Coercive pressure as a moderator of organizational structure and risk management: Empirical evidence from Malaysian construction industry

Introduction: The construction industry in Malaysia has been bedevilled by myriads of risk issues that have hampered its smooth operations in recent times. This paper is an empirical assessment that aims to examine the effect of coercive pressure on the relationship between organizational structure and construction risk management among construction industry in Malaysia. Method: Based on the proposed model, a quantitative method was employed to obtain data from G7 construction industry operating within the peninsular Malaysia. Out of the 180 copies of questionnaire, 165 copies were properly filled, returned, and used for the analysis. PLS-SEM was used to analyze the obtained data. Results: The findings of the study affirmed that specialization, centralization, and management of risk by the construction industry had positive correlation. Conclusions: As anticipated, coercive pressure had positive moderating correlation with both formalization and the management of risk by the construction industry. Similarly, it was also found that in the course of carrying out construction activities, coercive pressure made significant interactive influence on formalization, specialization, and centralization. Practical Applications: Coercive pressure reduced the frequency of accidents among workers in the process of carrying out construction works.     

Exploring bicyclist injury severity in bicycle-vehicle crashes using latent class clustering analysis and partial proportional odds models

Introduction: Bicyclists are more vulnerable compared to other road users. Therefore, it is critical to investigate the contributing factors to bicyclist injury severity to help provide better biking environment and improve biking safety. According to the data provided by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a total of 8,028 bicyclists were killed in bicycle-vehicle crashes from 2007 to 2017. The number of fatal bicyclists had increased rapidly by approximately 11.70% during the past 10 years (NHTSA, 2019). Methods: This paper conducts a latent class clustering analysis based on the police reported bicycle-vehicle crash data collected from 2007 to 2014 in North Carolina to identify the heterogeneity inherent in the crash data. First, the most appropriate number of clusters is determined in which each cluster has been characterized by the distribution of the featured variables. Then, partial proportional odds models are developed for each cluster to further analyze the impacts on bicyclist injury severity for specific crash patterns. Results: Marginal effects are calculated and used to evaluate and interpret the effect of each significant explanatory variable. The model results reveal that variables could have different influence on the bicyclist injury severity between clusters, and that some variables only have significant impacts on particular clusters. Conclusions: The results clearly indicate that it is essential to conduct latent class clustering analysis to investigate the impact of explanatory variables on bicyclist injury severity considering unobserved or latent features. In addition, the latent class clustering is found to be able to provide more accurate and insightful information on the bicyclist injury severity analysis. Practical Applications: In order to improve biking safety, regulations need to be established to prevent drinking and lights need to be provided since alcohol and lighting condition are significant factors in severe injuries according to the modeling results.     

Methanation and chemolitrophic nitrogen removal by an anaerobic membrane bioreactor coupled partial nitrification and Anammox

● Efficient carbon methanation and nitrogen removal was achieved in AnMBR-PN/A system. ● AOB outcompeted NOB in PN section by limiting aeration and shortening SRT. ● The moderate residual organic matter of PN section triggered PD in anammox unit. ● AnAOB located at the bottom of UASB played an important role in nitrogen removal. An AnMBR-PN/A system was developed for mainstream sewage treatment. To verify the efficient methanation and subsequent chemolitrophic nitrogen removal, a long-term experiment and analysis of microbial activity were carried out. AnMBR performance was less affected by the change of hydraulic retention time (HRT), which could provide a stable influent for subsequent PN/A units. The COD removal efficiency of AnMBR was > 93% during the experiment, 85.5% of COD could be recovered in form of CH₄. With the HRT of PN/A being shortened from 10 to 6 h, nitrogen removal efficiency (NRE) of PN/A increased from 60.5% to 80.4%, but decreased to 68.8% when the HRT_PN/A further decreased to 4 h. Microbial analysis revealed that the highest specific ammonia oxidation activity (SAOA) and the ratio of SAOA to specific nitrate oxidation activity (SNOA) provide stable NO₂⁻-N/NH₄⁺-N for anammox, and anammox bacteria (mainly identified as Candidatus Brocadia) enriched at the bottom of Anammox-UASB might play an important role in nitrogen removal. In addition, the decrease of COD in Anammox-UASB indicated partial denitrification occurred, which jointly promoted nitrogen removal with anammox.     

Impact of soluble organic matter and particulate organic matter on anammox system: Performance,microbial community and N2O production

In this study,the effects of soluble readily biodegradable COD (sCOD) and particulate slowly biodegradable COD (pCOD) on anammox process were investigated.The results of the longterm experiment indicated that a low sCOD/N ratio of 0.5 could accelerate the anammox and denitrification activity,to reach as high as 84.9%±2.8% TN removal efficiency.Partial denitrification-anammox (PDN/anammox) and denitrification were proposed as the major pathways for nitrogen removal,accounting for 91.3% and 8.7% o...     

Dust particle sedimentation in the 20 L standard vessel for dust explosion tests

According to the current international standards, to perform the correct evaluation of the explosion and flammability parameters, a uniform distribution of the dust particles should be achieved inside the 20 L and/or 1 m³ standard vessels.CFD simulations have shown that in both standard test vessels (20 L and 1 m³), the dust particles are not uniformly dispersed, being mostly concentrated at the edge of the macro-vortices generated by the injection of the fluid and particle through the nozzle. In addition, only a partial fed of the particles is obtained, and dust particles sedimentation phenomena can occur.As a result, the dust participating to the reactive process may be much lower than the expected nominal concentration in the vessel due to sedimentation and incomplete feeding. Consequently, misleading values of the flammability/explosion parameters could be measured.Particle sedimentation and incomplete feeding depends both on the Stokes number and on the Reynolds number, whereas the concentration distribution depends on the turbulence level, the fluid flow maps, and the number of particles which enter into the vessel through the nozzle.The aim of this work is to evaluate the key parameters (particle size, particle density, and fluid velocity) affecting sedimentation and incomplete feeding in 20 L vessel. To this end, CFD simulations of dust dispersion are performed at varying the particle density and size. Operating maps, in terms of the key parameters and/or their dimensionless combinations, are developed and a correlation for correction of the data is proposed.     

“部分排序”在环境比较评价中的应用实例

将运筹学中“部分排序”的概念引入对污染物的环境影响比较评价中,以环境中常见的10种残留农药为应用实例,用Hasse图表示出比较评价的结果。和普遍排序技术相比,部分排序的评价结果简明直观、合理、可靠。Hasse图技术充分考虑了所要评价的各方面因素,避免了在普遍排序过程中由于确定评价模型中的权值而带来的主观因素的影响。     

基于偏最小二乘的絮体图像信息与水质的相关性

针对污水处理运行过程COD、BOD5、TN和TP实时测量的问题,提出一种基于絮体形态参数的偏最小二乘法模型.采用图像分析技术对污泥絮体形态特征进行提取,基于相关性从提取的形态参数和试验期间的运行参数中选择模型的输入变量,通过偏最小二乘法建立输入变量与4个水质指标的预测关系模型.结果表明,COD、BOD5、TN、TP的交...     

A Thermodynamic View of Partial Oxidation,Steam Reforming,and Autothermal Reforming on Methane

Abstract

Thermodynamic analysis on three thermo-chemical reforming processes, i.e., partial oxidation (POX), steam reforming (STR), and autothermal reforming (ATR) with methane as the feedstock fuel are conducted in this study. The focus of this article is to show the effect of air-fuel (AF) ratio, water-fuel (WF) ratio, temperature and pressure on hydrogen (H₂) yield, hydrogen/carbon monoxide (H₂/CO) ratio, carbon (C), and carbon monoxide (CO) formation. Optimal operating conditions under no solid carbon formation in the reaction are recommended for each thermochemical reforming technique.     

濒危植物长序榆（Ulmus elongata）幼苗光合特性的初步研究

用Li-6400XT便携式光合作用仪对一年生和当年生濒危植物长序榆幼苗的光合日变化进行了观测,为科学保护提供理论依据和技术途径。结果发现,一年生和当年生长序榆幼苗的光合日变化均为单峰曲线,无＂午休＂现象。当年生的平均净光合累积量（5.64μmol.m-2.s-1）大于一年生的净光合累计量（5.05μmol.m-2.s-1）。胞间二氧化碳（Ci）浓度与光合日变化基本上是相反的。气孔导度（Gs）和蒸腾速率（Tr）没有明显的变化规律。光能利用率（LUE）中午12？00最低,水分利用率（WUE）13？00最高。一年生和当年生的光饱和点（LSP）分别为1 620.75μmol.m-2.s-1和1 123.07μmol.m-2.s-1,二者的光补偿点（LCP）均较低,分别为8.33μmol.m-2.s-1和8.89μmol.m-2.s-1,即长序榆幼苗是一光适应幅度较大的植物。偏相关分析表明光合有效辐射（PAR）和大气温度（Ta）是决定其净光合速率的主要环境因子。