Investigating the effect of geometric dimensions of median traffic barriers on crashes: Crash analysis of interstate roads in Wyoming using actual crash datasets

IntroductionDespite the numerous safety studies done on traffic barriers’ performance assessment, the effect of variables such as traffic barrier’s height has not been identified considering a comprehensive actual crash data analysis. This study seeks to identify the impact of geometric variables (i.e., height, post-spacing, sideslope ratio, and lateral offset) on median traffic barriers’ performance in crashes on interstate roads.MethodGeometric dimensions of over 110 miles median traffic barriers on interstate Wyoming roads were inventoried in a field survey between 2016 and 2018. Then, the traffic barrier data collected was combined with historical crash records, traffic volume data, road geometric characteristics, and weather condition data to provide a comprehensive dataset for the analysis. Finally, an ordered logit model with random-parameters was developed for the severity of traffic barrier crashes. Based on the results, traffic barrier’s height was found to impact crash severity.ResultsCrashes involving cable barriers with a height between 30″ and 42″ were less severe than other traffic barrier types, while concrete barriers with a height shorter than 32″ were more likely involved with severe injury crashes. As another important finding, the post-spacing of 6.1–6.3 ft. was identified as the least severe range in W-beam barriers.Practical applicationsThe results show that using flare barriers should reduce the number of crashes compared to parallel barriers.     

介孔纳米TiO2的超声化学法合成及其表征

采用超声化学法制备介孔TiO2，并采用XRD，TEM，FT-IR等方法对样品进行了表征．结果表明，在超声波作用下，液相体系中能够一步合成锐钛矿相TiO2；添加有机模板剂并控制实验条件，则能直接合成具有介孔结构的锐钛矿相TiO2．超声化学法能更好地控制粒子的形貌和尺寸，所制备的TiO2晶型完整，孔径均匀，分散性好．     

Bayesian analysis under ordered functions of parameters

Ordered parameter problems arise in a wide variety of real world situations and are dealt with extensively in the literature. Traditional frequentist methods for dealing with these problems are rather complicated theoretically, especially when sample sizes are small. Bayesian methods are not widely used because high dimensional numerical integration is often required. However, Markov chain Monte Carlo methods provide alternatives to such numerical integration and also deal with ordered parameter problems in a straightforward manner. Little is known about the situation where functions of parameters are ordered. Such problems may seem to be of little practical concern initially, but one can readily see their importance in situations where ordering is placed on the means and variances of several normal or Gamma populations. For the Gamma distribution we will present real examples where we will analyze monthly precipitation data from San Francisco, California and Oakland Mills, Iowa. For the San Francisco data we will simultaneously order both monthly precipitation means and variances. For the Iowa data we will place ordering on seasonal average while still estimating monthly means. Our results show that we would obtain sharper, more accurate inference when order restrictions are employed.     

海洋酸化与重金属、有机污染物和人工纳米颗粒的联合毒性效应研究进展

由于大量人类活动的影响,大气CO_2浓度持续增加,其中约1/3被海洋吸收,导致表层海水pH值降低和碳酸盐平衡体系波动,即"海洋酸化"现象。污染物的海洋环境效应一直是全球环境科学领域研究的热点。在实际环境中,海洋酸化往往与污染物共同存在并作用于海洋生态系统,且海洋酸化极有可能改变污染物的海洋环境行为从而影响其毒性效应。但现有研究大多针对海洋酸化或者污染物单独作用下的毒性效应展开,对海洋酸化与污染物的联合毒性效应的研究不足、亟待加强。为此,综述了近年来海洋酸化与典型污染物(重金属、有机污染物)及新型污染物(人工纳米颗粒)的相关文献,重点阐述了海洋酸化对污染物环境行为的影响和海洋酸化与污染物对海洋生物的联合毒性效应,指出当前的研究不足,并对未来的研究方向进行了展望。     

添加剂升温烧蚀法在制备新型介孔水环境净化材料中的应用

首次探索了一种破坏式造孔与有机复合相结合的新方法以制备介孔复合水环境净化材料,使最终产品成为一种具有广谱孔结构分布的复合环境材料。详细介绍了该方法的第二步工艺即添加剂升温烧蚀法,在优化后的最佳条件下,产品的孔径得到了进一步扩大,其中部分孔道直径可达至介孔级,同时材料的表面得到了进一步活化。经此步工艺后,所制备的中间产品染料吸附量是原材料的194倍,是酸洗刻蚀后产品的122倍;24h吸湿率是原材料的38倍,是酸洗刻蚀后产品的19倍。     

Cu/ZnO-RGO的抗菌性能及应用

采用溶胶-凝胶法制备铜锌复合氧化物（Cu/ZnO）,并将Cu/ZnO纳米粒子负载到还原氧化石墨烯（RGO）表面制备Cu/ZnO-RGO复合材料.对Cu/ZnO-RGO复合材料进行表征分析及抗菌性能考察,结果表明,Cu/ZnO纳米粒子成功负载在RGO表面,负载前后Cu/ZnO纳米粒子形态不发生改变,复合材料纯度较高.Cu/ZnO-RGO复合材料对大肠杆菌与金黄色葡萄球菌均有着优异的抗菌性能,可以破坏细菌细胞膜,导致细菌内容物流出,延长细菌进入对数生长期所需的时间.当RGO质量分数为15%?Cu/ZnO-RGO复合材料使用量为120μg/mL时,在循环冷却水系统中作用2h即可拥有96.76%的抗菌率.     

金属离子诱导Trichoderma sp.WL-Go合成纳米金特性研究

生物法合成纳米金是一种环境友好且经济高效的合成途径,受到广泛关注.普遍认为微生物合成纳米金是通过胞外分泌生物大分子而实现的一种自发脱毒过程.同时,相关研究表明低浓度的重金属离子对菌株胞外酶的活性会产生一定的影响,进而会对菌株合成纳米金的能力产生影响.基于此,本研究选择一株前期筛选得到的真菌Trichoderma sp. WL-Go,探究不同金属离子诱导菌株对其合成的纳米金特性的影响.结果表明,经Co~(2+)、Al~(3+)、Zn~(2+)、Sn~(2+)、Ni~(2+)等金属离子诱导后,菌株WL-Go合成纳米金的能力均有所提升,而Pb~(2+)、Cu~(2+)、Fe~(3+)与对照组相比,其合成的纳米金浓度及转化率都无明显变化.此外,Co~(2+)诱导菌株合成的纳米金呈现肉眼可见的团簇状,发生明显的团聚现象.本实验还考察了生物合成纳米金对4-硝基苯酚还原的催化特性,结果表明,Sn~(2+)和Pb~(2+)的诱导使菌株WL-Go合成的纳米金催化速率得到明显提升,而其他金属离子均有所抑制.最后选取革兰氏阳性菌Arthrobacter sp. W1和革兰氏阴性菌Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3)验证了不同金属离子诱导后合成的纳米金均具有良好的生物相容性.综上,本研究为对于拓宽纳米金的工业化应用前景有着重要意义.     

纳米刻蚀法制备氧化锰介孔材料及其降解高含盐废水中罗丹明B

为了有效去除高含盐废水中的有机染料污染物,利用有序介孔硅材料作为模板剂,通过硬模板法制备了新型锰系氧化物（MnO_x）介孔材料作为类Fenton催化剂.催化剂的结构表征结果表明,模板剂在锰前驱物溶液中浸渍和后续煅烧成型过程决定了氧化锰介孔材料的结构.浸渍-煅烧成型重复次数越多,MnO_x介孔材料中孔道结构的有序度和氧化锰的结晶度越好.浸渍-煅烧成型次数过少,MnO_x介孔材料中孔道呈现无序状态,比表面积较大但氧化锰结晶度不足;次数过多则形成更为致密的小孔径的孔道结构,从而使MnO_x介孔材料的比表面积减小.由于对罗丹明B（RhB）良好的选择性吸附能力和较多的Mn³⁺/Mn⁴⁺对,具有有序规则孔道的氧化锰介孔材料具有优异的类Fenton催化活性,对高含盐废水中RhB的5 h降解去除率最高可达90%左右.     

二氧化钛纳米颗粒对湖滨沼泽土壤氮矿化的影响

二氧化钛纳米颗粒（TiO₂NPs）的广泛应用使其环境释放量不断增加,从而影响到土壤氮的转化过程.然而,目前关于TiO₂NPs对湖滨沼泽土壤氮矿化的影响机制尚不明确.因此,本研究以典型沼泽土壤为研究对象,通过室内培养实验研究不同剂量TiO₂NPs处理（0 mg·kg^-1（CK）、10 mg·kg^-1（A10）、100 mg·kg^-1（A100）、250 mg·kg^-1（A250）、1000 mg·kg^-1（A1000））对土壤理化性质、酶活性和氮矿化过程的影响,探讨TiO₂NPs输入对土壤氮矿化过程影响的内在机制.结果表明：①不同剂量TiO₂NPs处理显著降低了土壤pH和总有机碳（TOC）含量（p<0.05）,A100、A250和A1000处理显著降低了硝态氮（NO₃^--N）含量（p<0.05）.②A250和A1000处理显著抑制了过氧化氢酶活性（p<0.05）;培养7 d,不同剂量TiO₂NPs处理均显著促进了脲酶活性（p<0.05）,抑制了脱氢酶活性（p<0.05）;随着培养时间延长,TiO₂NPs处理对脲酶和脱氢酶活性的抑制作用逐渐减弱,表明TiO₂NPs的负面作用会随时间减弱.③不同剂量TiO₂NPs处理对氨化速率没有显著影响（p>0.05）,A250、A1000处理对硝化和矿化速率有显著抑制作用（p<0.01）.④土壤氮矿化速率与土壤pH、总磷（TP）、NO₃^--N含量呈显著正相关,与脲酶、过氧化氢酶活性呈显著负相关.TiO₂NPs主要通过改变沼泽土壤NO₃^--N含量影响氮矿化过程.本研究可为湖滨湿地保护和TiO₂NPs环境风险评估提供理论依据.     

Application of nanoparticle tracking analysis for characterising the fate of engineered nanoparticles in sediment-water systems

Novel applications of nanotechnology may lead to the release of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs), which result in concerns over their potential environmental hazardous impact. It is essential for the research workers to be able to quantitatively characterise ENPs in the environment and subsequently to assist the risk assessment of the ENPs. This study hence explored the application of nanoparticle tracking system (NTA) to quantitatively describe the behaviour of the ENPs in natural sediment-water systems. The NTA allows the measurement of both particle number concentration (PNC) and particle size distribution (PSD) of the ENPs. The developed NTA method was applied to a range of gold and magnetite ENPs with a selection of surface properties. The results showed that the positively-charged ENPs interacted more strongly with the sediment than neutral and negatively-charged ENPs. It was also found that the citrate coated Au ENPs had a higher distribution percentage (53%) than 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid coated Au ENPs (20%) and citrate coated magnetite ENPs (21%). The principles of the electrostatic interactions between hard (and soft) acids and bases (HSAB) are used to explain such behaviours; the hard base coating (i.e. citrate ions) will interact more strongly with hard acid (i.e. magnetite) than soft acid (i.e. gold). The results indicate that NTA is a complementary method to existing approaches to characterise the fate and behaviour of ENPs in natural sediment.