Analysis of the global warming dynamics from temperature time series

Global warming is the observed increase of the average temperature of the Earth. The primary cause of this phenomenon is the release of the greenhouse gases by burning of fossil fuels, land cleaning, agriculture, among others, leading to the increase of the so-called greenhouse effect. An approach to deal with this important problem is the time series analysis. In this regard, different techniques can be applied to evaluate the global warming dynamics. This kind of analysis allows one to make better predictions increasing our comprehension of the phenomenon. This article applies nonlinear tools to analyze temperature time series establishing state space reconstruction and prediction. Since noise contamination is unavoidable in data acquisition, it is important to employ robust techniques. The method of delay coordinates is employed for state space reconstruction and delay parameters are evaluated using the method of average mutual information and the method of false nearest neighbors. Afterwards, the simple nonlinear prediction method is employed to estimate temperatures of the future. Temperature time series from different places of the planet are used. Initially, the approach is verified considering known parts of the time series and afterwards, results are extrapolated for future values estimating temperature until 2028. Results show that these techniques are interesting to estimate temperature time history, presenting coherent estimations.     

Workaholism and daily recovery: A day reconstruction study of leisure activities

This study among 85 individuals used a day reconstruction approach to examine whether workaholism moderates the relationship between daily activities during non‐work time and daily well‐being in the evening (evening happiness, momentary vigor before bedtime, and momentary recovery before bedtime). Specifically, it was hypothesized that daily work‐related activities during the evening have a stronger negative relationship with daily well‐being for employees high (versus low) in workaholism and that daily physical and social activities have a stronger positive relationship with well‐being for employees high (versus low) in workaholism. The results of multilevel analyses largely supported the hypotheses for daily physical and work‐related activities but not for social activities during non‐work time. These findings imply that organizations should not encourage their employees and particularly those who score high on workaholism to work during non‐work time and instead promote physical exercise. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Using Paleo Reconstructions to Improve Streamflow Forecast Lead Time in the Western United States

In water stressed regions, water managers are exploring new horizons that would help in long‐range streamflow forecasts. Oceanic‐atmospheric oscillations have been shown to influence streamflow variability. In this study, long‐lead time streamflow forecasts are made using a multiclass kernel‐based data‐driven support vector machine (SVM) model. The extended streamflow records based on tree ring reconstructions were used to provide a longer time series data. Reconstructed data were used from 1658 to 1952 and the instrumental record was used from 1953 to 2007. Reconstructions for oceanic‐atmospheric oscillations included the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation, Pacific Decadal Oscillation, Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, and North Atlantic Oscillation. Streamflow forecasts using all four oscillations were made with one‐year to five‐year lead times for 21 gages in the western United States. This is the first study that uses both instrumental and reconstructed data of oscillations in SVM model to improve streamflow forecast lead time. SVM model was able to provide “satisfactory” to “very good” forecasts with one‐ to five‐year lead time for the selected gages. The use of all the oscillation indices helped in achieving better predictability compared to using individual oscillations. The SVM modeling results are better when compared with multiple linear regression model forecasts. The findings are statistical in nature and are expected to be useful for long‐term water resources planning and management.     

装修改造对结构整体安全性影响分析

归纳了危害结构安全的主要装修改造行为,提出装修改造对结构安全性影响应以整体结构为研究对象,分析结构整体抗力的变化。以实际工程为例,对装修改造前后建筑结构进行设计复核,重点分析了建筑荷载增加、承重墙窗下墙拆除对结构安全性的影响。指出在各种装修因素综合作用下,结构承重体系发生改变,尤其是抗震薄弱构件的出现,使结构整体抗震能力大大降低。提出保证建筑结构安全性的合理化建议,对防止突发性灾害具有重要意义。     

车人碰撞事故再现技术研究进展

车人碰撞事故再现已成为国内外研究热点,提高结果可信性为事故再现的核心。根据事故再现所需痕迹将再现方法分为6类,即"行人抛距"、"车辆制动距离"、"行人损伤"、"车辆变形"、"其他"以及"仿真"。通过分析各类方法的优缺点,提出可综合利用这些方法获得客观、可信的事故再现结果。然后探讨提高车人碰撞事故再现结果可信性的新发展方向:开发国产、高精度的事故再现软件,研究事故再现结果的不确定性问题,以及研究痕迹间关系在事故再现中的应用。而其中仿真所得事故再现结果的不确定性问题、车人碰撞事故再现区间不确定优化方法以及事故现场痕迹间关系为值得期待的新研究内容。     

基于GIS的巴东县新城区滑坡灾害危险性区划

巴东县新城区是三峡库区滑坡灾害最为发育的地段之一。通过还原滑坡形成前的物质组成和历史环境,选取了影响滑坡发育的地层岩性、水位影响带等9项评价指标。完善了基于地形条件的不规则单元划分方法,对研究区进行了斜坡评价单元的划分,使得评价单元具有更明确的地质意义和更完善的地质结构。此外,将各影响因素图与斜坡评价单元分布图叠加得到计算单元,在计算单元信息量求解的基础上提出了斜坡评价单元信息量的计算方法,进行了基于斜坡评价单元的危险性区划,得到了巴东县新城区滑坡灾害危险性区划图。分析结果表明,水位影响带、居民区、公路分布区及顺向坡坡型与滑坡灾害发生的相关性最大。高危险区占城区面积的16.4%,主要分布在长江两岸临江地段。     

An integrated approach: managing resources for post-disaster reconstruction

A lack of resources for post-disaster housing reconstruction significantly limits the prospects for successful recovery. Following the earthquake in Wenchuan, China, in May 2008, housing reconstruction was not immune to resource shortages and price inflation. Difficulties in sourcing materials and labour considerably impeded recovery. This paper provides evidence of the resourcing bottlenecks inherent in the post-Wenchuan earthquake reconstruction process. Its aim is to present an integrated planning framework for managing resources for post-disaster housing rebuilding. The results are drawn from in-field surveys that highlight the areas where stakeholders need to concentrate effort, including revising legislation and policy, enhancing capacity for rebuilding in the construction industry, strengthening the transportation network, restructuring market mechanisms, and incorporating environmental considerations into overall planning. Although the case study presented here is country-specific, it is hoped that the findings provide a basis for future research to identify resourcing constraints and solutions in other disaster contexts.     

Tsunami survivors' perspectives on vulnerability and vulnerability reduction: evidence from Koh Phi Phi Don and Khao Lak, Thailand

This paper presents the results of primary research with 40 survivors of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in two communities: Khao Lak (n=20) and Koh Phi Phi Don (n=20), Thailand. It traces tsunami survivors' perceptions of vulnerability, determines whether residents felt that the tsunami affected different communities differently, identifies the populations and sub-community groups that survivors distinguished as being more vulnerable than others, highlights community-generated ideas about vulnerability reduction, and pinpoints a range of additional vulnerability reduction actions. Tsunami survivors most consistently identified the 'most vulnerable' community sub-populations as women, children, the elderly, foreigners, and the poor. In Khao Lak, however, respondents added 'Burmese migrants' to this list, whereas in Koh Phi Phi Don, they added 'Thai Muslims'. Results suggest that the two case study communities, both small, coastal, tourism-dominated communities no more than 100 kilometres apart, have differing vulnerable sub-groups and environmental vulnerabilities, requiring different post-disaster vulnerability reduction efforts.     

北宋后期黄河上游地区耕地格局重建——以河湟谷地为例

黄河上游的河湟谷地是人类活动历史悠久的地区之一,是黄河沿线耕地开垦的最西端,聚落和耕地重建对黄河流域人类活动和全球变化研究具有重要的现实意义。通过梳理大量历史文献资料,建立了北宋后期（1117年）河湟谷地聚落和耕地数据库,以聚落空间分布为基础,运用网格化模型,重建了北宋后期河湟谷地耕地格局。结果表明：（1）北宋后期河湟谷地聚落集中分布在黄河、湟水河干流沿岸海拔相对较低、坡度较缓的河流冲积和洪积平原。（2）河湟谷地的耕地总面积为304.67 km²,分配有耕地的网格仅占全区的16.16%,垦殖率最高的网格仅为24.16%,其中,湟水河谷耕地分布网格约占全部的74.06%,黄河干流约占25.94%,说明北宋后期耕地开垦主要集中在湟水河流域。（3）从聚落分布的海拔高度来看,大部分耕地网格分布在海拔2600 m以下的川水地区,说明当时耕地分布范围不大,海拔高度极大地限制了耕地的分布,耕地主要分布在灌溉条件相对优越的地区。（4）基于聚落重建耕地空间格局,其结果符合耕地随聚落分布的事实,更具有可靠性。     

过硫酸钠缓释胶囊反应带修复苯胺污染地下水

针对有机污染地下水原位化学氧化修复中普遍存在的氧化剂过量使用、污染物反弹和二次污染问题,以苯胺（AN）为特征污染物,以活化过硫酸盐为氧化剂,采用硬脂酸为胶结剂,制备过硫酸钠（PS）和硫酸亚铁（FeSO₄）缓释胶囊,构建基于PS和FeSO₄缓释胶囊的可渗透反应屏障（PS-FeSO₄-PRB）,考查了缓释胶囊组分、地下水流速对PRB中活性物质释放和AN去除的影响.结果表明,当缓释胶囊中活性物质/硬脂酸为1/2,地下水流速为0.1mL/min时,48h后PRB中PS和Fe²⁺累计释放率分别为43.18%和14.98%.当PRB中FeSO₄/PS为1/9时,AN累计去除率达到95.37%,TOC累计去除率为57.07%.采用砂柱模拟AN污染地下水,比较了直接注射PS和FeSO₄与PS-FeSO₄-PRB两种处理方式的修复性能,4d内两者的AN累计去除率分别为35.22%和69.74%,TOC累计去除率分别为15.83%与14.88%.PS-FeSO₄-PRB修复效果明显高于直接注射处理.GC/MS分析表明,处理后产生了对苯醌、偶氮苯以及长链烷烃等产物,导致AN矿化率不高.pH值和Eh连续记录结果表明,PS-FeSO₄-PRB处理能够保持反应体系氧化还原电位和酸碱性的相对稳定.相比直接注射氧化剂,基于PS和FeSO₄-缓释胶囊的PRB处理中地下水的急性毒性更低,二次污染风险更小.