COMPUTER SIMULATION OF RECREATIONAL BOATING ACTIVITIES1

ABSTRACT This paper is concerned with the portion of harbor improvement planning which identifies the refuge and transient service needs at points along Lake Michigan. The travel behavior model developed to predict this use is sensitive to five criteria: boater characteristics which influence travel behavior; entry rates into the Lake from each access site; site characteristics; weather conditions; and planning parameters. The information provided by this computer model includes: the number of boaters demanding a given access point at a given time; the length of stay at that point; the probability of travel to specific access sites in given amounts of time; and those facilities used during a specified time period. The simulation modelling boat movement consists of two parts; a traffic generation routine and an activity simulation. The former schedules the entry of boats into the Lake from each site and the latter establishes the probabilistic movement of boats on the Lake. This simulation of interport movements and port activities enables the planner to investigate some impacts of alternative small boat harbor development plans.     

林火行为预测预报专家系统

在针对我国大兴安岭林区典型可燃物进行实验的基础上,参考美国北方林火实验室编制的BEHAVE程序中的数学模型,提出了一整套估算森林地表火火行为特征量的表达式。在此基础上,通过交互式窗口技术、字符型汉字技术和专家系统原理,建立了“林火行为预测预报专家系统”。该系统在输入现场可燃物分布特性参数及相应的地形条件和气象条件后,即能迅速预测火蔓延过程中不同时间段的火行为特征量的值。与野外试验的结果对比表明,预测的结果是合理、可靠的。     

Nest platforms increase aggressive behavior in common loons

Artificial manipulations of habitat, such as those that incorporate adding nesting boxes or platforms for birds, often enhance the breeding success of threatened animals. However, such alterations are likely to have unintended behavioral and ecological effects that might negatively impact the target species or others in its community. We conducted a controlled study to investigate the effect of artificial nesting platforms on aggressive behavior and reproductive success of male common loons (Gavia immer). Males residing on territories to which platforms were added produced longer territorial "yodels" (reflecting willingness to escalate a contest), experienced increased levels of confrontation and aggression with territorial intruders, and experienced increased rates of territorial displacement by intruders. Surprisingly, males of treatment territories also experienced lower productivity. Therefore, in addition to providing novel empirical support of sequential assessment models of animal contests that predict contest escalation with increasing resource quality, this study is one of a few to show that tools used to mitigate habitat loss can negatively impact reproductive fitness in a threatened species.     

Coming out of the woods: do termites need a specialized worker caste to search for new food sources?

Most small-colony termites live confined within a single piece of wood on which they feed and do not possess permanent workers: Tasks are done by developmentally flexible immatures (pseudergates). By contrast, large-colony termites possess a specialized (true) worker caste and forage outside their nest for food. To shed light on possible transitional steps between these contrasting patterns of social organization, we studied an atypical Rhinotermitidae, Prorhinotermes inopinatus. In this species, despite the absence of a true worker caste, soldiers, pseudergates, and neotenic reproductives may leave the nest and explore their surroundings. Although evidence presented in this study indicates that termites recognize unknown areas, there is no directional recruitment toward them. The discovery of a food source, i.e., a piece of wood, is followed by the establishment of a long-lasting trail between the nest and the food source. A large fraction of the colony, including neotenic reproductives, ultimately migrates into the piece of wood. Our results thus demonstrate that multiple features of external foraging behavior can evolve independently of the existence of a true worker caste in termites. We suggest that large colonies with true workers, like those of most Rhinotermitidae, may easily have evolved from a Prorhinotermes-like pattern if submitted to increasing selective pressures for worker efficiency in a stable environment.     

Risky scenario identification in a risk perception scale for construction workers in Thailand

Introduction: Construction sites exhibit unique hazardous characteristics. Hence, investigating the causes of fatal and nonfatal accidents is extremely important to promote safety on construction sites. Literature shows a risk perception (RP) scale for construction workers; to expand the existing research, this study aims to identify risky scenarios for assessing the RP of Thai construction workers, with the goal of reducing workplace incidents. Method: The scale development process consists of four phases. Item development was also performed, followed by factor analysis. Reliability and validity assessments were finalized in the process. A survey of 500 construction workers in Thailand was conducted to investigate risky scenarios. Through the process, a total of 17 items remained in the final RP scale, and the reliability and validity of these items were confirmed. Results: The RP scale was affirmed to have four dimensions (probability, severity, worry, and unsafe). These dimensions of workers’ RP were negatively correlated with the workers’ risk-taking behaviors. This study further showed that participants with a high level of affective RP were more likely to have a high level of cognitive RP. Hence, those with a high level of RP tended to be involved in fewer risk-taking behaviors. Practical Applications: The final version of the scale was reliable and valid in determining the RP and risk-taking behaviors of construction workers in Thailand.     

行为安全观察与沟通在石油化工企业HSE管理中的应用

介绍了行为安全观察与沟通的基本原理及方法,阐述了行为安全观察与沟通的过程及其信息化管理的应用情况,指出了安全观察与沟通应注意的问题。     

黑色金属材料在长江淡水中的腐蚀行为

通过现场暴露试验,获得了2种碳钢、3种不锈钢及1种不锈钢与碳钢复合板材料在武汉长江淡水中的4年腐蚀试验结果,总结了它们的腐蚀行为。结果表明,Q235和16Mn碳钢在武汉长江中有较高的腐蚀率和明显的点蚀,稳定腐蚀率为0．055mm／a;暴露4a,奥氏体不锈钢304和316L没有明显腐蚀,而马氏体不锈钢430有较明显的点蚀和缝隙腐蚀;马氏体不锈钢0Crl3Ni5Mo与Q345c复合钢板在长江淡水中使用4a后,OCrl3Ni5Mo发生严重的点蚀,说明马氏体不锈钢在淡水中的应用应慎重。     

Side biases in humans (Homo sapiens): three ecological studies on hemispheric asymmetries

Hemispheric asymmetries and side biases have been studied in humans mostly in laboratory settings, and evidence obtained in naturalistic settings is scarce. We here report the results of three studies on human ear preference observed during social interactions in noisy environments, i.e., discotheques. In the first study, a spontaneous right-ear preference was observed during linguistic exchange between interacting individuals. This lateral bias was confirmed in a quasi-experimental study in which a confederate experimenter evoked an ear-orienting response in bystanders, under the pretext of approaching them with a whispered request. In the last study, subjects showed a greater proneness to meet an experimenter’s request when it was directly addressed to the right rather than the left ear. Our findings are in agreement both with laboratory studies on hemispheric lateralization for language and approach/avoidance behavior in humans and with animal research. The present work is one of the few studies demonstrating the natural expression of hemispheric asymmetries, showing their effect in everyday human behavior.     

乡镇级耕地质量综合评价及其时空演变分析

以山东广饶县丁庄镇为例,探索乡镇尺度耕地质量评价的体系与方法,以便更好地指导农业生产。在系统分析耕地自然环境条件、土壤理化性质、农业基础设施的基础上,充分考虑农户对耕地质量的影响并构建指标体系,以模糊评判法综合评价了1979年、2005年和2007年的耕地质量,并在此基础上分析了其时空变化特征。结果表明：丁庄镇耕地质量不断提高,呈现出明显的时空演变规律。一、二级地所占耕地面积从1979年的0.060%,增加到2005年的91.42%和2007年的98.62%,耕地质量稳步提高;耕地离行政中心、河流越远,离渤海越近,其质量降低,东北部近海地区和镇政府驻地附近地区耕地质量增幅明显高于其它地区。研究发现,作物平均产量与耕地质量之间存在极显著的线性关系。该研究丰富了乡镇尺度耕地质量评价的方法体系,对乡镇耕地质量评价及其耕地资源高效、可持续利用有积极指导意义。     

长江口邻近海域表层沉积物中的细菌藿多醇及对低氧区的响应判别

作为新型细菌生物标志物的细菌藿多醇（bacteriohopanepolyols,BHPs）在有机质来源追踪和环境变化响应等方面有明确的指示作用.本文应用高效液相色谱串联大气压化学电离源质谱法（HPLC-APCI-MS）分析,在解析长江口邻近海域表层沉积物中BHPs的组成、分布和来源特征基础上,探讨了BHPs对长江口邻近海域季节性低氧的指示作用.结果表明,长江口邻近海域表层沉积物中共检测出12种BHPs,其含量范围（以TOC计）为3.79~269 μg·g^-1.BHPs以细菌藿四醇（bacteriohopanetetrol,BHT）、2-甲基BHT、氨基BHPs和腺苷藿烷及同系物为主要组分,分别占总量的40%、22%、12%和4%.各组分含量及相应指标呈现出明显的空间变化趋势,其中,主要来源于海洋自生来源的BHT呈现明显的"离岸增加"趋势;主要为陆源贡献的腺苷藿烷等土壤标志物BHPs呈现明显的"离岸降低"特征.Rsoil指数呈现出与腺苷藿烷等土壤标志物BHPs相似的空间分布格局,其陆源有机质贡献从近岸的61.5%下降至外海的1.66%,表明长江口邻近海域近岸有机质主要为陆源输入,而外海主要为海源贡献.细菌藿四醇同分异构体BHT-Ⅱ来源于厌氧氨氧化细菌,其相对含量的高值区与长江口低氧区分布相一致,且与底层水溶解氧（DO）含量呈显著负相关,表明低氧环境有利于BHT-Ⅱ的生成,BHT-Ⅱ可用于指示海洋低氧区环境特征.