Spatial and temporal distribution of expressway and its relationships to land cover and population: A case study of Beijing,China

The interaction between urban transport, land cover change and the distribution of population is a typical manifestation of the urbanization process. As high-grade road, expressway plays a significant role in promoting resource circulation and economic development. Based on the road distribution, land cover and population census data, this study specifically probed the relationship between the expressways and the land cover and population of Beijing. The results show that: (1) as the distance from an expressway increases, the amount of built-up land gradually decreased, and the transfer of land cover near the expressway was more intensive and frequent when compared with that of the whole city; (2) In 2010, a district that was less than 3 km from both sides of the expressway and which occupies one-quarter of the entire city had concentrations of 42% industrial land, 58% of settlement land, and 76% transportation land of the entire city; (3) As for Beijing, the population density was positively correlated to road density, and population density declined with a corresponding increase in buffer distance; (4) The ring area between the Fifth and the Sixth Ring Road featured the greatest density of expressways and the most dramatic changes in both land cover and population. According to our study, there’s a positive interactive feedback relationship between the expressways, land cover and population of Beijing. Also, due to the concentration of population, industry and transport system around the expressways, special attention should be paid to environmental pollution and the inhabitants’ health in this area.     

基于评价声级L_r对低流量铁路(含专用线)噪声的环境影响评价研究

针对我国没有明确的低流量及专用线的执行标准和噪声评价量,主要从两个方面进行研究:对比国内外标准的制定过程和标准值,建议我国今后标准建立的应分区分年限;综合分析最大A声级、等效A声级、评价声级L_r和噪声暴露级等评价量,提出用暴露级结合L_r的评价方法,且与瑞士L_r进行计算分析比较,并结合实际监测验证,证明本方法较为可信。     

Air quality impacts of electric vehicle adoption in Texas

Widespread adoption of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) may substantially reduce emissions of greenhouse gases while improving regional air quality and increasing energy security. However, outcomes depend heavily on the electricity generation process, power plant locations, and vehicle use decisions. This paper provides a clear methodology for predicting PEV emissions impacts by anticipating battery-charging decisions and power plant energy sources across Texas. Life-cycle impacts of vehicle production and use and Texans’ exposure to emissions are also computed and monetized. This study reveals to what extent PEVs are more environmentally friendly, for most pollutant species, than conventional passenger cars in Texas, after recognizing the emissions and energy impacts of battery provision and other manufacturing processes. Results indicate that PEVs on today’s grid can reduce GHGs, NO_x, PM₁₀, and CO in urban areas, but generate significantly higher emissions of SO₂ than existing light-duty vehicles. Use of coal for electricity production is a primary concern for PEV growth, but the energy security benefits of electrified vehicle-miles endure. As conventional vehicle emissions rates improve, it appears that power grids must follow suit (by improving emissions technologies and/or shifting toward cleaner generation sources) to compete on an emissions-monetized basis with conventional vehicles in many locations. Moreover, while PEV pollution impacts may shift to more remote (power plant) locations, dense urban populations remain most strongly affected by local power plant emissions in many Texas locations.     

Effects of noise exposure of other people on aircraft noise tolerability using a reference point approach

Reactions to aircraft noise resulting from an airport development vary considerably among individuals. This paper examines whether the noise level tolerated by individuals is affected when they compare their own situation to the situations of other people who are more severely affected by the noise. We modeled the individual noise tolerability by adopting the reference point concept and the value function of prospect theory. A questionnaire assessed different levels of noise-affected zones at a hypothetical airport. Individual noise tolerable level was measured by a prerecorded aircraft noise presented via headphones. Decision-making associated with the reported satisfaction level regarding the changes in operational flight frequency settings at the airport. An interview survey was conducted with residents near Manila airport in the Philippines. We applied genetic algorithm to jointly estimate the parameters for noise tolerability model and the value function. Results showed that individuals tolerated more overhead flights when they considered the situations of other people worse affected by the noise than they were. The tendency of noise tolerability increased with the severity of noise exposure situations of other people, but lower reactions to noise escalation. We also observed diminishing sensitivity to changes in noise relative to the noise tolerable level. The aircraft noise tolerability and the consideration of noise exposure situations of other people appeared to be a vital aspect to be considered in airport noise management and policy.     

Analysis of Pollutant Exposure of Pedestrian in Urban Street

As an important place of pedestrian activities, the air quality of urban street is closely related to the human health, and the effects of air pollutants on human health have a close contact with the actual level of exposure. According to the concept of exposure, the paper analyzes the process of the exhaust pollutants from vehicles to pedestrians and the influencing factors under the urban traffic environment, and compares the research method of the pollutants exposure at home and abroad. Combined with the distribution characteristics of pollutants concentration and the peak feature of traffic flow in urban street, the paper also discusses the level of pollutant exposure of pedestrian in different time on the basis of the data of pollutant emission in Leeds City.     

普通半挂牵引车驾驶室舒适性评价

由于传统半挂牵引车驾驶室采用的是半悬浮被动悬置,减振效果不好,对于经常进行中长途运输的半挂牵引车司机而言,连续较长时间的驾驶会使司机暴露于机械性全身振动(WBV)之中。由于目前还没有确凿的证据证明半挂牵引车司机的腰痛等职业病与全身振动有直接关联,故为探索有关驾驶半挂牵引车的健康风险程度进行了试验验证。对同一辆试验车在不同路面、载荷和车速的多工况下进行了研究,并将试验结果与标准GB/T 13441.1-2007附录B中的健康指南警告区域进行了对比。研究表明,在当前的行驶条件下,我国半挂牵引车司机每天的连续驾驶时间最多不应超过5.5 h。     

Attitudes to transport modes for shopping purposes in Singapore

A review of the retailing and transportation literature shows that there is an apparently large research gap in the understanding of shoppers’ attitudes towards transport modes for shopping purposes. In particular, not many studies have been done to examine shoppers’ detailed and disaggregated attitudinal image structures of the various transport modes for shopping purposes. Using Singapore as a study area, this paper has attempted to investigate shoppers’ image structure of transport modes and their comparative perception ratings for the various modes of transportation for shopping purposes. Using principal component analysis, the research has unveiled the perceptions of five transport modes for shopping purposes. While some of the factors are unique to certain transport modes, other factors, namely ‘suitability’, ‘practicality’, ‘ease of travel’ and ‘cost’, are common to all modes of transportation. By way of the weighted‐factor rating, the study found that the car recorded the highest overall perception rating while the bus rated the lowest. In addition, the shoppers have reasonably good perception of public transport modes in Singapore.     

基于海洋暴露试验的氯离子扩散系数时空模型研究

在我国腐蚀条件最为恶劣的海南八所港,对3种配合比的混凝土试件进行实海暴露试验,通过测定浪溅区条件下氯离子在混凝土中侵入量,研究氯离子有效扩散系数随时间和深度的演变,为准确预测混凝土结构的使用寿命提供参考。     

Changes in size at maturity of European hake Atlantic populations in relation with stock structure and environmental regimes

European hake (Merluccius merluccius) female size at maturity is estimated on an annual basis for Bay of Biscay and Galician coast, which are parts of the distribution of the Northern and Southern stocks, respectively. Clear trends in this reproductive parameter are observed along the time series and the potential factors affecting these trends have been investigated. Total biomass, different indexes of SSB, age diversity index, fishing mortality at age, NAO winter index, upwelling index and temperature were included in multiple regressions models to assess the relative importance of each of them on shifts in size at maturity.Bay of Biscay and Galician coast hake have followed different evolution in patterns of changes in size at maturity. In Bay of Biscay, a steadily decline of 15 cm has been observed from 1987 to 2004, which is well predicted by fishing mortality and age diversity, but also the environment may have played an important role. However, on the Galician coast a drastic decline of 16 cm from 1980 to 1988 was followed by a rapid increase in size at maturity during the next 10 years to original values and a stable period in the last 6 years. Decreasing biomass may explain the decline in size at maturity in the first period. However, total biomass and spawning biomass declined even during the period when size at maturity increased, which is contrary to compensatory theory. Shifts in environmental regime, NAO and upwelling, may have contributed to a decelerated growth during this period that might explain the later maturation.