Road accident fatality risks for “vulnerable” versus “protected” road users in northern Ghana

Background: Road traffic injuries (RTIs) are a serious epidemic that claims more than a million lives across the globe each year. The burden of RTIs is particularly pronounced in Africa and other low- and middle-income countries. The unfavorable disparity of the burden of road trauma in the world is largely attributable to unsafe vehicles, lack of appropriate road infrastructure, and the predominance of vulnerable road users (VRUs) in developing countries. However, little research exists in northern Ghana to highlight the scale and risk of death among road users.

Objective: The objective of this research was to establish the relative risk of death among road users in northern Ghana.

Methods: Crash data from police reports between 2007 and 2011 were analyzed for the Upper Regions of Ghana. Conditional probabilities and multivariable logistic regression techniques were used to report proportions and adjusted odds ratios (AORs), respectively.

Results: Generally, crashes in northern Ghana were extremely severe; that is, 35% of all injury related collisions were fatal. The proportion of fatal casualties ranged between 21% among victims of sideswipe collisions and 41% among pedestrians and victims of rear-end collisions. Though males were 6 times more likely to die than females overall, females were more likely to die as pedestrians (90% of all female casualty deaths) and males were more likely to die as riders/drivers (78% of all male casualty deaths). Pedestrians were 3 times more likely to die (odds ratio [OR] = 3.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.4 to 4.1) compared with drivers/riders. Compared with drivers, the odds of death among cyclists was about 4 times higher (AOR = 3.6; 95% CI, 2.3 to 5.6) and about 2 times higher among motorcyclists (AOR = 1.6; 95% CI, 1.2 to 2.2). Compared with casualties aged between 30 and 59 years, children under 10 years and those aged 60 years and above were independently 2 times more likely to die in traffic collisions.

Conclusion: Provision of requisite road infrastructure is vital for the safety of VRUs in northern Ghana. Cycle paths and lanes (for cyclists) as well as sidewalks (for pedestrians) in particular will separate VRUs from motorists and improve their safety. Enforcement of traffic laws particularly regarding helmet use, speeding, and alcohol use will be beneficial. Introduction of the demerit points system in the enforcement of traffic regulations may have significant deterrent effects on road users who have the penchant for violating traffic regulations. Road safety education is also required to create responsible road users.     

湿地土壤有机碳及其活性组分分布特征影响因素研究

红碱淖湖泊湿地是西北半干旱荒漠区重要的生态屏障,随着湖泊面积的减少以及土壤退化程度的加剧,逐渐形成5种典型的景观类型(盐碱沼泽、沼泽化草甸、草地、草原化沙地、沙地)。基于野外实地调查,选取红碱淖湖泊湿地流域蟒盖兔和尔林兔2个典型子流域,研究湖泊退化后不同景观类型土壤有机碳及其活性组分的分布特征及其影响因素。结果表明,5种景观类型土壤有机碳(SOC)、土壤可溶性有机碳(DOC)、土壤易氧化态有机碳(EOC)含量均较低。土壤SOC和EOC在垂直剖面上分布特征一致,土壤EOC与土壤有机质动态变化密切相关,土壤砂砾含量高是研究区土壤有机碳含量较低的主要原因。     

Efficiency of stormwater control measures for combined sewer retrofitting under varying rain conditions: Quantifying the Three Points Approach (3PA)

We present a method to assess and communicate the efficiency of stormwater control measures for retrofitting existing urban areas. The tool extends the Three Points Approach to quantitatively distinguish three rainfall domains: (A) rainwater resource utilisation, (B) urban stormwater drainage pipe design, and (C) pluvial flood mitigation. Methods for calculating efficiencies are defined recognizing that rainfall is both a valuable resource and a potential problem. Efficiencies are quantified in relation to rainfall volume, supplied potable water volume and volume of wastewater treated. A case study from Denmark is used to illustrate how the efficiency varies between the rainfall domains. The method provides a means for communicating some important quantitative aspects of stormwater control measures among engineers, planners and decision makers working with management of water resources, stormwater drainage and flood risks.     

航空装备研制风险的综合赋权-双基点法评估

为实现对航空预研项目技术风险的定量评估,建立技术风险评价指标体系,建立基于综合赋权和双基点方法的综合评估模型,采用层次分析法(AHP)求得主观权重,熵值赋权法求得客观权重,运用线性规划方法求得对2类权重加权的权值,构造综合权重;使用正负理想点间的投影距离代替传统的相对欧式距离对TOPSIS方法进行改进;实例分析中,通过对某航空预研项目5种不同的方案进行风险评估,得出各方案的优劣度,选出了较为优化的技术方案,该方法可用于指导其他装备研制风险的评估。     

浙江省"十二五"城市声环境监测点位优化调整研究

随着城市建设步伐的加快,人口数量增多,城市基础设施的完善,建成区的扩大和功能区类型的改变,"十二五"城市声环境监测点位的调整、优化是必然趋势.本文结合浙江省"十二五"城市声环境监测点位优化布设的实际工作情况,对城市声环境监测点位优化布点原则、方法等进行了阐述.以"十一五"声环境监测点位布设现状为基础,结合功能区环境噪声的普查数据,对优化选点监测数据进行分析,选出具有空间分布适当,可以保证设备安全,方便操作,并且数据具有较好的代表性的测点.优化调整后,城市区域环境噪声有效网格覆盖面积增加了80.8%,道路交通噪声监测总路长增加了67.0%,功能区定点噪声测点数量增加了129.2%,优化调整后的监测点位更能客观反映城市区域环境噪声实际情况.     

Soil organic carbon decomposition and carbon pools in temperate and sub-tropical forests in China

Decomposition of soil organic carbon (SOC) is a critical component of the global carbon cycle, and accurate estimates of SOC decomposition are important for forest carbon modeling and ultimately for decision making relative to carbon sequestration and mitigation of global climate change. We determined the major pools of SOC in four sites representing major forest types in China: temperate forests at Changbai Mountain (CBM) and Qilian Mountain (QLM), and sub-tropical forests at Yujiang (YJ) and Liping (LP) counties. A 90-day laboratory incubation was conducted to measure CO(2) evolution from forest soils from each site, and data from the incubation study were fitted to a three-pool first-order model that separated mineralizable soil organic carbon into active (C(a)), slow (C(s)) and resistant (C(r)) carbon pools. Results indicate that: (1) the rate of SOC decomposition in the sub-tropical zone was faster than that in the temperature zone, (2) The C(a) pool comprised approximately 1-3% of SOC with an average mean residence time (MRT) of 219 days. The C(s) pool comprised approximately 25-65% with an average MRT of 78 yr. The C(r) pool accounted for approximately 35-80% of SOC, (3) The YJ site in the sub-tropical zone had the greatest C(a) pool and the lowest MRT, while the QLM in the temperature zone had the greatest MRT for both the C(a) and C(s) pools. The results suggest a higher capacity for long-term C sequestration as SOC in temperature forests than in sub-tropical forests.     

A national critical loads framework for atmospheric deposition effects assessment: II. Defining assessment end points,indicators, and functional subregions

The United States Environmental Protection Agency, with support from the US Department of Energy and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, has been evaluating the feasibility of an effects-based (critical loads) approach to atmospheric pollutant regulation and abatement. The rationale used to develop three of the six steps in a flexible assessment framework (Strickland and others, 1992) is presented along with a discussion of a variety of implementation approaches and their ramifications. The rationale proposes that it is necessary to provide an explicit statement of the condition of the resource that is considered valuable (assessment end point) because: (1) individual ecosystem components may be more or less sensitive to deposition, (2) it is necessary to select indicators of ecosystem condition that can be objectively measured and that reflect changes in the quality of the assessment end point, and (3) acceptable status (i.e., value of indicator and quality of assessment end point at critical load) must be defined. The rationale also stresses the importance of defining the assessment regions and subregions to improve the analysis and understanding of the indicator response to deposition. Subregional definition can be based on a variety of criteria, including informed judgment or quantitative procedures. It also depends on the geographic scale at which exposure and effects models are accurate and on data availability, resolution, and quality. The research described in this article has been funded by the US Environmental Protection Agency. This document has been prepared at the EPA Environmental Research Laboratory in Corvallis, Oregon, through contract #68-C8-0006 with ManTech Environmental Technology, Inc., and Interagency Agreement #1824-B014-A7 with the US Department of Energy and at Oak Ridge National Laboratory managed by Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., under Contract DE-AC05-84OR21400 with the US Department of Energy. Environmental Sciences Division Publication No. 3903. It has been subjected to the agency’s peer and administrative review and approved for publication. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.     

运用回归分析测算水口镇商业用地基准地价

惠州市惠城区水口镇原隶属于惠阳市,2003年惠城区行政区划进行了战略性调整,惠阳撤市设区,水口镇划归惠城区管辖, 这样水口镇现执行的基准地价标准(原惠阳标准)需要更新.目前基准地价的评估方法有很多种,通过建立样点地价与土地定级网格单元总分值关系模型,运用回归分析来测算水口镇商业用地基准地价.     

金华市奶牛基地的资源利用问题研究

本文论述了奶牛基地发展与红黄壤资源开发利用之间的内在联系。在分析奶牛基地农业资源利用现状基础上,运用灰色系统理论和多元统计的系统聚类分析方法,对影响奶牛基地发展的因素及区域发展对策作了定量分析,并预测奶牛基地发展趋势,提出奶牛生产不同区域的红黄壤资源开发利用的重点,这为合理开发利用红黄壤资源种草养奶牛提供理论和实际参考依据。     

基于安全心理学的主动式防火墙设计

当前防火墙的防御策略为被动防御 ,它只能被动等待攻击者的攻击 ,直接降低了其安全性能。从安全心理学的角度出发 ,分析了被动式防火墙的弱点并设计了一种新型防火墙。该防火墙采用主动式防御策略 ,对于在防火墙中识别出的非法访问 ,通过重定向 ,引导至识别区来保护主系统 ,降低攻击者的攻击欲望 ,从而提高了防火墙的安全性能。防火墙中关键技术为攻击识别技术和重定向技术。