Lower Leg Injury Reference Values and Risk Curves from Survival Analysis for Male and Female Dummies: Meta-analysis of Postmortem Human Subject Tests

Objective: Derive lower leg injury risk functions using survival analysis and determine injury reference values (IRV) applicable to human mid-size male and small-size female anthropometries by conducting a meta-analysis of experimental data from different studies under axial impact loading to the foot–ankle–leg complex.

Methods: Specimen-specific dynamic peak force, age, total body mass, and injury data were obtained from tests conducted by applying the external load to the dorsal surface of the foot of postmortem human subject (PMHS) foot–ankle–leg preparations. Calcaneus and/or tibia injuries, alone or in combination and with/without involvement of adjacent articular complexes, were included in the injury group. Injury and noninjury tests were included. Maximum axial loads recorded by a load cell attached to the proximal end of the preparation were used. Data were analyzed by treating force as the primary variable. Age was considered as the covariate. Data were censored based on the number of tests conducted on each specimen and whether it remained intact or sustained injury; that is, right, left, and interval censoring. The best fits from different distributions were based on the Akaike information criterion; mean and plus and minus 95% confidence intervals were obtained; and normalized confidence interval sizes (quality indices) were determined at 5, 10, 25, and 50% risk levels. The normalization was based on the mean curve. Using human-equivalent age as 45 years, data were normalized and risk curves were developed for the 50th and 5th percentile human size of the dummies.

Results: Out of the available 114 tests (76 fracture and 38 no injury) from 5 groups of experiments, survival analysis was carried out using 3 groups consisting of 62 tests (35 fracture and 27 no injury). Peak forces associated with 4 specific risk levels at 25, 45, and 65 years of age are given along with probability curves (mean and plus and minus 95% confidence intervals) for PMHS and normalized data applicable to male and female dummies. Quality indices increased (less tightness-of-fit) with decreasing age and risk level for all age groups and these data are given for all chosen risk levels.

Conclusions: These PMHS-based probability distributions at different ages using information from different groups of researchers constituting the largest body of data can be used as human tolerances to lower leg injury from axial loading. Decreasing quality indices (increasing index value) at lower probabilities suggest the need for additional tests. The anthropometry-specific mid-size male and small-size female mean human risk curves along with plus and minus 95% confidence intervals from survival analysis and associated IRV data can be used as a first step in studies aimed at advancing occupant safety in automotive and other environments.     

水环境中不同形态氮对甲芬那酸光降解影响机制的研究

研究了紫外光照射下水环境中不同形态的无机氮(NO-3、NO-2和NH+4)对甲芬那酸(MEF)光解的影响.NO-3与NO-2均促进MEF的光解,NH+4对MEF的光解基本无影响;在NO-3、NO-2存在下添加适量异丙醇,显著抑制MEF的降解,实验表明NO-3、NO-2在光照下产生了·OH并参与对MEF的氧化降解.同时模拟研究了水体处于不同p E值下,水中存在的不同形态的无机氮对MEF光解的复合影响,其对MEF光解促进作用不是简单的叠加关系,增大p E值,MEF的光解速率先增大后减小.当NO-2和NH+4共存时,对MEF的光解主要表现为NO-2的影响;当NO-2和NO-3共存时,两者对MEF的光解存在拮抗作用.     

贵阳市土壤地球化学背景与生态环境分析

通过1∶250 000多目标区域地球化学调查,获得了贵阳市及邻区表、深层土壤中54项化学指标的地球化学背景值、基准值等参数。研究区总体土壤环境呈中偏酸性,对生态环境影响较大。土壤化学物质组成丰富,地球化学背景分布不均匀。除活动性强的化学组分对成土母质有分异外,多数化学组分对成土母质继承性显著。表层土壤有机碳、全碳、硫、氮、硒、氟和汞、镉、砷等的地球化学背景值显著高于深层土壤和我国其它城市地球化学基准值。前者适宜发展生态富硒特色农业,后者表明土壤环境安全形势严峻。土壤地球化学背景为生态环境评价和其它相关学科研究提供了科学基础,由此提出生态环境保护和利用建议。     

不确定背景值下浅水湖泊沉积物重金属生态风险评价

基于安徽某湖泊沉积物柱状样重金属实测含量,研究了各类重金属的垂向变化趋势及来源;采用拉丁超立方抽样方法随机产生已知范围内的重金属背景值,计算沉积物重金属综合潜在生态风险水平,研究其结果不确定性,评价湖泊沉积物重金属污染程度.结果表明,沉积物重金属的含量及综合潜在生态风险水平沿深度方向呈逐渐降低的趋势,上层沉积物存在较高的综合潜在生态风险;不确定性评价方法可以在沉积物垂向上得到沉积物重金属综合潜在生态风险水平的包络面,不确定性的结果可以给出综合潜在生态风险超出风险阈值的可信度和特定置信度下的综合潜在生态风险指数置信区间;90%置信度下两个沉积物采样点上层重金属综合潜在生态风险指数（RI）的置信区间分别为340.08~412.89和271.61~327.67,处于重度综合潜在生态风险水平阈值附近的评价结果让不同风险偏好的决策者在面临修复、清淤等决策时可以做出符合自身预期的决策.     

Morphology, composition, and sources of individual aerosol particles at a regional background site of the YRD, China

Aerosol samples were collected at Lin'an, a background site of Yangtze River Delta(YRD).Morphology, size, composition, and mixing state of individual aerosol particles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy(TEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDS), and the soluble ions of PM_(1.0) were studied by aerosol mass spectrometer(AMS). The daily average AMS mass concentrations of sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium were about 5.8, 8.6, and 5.6 μg/m~3, respectively. Individual aerosol particles were classified into seven types: S-rich, K-rich, organic matter(OM), soot, fly ash, metal, and mineral. S-rich particles were dominant in all size bins, and 51%(by number) of S-rich particles were internally mixed with other particles. The fraction of organic coating particles was 13.7% in morning, 25.2% in afternoon, and 11% in evening, suggesting that the strong photochemical process during afternoon produced more secondary organic aerosols(SOA) on the surface of inorganic particles. Fly ash and metal particles were abundant during the day, suggesting the influence of emissions from coal-fired power plants and steel plants. The results indicate that the intense industrial emissions in the YRD significantly transported to the background areas. PM_(2.5) concentration may be lower in background air than in urban air but complex mixing state of aerosol particles indicates that the long-range transported particles substantially influenced the background air quality.     

地质高背景区土壤-玉米重金属综合质量评价

为了研究地质高背景区土壤及农产品的污染程度及原因,为农产品安全生产及土壤重金属风险管控提供依据,在重庆市巫山县抱龙镇耕地区采集了土壤-玉米协同样品36套,分析了土壤-玉米中重金属(Cd、 Hg、 Pb、 As和Cr)含量及土壤pH,利用内梅罗综合污染指数法(P_N)和综合质量影响指数(IICQ)对土壤-玉米中重金属的污染程度进行了评价,并分析了土壤重金属来源及玉米重金属超标的影响因素.结果表明,研究区土壤重金属含量的平均值高于全国及重庆土壤背景值,土壤重金属富集效应明显.Cd是土壤-玉米超标的主要因子,土壤和玉米Cd的总体超标率分别为91.67%和30.55%.内梅罗综合污染指数评价结果显示,土壤以重度污染为主,占比63.89%,玉米轻度污染、中度污染和重度污染的占比分别为5.56%、 11.11%和11.11%.土壤-玉米综合质量影响指数以中度和重度污染为主,分别占比44.44%和47.22%.从重金属污染空间分布来看,玉米与土壤污染区域不一致.土壤重金属污染主要受到二叠系和三叠系地层的影响,与黑色岩系和灰岩区次生富集作用有关.玉米Cd含量主要受到土壤pH的影响,...     

Seeing the wood for the trees: the role of woody resources for the construction of gender specific household cultural artefacts in non-traditional communities in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

There is a growing wealth of data capturing the direct-use values of the environment and recognition of forests and wild resources as representing “the poor manȁ9s overcoat”. This focus has however resulted in an emphasis on the utilitarian values of wild resources for rural livelihoods and has for the most part overlooked their cultural values. In tangent to these developments within the field of anthropology there has been increased attention directed towards the relationship between biodiversity and human diversity over the past decade. This has resulted in the recognition of what the Declaration of Belem calls an ȁ8inextricable linkȁ9 between biological and cultural diversity. The term bio-cultural diversity has been introduced as a concept denoting this link. Consequently there is a need for more elaborate assessments of the various ways in which different groups of people find value in biodiversity. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the cultural significance of wild harvested plant resources for the maintenance of two gender specific cultural artefacts for amaXhosa people in South Africa, to assess the persistence of these practices in rapidly modernizing communities. We demonstrate the endurance of these ancient cultural artefacts in present-day peri-urban communities and suggest that they point to the need for improved understanding of the significance of bio-cultural diversity. The findings of the study should not be interpreted as illustrating stagnation in the traditional past, but rather as pointing at the need for improved understanding of the significance of bio-cultural diversity in a dynamic sense.     

Application of micrometeorological approaches to measure methane exchange in a dry paddy field in the western coast of Korea

The exchange processes of CH₄ were investigated in a paddy field in the Hari area of Kang Hwa Island over an 8 day period in late April 2002. The quantification of CH₄ fluxes was made under dry field condition of early spring by concurrently measuring its concentrations (at the two heights of 1 and 5 m) and the relevant micrometeorological parameters. To help elucidate the factors determining the mobilization characteristics of CH₄, the results of our measurement data were examined using a number of approaches. The results of the trajectory analysis indicated that its concentration changed very sensitively with the influence of different source types, as seen from the air mass movement patterns. The concentrations and fluxes of methane, when examined over this short-term scale, showed moderately strong patterns across 24 h period in which higher values tend to occur during morning or evening. The overall results of our field measurements suggest that CH₄ exchange processes in the paddy area proceeded in a fairly complicated manner. The study area behaved as a net source of CH₄ to the atmosphere with a net daily emission rate of 3.6 mg m⁻² despite the fact that downward deposition was observed more frequently than upward emission.     

丹江口水库总氮较高原因初步分析

通过对丹江口水库库区、河南省辖入库河流及其它水体含氮类指标的对比,对水库总氮偏高的原因加以分析,指出总氮标准与硝酸盐、氨氮标准有差异,提出合理评价总氮指标及水库水质、加强水质保护措施的建议。     

山西省五台山区土壤氟元素的环境背景值及分布规律

对山西省五台山区垂直土壤主要土类的氟元素背景值进行了调查与分析，揭示了五台山区土壤氟元素区域背景的分布特征和变化趋势。结果表明：五台山区土壤氟背景值略高于我国平均水平，多数土壤Ｂ层含氟量最高。