Factors affecting pedestrian behaviors at signalized crosswalks: An empirical study

Introduction: Safety of pedestrians depends, among other factors, on their behavior while crossing the road. This study aims to assess behaviors of pedestrians at signalized crosswalks. Method: Following a literature review and a pilot study, 25 vital pedestrian crossing factors and behaviors were determined. Then data was randomly collected for 708 pedestrians at 10 lighted crossings in Sharjah (UAE), five at road intersections and five mid-block crossings. Results: Results indicated that 17.4% of pedestrians observed crossed partly or fully on red and that crossing speed was 1.22 m/s, on the average, which is slightly faster than most speeds recorded in the literature. Moreover, female pedestrians were more likely to cross while chatting with others, less likely to cross on red, and more likely to walk slower than male pedestrians. Results also showed that pedestrians who crossed at road intersections walked slower than those who crossed at mid-block crossings. It was also found that longer red pedestrian times and narrower roads tended to encourage pedestrians to cross on red and that the majority of pedestrians did not look around before crossing. Practical implications: Use of the Health Belief Model for pedestrian safety are discussed.     

Ecological and ethological characteristics of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sylvia</Emphasis> warbler colonies in patchy habitats on the courland spit,Baltic Sea

Territorial and nesting behavior of Sylvia warblers in a patchy environment has been studied. The results show that shortage of nesting sites and consequent high population density result in acute social strain. Under such conditions, changes are observed in species-specific forms of this behavior, which provide for the maximum possible realization of individual reproductive potential.     

施用污泥堆肥及其水溶性有机物对土壤中荧蒽解吸-淋滤的影响

以荧蒽（Fluoranthene）为多环芳烃（PAHs）的代表,通过序批试验及土柱淋洗试验研究了污泥堆肥及污泥堆肥水溶性有机物（DOM）对污染土壤中荧葸解吸和淋滤的影响．施用污泥堆肥实验结果表明,污泥堆肥施入土壤后的短时间内由于带入和产生的DOM而表现出促进土壤中荧蒽的解吸与淋滤,但随着DOM的降解,该作用逐渐消失．污泥堆肥充分腐熟后（腐熟堆肥）因DOM少而稳定的腐殖质等固相有机质含量相对较多,而表现出施用腐熟堆肥后土壤更易对荧葸吸持．单独施用污泥堆肥DOM后的试验,也进一步表明了污泥堆肥DOM的存在确实能促进土壤中荧蒽的迁移,且在相同DOM浓度下,腐熟堆肥DOM对土壤中荧蒽的解吸和淋滤的促进作用明显高于初始堆肥DOM处理,原因在于腐熟堆肥DOM中大分子组分和疏水性组分的含量比初始堆肥的DOM要多．因此,堆肥施用对土壤多环芳烃环境行为或活性的影响是堆肥施人土壤后固相有机质含量及性质和溶解性有机质的含量及性质等综合影响的结果．     

饮用水源地重金属溶出的影响研究——以广东石门台水库为例

文章研究对饮用水源地水水质现状进行了全面调查;采集水源地土壤进行浸泡释放实验和模拟酸雨的淋溶实验,结果表明在充分搅拌释放条件下,释放污染物对于水质影响不大;而淋溶实验表明各元素释放强度依次为:Mn>Ni>Cu>Pb>As>Hg;Mn和Ni的淋出液浓度超过了地表水水源地水质标准;pH为3.0和5.6的酸雨对于硫铁矿区重金属的溶出和迁移均是有利条件,pH为5.6的酸雨对于钨矿区重金属的溶出更为有利。     

Topical scientific and practical issues of wildland fire problem

Problem of wildfires has not been resolved anywhere in the world. Mere increase of technical power does not lead to desirable results. Forests of developed countries burn as actively as those in Africa or in Russia. The main reasons of wildfire problem are as follows: (1) Constant wandering of dry seasons over the planet causing outbreaks of wildfires. (2) Unpredicted self-development of ordinary wildfires into awful fire disasters. (3) Difficulties in delivery and use of heavy machines on hardly accessible territories. (4) Absence of a perfect technique for economic evaluation of how effectively the wildfire control system works. (5) Absence of the system of payments encouraging wildfire fighters. To solve the problem of wildfires in Russia it is necessary to: (1) Create the Russian wildfire behaviour and fire effects prediction system on the basis of the developed classification of vegetation fuels and methods of their mapping as well as maximum utilization of forest inventory information and Geographic Information System (GIS). (2) Elaborate a technique of proper wildfire monitoring including estimation of vegetation damage. (3) Improve daily rating of regional fire danger. (4) Improve fire-preventive arrangement of the territory covered by vegetation, the main goal being creation of favourable conditions for active fire management. (5) Choose the main direction in elaboration of fire-fighting means and methods taking into account their universality, simplicity, reliability, etc. (6) Elaborate an improved technique for estimation of economic effectiveness of the wildfire control system. (7) Develop international cooperation of scientists and professionals in fire management.     

浸出时间、H2SO和Fe^3＋浓度对硫脲浸金的影响

目前废旧电脑的产生量日益增加,废旧电脑主板中含有丰富的可回收金属资源,对其回收处理意义重大。本实验采用硫脲对电脑主板中的金进行浸取研究,在硫脲浸金过程中,主要通过调整时间、硫酸浓度、Fe^3＋浓度,考察对浸金的影响。研究结果表明：当t=60min、硫酸浓度为15％、Fe^3＋浓度为0.45％时,金的浸出最大,可达91.14％。因硫脲具有浸金速率快,试剂易再生,对环境污染小、反应条件易控制等优点适于应用于实际生产。     

Do native brown trout and non-native brook trout interact reproductively?

Reproductive interactions between native and non-native species of fish have received little attention compared to other types of interactions such as predation or competition for food and habitat. We studied the reproductive interactions between non-native brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and native brown trout (Salmo trutta) in a Pyrenees Mountain stream (SW France). We found evidence of significant interspecific interactions owing to consistent spatial and temporal overlap in redd localizations and spawning periods. We observed mixed spawning groups composed of the two species, interspecific subordinate males, and presence of natural hybrids (tiger trout). These reproductive interactions could be detrimental to the reproduction success of both species. Our study shows that non-native species might have detrimental effects on native species via subtle hybridization behavior.     

Divergent evolution of feeding substrate preferences in a phylogenetically young species flock of pupfish (Cyprinodon spp.)

A fundamental question in sympatric speciation is how trophic divergence is achieved. We used an extremely young (<8,000 years) species flock of pupfish (Cyprinodon spp.) from Laguna Chichancanab in south-eastern Mexico to examine divergent evolution of preferences for different feeding substrates. In a test aquarium, we presented four feeding substrates (sand, gravel, a plastic plant, and blank bottom), but no actual food was offered. The four feeding substrates were chosen to mirror the most common substrate types in Laguna Chichancanab. Previous studies demonstrated that benthic food items prevail in the diet of most Cyprinodon species. C. beltrani preferred sand, whereas C. labiosus preferred gravel. F₁ hybrids of both species showed intermediate preferences. C. maya searched for food equally at all substrates. As the test fish were reared under identical laboratory conditions (i.e., in the absence of feeding substrates), the species-specific preferences appear to be genetically fixed, suggesting rapid divergent evolution of feeding behaviors.     

Mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) wing-whistles may contain threat-related information for con- and hetero-specifics

Distinct acoustic whistles are associated with the wing-beats of many doves, and are especially noticeable when doves ascend from the ground when startled. I thus hypothesized that these sounds may be used by flock-mates as cues of potential danger. To test this hypothesis, I compared the responses of mourning doves (Zenaida macroura), northern cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis), and house sparrows (Passer domesticus) to audio playbacks of dove ‘startle wing-whistles’, cardinal alarm calls, dove ‘nonstartle wing-whistles’, and sparrow ‘social chatter’. Following playbacks of startle wing-whistles and alarm calls, conspecifics and heterospecifics startled and increased vigilance more than after playbacks of other sounds. Also, the latency to return to feeding was greater following playbacks of startle wing-whistles and alarm calls than following playbacks of other sounds. These results suggest that both conspecifics and heterospecifics may attend to dove wing-whistles in decisions related to antipredator behaviors. Whether the sounds of dove wing-whistles are intentionally produced signals warrants further testing.     

Differentiating HR systems' impact: moderating effects of age on the HR system–work outcome association

Combining the macro perspective of strategic human resource (HR) management with applied psychology's micro approaches, this paper helps to differentiate the effects of HR practices on individual‐level outcomes by introducing two distinct HR practice bundles. We draw on social exchange theory to hypothesize (i) main effects of both growth‐enhancing and maintenance‐enhancing bundles on affective organizational commitment and in‐role behavior and (ii) moderating effects of age and maintenance‐enhancing practices on work outcomes, such that increasing employee age attenuates the positive impact of HR practices. The results of a multilevel study comprising 600 employees and their direct supervisors in 64 business units provide support for the hypothesized main effects on affective commitment and the interaction between age and maintenance‐enhancing practices on work outcomes. We discuss the results, theoretical contributions, and practical implications of the study, as well as future research directions. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.