Collection, spillback, and dissipation in pedestrian evacuation: A network-based method

We present a method of predicting pedestrian route choice behavior and physical congestion during the evacuation of indoor areas with internal obstacles. Under the proposed method, a network is first constructed by discretizing the space into regular hexagonal cells and giving these cells potentials before a modified cell transmission model is employed to predict the evolution of pedestrian flow in the network over time and space. Several properties of this cell transmission model are explored. The method can be used to predict the evolution of pedestrian flow over time and space in indoor areas with internal obstacles and to investigate the collection, spillback, and dissipation behavior of pedestrians passing through a bottleneck. The cell transmission model is further extended to imitate the movements of multiple flows of pedestrians with different destinations. An algorithm based on generalized cell potential is also developed to assign the pedestrian flow.     

信息技术在企业反腐倡廉工作中的应用探讨

随着社会信息化程度不断提高,信息技术在反腐倡廉工作中的地位和作用日益凸显,并在诸多领域得到了充分运用,显著提升了反腐倡廉建设的质量和效率.以中国海运集团型企业为例,在分析信息技术在反腐倡廉建设中的地位和作用以及主要应用领域的基础上,进一步探讨运用信息技术提升反腐倡廉建设水平的实现途径和创新设想,并对提升反腐倡廉建设信息化水平所需的一系列保障措施进行讨论.     

Black Boxes - Pathetic progress but some success now in sight

Little has been written about the ship demolition market, an essential element in the supply/demand balance for shipping. Either technical or economic obsolescence may be the cause for scrapping a ship, where the latter is strongly influenced not only by anticipated freight market levels, but the rate at which more efficient ships are being introduced. The scrap value of a ship is a function both of the realizable value of the materials within the ship and cost of demolition. Both are strongly influenced by the cost structures prevailing in the likely country of demolition. The paper explores not only the fundamentals of the ship demolition market, but the trends from the 1960s to the present. The shipbreaking market has moved in that time from being West European-centred to Asian-centred, concentrating for some years in Taiwan, but now shifting to the Indian subcontinent.     

Examining the influence of firm performance on business risk-taking and the mediation effect of scale of operations in the container terminal industry

Container shipping and its related service sectors help accelerate globalization of the world economy. This industry has been experiencing rapid growth, prompting container terminal operators to increase their handling capacity in response. Providing container terminal services requires substantial capital investment in physical assets such as cargo handling facilities and information systems. On the other hand, operating container terminals is a long-term investment that typically spans several business cycles. Hence prudent asset management using appropriate tools is critical for container terminal operators to sustain their businesses. Generally, due to risk-adverseness, investors are unwilling to take more risk in their investment unless they can reap a higher return. Contrary to this argument, this study finds no direct influence of better firm performance as a proxy of higher return on business risk-taking by container terminal operators. Instead, scale of operations is positively associated with business risk-taking, suggesting that container terminal operators with a larger scale of operations are willing to take more business risk.     

Modeling and control of the pulley buffer system of arresting cable for shipboard aircraft based on magneto-rheological fluid

Taking the MK7-3 of USA hydraulic buffer arresting device as the research subject, the dynamical model for the shipboard aircraft arresting system is established, and the magneto-rheological (MR) damper is applied to pulley shock absorbers for shipboard aircraft block system. Due to the effect of the MR damper has not been known completely and so far MR damper model has not been defined, we use a set of characteristic test of the MR damper, through the process of parameters identification, to establish the dynamical model for the MR damper based on the Bingham plastic model. Then, the fuzzy control rules are designed, the buffer control for the pulley buffer of shipboard aircrafts is completed in touchdown moment based on MR technology. Compared with blocking device of hydraulic pulley buffer in the same condition, the simulations results show that the proposed MR pulley buffer can effectively recognize the impact energy for shipboard block system and reduce the pull peak of arresting cable. It improves significantly safety during landing of the air vehicles and lowers the risk of accidents.     

The management of the rural transportation problem in Nigeria

In spite of the fact that about 70% of Nigeria's population live in rural areas, these areas have remained largely inaccessible. Not only do they lack motorable roads and organized public transport but also field surveys indicate that nearly all rural inhabitants do not have a private car. A Directorate of Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructure has been set up to manage the inaccessibility problem, among others. Whereas there are several conventional approaches to the management of the rural transportation problem, the Nigerian approach relies on the provision of roads. This restrictive approach with an emphasis on locational to the neglect of personal accessibility has various limitations which are analysed.     

Understanding Recreational Boater Attitudes to Zoning in a Proposed Marine Protected Area

Although the success of marine protected areas (MPAs) and associated zoning schemes is largely dependent on stakeholder acceptance and support, there have been relatively few studies examining the response of recreational stakeholders to MPA proposals. This study investigates the response of recreational boaters to a proposed MPA in British Columbia, Canada. Using a structured questionnaire (n = 543) and a focus group (n = 6), the research examines the level of support for the concept of marine zoning and identifies key factors influencing support or opposition. Results indicate that a small majority of recreational boaters support the concept of marine zoning, but that there are areas of concern that ought to be addressed as MPA implementation proceeds. Support for zoning was strongly related to perceived benefits, particularly environmental benefits. Furthermore, perceived benefits overall were found to outweigh concerns as determinants of recreational boater support for zoning. Major dimensions of opposition included perceptions of over-regulation, loss of access for boating, and mistrust of the government. A suggestion is that such concerns may be mitigated through focused communication and meaningful involvement of boaters in the zoning process.     

In situ colonization of marine biofilms on UNS S32760 duplex stainless steel coupons in areas with different water qualities: Implications for corrosion potential behavior

In the presence of biofilms, stainless steels （SS） exhibits an increase in corrosion potential, called ennoblement. In the present study, the corrosion potential （Eco,） behavior of the duplex SS UNS S32760 was recorded simultaneously with the in situ marine biofilm formation in two areas at Arraial do Cabo, Southeastern Brazil. The biofilm at Forno Harbor （an anthropogenically disturbed area） was characterized by higher relative abundances of Bacteria at day 2, followed by diatoms （especially Navicula sp.） on day 10 and dinoflagellates on day 18, whereas no clear trend was recorded at Cabo Frio Island （an undisturbed area）. The ennoblement of Ecor values was site-dependent. In a complementary laboratory assay, biofilms were removed and the Eco values registered in sterile conditions for the subsequent 10 days and corroborated in situ results. Understanding biofilms and SS interactions has important implications for materials science and engineering decisions as well as helping to fill in imnortant gaps in this knowledge.     

一种设备维护策略——FMEA分析技术

根据设备特性及生产需求的不同,采用不同的维护策略可更有效地提高企业的维护效率,为此,提出了一种设备维护策略——FEMA分析技术。通过风险优先数方法对设备系统中各故障模式进行风险评估,确定出各设备的主导故障,进而得到设备关键等级划分,并以此为依据实现了各设备维护策略的制定。本文以污水排放设备为例阐述了维护策略的配置过程。