2,4-D Mineralization in soil profiles of a cultivated hummocky landscape in Manitoba,Canada

The objective of this study was to quantify 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) mineralization in soil profiles characteristic of hummocky, calcareous-soil landscapes in western Canada. Twenty-five soil cores (8 cm inner diameter, 50 to 125 cm length) were collected along a 360 m transect running west to east in an agricultural field and then segmented by soil-landscape position (upper slopes, mid slopes, lower slopes and depressions) and soil horizon (A, B, and C horizons). In the A horizon, 2,4-D mineralization commenced instantaneously and the mineralization rate followed first-order kinetics. In both the B and C horizons, 2,4-D mineralization only commenced after a lag period of typically 5 to 7 days and the mineralization rate was biphasic. In the A horizon, 2,4-D mineralization parameters including the first-order mineralization rate constant (k ₁), the growth-linked mineralization rate constant (k ₂) and total 2,4-D mineralization at the end of the experiment at 56 days, were most strongly correlated to parameters describing 2,4-D sorption by soil, but were also adequately correlated to soil organic carbon content, soil pH, and carbonate content. In both B and C horizons, there was no significant correlation between 2,4-D mineralization and 2,4-D sorption parameters, and the correlation between soil properties and 2,4-D mineralization parameters was very poor. The k ₁ significantly decreased in sequence of A horizon (0.113% day^?1) > B horizon (0.024% day^?1) = C horizon (0.026% day^?1) and in each soil horizon was greater than k ₂. Total 2,4-D mineralization at 56 days also significantly decreased in sequence of A horizon (42%) > B horizon (31%) = C horizon (27%). In the A horizon, slope position had little influence on k ₁ or k ₂, except that k ₁ was significantly greater in upper slopes (0.170% day^?1) than in lower slopes (0.080% day^?1). Neither k ₁ nor k ₂ was significantly influenced by slope position in the B or C horizons. Total 2,4-D mineralization at 56 days was not influenced by slope positions in any horizon. Our results suggest that, when predicting 2,4-D transport at the field scale, pesticide fate models should consider the strong differences in 2,4-D mineralization between surface and subsurface horizons. This suggests that 2,4-D mineralization is best predicted using a model that has the ability to describe a range of non-linear mineralization curves. We also conclude that the horizontal variations in 2,4-D mineralization at the field scale will be difficult to consider in predictions of 2,4-D transport at the field scale because, within each horizon, 2,4-D mineralization was highly variable across the twenty-five soil cores, and this variability was poorly correlated to soil properties or soil-landscape position.     

Rising recreancy: flood control and community relocation in Houston,TX, from an environmental justice perspective

This article looks at issues of recreancy, environmental justice, and relocation as they relate to a flood control infrastructure project in inner city Houston. The main research questions were “What forms would recreancy take?” and “Can a project be environmentally just if recreancy is present?” Through the structural coding of 53 semi-structured interviews, recreancy was found even in a project where the sponsors used community cohesion as a guideline. This article illuminates the difficulties flood control project engineers face when working in local communities and argues that engineering issues are also social issues. Further, the relocatees within this flood control project voice some of the same concerns experienced by people relocated in other involuntary infrastructure development projects. The case outlined in this article could be used to better help those involuntarily relocated for flood control.     

Normality of Hydrological Data1

ABSTRACT: Assessment of normality of hydrological data has been based upon subjective judgments. This paper aims to provide an objective method for such an assessment by introducing three computationally simple statistical tests. Application to some stream flow data indicates that (1) for annual values, at least one of the three sequences- original, square root, and logarithmic - can be considered to be normally distributed; and (2) most monthly stream flows are skew and neither the square root nor the logarithmic transformation is able to render their sequences in all the 12 months normal.     

25 years of higher‐order confirmatory factor analysis in the organizational sciences: A critical review and development of reporting recommendations

We discuss how confirmatory factor analysis results should be used to examine potential higher‐order constructs and advocate that researchers present five types of evidence, which are as follows: (1) the ability of the higher‐order model to reproduce the observed covariation among manifest variables; (2) the ability of the higher‐order model to reproduce the observed covariation among manifest variables better than more parsimonious alternative models—and no less well than less parsimonious alternative models; (3) the ability of the higher‐order model to reproduce the observed covariation among lower‐order factors; (4) the ability of the higher‐order factor to explain variation in lower‐order factors; and (5) the ability of the higher‐order factor to explain variation in manifest variables. We illustrate how this type of evidence could be presented with a worked example and contrast our recommendations with the manner in which higher‐order confirmatory factor analysis has been used in the organizational sciences over the past 25 years to support claims regarding higher‐order constructs such as core self‐evaluations and transformational leadership. Our review shows that a substantial proportion of the 44 examined articles failed to present enough evidence to allow readers to understand the size and importance of higher‐order factors. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于序关系法和熵值法的机场安全管理能力综合评价

为了客观科学地评价机场安全管理能力,研究了机场系统构成和安全管理概况,参考民航规章和专家咨询意见,确定安全管理能力的影响因素,建立了由4个准则层和23个具体指标组成的机场安全管理能力评价指标体系,结合实地调研结果及专家意见确定了各指标的测评方法和评分标准。根据序关系分析法和熵值法的特点,参考其他文献,提出了序关系分析法和熵值法相结合的、一种基于方差最大化的主客观赋权法来确定指标权重,构建了机场安全管理能力线性评价模型。结果表明,不同安全管理能力二级指标的变化对安全管理能力的影响程度不同,其综合权重大小降序排列为组织管理能力、人员安全能力、设备运行能力、环境保障能力。以长沙黄花国际机场为例进行评价,评价结果显示该模型具有可行性,能为机场安全管理工作提供参考。     

Dynamic behaviour of direct spring loaded pressure relief valves in gas service: II reduced order modelling

A previous study of gas-service direct-spring pressure relief valves connected to a tank via a straight pipe is continued by deriving a reduced-order model for predicting oscillatory instabilities such as valve flutter and chatter. The reduction process uses collocation to take into account a finite number N of acoustic pressure waves within the pipe, resulting in a set of 2N+3 ordinary differential equations. Following a novel non-dimensionalization, it is shown analytically that the model can exhibit, at experimentally realistic parameter values, instabilities associated with coupling between the valve and acoustic waves in the pipe. The thresholds for each instability are such that for a given flow rate, the first mode to go unstable as the inlet pipe length increases is the quarter-wave mode, then a three-quarter wave, a 5/4-wave etc. Thus the primary mode of instability should always be due to the quarter wave. In the limit of low flow rates, a simple approximate expression is found for the quarter-wave instability threshold in the form of inlet pipe length against mass flow rate. This threshold curve is found to agree well with simulation of the full model. For higher flow rates there is a need to include fluid convection, inlet pressure loss and pipe friction in order to get good agreement. The reduced model enables the dependence of the stability curve on key dimensionless physical parameters to be readily computed.     

基于偏序集的采空区塌陷危险性评价研究

针对采空区塌陷危险性评价方法中的赋权争议问题,基于偏序集理论提出偏序集评价模型。首先阐明评价指标并确定其分级标准;然后应用偏序集评价模型得到Hasse图,并通过图展现的层集信息判别采空区塌陷危险程度;最后应用该模型对大宝山矿11个采空区的塌陷程度进行判别,评价结果准确合理。研究结果表明:该模型避免了以往研究中的赋权争议问题,克服了样本量不足致使模型无法应用的问题,而且能够应用更多的赋权方法识别排序的稳定程度,体现出样本间的分层信息。     

中心商业区环境安全管理与控制

城市中心商业区环境安全的管理与控制是城市诸多问题中的热点.通过分析中心商业区的环境空气质量和环境噪声、防火防爆设施及应急装备、人流车流秩序、公共卫生系统,提出了在城市中心商业区环境安全的管理与控制中应执行的相关标准,设立了相关部门和管理措施.对中心商业区环境安全控制的规制化具有一定积极意义.     

管制员安全能力模型研究

为准确评价管制员安全能力,基于能力的定义和管制员工作职责,界定管制员安全能力的内涵;依据该内涵及其工作特性,建立由身体素质、业务素质和意识3个结构维度组成的管制员安全能力模型。其中,身体素质包括生理状况和心理状况;业务素质包括教育状况、培训状况、技能状况和经验状况;意识包括安全意识和工作意识。在各项指标性质差异较大情况下,利用功效系数法实现评价指标的标准化以减小误差,客观反映指标情况,同时采用G1-法和熵值法集成的主客观综合赋权法确定指标的权重,在一定程度上弥补主客观单一赋权的不足,最后通过逼近理想解排序法(TOPSIS)评价管制员安全能力。结果表明,按照从大到小排序对管制员安全能力的影响因素依次为意识、身体素质和业务素质。就对所论能力的影响而言,心理状况强于生理状况;技能状况强教育、培训和经验状况;安全意识对意识的影响大于工作意识。     

基于尺寸效应的采空区危险度RS-TOPSIS法辨识

为准确预测地下采空区危险性,选用采空区结构的跨度、暴露面积、高度、埋深、矿柱尺寸布置等5个采空区危险度结构尺寸影响因素作为评价指标,建立采空区危险度粗糙集-逼近理想解排序法(RS-TOPSIS)综合评价体系。基于粗糙集理论(RS)中的粗糙依赖度,通过计算评价指标与评价等级间的粗糙依赖度得到指标权重。以40个采空区探测系统(CMS)实测采空区作为评价对象,根据单指标分类区间下限构造5个不同等级的典型采空区,结合逼近理想解的排序法(TOPSIS),实现采空区危险度5级贴近度的分类,并辨识实测采空区危险度。研究结果表明,用为采空区群矿山建立的采空区危险度基于结构尺寸效应的RS-TOPSIS法,能够实现危险度5级分类辨识,辨识结果与采空区危险度数值分析结果吻合度为92.5%。