Investigating factors influencing pedestrian injury severity at intersections

Objective: Vehicle crashes that involve pedestrians at intersections have been reported occasionally. Pedestrian injury severity in these crashes is significantly related to driver and pedestrian attributes, vehicle characteristics, and the geometry of intersections. Identifying factors associated with pedestrian injury severity (PIS) is critical for reducing crashes and improving safety. For developing the proposed probit models, drivers involved in crashes are classified into 3 groups: young drivers (16 ≤ age ≤ 24), middle-aged drivers (25 ≤ age ≤ 64), and older drivers (age ≥ 65). This study determines that PIS is significantly but differently affected by these grouped drivers with different sets of explanatory variables.

Methods: A total of 2,614 crash records (2011–2012) at intersections in Cook County, Illinois, were collected. An ordered probit modeling approach was employed to develop the proposed model and examine factors influencing PIS. The likelihood ratio test was used to assess model performance. Elasticity analysis was conducted to interpret the marginal effect of contributing factors on PIS associated with different driver groups by age.

Results: The results show that 4 independent variables, including pedestrian age, vehicle type, point of first contact, and weather condition, significantly affect PIS at intersections for all drivers. Two additional independent variables (i.e., number of vehicles and traffic type) affect PIS for young and middle-aged drivers, and 2 other variables (i.e., divided type and hit-and-run related) are significant to PIS for both young and older drivers.

Conclusions: The independent variables significant to PIS at intersections for young, middle-aged, and older driver groups were identified and the marginal effect of each variable to the likelihood of PIS were assessed.     

The impact of traffic barrier geometric features on crash frequency and injury severity of non-interstate highways

Introduction: The main objective of this research is to investigate the effect of traffic barrier geometric characteristics on crashes that occurred on non-interstate roads. Method: For this purpose, height, side-slope rate, post-spacing, and lateral offset of about 137 miles of traffic barriers were collected on non-interstate (state, federal aid primary, federal aid secondary, and federal aid urban) highways in Wyoming. In addition, crash reports recorded between 2008 and 2017 were added to the traffic barrier dataset. The safety performance of traffic barriers with regards to their geometric features was analyzed in terms of crash frequency and crash severity using random-parameters negative binomial, and random-parameters ordered logit models, respectively. Results: From the results, box beam barriers with a height of 27–29 inches were less likely to be associated with injury and fatal injury crashes compared to other barrier types. On the other hand, the likelihood of a severe injury crash was found to be higher for box beam barriers with a height taller than 31 inches. Both W-beam and box beam barriers with a post-spacing between 6.1 and 6.3 inches reduced the probability of severe injury crashes. In terms of the crash frequency, flare traffic barriers had a lower crash frequency compared to parallel traffic barriers. Non-interstate roads without longitudinal rumble strips were associated with a higher rate of traffic barrier crashes.     

磁铁矿纳米颗粒与Pb~(2+)复合物对大鼠肾细胞的毒性研究

磁铁矿纳米颗粒(magnetite nanoparticles, MNPs)是一种环境友好型吸附剂,广泛应用于废水中Pb~(2+)的处理。目前,有不少关于MNPs毒性的研究,但对MNPs处理Pb~(2+)形成的复合物的毒性却鲜有报道,其复合毒性亟待深入研究。本文以大鼠肾细胞(NRK)作为细胞模型,系统研究不同Pb含量的MNPs-Pb复合物,以及相应浓度的MNPs和Pb~(2+),对大鼠肾细胞活性、细胞形态和密度的影响,考察细胞对纳米颗粒的摄取以及细胞凋亡的作用机制,评估MNPs-Pb的毒性效应。结果表明,在本实验浓度和暴露时间(12 h)条件下,Pb~(2+)能够显著抑制细胞活性,改变细胞形态,促进细胞凋亡,对细胞有显著的毒性效应,并且呈现剂量相关性;利用MNPs吸附水环境中Pb~(2+)形成的复合物MNPs-Pb对大鼠肾细胞没有显著的毒性作用(P<0.05),MNPs对Pb~(2+)的吸附可能是Pb~(2+)的细胞毒性降低的原因。     

行人过街空间违章行为特性及安全影响分析

为探究提前右转车道处不同因素与人车冲突的相关性,以及行人空间违章对过街安全的影响。采集2 062个行人及人车冲突的样本数据,获取行人和机动车的时空信息,对比分析不同类型行人过街轨迹的特征;综合考虑人车冲突时间和速度指标构建人车冲突严重度指标,从行人生理特征、车流条件、道路环境等方面选取8个因素作为自变量,构建人车冲突严重度的多元有序Logistic模型。研究结果表明：空间违章过街的行人平均过街速度和速度离散程度都明显高于其他行人;年龄、车速、人行横道长度、车辆到达率以及过街轨迹类型都是影响人车冲突严重程度的重要因素。各类型空间违章行为使严重冲突占比均提升75%以上。研究结果有助于交管部门采取措施保障行人过街安全。     

鲤鱼对纳米二氧化钛的生物富集

建立了浓硫酸-硫酸铵酸化消解-ICP测定水样及鱼样中纳米二氧化钛的方法,并研究了纳米二氧化钛在鲤鱼(Cyprinus carpio)体内的富集.酸化消解-ICP测定方法对20.0 mg/L纳米二氧化钛水样,测定的相对标准偏差仅为4.53%.纳米二氧化钛在水样和鱼样中的加标回收率分别为94%～104%和90%～103%,可以精确测定环境样品中纳米二氧化钛浓度.纳米二氧化钛在鱼体内有较高的富集,暴露于3 mg/L、10 mg/L纳米二氧化钛悬浮液的鲤鱼,25 d时鱼体内的二氧化钛浓度分别达到2.1 mg/g和5.8 mg/g.达到平衡时,BCF分别为675.5和595.4.纳米二氧化钛在鱼鳃、内脏中有很大程度的富集,肌肉部分对纳米二氧化钛的富集最少.     

SiO2纳米颗粒内嵌强化介孔TiO2单晶光催化降解盐酸四环素

吸附性能和光生载流子的分离效率是决定光催化降解抗生素的主要因素.为提高介孔TiO_2单晶(MSCs)的吸附性能和光生载流子的分离效率,在MSCs内部构建SiO_2纳米颗粒吸附结构.同时,利用表面光电压谱、氮气等温吸附-脱附、X射线衍射等研究其结构特性.最后,以盐酸四环素为抗生素代表,通过控制SiO_2纳米颗粒比表面积,考察SiO_2对复合材料吸附及光催化性能的影响.结果表明,SiO_2纳米颗粒与TiO_2单晶复合显著提高了材料的吸附性能,表面保护蚀刻进一步提升了材料的比表面积.实验条件下,高比表面积SiO_2-TiO_2单晶复合材料(KSiO_2@TiO_2)对盐酸四环素的平衡吸附量、降解效率、降解速率常数和矿化率分别达到了0.96 mg·g-1、90.2%、0.0079 min-1、54.4%,分别是MSCs的4.4、1.5、2.6和3.1倍.副产物分析表明,SiO_2复合介孔单晶材料更易将盐酸四环素降解为小分子物质.     

磷酸水热预处理制备高比表面积高介孔率活性炭

以锯末为原材料,采用磷酸水热预处理后活化的工艺制备高介孔率活性炭,以比表面积和孔容为评价标准,通过单因素实验探究了酸料比、活化温度、活化时间对活性炭比表面积及总孔容的影响规律,验证了该工艺的可行性.最优条件下所制备的活性炭比表面积为2579 m~2·g~(-1),介孔率达到96.6%,充分说明磷酸水热预处理工艺能够显著提高活性炭介孔孔容占比.亚甲基蓝(MB)吸附实验数据与Redlich-Peterson模型拟合度较好,样本活性炭对MB的吸附为单分子层吸附,最大单层吸附量为618.35 mg·g~(-1),接近于实验测试值632.79 mg·g~(-1),表明该方法制备的活性炭具有良好的MB吸附性能.     

高效去除Cd2+介孔硅酸钙的制备优化及表征

为了进一步研制高效、廉价的Cd²⁺吸附剂,从介孔硅酸钙（CSH）的制备与优化出发,选择钙硅比（Ca/Si）、表面活性剂种类及其用量为因素,采用正交试验探讨CSH的最优制备条件,并结合扫描电镜（SEM）、红外光谱（FTIR）、比表面积测试（BET）、X-射线衍射分析（XRD）,对CSH的结构形貌、材料性能进行评价.结果表明,各因素对合成材料吸附性能的影响顺序为：表面活性剂种类 > 表面活性剂用量 > Ca/Si;最优制备条件为：Ca/Si=1：1,以聚乙二醇（PEG）为表面活性剂,表面活性剂添加量为2%;表面活性剂的添加能显著提高材料的吸附性能,最优条件下制备的介孔硅酸钙对Cd²⁺的饱和吸附容量高达687.71 mg·g^-1,吸附等温线符合Langmiur模型;合成的水化硅酸钙为介孔结构,为狭缝孔,呈纳米花状,比表面积为333.47 m²·g^-1,BJH孔径为10.9 nm,孔隙度为2.199 cm³·g^-1;巨大的比表面积、高孔隙度、表面丰富的活性—OH及材料富含可交换态Ca²⁺,以及能与Cd²⁺发生吸附沉淀、表面络合和离子交换,致使其具有优异的吸附性能,有望为Cd²⁺污染水体治理和土壤修复提供潜在优势新材料.     

The tragedy of the commons in international fisheries: An empirical examination

Historically, all capture fisheries have proven hard to manage; internationally shared stocks face an additional impediment to effective management. Previous fisheries studies estimate gains from cooperation for particular species or locations, but evidence is lacking on the wider effect that international sharing has in relation to other variables that affect stock status. This paper is an attempt to shed a broader light on the effect of sharing by identifying whether shared fish stocks are systematically more exploited. I compile exploitation status, biological and economic data into a unique two-period panel of more than 200 fish stocks from around the globe with which I test the theoretical implications of sharing. The empirical results from ordered category estimation suggest that shared stocks are indeed more prone to overexploitation.     

Allium cepa root tip assay in assessment of toxicity of magnesium oxide nanoparticles and microparticles

Allium cepa bioassay had been used from decades for the assessment of toxicants and their harmful effects on environment as well as human health. Magnesium oxide(MgO) particles are being utilized in different fields. However, reports on the adverse effects of MgO nanoparticles on the environment and mankind are scarce. Hence, the toxicity of MgO particles is of concern because of their increased utilization. In the current study, A. cepa was used as an indicator to assess the toxicological efficiency of MgO nano-and microparticles(NPs and MPs) at a range of exposure concentrations(12.5, 25, 50, and100 μg/m L). The toxicity was evaluated by using various bioassays on A. cepa root tip cells such as comet assay, oxidative stress and their uptake/internalization profile. Results indicated a dose dependent increase in chromosomal aberrations and decrease in mitotic index(MI) when compared to control cells and the effect was more significant for NPs than MPs(at p 0.05). Comet analysis revealed that the Deoxyribonucleic acid(DNA) damage in terms of percent tail DNA ranged from 6.8–30.1 over 12.5–100 μg/m L concentrations of MgO NPs and was found to be significant at the exposed concentrations. A significant increase in generation of hydrogen peroxide and superoxide radicals was observed in accordance with the lipid peroxidation profile in both MgO NPs and MPs treated plants when compared with control. In conclusion, this investigation revealed that MgO NPs exposure exhibited greater toxicity on A. cepa than MPs.