Real-world adjustments of driver seat and head restraint in Saab 9-3 vehicles

Objective: Whiplash-associated disorder (WAD), commonly denoted whiplash injury, is a worldwide problem. These injuries occur at relatively low changes of velocity (typically <25 km/h) in impacts from all directions. Rear impacts, however, are the most common in the injury statistics. Females have a 1.5–3 times higher risk of whiplash injury than males.

?Improved seat design is the prevailing means of increasing the protection of whiplash injury for occupants in rear impacts. Since 1997, more advanced whiplash protection systems have been introduced on the market, the Saab Active Head Restraint (SAHR) being one of the most prominent. The SAHR—which is height adjustable—is mounted to a pressure plate in the seatback by means of a spring-resisted link mechanism.

?Nevertheless, studies have shown that seats equipped with reactive head restraints (such as the SAHR) have a very high injury-reducing effect for males (～60–70%) but very low or no reduction effect for females. One influencing factor could be the position of the head restraint relative to the head, because a number of studies have reported that adjustable head restraints often are incorrectly positioned by drivers.

?The aim was to investigate how female and male Saab drivers adjust the seat in the car they drive the most.

Methods: The seated positions of drivers in stationary conditions have been investigated in a total of 76 volunteers (34 females, 42 males) who participated in the study. Inclusion criteria incorporated driving a Saab 9–3 on a regularly basis.

Results: The majority of the volunteers (89%) adjusted the head restraint to any of the 3 uppermost positions and as many as 59% in the top position.

?The average vertical distance between the top of the head and the top of the head restraint (offset) increase linearly with increasing statures, from an average of ?26 mm (head below the head restraint) for small females to an average of 82 mm (head above the head restraint) for large males. On average, the offset was 23 mm for females, which is within a satisfactory range and in accordance with recommendations; the corresponding value for males was 72 mm.

?The backset tended to be shorter among female volunteers (on average 27 mm) compared to the male volunteers (on average 44 mm). Moreover, the backset tended to increase with increasing statures.

Conclusions: Incorrect adjustment of the head restraint cannot explain the large differences found between the sexes in the effectiveness of the SAHR system.     

Parental awareness and perception for correct use of child restraint systems and airbags in Brazil

Objective: The objective of this study was to obtain information about the current knowledge and habits of parents who transport children in cars in Brazil.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using specifically designed self-report questionnaires to parents of children attending a private pediatric office in a town in southwest Brazil. Data were collected regarding children's age, gender, height, and weight and possession of an automobile child restraint system (CRS), its type, frequency and adequacy of use, and reasons for not possessing or not using the devices. Parents were asked whether their cars were equipped with airbags and about the use of the restraints in seats with airbags.

Results: We interviewed parents of 293 children transported in cars who met the criteria for use of a CRS. Children were younger than 1 year in 15.3% of the cases, between 1 and 4 years in 38.6%, and older than 4 in 46.1%. Cars were equipped with CRS in 78.5% of the cases, but in only 58% of the cases was the device proper for child's age and adequately installed in the seat. Among owners of the devices, 84.3% reported that they always used it. Reasons for infrequency were forgetting the device at home or in another car (6.4%), the child disliking the device (3.2%), or the false impression that the child was grown enough not to use it (3.2%)l 87.1% did not justify why they did not always use the CRS. Considering type of CRS, correct installation of the seat, and frequency of use, only 44.4% of children under 1 year, 69.9% of those 1 to 4 years, and 52.6% over age 4 were protected. Only 28.6% of the parents knew that children should never be positioned in a seat with active airbags.

Conclusion: Considering appropriateness for age, correctness of installation (in the back seat in the correct orientation), and frequency of use, only 50.85% (149/293) of the children were reported as always protected with a CRS. Children between 1 and 4 years were more likely to always use a CRS in this Brazilian survey. We were also able to identify an important gap in the knowledge about airbags among parents. Further efforts are needed to correct those distortions.     

滦县地面塌陷成因类型及稳定性分区

地面塌陷是滦县地质灾害的主要类型之一,地面塌陷灾害孕灾环境复杂,致灾因子多样,承灾体脆弱,灾害后果严重。人为因素是地面塌陷的主要诱发因素。本文通过对滦县地区由开采铁矿和岩溶作用引起的塌陷现状进行了深入的调查分析,并在此基础上进行了地面塌陷的稳定性区划,为滦县地区地面塌陷灾害的综合防治提供了科学的依据。     

铁岭县工业园区发展与环境保护措施探讨

参考有关工业园区建设和循环经济的文献,结合铁岭县实际情况,提出了铁岭县工业园区发展和环境保护协调发展的有效措施。     

Ride-hailing with kids: Who’s got their back?

Introduction: As transportation network companies (TNC) are on the rise, assessing the safety of children traveling in these vehicles is imperative. For this reason, this study developed and adopted a scoring system to assess states’ safety standards for children traveling in TNC vehicles. Methods: The scoring was based on two parameters pertaining to child car seat laws for TNCs: clarity and stringency. For each parameter, three criteria that could impact child safety in TNC vehicles were formulated. If a state met a certain criterion it got 1 point and 0 otherwise. The authors gathered all the necessary information by reviewing state statutes in Nexus Uni, a legal research database. These reviews took place between December 2019 and October 2020, and this study evaluated state laws in effect on October 28, 2020. Results: During this assessment, the authors observed a lack of clarity in state child car seat laws, which could compromise safety of children traveling in TNC vehicles. For clarity of laws, Georgia and Indiana received the highest scores (3 out of 3 points), while 16 states scored only 1 point, which was the lowest score in this category. In terms of stringency of laws, Pennsylvania received the highest score (3 out of 3 points), while Indiana scored the least (0 points). Conclusions: Besides one state (Oregon), all other states defined TNCs in their state laws. All states except for Indiana and Washington required child car seats in TNC vehicles. The responsibility for child car seat use was clearly defined in 35 states. The fine for child car seat violation was $50 or more in 28 states. Practical Application: This study will help TNCs, policymakers, and stakeholders identify states that need to improve their standards for child safety in TNC vehicles, and comprehensively address the issue.     

Analysis of Soil and Water Balance on the Land Arrangement Function

The natural supply of land resources is limited, but the economic supply may change along with social and economic development, and its size is decided bye nature and social and economic body conditions. When the supplying ability of land resources threatens the development of society and the conflict between people and land becomes tense, it forced people to im- prove land utilization and to increase the effective supply of land resources. The paper made an overall consideration on the characteristics of the irrigated farming and the frail ecological environment in Fuhai County, Altay Area, Xinjiang Uigur Autonomous Region and explored land arrangement planning as well as water resource planning and environmental protection. The paper evaluated natural resources, land utilization and water resource of the case study areas and focused on the spatio-temporal balance between the utilization of water and land resources. In the end the paper a feasible plan was made out for the land arrangement project.     

祁连山区山地草原荒漠化的原因诊断与治理对策

以祁连山区肃南县为例，分析了祁连山区山地草原荒漠化的现状及其危害，并结合历史，从自然和人为两方面探讨了草原荒漠化的成因。由于自然因素是形成草原荒漠化的基础，而人为因素才是其主导因素。所以本文主要就人为因素有针对性地提出了山地草原荒漠化的防治和生态环境重建的对策，即：加大资金引入，引进和推广新技术，减轻草原人高压力；实现合理用水，提高草原的数量和质量。     

矿业活动影响区稻田土壤和稻米中重金属含量及健康风险

探讨了南丹矿业活动对周边稻田土壤和稻米中重金属含量的影响,并评估当地居民通过稻米摄入重金属的健康风险.对位于矿业影响区车河镇、大厂镇、长老乡以及对照区六寨镇的4个典型村庄居民进行为期3 d的入户膳食调查,同时采集稻田土壤样品56个和稻米样品90个,用原子荧光形态分析仪(AFS-9700)、石墨炉原子吸收分光光谱仪(AA 700)和电感耦合等离子发射光谱仪(Optima 7000)测定其重金属含量,并通过污染指数法和重金属摄入量评价居民膳食暴露的健康风险.结果表明,矿业活动影响区稻田土壤As、Sb、Cd、Pb、Cu和Zn的几何平均值分别为58.1、16.4、1.22、49.1、52.1和271mg·kg~(-1),除Pb外,其他元素均显著高于对照区稻田土壤相应重金属含量(P0.05),Nemero综合指数(PN)为3.14,属于重度污染水平.六寨、车河、大厂和长老地区稻米样品中Cd含量均超出标准限值,超出倍数分别为2.23、4.40、3.81和3.52倍,As也存在严重超标现象;居民Cd的摄入量高于FAO/WHO提出的重金属人均日摄入可允许限量标准(PTDI).说明南丹矿业活动对周边稻田土壤和稻米及人群健康的危害明显大于对照区人群,食用当地稻米对人体存在较大的健康风险.     

农牧交错区农户生计分化及其对耕地利用的影响——以宁夏盐池县为例

农户生计与耕地利用之间的关系已经成为理解人地关系的重要切入点。论文以宁夏盐池县为例,在可持续生计框架下,从农户生计资本和生产要素配置两个角度,探讨农户生计分化及其对耕地利用的影响。结果表明：1）盐池县兼业户与非农就业户合计占调查农户的58%,农户非农化现象普遍;2）劳动力越多、人均耕地越少的农户,其家庭非农收入占比越高,生计资本是农户生计分化的“推力”;3）务农机会成本越高的农户其生计分化程度越高,务农机会成本是农户生计分化的“拉力”;4）随着生计分化程度的增加,耕地利用的生产要素投入强度呈递减态势,但是兼业户的耕地利用效率高于纯农户和非农就业户。农牧交错区同时面临着生态保护、农牧业生产、脱贫攻坚等挑战,政策制定需充分考虑当地农户的生计特征与人地关系的演变规律,加强非农就业引导,鼓励农户土地流转,促进农户生计多样化,实现生态、经济、社会效益“共赢”发展。