Cholinesterase activities in the scallop Pecten jacobaeus: characterization and effects of exposure to aquatic contaminants

Nearshore marine environments of industrialized countries are increasingly threatened by anthropogenic pollution. It is therefore a priority task to investigate the sensitivity of new ecotoxicological warning signals of the occurrence and effects of aquatic pollutants. The main aims of the present study were: 1) to characterize the biochemical properties of ChEs in tissues of the bivalve Pecten jacobaeus, using different specific substrates and selective inhibitors; 2) to measure sensitivity of ChE activities to in vitro exposure to the OPs azamethiphos and DFP and to the heavy metals cadmium and zinc. Our final aim was to carry out a preliminary evaluation of the suitability of ChEs measurement in tissues of the scallop for monitoring marine environmental quality and neurotoxic compounds contamination in the Mediterranean Sea. Responses to specific inhibitors have suggested that ChEs in adductor muscle share many characteristics with vertebrate acetylcholinesterase. Dose-dependent inhibition of ChE was observed in response to in vitro exposure to environmental contaminants such as cadmium and azamethiphos. Sensitivity to zinc and DFP was lower. ChEs in P. jacobaeus might therefore have potential as a sensitive biomarker for monitoring marine pollution. Results of the present study will be useful to focus further experiment of exposure to pollutants under in vivo conditions. CAPSULE: Cholinesterase activities in scallop Pecten jacobaeus were observed to be sensitive to contaminants in vitro and may therefore have potential as biomarkers for monitoring water pollution.     

基于节理产状不确定性的边坡稳定性及敏感度分析

用Monte Carlo法对服从Fisher分布的节理产状进行模拟,计算每个模拟产状的安全系数,并统计拟合安全系数的分布规律及边坡的可靠度。为同时考虑安全系数对节理倾角和倾向的敏感度,提出了以安全系数对节理面法向矢量球面距离的敏感度来反映其对产状敏感度的分析方法,并建议用平均值和最大值两个指标来反映任意产状的敏感度。用赤平投影方法在赤平图上绘制安全系数等值线图和敏感度等值线图,实现了计算结果的可视化展示。算例分析表明：此方法实现了对节理产状不确定性的全面直观分析,消除了产状测量数据离散化可能造成的安全隐患,解决了以往产状敏感度分析中需单独对倾角或倾向分析的不足。     

Uplift of elastomeric bearings in isolated bridges subjected to longitudinal seismic excitations

Bearings are used to isolate bridge substructures from the lateral forces induced by creep, shrinkage and seismic displacements. They are set in one or two support lines parallel to the transverse axis of the pier cap and are typically anchored to the deck and to the pier cap. This detailing makes them susceptible to possible tensile loading. During an earthquake, the longitudinal displacements of the deck induce rotations to the pier caps about a transverse axis, which in turn cause tensile (uplift) and compressive displacements to the bearings. Tensile displacements of bearings, due to the pier rotations, have not been addressed before and questions about the severity of this uplift effect arise, because tensile loading of bearings is strongly related to elastomer cavitation and ruptures. An extended parametric study revealed that bearing uplift may occur in isolated bridges, while uplift effect is more critical for the bearings on shorter piers. Tensile displacements of bearings were found to be significantly increased when the isolators were eccentrically placed with respect to the axis of the pier and when flexible isolators were used for the isolation of the bridge. The results of this study cannot be generalised as bridge response is strongly case-dependent and the approach has limitations, which are related to the modelling approach and to the fact that emphasis was placed on the longitudinal response of bridges.     

常低温下EGSB处理生活污水的影响因素研究

在15～26℃的常低温条件下,采用EGSB处理生活污水,考察了进水流量、回流比、液体上升流速(Vup)、温度等因素对运行效果的影响。结果表明,当温度为26℃左右时,对于9～11 L/h的低进水流量,宜采用高回流比(1.6～2.5),对COD的去除率最高可达90%;对于15～24L/h的高进水流量,宜采用低回流比(0～0.6),对COD的去除率最高可达84%;当进水流量提高至30 L/h时,不宜回流,对COD的去除率降至77%;当进水流量分别为9、11、15、24、30 L/h时,最佳Vup分别为4.0、(3.1～3.6)、(2.7～3.4)、3.0和3.8 m/h,此时对COD的去除率分别高达90%、(87%～89%)、(83%～84%)、83%和77%;在无回流的条件下,适宜的进水流量为15～24 L/h,相应的HRT为0.5～0.8 h。当温度为15～26℃时,EGSB适宜的运行条件是高进水流量(15～24L/h)、高Vup(3.0 m/h)和低回流比(0～0.6),此时对COD的去除率高达81.9%以上。     

Modeling Sorption Transport In Rooms And Sorption Filtration Systems For Building Air Quality Analysis

Adsorption, desorption and chemisorption are known to impact the dispersal of volatile organic and chemically reactive compounds in buildings. These same three processes may be used to advantage to control the levels of these compounds indoors using building sorption filtration devices. To add to the understanding of these processes, to provide the means to predict the impact of these processes on human exposure and to provide the tools needed to design gaseous filtration systems to mitigate the exposure to these compounds, a general approach to modeling the dynamics of these processes is presented. Equations are presented to account for the elemental advection, diffusion, sorption, and chemical transport steps affecting single component sorption dynamics in rooms and sorption filtration systems. These element equations are based on general principles and formulated in terms of fundamental physical parameters that may be determined using standard procedures. Models to predict room and sorption filtration system dynamics are formulated using assemblages of these element equations and a series of simplified models of these systems are derived. Initial applications to model single-component sorption transport in rooms and sorption filtration systems indicate that the approach has the potential to provide accurate predictions providing the sorption and chemical characteristics of the sorbate-sorbent system being considered are well-characterized. This potential is, however, compromised by the lack (or present uncertainty) of fundamental data relating to sorption equilibrium, porous diffusion, surface chemistry, and boundary layer mass transport     

Facilities intelligence and evaluation: A multi-criteria assessment approach

This paper presents a novel method for evaluating facilities in regard to their designed intelligence. Facilities intelligence is defined as the designed capacity of a facility to acquire and process data and information to perform its adaptability to lifecycle circumstance changes in terms of people's requirements of wellbeing and energy efficiency. This definition is then formulated to quantify the Index of Facilities Intelligence, the level of facilities intelligence, and the reliability of facilities evaluation. STEEP (social, technical, economic, environmental, and political) criteria and their sub-criteria are used to set up an ANP (analytic network process) model, and ANP result such as synthesized priority weights is then used to calculate those parameters related to facilities intelligence. An experimental case study is given to prove the effectiveness of applying the proposed method to evaluate the intelligence of facilities in practice.     

Assessing the Floristic Diversity of Hedge Networks: a landscape perspective

The type of land cover adjacent to hedges has been shown to influence the species composition of the ground flora. An assessment of the contribution of hedge networks to the biodiversity of landscapes therefore requires information on the relative lengths of hedge associated with different land covers. In the River Tyne catchment, Northern England, the association between hedges and land cover types differed between four landscapes. Overall, the greatest length of hedge was adjacent to arable crops, improved grasslands and roads. Hedges next to improved grassland and roads were the most species-rich, while those adjacent to arable crops were the least species-rich. Species which were common adjacent to arable crops were also common adjacent to other land covers. Hedges adjacent to improved grassland, roads and semi-natural broadleaved woodland supported species which were not common elsewhere in the hedge network. It was also found that hedges with different land cover on each side supported different floras on each side. When planning landscape-scale surveys of hedge biodiversity, it is important to survey both sides of hedges, and sampling should be stratified to include hedges adjacent to the different types of land cover present.     

Determination of the critical loading conditions for bridges under crossing trains

A procedure based on experimental and theoretical analyses to identify critical loading conditions on existing metallic railway bridges is presented. This method requires knowledge of the principal modal frequencies, and for this reason, a consolidated and simple procedure to study the bridge dynamics is herein explained. This consists of: preliminary studies; material and dynamic tests; and identification techniques to identify modal parameters and eventual non-linear behaviours. Generally the information collected can be used both to calibrate the bridge model and to obtain the refined frequency response function. In order to avoid high computational effort due to long time-history dynamic analyses by using the bridge model subjected to a series of train crossings, a new frequency domain approach for the identification of critical loading conditions is proposed. Evidence of the influence of the axle spacing and velocity of the vehicle on the dynamic magnification due to the train crossing is shown. The method is based on the construction of an excitation spectrum related to the train axle spacing and the velocity, given the weight of the vehicle. Comparison of the excitation spectrum with the frequency response function allows identification of the load patterns that bring the bridge to resonance conditions and might threaten bridge stability, bearing in mind continual changes in train technology.     

探求大学校园新旧建筑及环境的和谐共鸣——以辽宁科技大学校园扩建及改造为例

当前大学校园改扩建工程中存在着新旧建筑及建筑与环境如何协调的问题,本文以辽宁科技大学新校区的扩建及旧建筑的改造为例,通过理论研究和实例剖析,总结归纳了处理大学校园新旧建筑关系及建筑与环境相互协调的5种手法:确立中心、协调、对比、存留及整合景观与环境。本文结论进一步丰富和提高处理新旧建筑与校园环境协调方面的经验和手法,可为广大关注大学校园建设问题的相关人员提供借鉴和参考。     

授之以渔——以建筑学课程设计成果为例解析空间操作法

建筑学课程具有感性与理性、艺术与技术相融合的特点,导致其创意构思、过程深化、成果设计很难被度量,设计课程教学普遍无章可循、无例可依,难以用规范性方法和阶段化步骤进行把控,教学效果存在较大起伏。本文以建筑学三年级课程设计成果为例,通过对空间操作法进行解析,引导学生掌握契合任务目标及制约要素的学习方法,构建符合自身、逻辑成熟的设计语汇,由浅入深、由简入繁,实现培养和提升学生的专业素养。     

城市与记忆:心理学视维中的城市历史延续与发展

所有的城市都包含了记忆的因素。城市的记忆作为一种宝贵的资源，通过显性物质实体与化心理潜质在现实、未来中存在、变化与延续着，它成为城市人感知、体验与理解自身与其生存环境在时间因素中延承变换的基本脉络线索。但是，在城市大规模的改造与更新进程中，城市记忆的人为破坏与丧失已经再也不能使城市成为人们记忆中那熟悉的家园和故乡。为了避免割断和扭曲城市的历史，保持城市个性的统一性与完整性，塑造城市精神的真实性与独特性，对城市进行类似于心理学精神分析的记忆分析方法不失为一种研究城市历史延续与发展的科学方法。本试图在心理学的范畴为城市历史延续与发展研究提供一个视角，从城市记忆这个更为内在和深层的结构上对于当前城市建设中存在的一些问题进行剖析。     

超高路堑边坡治理工程案例研究Ⅱ:治理对策及其过程控制

概述了K227滑坡治理工程方案,对该滑坡分"上、中、下"三段进行施工的全过程开展数值模拟与优化分析,并与监测反馈信息相互印证,指导了边坡施工的过程控制,达到了超高路堑边坡治理"一次规划、分步推进、安全实施、不留后患"的工程控制目标,并得到以下结论:(1)将综合工况下边坡整体稳定系数F_s=1.10作为施工过程稳态控制的标准,以实现超高路堑边坡稳态控制,保证施工安全及其支护结构的耐久性;(2)坡脚反压是超高路堑边坡施工过程中确保其具备临时稳定的必要条件,应谨慎选择对此类临时安全措施调整的时机和节奏;(3)双排锚索抗滑桩方案的预先规划和及时生效,对于控制施工期间后山牵引变形发展和边坡稳定条件弱化,保证施工过程安全及成功治理具有重要的作用;(4)超高路堑边坡治理过程中存在多种潜在失稳机制,以及局部和整体变形相互转化的问题,需要进行多方案模拟优化,实现局部和整体变形的协调控制;(5)路堑高边坡动态设计与信息化施工需要由边坡变形破坏驱动设计调整的被动模式,转化为模拟及预测边坡变形发展规律,实现施工次生病害的主动控制。     

Normen für den Konstruktiven Ingenieurbau

Codes in Structural Engineering In structural engineering codes are of essential importance. Codes have to represent accepted rules as well as the state of the art in science and technology and they provide a basis for the communication between all involved professionals. In codes of the future all procedural steps of planning have to be included – design, execution, service, conservation and dismantlement – and an integral approach to safety and quality has to be adopted. In comparison to present codes, the technical breadth and the level of detail will increase. Nonetheless, the overall aim of code writers shall be to come up with regulations that are easy to understand and to apply. Codes of the future have to (re‐)gain their significance and acceptance.     

新拌水泥浆体的流变特性及其可灌性的研究

提高水泥浆体的可灌性是扩大水泥灌浆使用范围、提高灌浆质量的关键。作者用同轴回转粘度计、垂直毛细管粘度仪和激光颗分仪系统研究了水泥浆的流变性和可灌性。根据量纲分析和可灌性理论,提出了可灌性的定量表示公式。提高水泥浆体可灌性的有效措施是增加水泥的细度,使用最佳水灰比的浆体和掺加适量的塑化剂。     

露天矿山高陡岩质边坡生态修复技术的应用现状与发展趋势

矿产尤其是石材矿产的开发必然会对原矿区的环境造成破坏，容易形成矿山高陡岩边坡，即白茬山。白茬山由于坡度高、坡面长以及坡面温差大等原因，易形成恶劣的生存环境，很难实现有效的植被附着，长期复绿效果充满挑战。对此类生态环境中的常见复绿技术的研究现状进行了介绍，分析了不同技术的优缺点及使用机制。进一步根据白茬山的地质、地形和地表等特征，进行生态修复技术的优化与改进，展望修复技术的发展趋势，助力生态系统的恢复与发展。     

Using car parking requirements to promote sustainable transport development in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The aims of this paper are to review the current practices of car parking standards in the UK, the USA, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA); to draw the main lessons learned from experiences of the UK and the USA; and to suggest suitable improvements in the standards of car parking requirements in the KSA. The paper follows a comparative approach in reviewing car parking standard requirements according to different types of land use in the UK, the USA, and the KSA. The article illustrates that transportation planners in the UK and the USA use parking policies, especially the application of car parking standards, along with other planning and transport measures to promote sustainable transport choices, to reduce reliance on cars, and to reduce traffic and air pollution. Local authorities in the UK and the USA have moved from requiring minimum standards for car parking to maximum standards. The aim of maximum parking standards is to decrease the number of trips made by private cars whilst seeking to maintain and enhance the viability of economic centres and support sustainable development. In the KSA, authorities still adhere to minimum car parking standards. Moreover, the car parking requirements are not correlated with city zoning systems. The paper concludes with some thoughts on how to improve the current parking requirements in KSA cities.     

Re-engineering the Productivity Initiative Programme

This paper explains the fundamentals of the leadership-based education model, and proceeds to apply the relevant principles to re-engineer the Productivity Initiative Programme, run by the European Commission to re-train 3500 Russian executives. The authors considered the retraining of executives to constitute a project whose goals and delivery means were ambiguous at the commencement of the programme. They realized at the outset that success of any methodology would depend on the extent of empowerment of the participant executives achieved, and on the release of their creative energies, as well as time. The leadership-based project management approach was chosen to specifically respond to the empowerment of the participants and engage them positively in the definition of the goals, context of application and the delivery of the programme goals. Using the empowerment philosophy the authors set out to re-engineer the entire programme to make it project-based, while providing a structured learning experience that would achieve a paradigm shift in the mindsets of the participants without offending their cultural sensibilities. To create learning focus and continuity the authors chose to recommend preparation of business plans by the syndicate executives as the primary learning vehicle and as means of progress monitoring and performance evaluation. Business plans were to reflect the realities of Russia's business and cultural environment as perceived by the participants. Thus, learning through application (as part of a total internship experience), was deliberately adopted to demystify ‘business management’ and to encourage development of competency in business planning in the designated time. The success achieved so far indicates that leadership-based project management is a powerful approach to achieving accelerated cultural changes and transformation of human mindsets in a pluralistic and focused manner.     

On the robustness to corrosion in the life cycle assessment of an existing reinforced concrete bridge

Management of existing structures has traditionally been based on condition assessment, based on visual inspections, disregarding the susceptibility of different structural types to aging and deterioration. Robustness, as a measure of the effects of unpredictable damage to structural safety can be a complementary information to the results of inspection. Although robustness has mostly been used to evaluate the consequences of extreme events, a similar framework can be used to investigate the result of aging, allowing a better understanding of the potential effects of deterioration and allowing a better allocation of available maintenance funding. In this work, a probabilistic structural robustness indicator is used to quantify the susceptibility of structures to corrosion. The methodology is exemplified through a case study comprising an existing reinforced concrete bridge deck, heavily damaged due to reinforcement corrosion, and finally demolished due to safety concerns. Robustness measures the bridge deck safety tolerance to reinforcement corrosion. The principal effects of corrosion, including loss of area and bond between concrete and steel are modelled using a non-linear finite-element model, coupled with a Response Surface Method to compute the bridge reliability as a function of the corrosion level, and finally used to assess robustness. Results show that the redundancy of the bridge allows significant redistribution of loads between elements with different corrosion levels. As a result, the bridge presents significant robustness and tolerance to reinforcement corrosion.     

Analysis of household access to drinking water,sanitation, and waste disposal services in urban areas of Nepal

In recent years, researchers have paid increasing attention to the provision of access to clean and sufficient drinking water, sanitation facilities, and proper waste management in developing countries. This paper examines household access to these services in urban areas of Nepal by studying the comprehensive data of the Nepal Living Standard Survey (NLSS) for the 1995-1996, 2003–2004, and 2010–2011 periods. Multinomial logit models are employed to identify and analyse potentially influential factors. We find that education levels, household wealth, and distance to markets are among the significant determinants of household access to safe and secure drinking water, flush toilets connected to septic tanks, and proper liquid and solid waste disposal. Households located in relatively developed regions, such as the Midwest and Far West, tend to have better access to these services compared to households located in the ecologically sensitive mountainous regions. Education and employment opportunities are also relevant to service access in urban areas of Nepal. Stakeholder involvement and effective governmental intervention are also necessary.     

Spatial and temporal analyses of structural fire incidents and their causes: A case of Toronto,Canada

Temporal, spatial, and spatiotemporal analyses of structural fire incidents occurring in Toronto, Ontario, Canada from 2000 to 2006 are carried out. The aim of the study is to gather and analyze data on various causes of fires in order to determine the extent to which existing data can be used as a baseline to improve fire prevention and response activities at local levels. This research uses spatiotemporal techniques to illustrate how the patterns of structural fire incidents in Toronto vary with the time of the day, the day of the week, and the month of the year. The application of these techniques has the potential to help decision makers with proactive preventive measures over time and space in addition to improved resource allocations after an emergency has occurred. It is shown that significant differences exist with respect to fire causation over time and space.