The effects of breath alcohol concentration on postural control

Background: Two of the 3 standardized field sobriety tests that U.S. law enforcement uses at roadside checks have a postural equilibrium component to them. Those tests have been validated to detect impairment caused by blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) of 0.08 g/dL or above. Many medical and traffic safety associations support a lower limit, and one state, Utah, has passed a law to lower the limit to 0.05 g/dL. Many studies have examined the effects of alcohol on postural control (of which postural equilibrium is a component), with a consensus emerging that impairment is usually found at BACs greater than 0.06 g/dL. Most of these studies, however, had a relatively small number of subjects, usually between 10 and 30. The current study collected data from a much larger sample.

Objective: The objective of this study was to provide additional evidence that posture control is negatively affected at BACs greater than 0.06 g/dL or breath alcohol concentrations (BrACs) of 0.06 g/210 L.

Method: This was a between-subjects study, with BrAC group as the independent variable (5 levels: 0.00, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08, and 0.10 g/210 L); 4 measures of postural control as the dependent variables; and age, height, and weight as the covariates. Posture control was measured with a force-sensing platform connected to a computer. The feet's center of pressure (CoP) on the platform was recorded and the corresponding movement of the body in the anterior–posterior and lateral planes was derived. Participants (N = 96) were randomly assigned to one of the BrAC groups. Positive BrAC groups were compared to the zero BrAC group. Data were examined with hierarchical multiple regression.

Results: Adjusted for age, height, and weight, the main effect of lateral CoP with eyes open was not statistically significant. There was a statistically significant main effect of alcohol on anterior–posterior CoP excursion with eyes open and with eyes closed and lateral CoP excursion with eyes closed. For all 3 of those variables, only BrACs of 0.08 and 0.10 g/210 L produced differences against zero BrAC. Although the main effect of alcohol on Lateral CoP Excursion with eyes open was not statistically significant, the contrasts between 0 and 0.08 and 0 and 0.10 g/210L BrAC were in the hypothesized direction.

Conclusion: The current study did not directly address the issue of whether the sobriety tests are sensitive to BrACs of 0.05 g/210 L or above; rather, it provides additional evidence that postural control, one of the components of those tests, is relatively unaffected by BrACs lower than 0.08 g/210 L. Additional research is needed on the diagnostic characteristics of the sobriety tests at BrACs lower than 0.08 g/210 L.     

土壤污染对地下水影响的2种评估方法的应用与比较

以某含1,2-二氯乙烷等10种有机物污染土壤回填项目为例,介绍了2种方法(三相平衡耦合地下水稀释模型和Sesoil耦合地下水稀释模型)在评估土壤污染对地下水影响中的具体应用并进行了比较. 结果表明,采用US EPA(美国国家环境保护局)推荐的三相平衡耦合地下水稀释模型预测的地下水中目标污染物浓度高于新泽西州推荐的Sesoil耦合地下水稀释模型的3~10倍,污染物亨利常数及碳水分配系数越高,二者的差异越明显,达到1个数量级. 对于多环芳烃类的强疏水性有机污染物,2种方法的评估结论无本质差异. 出于保守性及调查成本的考虑,在制订国家或区域范围基于保护地下水的土壤通用筛选值时,建议采用所需参数相对较少的三相平衡耦合地下水稀释模型的方法,以节约调查成本. 对于具体评估项目,当污染物浓度超过通用筛选值时,建议进一步对场地水文地质条件进行调查,采用Sesoil耦合地下水稀释模型重新评估并计算该特定场地的筛选值,以节约修复成本.      

长江三峡水库气候效应数值模拟

在地形坐标系中建立了一个三维静力平衡的大气-土壤耦合模式,模式详细考虑了复杂地形、植被和水面的热力、动力过程。与其它中、小尺度模式相比其独特之处是：此模式在地表与植被冠层建立的辐射平衡方程和能量平衡方程中,均详细地考虑了坡度、坡向的影响。观测表明,长江三峡江面水温的日变化小于3℃。长江三峡段水流湍急,江水上下交换十分剧烈,各处水深变化较大,使模拟江水的动力、热力过程变得十分困难。所以,在研究中忽略了江水温度的日变化,模式中作为动力、热力外强迫因子,水库建成后的改变仅为水面海拔高度的升高和水面区域的扩大,水面温度是常数。用此模式模拟研究长江三峡建成前后气象要素场的日变化过程,通过计算它们的差别来分析水库的小气候效应。结果表明风、温、湿气象要素场在方圆近10 km范围内均有不同程度的改变,但变化幅度不大。     

“耕地总量动态平衡”政策驱动下中国的耕地变化及其生态环境效应

土地政策是影响土地利用及生态环境变化的一个重要的驱动因素。论文分析了“耕地总量动态平衡”政策对中国的耕地变化及其生态环境效应的影响,结果表明,“耕地总量动态平衡”政策对中国耕地的数量变化产生了积极作用,主要表现为:非农建设占用耕地的势头总体上得到遏制,全国及各省(市、区)基本实现耕地占补平衡,促进了农地整理工作的开展。但是,该政策对中国耕地的质量变化的影响却相反,在全国实现耕地占补平衡的情况下,耕地的总体生产能力呈下降趋势,同时,对生态环境产生了一定的负面效应。在此基础上,论文提出了重新审视“耕地总量动态平衡”政策的可行性,以“保护和提高耕地综合生产能力”替代“耕地总量动态平衡”以及根据土地资源区域差异采取不同的具体措施等对该政策加以调整的思路。     

Incorporating natural capital into economy-wide impact analysis: a case study from Alberta

Traditionally, decision-makers have relied on economic impactestimates derived from conventional economy-wide models. Conventional models lack the environmental linkages necessary for examining environmental stewardship and economic sustainability, and in particular the ability to assess the impact of policies on natural capital. This study investigatesenvironmentally extended economic impact estimation on a regionalscale using a case study region in the province of Alberta knownas the Foothills Model Forest (FMF). Conventional economic impactmodels are environmentally extended in pursuit of enhancingpolicy analysis and local decision-making. It is found that theflexibility of the computable general equilibrium (CGE) modelingapproach offers potential for environmental extension, with a solid grounding in economic theory. The CGE approach may be the tool of the future for more complete integrated environment andeconomic impact assessment.     

Experimental investigation of adsorption capacity of anthill in the removal of heavy metals from aqueous solution

In the present work, the adsorption capacity of anthill was investigated as a low‐cost adsorbent to remove the heavy metal ions, lead (II) ion (Pb²⁺), and zinc (II) ion (Zn²⁺) from an aqueous solution. The equilibrium adsorption isotherms of the heavy metal ions were investigated under batch process. For the study we examined the effect of the solution's pH and the initial cations concentrations on the adsorption process under a fixed contact time and temperature. The anthill sample was characterized using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), X‐ray fluorescence (XRF), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) techniques. From the SEM analysis, structural change in the adsorbent was a result of heavy metals adsorption. Based on the XRF analysis, the main composition of the anthill sample was silica (SiO₂), alumina (Al₂O₃), and zirconia (ZrO₂). The change in the peaks of the spectra before and after adsorption indicated that there was active participation of surface functional groups during the adsorption process. The experimental data obtained were analyzed using 2‐ and 3‐parameter isotherm models. The isotherm data fitted very well to the 3‐parameter Radke–Prausnitz model. It was noted that Pb²⁺ and Zn²⁺ can be effectively removed from aqueous solution using anthill as an adsorbent.     

旅游新景区开发的利益相关者博弈分析——以平顶山清水河景区为例

以博弈均衡理论为基础,以平顶山市清水河景区为案例,通过对"人系统"中各利益相关者的实地调研和走访,从博弈论的角度探讨了各利益相关者之间的博弈行为及其博弈均衡。研究表明,只有顾全各利益相关者的利益追求和利益最优化,保证多方利益的协调才是旅游新景区开发的最佳途径,从而为旅游新景区开发提出了一种新的分析方法。     

O&M SPENDING LEVELS IN THIRD WORLD IRRIGATION SYSTEMS: EXPLORING ECONOMIC ALTERNATIVES1

ABSTRACT: Third World irrigation and drainage systems have experienced major declines recently in both capability and performance. This is due initially to working them well beyond their design capaci-capacities; scouring, sedimentation, and overtopping result. Chronic O&M underfunding then adds heavily to this worsening malaise. International donors have assisted irrigation departments with rehabilitation projects and programs to improve O&M effectiveness on a grand (billions of dollars) scale. Despite their historical propensity to examine, almost fastidiously, program economic justifications (B/C, IRR, etc), the donors apparently have glossed over two basic analytic elements for (a) more spending on O&M as distinct from an equivalent spending on other means to provide farmers with an m³ of water; and (b) different levels of O&M spending on canals and drains. Surely those different levels provide differing benefits, in total, and at the margin. Which level is most economic? This paper identifies these latter analytical issues, posits methodologies key to an O&M spending level analysis, and discusses the information base. Particular attention is paid to identifying relevant costs and benefits, and to suggesting supplementary criteria for O&M spending level selection. The paper is an exercise in delineation of an imminently practical area of irrigation engineering economics.     

顶空气相色谱法测定食品中甜蜜素含量

采用顶空气相色谱法测定食品中甜蜜素含量,探讨了气液相平衡条件及色谱条件的选择,实验结果表明甜蜜素的标准溶液在0.1-0.4μg/l范围内具有良好的线性关系,回收率为87.5%-101.8%,相对标准偏差为2.6%.     

微孔TiO2负载Pt吸附强化矿化甲苯的性能

矿化效率不足是光催化技术应用于挥发性有机化合物（VOCs）净化的关键限制因素之一。为了提高VOCs的矿化效率,制备了高比表面（736 m2·g-1）微孔TiO2材料,以其为载体构建了微孔TiO2与Pt的吸附强化光催化二元结构体系。采用比表面积（BET）、透射电镜（TEM）、X射线光电子能谱（XPS）等方法考察材料结构,并以甲苯为VOCs代表研究材料的吸附-光催化特性。结果表明,Pt修饰微孔TiO2表现出特异的吸附和催化能力,甲苯平衡吸附量和矿化效率分别是P25的3.8~4.1倍和2.6~2.9倍。微孔TiO2载体除了吸附强化作用外,其表面通过Pt修饰可产生大量表面羟基,从而利于Pt-TiO2的常温催化过程。