Urban development and landscape change in the Yangtze River Delta region in China

The impact of large-scale urban development on land resources has long been debated by urban planners and designers. This study investigated the extent to which different urban characteristics are associated with land-cover change. The Yangtze River Delta region in China, forming one of the largest sprawling urban landscapes among the regions around the world, was chosen for the study area. Spatial analysis and multiple regression methods were applied to empirically investigate the pattern of resource sites lost to urban development in the area between the 1950s and 2017. The results showed that contrary to the widespread notion that large-sized cities are predominantly responsible for a region’s environmental degradation, city size was not a significant factor in determining the rate of resource loss. Large-sized cities gained their populations with far lesser impacts on land than small-sized cities and towns if normalized to the same number of populations. One explanation for the diminishing effect of city size on land-cover change relates to the degree of spatial dispersion of urban development and local differences in social valuation of diversified lands by cities.     

Tell the truth or not? The montero mechanism for emissions control at work

We experimentally test the truth-telling mechanism proposed by Montero (2008) for eliciting firms' abatement costs. We compare this mechanism with two well-known alternative allocation mechanisms, free and costly allocation of permits at the Pigouvian price. Controlling for the number of firms and the firms' maximal emissions, we find that, in line with the theoretical predictions, firms over-report their maximal emissions under free allocation of permits and under-report these under costly allocation of permits. Under Montero's mechanism, by contrast, firms almost always report their maximal emissions truthfully. However, in terms of efficiency, the difference between Montero's mechanism and costly allocation disappears with industries including more than one firm.     

Horizontal lifelines – review of regulations and simple design method considering anchorage rigidity

Among the many occupational risks construction workers encounter every day falling from a height is the most dangerous. The objective of this article is to propose a simple analytical design method for horizontal lifelines (HLLs) that considers anchorage flexibility. The article presents a short review of the standards and regulations/acts/codes concerning HLLs in Canada the USA and Europe. A static analytical approach is proposed considering anchorage flexibility. The analytical results are compared with a series of 42 dynamic fall tests and a SAP2000 numerical model. The experimental results show that the analytical method is a little conservative and overestimates the line tension in most cases with a maximum of 17%. The static SAP2000 results show a maximum 2.1% difference with the analytical method. The analytical method is accurate enough to safely design HLLs and quick design abaci are provided to allow the engineer to make quick on-site verification if needed.     

A human-centered framework for innovation in conservation incentive programs

The promise of environmental conservation incentive programs that provide direct payments in exchange for conservation outcomes is that they enhance the value of engaging in stewardship behaviors. An insidious but important concern is that a narrow focus on optimizing payment levels can ultimately suppress program participation and subvert participants’ internal motivation to engage in long-term conservation behaviors. Increasing participation and engendering stewardship can be achieved by recognizing that participation is not simply a function of the payment; it is a function of the overall structure and administration of the program. Key to creating innovative and more sustainable programs is fitting them within the existing needs and values of target participants. By focusing on empathy for participants, co-designing program approaches, and learning from the rapid prototyping of program concepts, a human-centered approach to conservation incentive program design enhances the propensity for discovery of novel and innovative solutions to pressing conservation issues.     

露天矿山隐伏盲空区精确探测及爆破优化设计

隐伏盲空区是严重威胁露天矿山正常采矿作业的安全隐患,应予以探明并处置。针对露天矿隐伏盲空区探测难度大、崩落处置爆破设计精度差等问题,以白马铁矿1号溜井盲空区为例,首先基于矿山历史资料,利用钻探手段,初步圈定盲空区异常分布范围;然后运用钻孔激光扫描设备进行三维精确扫描,获得盲空区塌腔三维形态和真实边界,并以实测数据为基础,利用逆向建模方法,构建盲空区三维可视化模型;最后根据盲空区的三维空间特征和分布条件,进行爆破分区及参数优化设计。结果表明:采用钻探圈定结合三维激光精确扫描建模的综合探测方法,可获得露天矿山盲空区的可靠信息,准确掌握盲空区垮塌现状,进而为制定更为精准的爆破设计方案提供重要依据,最终达到消除盲空区的目的。研究结果对保障矿山安全生产具有重要意义,同时可为类似工程提供有益参考。     

高浓度废液纳滤膜分离工艺设计

当进行高浓度废液纳滤膜分离工艺设计时,必须首先进行纳滤膜分离工艺试验,通过工艺试验确定：纳滤膜型号,完成膜的筛选工作;确定纳滤膜分离规律、分离模型、膜污染规律。利用获得的数学关系式确定主要操作运行压力、浓缩液流量、膜面积、组件数目、膜组件排列方式、冷却循环系统设计、纳滤膜污染的预测与清洗系统设计。纳滤膜清洗系统与自控系统应该根据试验结果并考虑纳滤膜生产商提供的数据进行设计。     

Echolocation behavior of the bat <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vespertilio murinus</Emphasis> reveals the border between the habitat types “edge” and “open space”

We test the hypothesis that echolocation behavior can be used to find the border between bat habitats. Assuming that bats react to background targets in “edge space” but not in “open space”, we determined the border between these two habitat types for commuting individuals of the parti-colored bat Vespertilio murinus. We recorded sequences of bats’ echolocation signals while they flew parallel to the walls of large buildings and to the ground and determined the signals’ average bandwidth, duration, and pulse interval. These parameters varied systematically with the estimated horizontal and vertical distances between the bats and the background. A distinct effect of horizontal distance to the background on echolocation behavior was found for horizontal distances of less than 6 m, thus indicating the border between edge and open space. Only a few bats flew at vertical distances below 5 m. However, enough passages at vertical distances of 5 m and above indicated that the vertical border is somewhere below a distance of 5 m. Within edge space, V. murinus reacted to the background by reducing signal duration, increasing bandwidth at closer distances, and often emitting one signal per wing beat. In open space, signal parameters did not vary as a function of distance to the background. There, V. murinus emitted the longest signals with the narrowest bandwidth and often made one or two wing beats without emitting a pulse. With our data we support with statistical methods the hypothesis that echolocation behavior reveals the border between the habitat types “edge” and “open space”.     

Spatial sampling and the environment: some issues and directions

In this paper we summarize research issues for spatial environmental sampling stemming from a NISS/USEPA workshop held on 21-22 September 1994 at Chapel Hill, NC.     

快速渗滤土地处理系统对城市生活污水中N、P去除的优化研究

为了探索城市生活污水中N、P去除，在实验室内采用混合土为介质，以均匀设计原理为指导，进行模拟人工快速渗滤系统对城市生活污水中N、P的去除。研究不同介质配比，淹水时间，湿干比3种因素组合对污水处理的最优运行模式。试验结果表明：通过选取混合土为介质及以上3个参数是可行的；通过回归统计得出最优模型。