Parasitoid-induced mortality of Araneus omnicolor (Araneae, Araneidae) by Hymenoepimecis sp. (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) in southeastern Brazil

All species included in the Polysphincta genus-group develop as ectophagous parasitoids of active spiders, killing their hosts prior to pupation. However, little information regarding natural history and ovipositing behavior of most species are available. In this study we inspected 85 webs of Araneus omnicolor to evaluate the frequency of parasitism and host size preferences of the wasp Hymenoepimecis sp. We also described the web characteristics of normal and parasitized spiders and the wasp ovipositing behavior. About 41% of the adult females of A. omnicolor inspected were parasitized. The highest incidence of parasitism was observed among relatively small females while no egg or larva was found in large individuals. Araneus omnicolor builds a strong web composed of an orb and barrier threads, where the spider rests within a curled leaf. The parasitoid larva builds its cocoon within this refuge, and modified cocoon webs were not observed. The ovipositing behavior of Hymenoepimecis sp. was very similar to that of Hymenoepimecis argyraphaga parasitizing Leucauge argyra, including the position of the sting, the killing of a previously attached larva, and the expelling of the egg from the base of the ovipositor.     

Secondary analysis of time of day on simulated driving performance

PROBLEM: Age and gender are frequently controlled for in studies of driving performance, but the effects of time of day or circadian cycles on performance are often not considered. Previous research on time of day effects of simulated driving is contradictory and provides little guidance for understanding the impact of these variables on results. METHODS: Using driving simulator data from 79 subjects ages 18 to 65, this paper focuses on the impact of age, gender, and time of day on the simulated driving performance of subjects who self-selected the time of participation. RESULTS: Time of day effects were consistently evident for drivers' speed overall and across different simulated environments. Drivers in the late afternoon period consistently drove significantly slower than drivers in other time periods. Age and gender affected speed such that women and those participants 50 and older tended to drive more slowly. Time of day also had an effect on reaction time and on speed variability measures. Gender did not have significant effects on reaction time or variability measures, but age effects were present. SUMMARY: Taken together, the results suggest that time of day effects should be considered as part of simulated driving performance, and that interactions between time of day and other variables, notably age, should be controlled for as part of future research. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: Implications of these findings on current efforts for older driver testing are discussed.     

重金属在河口区潮汐界面与盐度界面响应规律研究

河口潮汐、盐度、悬浮颗粒物特征因影响化学物质在水体与其他介质之间分配行为,使得咸淡水生物利用度上产生差别,造成咸淡水水质基准标准的差异.重金属如铜,锌,铅,镉和铬等指标由于广泛分布在淡水及海水中,在较高的浓度下可具毒性效应,是现行《地表水环境质量标准》(GB 3838-2002)和《海水水质标准》(GB 3097-1997)常规监测项目.本研究以大辽河口为例,探索这些重金属指标在咸淡水河口区衔接情况和响应规律.首先,基于生物、化学和地质地理相似性确定潮汐界面(TCI)和河海边界(FSI)的位置,划分为潮汐淡水区及混合区.其次,分析了一个潮汐周期内重金属指标的变化特征,以及潮汐淡水区及混合区内盐度和悬浮颗粒物对分配系数Kd的影响,结果表明砷、镉和铬等指标更易受盐度的影响,而锌、铜、铅和镍等指标更易受悬浮颗粒物和潮汐状态的影响.最后,结合潮汐状态和分配系数研究结果,根据这些指标在TCI和FSI的变化趋势,归纳为两类响应规律:第一类如砷、镉和铬等指标,这类指标在FSI具有明显的突变点;第二类如锌、铜、铅和镍等指标,从TCI开始发生变化.两类指标在水相-沉积相-颗粒相介质的分配行为表明颗粒相和沉积相具有相似的变化趋势,尤其颗粒相中的重金属浓度,取决于悬浮颗粒物的浓度,指标响应差异主要存在于水相中.通过本研究识别出易受不同环境因子(如盐度和SS)控制的敏感指标,提出需关注河口本身特征造成的指标背景差异的必要性,将有助于我国现行水质标准制定、修订工作的实施和开展.     

锈蚀钢筋混凝土圆柱抗震性能的试验研究

对不同锈蚀程度的钢筋混凝土圆柱进行低周反复试验,研究了不同轴压比下的钢筋锈蚀率对钢筋混凝土圆柱滞回曲线、骨架曲线、刚度、延性及耗能能力的影响;给出了试件累积耗能、屈服荷栽、极限荷栽、荷栽最大值和位移延性系数与钢筋锈蚀率和轴压比的关系.研究表明,随着钢筋锈蚀率和轴压比的增大,试件的滞回曲线趋于干瘪,骨架曲线下降段变陡,试...     

人的差错行为对矿山安全的模糊综合评判

人的差错行为对矿山安全有着极大的影响.对人的差错行为因素进行分析,利用模糊综合评判的方法,对某煤矿工人作业行为安全性的评判,确定该煤矿矿工行为的安全状态,从而及时了解矿工情绪、心理等状态,适时地进行安全培训教育,以保障人员安全作业.     

Lower flammability limits of flammable ternary organic mixtures: Synergistic behavior

Organic flammable liquids and their mixtures, which possess high risk of combustion and explosion, are widely used as raw materials and solvents in chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Lower flammability limits (LFL) is one of the most important parameters to characterize the combustion and explosion hazards of combustible gases and liquid vapors. The LFL of various ternary organic mixtures consist of ketone (acetone and butanone), ester (ethyl acetate) and alcohol (ethanol and isopropanol) were tested at 25 °C and atmospheric pressure. The results showed that resulted LFL values of the experiment were always lower than those calculated by volume fraction weighting method when the volume fraction of alcohol was less than 20 vol% but more than 10 vol%. The co-existence of alcohol and ethyl acetate had synergistic effect on reducing the LFL values of ternary organic mixtures and thus increased their explosive risk. The mechanism of synergistic effect was analyzed, and the results showed that the OH· and H· radicals produced by the oxidation decomposition of alcohols and esters accelerated the oxidation process of ternary organic mixtures, which led to the decrease of experimental LFL values and thus corresponding increased of their explosive risk. This study would be expected to provide some guidance for designing or choosing safer and more suitable ternary organic mixtures prior to their applications for engineering.     

基于视频分析的人群密集场所客流监控预警研究

为实现人群密集场所客流安全隐患早发现,辅助管理人员早决策,人群聚集风险区早疏散,提升对灾难的预见性和主动性。在国内外人群异常聚集监测预警现状分析基础上,对比分析得出监控视频分析技术是解决人群密集场所精准预警难题较为理想的解决方案;构建以视频智能分析的人群计数、密度估计、行人追踪、活动烈度识别为核心技术的人群密集场所风险预警技术框架;将该技术框架应用到某大型商圈的商业街区,获得监控区域内的人群总数、密度分布、行人轨迹和异常活动等特征。结果表明:提出的基于视频分析的人群密集场所风险预警技术框架可为城市大型商圈、交通枢纽、大型活动场所等城市公共场所的安全管理提供参考和借鉴。     

组织支持感对建筑业农民工不安全行为的影响*

为对建筑业农民工的不安全行为进行科学有效的管理,探讨组织支持感、自我效能感与建筑业农民工不安全行为之间的关系,防止因建筑业农民工不安全行为造成的不安全事件发生,从组织行为学和计划行为学视角出发,以218名一线建筑业农民工为研究对象,通过构建结构方程模型进行实证分析。结果表明:组织支持感的3个维度均可直接对建筑业农民工的不安全行为产生负向显著影响,其中关心利益维度影响最大,工作支持维度次之;建筑业农民工的自我效能感在其组织支持感与不安全行为的负向关系中起到中介作用。     

施工组织正式网络结构特征对组织安全行为的影响关系研究

为提升建筑施工安全管理水平,探讨施工组织正式网络的结构特征对组织安全行为的影响关系。基于社会网络分析方法,引入安全沟通作为中介变量,建立施工组织正式网络结构特征、安全沟通和组织安全行为的假设模型。基于91个施工组织正式网络结构特征分析,使用多层回归分析方法检验假设模型。结果表明:网络密度、出度中心势和聚类系数均显著正向影响组织安全行为;中间中心势和平均路径长度均显著负向影响组织安全行为;入度中心势对组织安全行为影响不显著;安全沟通分别在出度中心势和中间中心势与组织安全行为的关系中起完全中介作用;安全沟通分别在密度、平均路径长度和聚类系数与组织安全行为的关系中起部分中介作用;安全沟通在入度中心势与组织安全行为的关系中未起到中介作用。     

An application of a modified theory of planned behavior model to investigate adolescents’ job safety knowledge,norms, attitude and intention to enact workplace safety and health skills

Introduction: For many reasons, including a lack of adequate safety training and education, U.S. adolescents experience a higher rate of job-related injury compared to adult workers. Widely used social-psychological theories in public health research and practice, such as the theory of planned behavior, may provide guidance for developing and evaluating school-based interventions to prepare adolescents for workplace hazards and risks. Method: Using a structural equation modeling approach, the current study explores whether a modified theory of planned behavior model provides insight on 1,748 eighth graders’ occupational safety and health (OSH) attitude, subjective norm, self-efficacy and behavioral intention, before and after receiving instruction on a free, national young worker safety and health curriculum. Reliability estimates for the measures were produced and direct and indirect associations between knowledge and other model constructs assessed. Results: Overall, the findings align with the theory of planned behavior. The structural equation model adequately fit the data; most path coefficients are statistically significant and knowledge has indirect effects on behavioral intention. Confirmatory factor analyses suggest that the knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy, and behavioral intention measures each reflect a unique dimension (reliability estimates ≥0.86), while the subjective norm measure did not perform adequately. Conclusion: The findings presented provide support for using behavioral theory (specifically a modified theory of planned behavior) to investigate adolescents’ knowledge, perceptions, and behavioral intention to engage in safe and healthful activities at work, an understanding of which may contribute to reducing the downstream burden of injury on this vulnerable population—the future workforce. Practical application: Health behavior theories, commonly used in the social and behavioral sciences, have utility and provide guidance for developing and evaluating OSH interventions, including those aimed at preventing injuries and promoting the health and safety of adolescent workers in the U.S., who are injured at higher rates than are adults.