The crash severity impacts of fixed roadside objects

INTRODUCTION: This study analyzes the in-service performance of roadside hardware on the entire urban State Route system in Washington State by developing multivariate statistical models of injury severity in fixed-object crashes using discrete outcome theory. The objective is to provide deeper insight into significant factors that affect crash severities involving fixed roadside objects, through improved statistical efficiency along with disaggregate and multivariate analysis. METHOD: The developed models are multivariate nested logit models of injury severity and they are estimated with statistical efficiency using the method of full information maximum likelihood. RESULTS: The results show that leading ends of guardrails and bridge rails, along with large wooden poles (e.g. trees and utility poles) increase the probability of fatal injury. The face of guardrails is associated with a reduction in the probability of evident injury, and concrete barriers are shown to be associated with a higher probability of lower severities. Other variables included driver characteristics, which showed expected results, validating the model. For example, driving over the speed limit and driving under the influence of alcohol increase the probability of fatal accidents. Drivers that do not use seatbelts are associated with an increase in the probability of more severe injuries, even when an airbag is activated. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: The presented models show the contribution of guardrail leading ends toward fatal injuries. It is therefore important to use well-designed leading ends and to upgrade badly performing leading ends on guardrails and bridges. The models also indicate the importance of protecting vehicles from crashes with rigid poles and tree stumps, as these are linked with greater severities and fatalities.     

TECHNOLOGY,INSTITUTIONS, AND SOCIAL GOALS1

ABSTRACT: The cries of pending water crises are usually cast in terms of water availability and/or water quality. Unfortunately, the real factors underlying a perceived crisis are often overlooked and the solutions prescribed are fax from optimal when measured in either economic or social terms. Today's technology outstrips its implementation, yesterday's solutions are imposed on a new breed of problems, and a static game is being played in a dynamic world. There is a need for the application of innovative and revolutionary tactics, for modernizing institutions, and for educating technologists and decision makers alike in the art of communicating their views and skills. This is the challenge. If it is met, some predicted crises will not materialize, and many others will be diminished in scale. An exciting opportunity exists to extend the boundaries of a new era in water management.     

论北京城市建设的综合减灾问题

本文针对北京城市建设面临的自然与人为灾害背景,简要论述了北京地震、水灾、火灾及“新致灾源”的历史及现状,强调开展首都圈灾害研究及减灾规划设计的重要性,并提出了系统的减灾方略及相应的管理构想。     

贵州省西部环境灾害与防治

本文分析了贵州西部环境灾害的形成原因，它既受自然因素的影响，也受人类活动的影响。并提出了防治贵州西部环境灾害的基本措施。     

以人为本开拓创新不断提高海淀区的地震应急能力

近一两年来,海淀区地震办公室树立科学的发展观,勇于创新,敢为人先,以《海淀区破坏性地震应急预案》为中心,围绕落实《海淀区破坏性地震应急预案》的物质载体,开展了一系列地震应急工作.在建设《海淀区地震信息应急指挥中心》、开展应急避险场所建设、成立防灾减灾志愿者队伍、开展灾情速报网建设等方面进行了有益的探索,并取得了一定的成效.     

Designing sensor systems capable of differentiating children from adults

INTRODUCTION: Injury prevention systems intended to prevent children from entering hazardous locations (or at least alert caregivers if that occurs) often respond to every instance of a person's presence, regardless of whether the intruder is a child. This performance results in a high nuisance alarm rate that sometimes causes adults to disable or circumvent the safety system. If a child safety system can accurately identify intruders as adults or children, nuisance alarm rates can be decreased. METHOD: This analysis selects three human factors (height, foot length, and cognition) amenable to adult/child differentiation and describes likely sensor strategies, advantages, and disadvantages. RESULTS: Preliminary testing of prototypes systems shows that simple sensor systems are capable of acquiring adequate data for adult/child differentiation. The discussion addresses requirements for discriminator systems and the effects of various sensor combinations on overall performance.     

Effective environmental management through life cycle assessment

Unplanned and unsustainable development (particularly rapid industrialisation) has placed great pressure in every dimension of the environment (air, water, soil, health, etc.). The resulting disturbance in the natural ecological balance is a serious concern. Sustainable development is the need of the hour; it can only be achieved through effective environmental management. Environmental management will become indispensable in the future as regulatory restrictions tighten and public expectations of environmental performance increase. The day is not far away when a customer will prefer to buy products produced by an environmentally committed organisation. In short, the environmental commitment of an organisation will become a market strategy.

Environmental management is a set of actions based on a structured methodology to ensure that an organisation is committed to the environment and that the production process has minimal/no adverse affect on it. This article emphasises environmental management in the real engineering sense of the term, and discusses how to develop an effective environmental management system through life cycle assessment. It further demonstrates through a real life case study how an industry has achieved landmark success in managing its environment, production, as well as winning the good faith of society.     

浅谈质量/环境/职业健康安全一体化管理体系的建立与实施

介绍了运用管理的系统方法,策划、推进及实施质量/环境/职业健康安全一体化管理体系的做法,并对各阶段体系建立的方法与措施进行了阐述.     

江西生态城市建设及其效益

从工农业生产水平、财政收入、社会发展水平、城乡居民收入水平、森林覆盖率等指标评估宜春市实施生态市建设所取得的实际效益,通过比较现有发展水平与规划指标得出,生态市建设实施十五年以来,宜春市基本达到了规划的经济发展、教育、科技、文化、人口发展控制目标、人民生活提高目标和生态环境控制目标,分析了生态市试点建设中存在的问题,提出了今后生态城市建设的建议。     

单体液压支柱工作面顶板事故的原因与防治

简要地介绍了安徽淮南某矿回采工作面发生的1起重大冒顶事故,从地质、技术、装备、管理以及认识等方面分析r事故发生的原因,并提出了防治顶板事故的6项措施。