Data classification and performance evaluation for the most commonly-used univariate alarm systems

Alarm systems are critically important for safe and efficient operations of industrial plants, but many industrial alarm systems are suffering from too many nuisance alarms. This paper proposes a method to classify normal and abnormal data segments and evaluate performance indices for the most commonly used univariate alarm systems. The proposed method consists of three steps. First, piece-wise linear representations are exploited in separating historical data samples of an analog process variable configured with alarms into data segments with same qualitative trends. Second, data segments are classified into normal, abnormal and unclassified conditions via a mean hypothesis test; a required assumption is that data segments in normal and abnormal conditions have different mean values being distinguishable from alarm thresholds. Third, based on the normal and abnormal data, performance indices of univariate alarm systems are calculated, including two newly formulated ones as the false alarm duration ratio and the missed alarm duration ratio. The effectiveness of the proposed method is illustrated by numerical and industrial examples.     

A link between ecological diversity indices and measures of biodiversity

The practice of environmental planning and protection frequently necessitates the quantification of ecological diversity. Traditional ‘ecological diversity indices’ are based on the abundances of species present. However, such indices are insensitive to taxonomic or similar differences. With equal species abundances they measure the species richness (species number) only. Conversely, so-called ‘biodiversity indices’ are based on species differences, but are insensitive to the abundance conditions. The quadratic entropy index is the only ecological diversity index, the value of which reflects both the differences ‘and’ abundances of the species. When a species list is given without abundance data, then, using the quadratic entropy index and postulating equal abundances, one gets the only biodiversity index derived from a traditional ecological index of diversity. Its extensive form is identical with the sum of differences or distances between the species present. This index trivially satisfies set monotonicity, an important property for biodiversity indices.     

1961—2010年新疆生长季节指数时空变化特征及其农业响应

在定义生长季节长度(GSL)、生长季节开始时间(LSF)以及生长季节结束时间(FFF)三个生长季节指数的基础上,采用模糊聚类、稳健回归及Mann-Kendall非参数检验等方法分析新疆1961—2010年生长季节指数时空变化特征,并针对作物生长季节指数变化对区域农业生产的影响进行了深入探讨。结果表明:新疆20世纪90年代中期,GSL变化幅度很大,低纬地区生长季节受低温影响较小,而随纬度上升,中高纬地区生长季节受低温影响越大。生长季节长度的变化与秋季低温(生长季节结束时间)变化情况紧密相连,全疆生长季节长度在80%的保证率下,较多年平均生长季节长度缩短5~14 d。生长季节长度的延长,会导致净初级生产力以及年蒸散发总量上升,继而影响水文、生态系统以及生物地球化学过程。     

Comparative Studies on the Usefulness of Seven Ecological Indices for the Marine Coastal Monitoring Close to the Shore on the Swedish East Coast

The simultaneous behaviour of seven ecological indices(Hurlberts, Margalefs, Menhinicks, Shannons,species number, Jaccards and saprobic index) wasstudied based on phytoplankton data close to the shoreon the East coast of Sweden during the summer 1998.The sampling stations had a similar eutrophicationlevel and were located in bays. Standard phytoplanktondatabases were used in calculating the indices, whichwere later compared using cluster analysis.Hurlberts, Margalefs, Menhinicks, Shannons andspecies number indices, as measure of communitydiversity, produced similar trends which oftendiffered from those based on Jaccards index ofsimilarity. However, the simultaneous use of theseindices was found meaningful as a possible part of themonitoring close to the shore. The application of asaprobic index lead to erroneous conclusions in thestudied case.     

Eco-environmental benefit assessment of China's South-North Water Transfer Scheme--the middle route project

This paper assess the eco-environmental benefits that may come from the middle route project of China‘s South-North Water Transfer Scheme(SNWT) with principles and methods of eco-economics and planning reports of SNWT‘s middle route project. Some benefits were calculated in monetary units. To make sure that the results can be comparable with normal monetary indices, concrete assessment objects and the parameters are prudently selected according to the major characteristics of the project and its water import region. Primary assessment revealed that in different project construction stages, the benefit could be more than 13.07 billion RMB Yuan in 2010 and 19.79 billion RMB Yuan in 2030, respectively. The monetary value tends to increase with social-economic development. To realize these potential benefits, however, calls for more endeavors.     

Relationship Between Micro-Invertebrates and Macrophytes in a Wetland: Laguna Iberá (Corrientes, Argentina). Implications for Water Quality Monitoring

From November 2000 to September 2001, eight points in the Iberá lagoon were sampled bimonthly. At each point, pH, temperature and dissolved oxygen were measured and invertebrates were collected from the water around macrophytes by mean of a net of 180 μ m pore size. Four biotic indices were calculated and compared, given similar trends. The total number of taxa shows to be a good and simple indicator of water quality. Averaging indices across points we obtained a good positive correlation between indices and temperature. In this ecosystem, multi-habitat sampling must be used in order to obtain a good estimation of ecological integrity. The total number of taxa can be used for water quality assessment.     

Analysis of macroinvertebrate assemblages in relation to environmental gradients among lotic habitats of California's Central Valley

We assessed relationships between environmental characteristicsand macroinvertebrate assemblages in lotic habitats of California's Central Valley with community metric and multivariate statistical approaches. Using canonical ordinationanalyses, we contrasted results when assemblage structure was assessed with macroinvertebrate metrics, as suggested for use inindices of biotic integrity, or with genera abundances. Our objectives were to identify metrics or taxa diagnostic of loticenvironmental stressors and compare the capacity of theseapproaches to detect stressors in order to suggest how they mightbe used to diagnose stressors. For macroinvertebrate metrics,redundancy analysis (RDA) extracted three axes correlated withchannel morphology and substrates. For genera abundances, canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) extracted two axescorrelated with soluble salts and with channel morphology andsubstrates but did not separate these gradients onto differentaxes. Cluster analyses identified five RDA and five CCA sitegroups, which exhibited differences for environmental variables,metrics, or genera abundances, and agreement between the analysesin partitioning of sites was greater than if sites were partitioned randomly. These approaches differ in their abilityto detect environmental stressors, because they measure differentaspects of assemblages and would be complementary in design ofnew metrics diagnostic of stressors.     

生态规划实效性评价指标体系研究——以《太仓生态市建设规划》实效性评价为例

首先提出了生态城市规划实效性的内涵,包含规划目标实现程度、规划效益、公众主观感受和规划实施过程合理性等4个方面。在此基础上建立包括规划编制过程、规划实施过程和规划实施结果3个阶段,涵盖政府、企业和公众等不同主体行为和利益特征的从过程到结果,具有复合价值观的规划实效性评价指标体系。通过太仓生态市建设规划实效性评价案例研究做了进一步论证:①生态城市规划主管部门是规划实效评价的主要推动者;②从过程到结果的评价思路和评价指标具有可操作性和灵活性;③规划过程评价方法的不成熟使其受到的关注有所降低。最后提出了若干规划编制和管理建议,以促进生态规划长效管理机制的形成。