The influence of lower extremity postures on kinematics and injuries of cyclists in vehicle side collisions

Objective: A cyclist assumes various cyclic postures of the lower extremities while pushing the pedals in a rotary motion while pedaling. In order to protect cyclists in collisions, it is necessary to understand what influence these postures have on the global kinematics and injuries of the cyclist.

Method: Finite element (FE) analyses using models of a cyclist, bicycle, and car were conducted. In the simulations, the Total Human Model of Safety (THUMS) occupant model was employed as a cyclist, and the simulation was set up such that the cyclist was hit from its side by a car. Three representative postures of the lower extremities of the cyclist were examined, and the kinematics and injury risk of the cyclist were compared to those obtained by a pedestrian FE model. The risk of a lower extremity injury was assessed based on the knee shear displacement and the tibia bending moment.

Results: When the knee position of the cyclist was higher than the hood leading edge, the hood leading edge contacted the leg of the cyclist, and the pelvis slid over the hood top and the wrap-around distance (WAD) of the cyclist's head was large. The knee was shear loaded by the hood leading edge, and the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptured. The tibia bending moment was less than the injury threshold. When the cyclist's knee position was lower than the hood leading edge, the hood leading edge contacted the thigh of the cyclist, and the cyclist rotated with the femur as the pivot point about the hood leading edge. In this case, the head impact location of the cyclist against the car was comparable to that of the pedestrian collision. The knee shear displacement and the tibia bending moment were less than the injury thresholds.

Conclusion: The knee height of the cyclist relative to the hood leading edge affected the global kinematics and the head impact location against the car. The loading mode of the lower extremities was also dependent on the initial positions of the lower extremities relative to the car structures. In the foot up and front posture, the knee was loaded in a lateral shear direction by the hood leading edge and as a result the ACL ruptured. The bicycle frame and the struck-side lower extremity interacted and could influence the loadings on lower extremities.     

废弃菌糠资源化过程中的成分变化规律及其环境影响

针对废弃菌糠的循环利用工艺,选取杏鲍菇菌糠、平菇菌糠、菌糠有机肥等具有阶段代表性的样品,测定其营养组分、元素含量,分析菌糠在连续栽培和废弃菌糠堆肥处置过程中成分的变化,同时分析了菌糠/菌糠有机肥的重金属环境风险评估及淋溶状态下对环境可能的影响.结果表明,连续栽培后菌糠中水分下降13.8%,蛋白质、糖类则分别上升32.9%和20.4%,仍剩余大量营养物质;废菌糠堆肥后蛋白质、糖类分别下降50%和79%,木质素、纤维素、半纤维素无明显变化,C/N比下降,总腐殖酸量增加18.6%.通过重金属含量的测定,确定菌糠/菌糠有机肥中的As、Hg、Pb、Cd、Cr等重金属指标均低于我国《NY525-2012有机肥料》的限值标准.菌糠/菌糠有机肥所含氮、磷、有机物均有淋出趋势,其中有机肥的氮、有机物淋失累积量相比菌糠下降15.0%和62.8%.     

稀土矿区及其周边水稻田中稀土元素的生物迁移积累特征

中国南方地区稀土矿的开采对当地的生态环境和农业产生了极大的影响,因此,本文选取稀土矿区周边典型水稻土,研究了稀土元素在土壤-水稻中的生物迁移和积累特征.结果表明,土壤中稀土元素含量在193.82~965.28 mg·kg-1之间,平均值为332.55 mg·kg-1,是我国土壤稀土元素含量背景值的2~3倍.稀土元素在土壤-水稻中的迁移和积累表现出了相似的化学性质和规律,水稻不同器官中稀土含量元素的高低顺序为:根茎叶籽粒.水稻根表铁膜对稀土元素的积累作用不明显,稀土元素在土壤-水稻系统中的迁移与积累受水稻品种、土壤理化性质因素的影响.     

Hidden values in bauxite residue (red mud): Recovery of metals

Bauxite residue (red mud) is a hazardous waste generated from alumina refining industries. Unless managed properly, red mud poses significant risks to the local environment due to its extreme alkalinity and its potential impacts on surface and ground water quality. The ever-increasing generation of red mud poses significant challenges to the aluminium industries from management perspectives given the low proportion that are currently being utilized beneficially. Red mud, in most cases, contains elevated concentrations of iron in addition to aluminium, titanium, sodium and valuable rare earth elements. Given the scarcity of iron supply globally, the iron content of red mud has attracted increasing research interest. This paper presents a critical overview of the current techniques employed for iron recovery from red mud. Information on the recovery of other valuable metals is also reviewed to provide an insight into the full potential usage of red mud as an economic resource rather than a waste. Traditional hydrometallurgy and pyrometallurgy are being investigated continuously. However, in this review several new techniques are introduced that consider the process of iron recovery from red mud. An integrated process which can achieve multiple additional values from red mud is much preferred over the single process methods. The information provided here should help to improve the future management and utilization of red mud.     

Distribution of toxic and essential elements in various chicken organs

An instrumental neutron activation technique was applied to determine toxic, essential and other elements in various chicken organs namely; liver, heart, gizzard, breast and leg. The range, arithmetic mean, geometric mean and median were computed which indicate normal distribution pattern for Hg, Se, Cl, Fe, Zn, Mn, Na, K and Cs in the five chicken organs. The concentration of Hg, Se, As, Fe, Zn and Mn in local chicken liver were also compared with the literature values. Dietary intake value for toxic and essential elements were also computed and compared with the recommended values.     

A Systematic Procedure for Modeling Usability Based on Product Design Variables: A Case Study in Audiovisual Consumer Electronic Products

A systematic modeling approach to describing, prescribing, and predicting usability of a product has been presented. Given the evaluation results of the usability dimension (UD) and the measurement of the product’s design variables, referred to as the human interface elements (HIEs), the approach enables one to systematically assess the relationship between the UD and HIEs. The assessed relationship is called a usability model. Once built, such a usability model can relate, in a quantitative manner, the HIEs directly to the UDs, and thus can serve as an effective aid to designers by evaluating and predicting the usability of an existing or hypothetical product. A usability model for elegance of audiovisual consumer electronic products has been demonstrated.     

青岛秋冬季PM1中金属元素污染特征及健康风险评估

于2018年11月1日至2019年1月31日（OP_2018-2019）和2019年11月1日至2020年1月20日（OP_2019-2020）在青岛对PM₁进行了连续两年秋冬季逐日采集.将观测期划分为4个空气质量等级（Ⅰ级、Ⅱ级、Ⅲ级和Ⅳ级）,分析了PM₁中金属元素浓度特征及来源,评估了不同人群的非致癌风险（Zn、Pb、Mn、Cu和V）和致癌风险（As、Cr、Ni、Cd和Co）.结果表明,与OP_2018-2019相比,OP_2019-2020期间不同空气质量等级下金属元素总浓度变化与Ca、K和Al浓度变化有关,受扬尘源和生物质燃烧源影响较大.与OP_2018-2019相比,OP_2019-2020期间不同空气质量等级下V浓度分别下降19.0%、60.5%、82.7%和77.5%.推测与船舶国内排放控制区域（DECA）政策实施有关,青岛周边海域船舶改换燃油品质,导致V浓度大幅降低.由富集因子、比值法和气流后向轨迹结果进一步表明V浓度变化主要受DECA政策影响.然而,实施DECA政策后,V/Ni值作为判断区域内受船舶源影响的限值,需进一步探究.由健康风险评估结果表明,OP_2018-2019和OP_2019-2020期间非致癌元素Mn的危险系数范围为0.07~1.22,建议加强管控含Mn污染源的排放.OP_2018-2019和OP_2019-2020期间不同空气质量下As、Cd的终生致癌风险概率（ILCR）值低于10^-4,但高于10^-6,表明存在致癌概率,但仍可接受.OP_2018-2019期间空气质量为Ⅳ级时,Cr的ILCR值高于10^-4,存在致癌风险.     

浅析攀枝花市2015～2017年气象要素对空气污染的影响

利用2015～2017年攀枝花市污染因子和气象要素实测数据,运用GIS技术、相关分析以及统计分析等方法,分析攀枝花市空气污染因子和气象要素的时空特征及相关性。结果表明:攀枝花市首要污染物为PM₁₀,其次是NO₂;秋冬以PM₁₀和NO₂污染为主,春夏PM₁₀和O₃为主。不同季节,各气象要素对本地空气质量的影响程度及空间分布存在明显差异。弄弄坪一带PM_2.5和SO₂、CO浓度偏高,市中心炳草岗一带PM₁₀、O₃和NO₂浓度偏高。结合本地发展规划和实际情况,根据气象要素分析,为攀枝花市分区分季节的防污减排决策提供气象参考。     

Recognition of water masses according to geochemical signatures in the Central Mediterranean sea: Y/Ho ratio and rare earth element behaviour

This study reports the results of geochemical investigations carried out in the Strait of Sicily (Central Mediterranean Sea) during the oceanographic cruise BANSIC 2000, focusing on the area around the Pantelleria Island. We evaluate the interface processes between dissolved phase and suspended particulate matter in the water columns on the basis of Y/Ho ratio and rare earth elements and yttrium distributions that are suitable to trace the occurrence of different water layers in Central Mediterranean Area. The main source of trace elements to the sea water system was recognized in the atmospheric fallout, while different scavenging mechanisms among Y and rare earth elements occur. Cation exchange at the dissolved phase-suspended media interface is driven by their external electronic configurations as monitored through the Y/Ho ratios, shape, and amplitude of the tetrad effects calculated along the water columns. The shape and amplitude of the tetrad effects in bottom waters suggest that the preferential Y scavenging from deep water layers depends on the hydrothermal activity in the seafloor. Here, Y is surface-complexed through the formation of inner-sphere complexes; Ho and other heavy rare earth elements are sorbed onto suspended particulate matter surfaces as weak outer-sphere complexes; these materials have a montmorillonite like nature; and preferential incorporation medium rare earth elements in crystal structures of biogenic carbonates is suggested by the relationship between the Eu anomaly and the nutrient contents of water masses.     

川东北地区元素大气沉降通量及其季节变化

从2011年8月~2012年7月在川东北地区共收集12个月的大气沉降样品.采用电感耦合等离子体质谱仪(ICP-MS)分析了样品在弱酸性环境下(pH值在2左右)溶解态组分中Na、Mg、Ca、K、Si、Sr、Ba、Zn等元素的含量,计算了这些元素的沉降通量.结果表明:①各元素的沉降通量存在显著的季节变化.Na的沉降通量随着降水增加而显著增加,显示它主要以大气湿沉降为主;Ca、Si、Ba、Sr、Mg的沉降通量在冬季或春季显著上升,显示这些元素的沉降可能主要与大气粉尘活动有关.②不同的元素之间年沉降通量存在显著差异,Na的沉降通量最大,达到30 497μg·(102cm2·a)-1,比最小的Ba沉降通量[27.4μg·(102cm2·a)-1]高出3个数量级.