Risk-based siting considerations for LNG terminals – Comparative perspectives of United States & Europe

Siting regulations and industrial standards for liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals are evolving along different paths within Europe and the United States (U.S.). The 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 190 continues to delineate the United States process to adopt and revise safety regulations pertaining to LNG terminals and peak shaving plant sitting.¹ Embodied in these regulations are rich legal and regulatory traditions that are unique to the U.S. perspective. For example, the public is encouraged to petition existing regulations and to comment on regulatory proposals. Litigation within the U.S. court system is another means by which industry and the public may seek regulatory change. This approach promotes public involvement in governmental oversight and creates a distinctive obligation and accountability for U.S. regulatory agencies, which uniquely shape technical, safety, risk mitigation, and societal risk perspectives for siting LNG terminals.European traditions shape siting regulations for LNG terminals as well. Though American siting guidance includes references to the National Fire Protection Association’s NFPA 59A and 49 CFR, Part 193, European developers also apply the guidance within EN 1473 – a risk-based case-by-case analysis directive.^{2, 3 and 4} The NFPA 59A standard is applied for a basis to examine property line spacing as they pertain or may relate to off-site hazard impacts. The European approach applies the assessment and suitability of code compliance and the application of accepted engineering practices. In addition the approach incorporates the application of empirical risk assessments and computational modeling to reach an understanding of risk exposures. European policies set limits on the population’s cumulative exposure to facility risks and require LNG facility developers not to exceed established risk criteria.This paper describes how the U.S. and Europe site LNG terminals, identifies key differences in their risk-based approaches, and explains why these differences exist. This discussion also examines historical precedents that have influenced regulations and approval processes for siting LNG terminals within each continent.     

Speaking without words: A meta-analysis of over 70 years of research on the power of nonverbal cues in job interviews

What candidates say in an interview is important—but so is how they say it. We draw on dual-process theory to explain why interviewers rely on individuals' dynamic and static nonverbal cues to evaluate performance with quick, implicit inferences (System 1 processing). Yet, it remains unclear which cues most influence interviewers' judgments and whether moderators affecting interviewers' reliance on System 1 thinking (e.g., interview structure, modality, duration, and interviewee gender) impact the relationship between nonverbal cues and interview ratings. We performed the first meta-analysis to address these questions, integrating findings across 63 studies (N = 4868). The nonverbal cues demonstrating the strongest association with interview performance were professional appearance (ρ = .62), eye contact (ρ = .45), and head movement (ρ = .43). Moderator analyses highlight the persistent power of nonverbal cues, as the results were largely unaffected by interview structure, modality, or duration. Experimental design did play a role, as did interviewees' gender, with stronger effects for certain nonverbal cues (e.g., facial expressions and professional appearance) for women than men, conveying interviewers' reliance on gender-based stereotypes when judging their performance. Overall, these results suggest nonverbal cues and characteristics are an important influence on job applicants' success in employment interviews.     

基于气象条件指数的我国重点区域PM2.5和臭氧复合污染气象影响评估

气象条件变化对复合污染的发生发展起重要作用,基于PM_2.5和O₃不同的污染形成机制,利用污染气象长期观测数据,分别采用统计运算和深度学习方法,构建了PM_2.5和O₃气象条件指数,形成以气象条件指数开展区域大气复合污染气象特征和影响贡献的研究方法,并对剔除区域气象差异影响的污染分布与变化进行了量化分析.结果表明,2021年夏季我国中东部重点区域污染气象条件整体上呈北差南优(指数：“2+26”城市>苏皖鲁豫交界>长三角地区),6月最差、 7月最好的分布特征,当区域内城市PM_2.5气象条件指数>30且O₃气象条件指数>100时,“双高”污染开始出现,随O₃气象条件指数增大,“双高”频率不断升高;与上年同期相比,各地区ρ(PM_2.5)受气象条件改善影响分别降低3.9、 3.3和1.4μg·m^-3,平均占到各地ρ(PM_2.5)降低的58.5%,O_...     

长江中下游粮食主产区耕地利用生态效率区域差异与空间收敛

基于耕地利用生态效率内涵构建其评价指标体系,并运用SBM-Undesirable模型、核密度估计法及空间收敛模型,对长江中下游粮食主产区71个市（州）耕地利用生态效率区域差异及收敛态势定量刻画。结果表明：（1）2007—2018年长江中下游粮食主产区耕地利用生态效率整体水平中等,各粮食主产区效率差异明显,效率损失主要源于投入冗余所带来的投入非效率,其中劳动力投入冗余度最高;（2）时间维度上看,长江中下游粮食主产区整体耕地利用生态效率始终存在两级分化的现象,整体内部差异呈扩大趋势,但逐步趋于稳定,各粮食主产区内部差异演变具有较大分异性;（3）空间维度上看,考虑空间溢出效应的情境下,长江中下游粮食主产区整体存在显著的绝对β收敛,且在科技水平、农户收入水平、灌溉水平及空间溢出效应等因素的共同影响下以1.01%的速度条件收敛,但各粮食主产区收敛态势具有区域差异性。应建立粮食主产区协同机制,因地制宜,分区施策以提升长江中下游粮食主产区耕地利用生态效率水平。     

农业生产何以存在低碳效率幻觉?——来自1997—2016年31个省份面板数据的证据

利用1997—2016年中国31个省份的面板数据,测算基于农业污染物影子价格的农业低碳效率,探讨各省份农业低碳效率幻觉存在与否的问题,并在此基础上分析农业低碳效率幻觉程度的影响因素。结果表明：（1）1997—2016年,中国农业低碳效率均值呈先下降后上升的总体趋势,且“东—中—西”梯度递减的态势明显。（2）总体上,存在农业低碳效率幻觉的省份数量呈先增后减趋势;分区域看,东部和中部存在农业低碳效率幻觉的省份数量逐渐减少,而西部地区则不断增加。（3）农业经济发展水平、农业生产节能技术水平、农业发展重视程度、农业产业结构对农业低碳效率幻觉程度具有负向影响,而农业规模化水平、农业受灾率和农业人力资本的影响效应为正。     

Gini Index for Cities: A Preliminary Study on Regional Differences of Chinese City Size Distribution

Abstract

City size distribution is of interest because of a number of key stylized facts, including notably Zipf's law for cities and the importance of urban primacy. But a new and more efficient method Gini index can be used for calculating regional city size distribution. This paper begins by developing a calculation method for the Gini index, dividing the whole country into 26 areas and then calculating each area's Gini index value. Based on these calculation results, this paper gives a preliminary study on regional differences of its city size distribution and the dynamics.     

Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders,Job Stressors and Gender Responses in Foundry Industry

The main aim of this paper was to identify job stressors, gender responses and association of psychosocial work stressors with prevalence of work related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among foundry workers. The data were obtained with ergonomics checklist using Likert scale. The results of this study showed a high prevalence of MSDs among workers. The male workers were more prone to pain in neck while the female workers were more prone to MSDs in upper back and shoulders. Correlation analysis showed significant relationship of dimensions of work aspects with pain and discomfort. It proved that the work-related MSDs are the results of interaction of multiple stressors associated with work and work environment, and other personal factors. ANOVA indicated that the perception of work aspects as stressors differed significantly between male and female workers.     

区域粮食储备的地区差异与规模确定分析

粮食储备对维护粮食安全和保障社会安定具有重大意义。在我国粮食产供需的时空差异持续加剧背景下,以省域为单元,利用空间探索性分析法研究我国近年来区域粮食储备的时空演变和地区差异,并利用空间计量模型对区域粮食储备规模的影响因素进行分析,给出分区域的粮食储备规模确定方式。结果发现：我国粮食储备具有显著空间正相关性,高储备区向东北地区扩展,低储备区进一步向西部地区转移,两者的显著集聚范围逐渐扩大,致使地区差异逐渐增大;区域粮食储备规模与粮食生产能力、人口规模、经济发展、灾害影响、交通条件和社会影响力紧密相关;综合考虑空间效应和相关因素确定区域粮食储备规模,为我国分区域粮食储备研究提供新思路。     

The relationship between dewlap size and performance changes with age and sex in a Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis) lizard population

Ornaments are believed to signal an individual's ability to reproduce successfully and/or survive. Since an individual's fitness is often influenced by multiple traits (e.g. number of copulations, ability to acquire nest sites or to escape predators), which are difficult to quantify simultaneously, we examine performance traits (bite force, jumping performance) believed to be relevant to an individual's fitness. Specifically, we ask whether variation in dewlap size is related to variation in body size, bite force and jumping ability in the lizard Anolis carolinensis. Our results show that dewlap size is correlated with jumping capacity across all individuals, whereas the relationships between dewlap size, body size and bite force differ depending on sex/age class. We argue that selection against relatively large dewlaps at the transition between small mature and large mature males might be responsible for the lack of a relationship within large males. The absence or presence of a correlation between dewlap size and bite force, on the other hand, might be explained by differences in behaviour, such as territory establishment, anti-predator tactics, and/or mate choice. Our work thus suggests that selective forces influencing the evolution of ornaments may operate differently on different sexes and life-history stages.     

Non-invasive measurement of the physiological stress response of wild rabbits to the odour of a predator

Summary. Stress has been widely studied in different mammals, but the physiological stress reaction that the odour of a predator could induce in preys has not received much attention. Besides, not all the animals would respond to the same extent to a known stressor. We developed an experimental procedure with eleven na?ve European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in order to determine the individual physiological response to the olfactory detection of a potential predator. The rabbits were housed singly in small enclosures with a concrete burrow system and food and water were available ad libitum. The animals followed a control trial, without odour, and an experimental trial where we confronted the rabbits with fox (Vulpes vulpes) odour. Furthermore, another sample of eleven rabbits followed a control procedure subjected to the same housing and handling procedures but without facing the predator odour. In order to assess the physiological response we analysed the concentration of glucocorticoid metabolites in the faeces of the rabbits. Therefore, everyday faecal samples were collected and analysed with an enzyme immunoassay in order to measure the corticosterone metabolites (CM), particularly, those metabolites with a 5α-3β, 11β-diol structure. After validating the assay for wild rabbits, we found that the simulated presence of a predator (fox odour) in the enclosure resulted in an increase in faecal CM concentrations. However, the stressor did not affect all the animals in the same way. We found a general increase in the individual differences. In particular, males experienced a higher increase than females, though the overall response was similar for both sexes. To our knowledge this is one of the first attempts to analyse the assessment of the risk of predation by means of non-invasive methods.