Prevalence of alcohol-impaired driving and riding in northern Ghana

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the roadside prevalence of alcohol-impaired driving among drivers and riders in northern Ghana. The study also verifies motorists' perceptions of their own alcohol use and knowledge of the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit in Ghana.

Method: With the assistance of police, systematic random sampling was used to collect data at roadblocks using a cross-sectional study design. Breathalyzers were used to screen whether motorists had detectable alcohol in their breath and follow-up breath tests were conducted to measure the actual breath alcohol levels among positive participants.

Results: In all, 9.7% of the 789 participants had detectable alcohol, among whom 6% exceeded the legal BAC limit of 0.08%. The prevalence of alcohol-impaired driving/riding was highest among cyclists (10% of all cyclists breath-tested) followed by truck drivers (9%) and motorcyclists (7% of all motorcyclists breath-tested). The occurrence of a positive BAC among cyclists was about 8 times higher (odds ratio [OR] = 7.73; P < .001) and it was 2 times higher among motorcyclists (OR = 2.30; P = .039) compared to private car drivers. The likelihood for detecting a positive BAC among male motorists/riders was higher than that among females (OR = 1.67; P = .354). The odds for detecting a positive BAC among weekend motorists/riders was significantly higher than on weekdays (OR = 2.62; P = .001).

Conclusion: Alcohol-impaired driving/riding in Ghana is high by international standards. In order to attenuate the harmful effects of alcohol misuse such as alcohol-impaired driving/riding, there is the need to educate road users about how much alcohol they can consume and stay below the legal limit. The police should also initiate random breath testing to instill the deterrence of detection, certainty of apprehension and punishment, and severity and celerity of punishment among drink-driving motorists and riders.     

最小点火能的影响因素及计算误差分析研究

对可燃气体 (液体蒸气 )、可燃粉尘的最小点火能测试中的影响因素进行了分析总结 ,并结合实验分析了求得最小点火能精确值所需要的环境条件和设备设施条件———敏感条件 ;分析了敏感条件下运用常规测试方法和常规计算公式中存在较大误差的原因 ,进而提出了相对准确合理的测试方法及计算公式———直接积分法及拟合近似积分法 ,从而大大降低了误差度 ,获得了比较符合实际的数据。     

基于PLIF的混合气温度和浓度测量及其应用

缸内混合气温度和浓度分布,对发动机稳定运行,保障行车安全、避免发生路上人身伤亡或财物损失有重要影响。为了测量发动机缸内混合气的温度和浓度分布,建立了利用单波长激光诱导双示踪剂产生双荧光的测试系统,并拍摄了不同混合气温度、压力和浓度下的荧光图像,获得了不同示踪剂的荧光强度及其比值随温度、压力和浓度的变化关系,并将标定结果用于光学发动机缸内混合气的温度和浓度测量。结果表明,荧光强度及荧光比值均受到环境的压力、温度和混合气浓度的影响。利用PLIF方法得到的片光源穿过的缸内水平截面内的平均温度与用气缸压力计算的同一曲轴转角下的缸内平均温度变化趋势相同,两者之间的差值随着活塞上行而逐步减小。     

压力容器设计中的环境温度与最低设计金属温度

环境温度在容器设计中不仅影响设计压力的合理确定,而且更影响最低设计金属温度的确定直至影响材料的正确选择。通过对规程标准的解读,结合液化石油气储罐设计对此进行了讨论,认为环境温度应视为容器的特例工况条件,容器设计应将与其对应的设计压力一起作为设计载荷条件,不仅要对容器的壁厚进行校核,而且尚需根据容器的一次应力判断并确认是否需要修订完善容器设计的选材、制造及检验等技术要求,使容器设计文件正确完整,保证容器制造的安全可靠性。     

深部煤层钻屑粒度随钻进深度分布规律

为了研究煤层钻屑粒度随钻进深度分布规律,选取具有冲击危险性的平煤八矿己15煤作为研究对象,采取钻屑量测试和孔口瓦斯浓度监测,通过筛分实验煤样并应用Rosin Rammler分布模型,探究了钻屑粒度和钻屑量大小随孔深变化关系,分析不同点钻屑粒度分布特征。结果表明:小于0.075 mm钻屑粒度分布随孔深变化与钻屑量变化规律相吻合;不同钻孔随深度变化分别对应不同Rosin Rammler分布函数,随着应力过渡越平缓,粒径分布宽度系数n值越小,煤体应力越大粒径相关系数D越大;不同范围钻屑粒度占比大小也会影响钻屑量大小;在钻屑量较大时,孔口瓦斯体积分数会出现增高现象。通过对钻屑粒度分布规律分析,更好地了解深部煤体应力分布,有助于冲击危险的预警。     

呼吸效应对矿井封闭火区氧浓度的影响分析

为避免因火区封闭导致重大安全事故发生,通过采集某矿井1 d内3个不同监测点的大气压力变化情况,建立大气压力波动模型并分析计算,同时建立火区内外压差100,750 Pa情形下的氧浓度模型进而获得火区内侧氧气浓度因呼吸效应,在不同压差、体积大小火区、风阻、瓦斯涌出量、封闭时刻等多因素耦合影响下随时间的变化规律,以评估火区危险性。研究结果表明:井下大气随地面大气周期波动,封闭火区内、外侧之间的气压差因外界大气波动呈现16 h的余弦波动和8 h的线性波动周期变化;密闭质量好的火区具有更好地抗干扰性,内侧氧浓度的降低主要依靠瓦斯稀释;密闭质量差的火区,内侧氧浓度易受到火区涌出瓦斯、外界涌入大气双重影响;火区氧浓度在2%~12%之间波动,以至火区存在发生瓦斯爆炸的可能性;火区内外压差较大时,氧浓度波动变化幅度更大,危险作用持续时间更长。结合火区氧浓度波动模型,可有效地对矿井火区采取安全的防范措施,避免瓦斯爆炸事故发生。     

抛光铝粉爆炸及ABC粉体抑爆特性的实验研究

为研究抛光铝粉的爆炸危险和ABC粉体的抑爆特性,在对实验粉体粒径分布进行分析的基础上,采用20 L粉尘爆炸特性实验装置,分别对不同铝粉尘浓度、不同抑爆剂浓度条件下的爆炸特性参数进行测试。研究结果表明:在实验条件下,铝粉的爆炸下限为45 g/m3＜C＜60 g/m3;随铝粉浓度增加,爆炸烈度呈现出先增强后减弱的变化趋势,在浓度为400 g/m3时爆炸烈度最大。ABC抑爆剂能够有效抑制铝粉爆炸超压和爆炸反应进程,随着惰性粉体浓度的增加,抑制效果愈加明显,爆炸逐渐减弱。当ABC惰性粉体的质量占比增加到50%时,相较单一铝粉爆炸,反应过程时间由72 ms增加至785 ms,爆炸最大压力、最大压力上升速率分别下降了61.7%,89.5%;当ABC粉体质量占比为53%时,铝粉被完全惰化,未发生爆炸。     

典型木材燃料层流扩散火焰碳黑生成特性研究

为了对木材燃料层流扩散火焰碳黑生成特性进行研究,搭建了基于消光法原理的轴对称层流火焰碳黑浓度测量平台,选用马尾松针、柚木以及红橡木三种典型木材燃料粉碎成针状试样,并堆成直径3.5 cm堆垛,利用酒精引燃后可获得稳定的层流扩散火焰,同时通过电热丝辅助加热延长稳定燃烧。通过对三种典型木材燃料层流燃烧过程的质量损失和火焰碳黑浓度的测量和对比分析,结果显示三种燃料中马尾松针碳黑生成能力最大,这说明木材的碳黑生成能力可能与其碳元素和氧元素的含量有关。     

Profile of Methane Concentrations in Soil and Atmosphere in Alpine Steppe Ecosystem on Tibetan Plateau

The methane concentration profile from -1.5m depth in soil to 32m height in air was measured in alpine steppe located in the permafrost area. Methane concentrations showed widely variations both in air and in soil during the study period. The mean concentrations in atmosphere were all higher than those in soil, and the highest methane concentration was found in air at the height of 16m with the lowest concentration occurring at the depth of 1.5m in soil. The variations of atmospheric methane concentrations did not show any clear pattern both temporally and spatially, although they exhibited a more steadystable state than those in soil. During the seasonal variations, the methane concentrations at different depths in soil were significantly correlated （R^2〉0.6） with each other comparing to the weak correlations （R^2〈0.2） between the atmospheric concentra- tions at different heights. Mean methane concentrations in soil significantly decreased with depth. This was the compositive influence of the decreasing production rates and the increasing methane oxidation rates, which was caused by the descent soil moisture with depth. Although the methane concentrations at all depths varied widely during the growing season, they showed very distinct temporal variations in the non-growing season. It was indicated from the literatures that methane oxidation rates were positively correlated with soil temperature. The higher methane concentrations in soil during the winter were determined by the lower methane oxidation rates with decreasing soil temperatures, whereas methane production rates had no reaction to the lower temperature. Relations between methane contribution and other environmental factors were not discussed in this paper for lacking of data, which impulse us to carry out further and more detailed studies in this unique area.     

Inverse modeling of Asian Rn flux using surface air Rn concentration

When used with an atmospheric transport model, the ²²²Rn flux distribution estimated in our previous study using soil transport theory caused underestimation of atmospheric ²²²Rn concentrations as compared with measurements in East Asia. In this study, we applied a Bayesian synthesis inverse method to produce revised estimates of the annual ²²²Rn flux density in Asia by using atmospheric ²²²Rn concentrations measured at seven sites in East Asia. The Bayesian synthesis inverse method requires a prior estimate of the flux distribution and its uncertainties. The atmospheric transport model MM5/HIRAT and our previous estimate of the ²²²Rn flux distribution as the prior value were used to generate new flux estimates for the eastern half of the Eurasian continent dividing into 10 regions.The ²²²Rn flux densities estimated using the Bayesian inversion technique were generally higher than the prior flux densities. The area-weighted average ²²²Rn flux density for Asia was estimated to be 33.0 mBq m⁻² s⁻¹, which is substantially higher than the prior value (16.7 mBq m⁻² s⁻¹). The estimated ²²²Rn flux densities decrease with increasing latitude as follows: Southeast Asia (36.7 mBq m⁻² s⁻¹); East Asia (28.6 mBq m⁻² s⁻¹) including China, Korean Peninsula and Japan; and Siberia (14.1 mBq m⁻² s⁻¹). Increase of the newly estimated fluxes in Southeast Asia, China, Japan, and the southern part of Eastern Siberia from the prior ones contributed most significantly to improved agreement of the model-calculated concentrations with the atmospheric measurements. The sensitivity analysis of prior flux errors and effects of locally exhaled ²²²Rn showed that the estimated fluxes in Northern and Central China, Korea, Japan, and the southern part of Eastern Siberia were robust, but that in Central Asia had a large uncertainty.