the transition from a universal helmet law to a partial helmet law. A random parameters logistic regression model was estimated to identify motorcyclist, roadway, and environmental characteristics associated with helmet use. This modeling framework accounts for both intravehicle correlation (between riders and passengers on the same motorcycle) as well as unobserved heterogeneity across riders due to important unobserved factors.

Results: Helmet use was shown to vary across demographic segments of the motorcyclist population. Use rates were higher among Caucasian riders, as well as among those age 60 and above. No significant difference was observed between male and female riders. Use was also found to vary geographically, temporally, and with respect to various environmental characteristics. Geographically, helmet use rates tended to be correlated with historical restraint use trends, which may be reflective of riding environment and general differences in the riding population. To this end, rates were also highly variable based upon the type of motorcycle and whether the motorcyclist was wearing high-visibility gear.

Conclusions: The study results demonstrate the short-term reduction in helmet use following transition from a universal to partial motorcycle helmet law. The reduction in use is somewhat less pronounced than has been experienced in other states, which may be reflective of general differences among Michigan motorcyclists because the state has also generally exhibited higher use rates of seat belts and other forms of occupant protection. The study results also highlight potential target areas for subsequent education and public awareness initiatives aimed at increasing helmet use.     

模拟酸雨对烤烟叶片光合特性和叶绿素荧光参数的影响

以烤烟为供试材料,采用土培盆栽的方法研究了不同pH值的模拟酸雨(pH5.6、pH4.5、pH4.0、pH3.5、pH3.0、pH2.5、pH2.0)对烤烟叶片叶绿素含量、气体交换和叶绿素荧光参数的影响.结果表明:pH≥3.5处理的轻度酸雨对烤烟Chl.a含量影响不大,但pH≤3.5处理烤烟叶片Chl.b和总叶绿素含量显著下降.pH≤2.5模拟酸雨使烤烟叶片净光合速率(Pn)、气孔导度(Ls)、胞间CO2浓度(Ci)、叶面饱和蒸气压力亏缺(VPD)显著降低,使烤烟叶片的气孔限制值(Ls)和潜在水分利用效率(WUEi)显著升高,模拟酸雨使pH2.0处理烤烟叶片的蒸腾速率(Tr)和pH2.5处理的瞬时水分利用效率(WUE)显著降低.pH≥3.5处理的光合有效量子产量(EQY)、光合电子传递速率(ETR)和光化学猝灭(qP)与对照差异不大,但pH≤3.0处理明显降低;烤烟叶片的非光化学猝灭呈先升高后降低趋势,pH≥3.5处理的非光化学猝灭(NPQ)明显高于pH≤3.0处理.     

基于逐步回归分析方法的PM_(10)浓度预报模型

根据沈阳市2003～2005年的PM10浓度资料以及同期的气象要素资料,采用逐步回归方法建立了分季节的空气污染物PM10与气象因子的关系模型,并且利用2006年PM10资料和气象资料对模型进行了验证。结果表明:PM10预报浓度准确率和等级准确率最好的是夏秋两季,最差的是春季。春季当PM10日均浓度出现很高值时,预报结果与实测值有较大的误差,但趋势是一致的。秋季趋势的一致性不好,但波动比较小。冬季和夏季预报值与实测值的变化趋势基本上一致。     

构建湿地系统水力学参数的设计模型研究

构建湿地污水处理系统的水力学参数对于其功能的发挥起着非常重要的作用。在探讨构建湿地主要水力学设计参数的基础上,根据描述构建湿地污染物去除的几类机理模型:一级动力学模型、连续完全混合反应器模型、Monod动力学模型、Ergun公式以及对流-弥散模型,分别导出了相应的构建湿地污水处理系统水力学设计参数的计算模型并分析了不同设计模型的特点。     

气象灾害系统组成及评估理论体系探讨

结合国内外相关领域的研究情况,对气象灾害、孕灾环境、致灾因子和承灾体等重要概念下了较明确的定义,介绍了孕灾环境危险度这一度量孕灾环境灾害风险的概念,并对承灾体脆弱性、致灾因子强度等用以评估气象灾害的重要参数进行了初步研究,指出灾情是成灾后气象灾害系统的综合状态.最后建立了较完整的气象灾害评估理论体系.     

近58年廊坊市气象灾情普查分析及问题与建议

依据廊坊市气象灾情普查资料,对廊坊市1949—2007年主要气象灾害：暴雨洪涝、干旱、大风、冰雹、雷电等造成损失情况进行统计分析,并与同期灾害性天气发生情况进行对比,结果表明：98.4%的灾害性天气不会出现灾情;造成经济损失最大的气象灾害是暴雨洪涝;发生灾害性天气的站次总体呈下降趋势,但是近年来出现气象灾害灾情的站次呈逐渐上升趋势。同时在气象灾情普查中发现,目前廊坊市气象灾情的收集比较混乱,部门之间缺乏灾情信息共享、灾情调查渠道不畅、灾情损失计算不准确等诸多问题。在分析的基础上,提出了建立气象灾情信息共享平台等相关解决措施和建议。     

南京市环境空气质量与气象条件的关系分析

统计了2005年10月至2006年10月13个月的空气质量监测数据以及相关的气象参数（风向、风速）进行分析,找出南京市环境空气污染物的来源与重点工业区污染源的关系。     

基于水热因子波动的呼伦贝尔草原产草量模型

基于多年气象资料(温度和降水量)和产草量监测数据,采用相关分析、主成分分析和回归分析等方法,构建呼伦贝尔草原产草量与气象因子统计学模型,并对二者之间的关系进行了分析.结果表明:利用水热波动因子建立的多项式回归模型具有较好的拟合效果,所建立的呼伦贝尔草原产草量预测模型为y=100.209+1.6410x-0.00559x2.F值显著性检验表明,其复相关系数R2=0.4713,F=8.0239(P=0.0033),在α=0.01水平上显著.利用1989─2009年呼伦贝尔草原产草量数据进行模型精度检验,模型预测精度在85%以上.该预测模型具有选用参数易得、易于代入遥感数据中进行栅格计算、精度高于基于植被指数预测模型等特点.     

某型固体继电器储存性能退化规律研究

选用某型固体继电器在A、B、c、D等4地开展了为期131个月的库房储存试验,跟踪测试了其性能参数。应用F-检验和T-检验对其性能参数的测试数据进行了分析研究,结果表明储存131个月后,输入电流和输出接通电阻在4地有显著性的变化。通过研究4地试验样品性能参数的退化量,结果表明所有性能参数中输出接通电阻的退化量最大;4地相比,C地试验样品的输出接通电阻的退化量是最大的,A地试验样品的输出接通电阻的退化量是最小的。因此,A地最适合该型固体继电器的储存。     

Environmental change of coastal Sundarbans: Impact on livelihood and standard of living status of indigenous people

There is overwhelming scientific consensus that environmental change is currently having ecological and socioeconomical impacts at the micro and macrolevel. Over the coming decades, the impact of development, climate change, and urbanization on the ecosystem is likely to become even more ruthless in the Sundarbans. Like many other ecologically sensitive areas, the Sundarbans of the Indian state of West Bengal and of Bangladesh are being stressed climatically to the extreme due to their geographical location. This study explores both the ways in which residents of communities in the West Bengal and Bangladesh Sundarbans perceive changes in the environment, as well as intergenerational changes in livelihoods to be driven in a large part by environmental changes. Persons from a total of 368 households were interviewed using a structured interview tool. As an example of differences in perception between residents of the two areas, survey respondents from communities of the Sundarbans of Bangladesh were more likely to perceive that rainfall amounts are changing than did the residents interviewed from the Sundarbans of West Bengal. From the sample data, it is shown that in the Sundarbans of Bangladesh, 59% of the respondents, as compared to 63% of the respondents in West Bengal, reported that they had chosen to enter their parents’ occupations. From the multivariate logistic regression analysis, it was observed that, especially in Bangladesh when compared to West Bengal, the state of the environment plays a vital role in whether respondents adopt occupations other than those of their parents.