香港慢行系统和行人环境规划

香港在地少、人多、车多的情况下,锐意改善城中的行人环境和实行城市绿化,对市区内较旧地区则采用地区改善计划的方式,不需大规模重建或新发展,亦能改善旧区环境,避免通常大规模重建对小区所造成的滋扰。地区改善计划以"容旧纳新"代替了"破旧立新"的概念。地区改善项目能以较低成本提早落实,亦具可持续性及能保留地区特色。亦简略介绍了行人环境规划的原则,及香港的高架行人道系统和地下发展,并概述"绿化总纲图"的重点。又以尖沙咀的个案研究,解释制订地区改善计划的过程,如何综合各项措施以改善市区内较旧核心地带的整体环境及活化地区。地区改善计划包括了行人优先使用区改善措施、街景美化、环境绿化、交通管制措施及一些土地用途的重划。

高层建筑密集区的风环境数值模拟研究

高层建筑密集区的风环境问题日益受到关注,因此在项目建设前期对其周围的风场特性进行研究与评估十分必要。本文通过某高层建筑密集区的CFD数值模拟研究,计算了16个风向角下其周边450m半径范围内的流场特征,分析了其兴建前后该区域的风速比分布特征,并据此分析关键点风速随风向的变化,最后比较了工程建设前后其周围区域的总体风环境水平。

Combination of a crude oil-degrading bacterial consortium under the guidance of strain tolerance and a pilot-scale degradation test

Under the guidance of strain tolerance, a new combination method for crude oil-degrading bacterial consortium was studied. Firstly, more than 50 efficient crude oil-degrading and biosurfactant producing bacteria were isolated from petroleum-contaminated soil and water in Tianjin Binhai New Area Oil field, China. Twenty-four of them were selected for further study. These strains were identified as belonging Pseudornonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, Brevibacillus brevis, Achrornobacter sp., Acinetobacter venetianus, Lysinibacillus rnacroides, Klebsiella oxytoca, Stenotrophornonas rhizophila, Rhodococcus sp. and Bacillus thuringiensis. A shake-flask degradation test revealed that 12 of these strains could degrade over 50% of 1% crude oil concentration in 7 d. Of these, 8 strains were able to produce biosurfactants. Furthermore, environmental tolerance experiments indicated that the majority of the strains had the ability to adapt to extreme environments including high temperatures, alkaline en- vironments and high salinity environments. A mixed bacterial agent comprising the strains WB2, W2, W3 and HA was developed based on the environmental tolerance tests and subjected to the pilot-scale degradation test indicating that this bacterial agent could degrade 85.2% of 0.8% crude oil concentration in 60 d. Our results suggest that the application of this mixed agent could remediate crude oil polluted soils in saline and alkaline environments.

A Study on Planetary Visual Odometry Optimization： Time Constraints and Reliability

Robust and efficient vision systems are essential in such a way to support different kinds of autonomous robotic behaviors linked to the capability to interact with the surrounding environment, without relying on any a priori knowledge. Within space missions, above all those involving rovers that have to explore planetary surfaces, vision can play a key role in the improvement of autonomous navigation functionalities： besides obstacle avoidance and hazard detection along the traveling, vision can in fact provide accurate motion estimation in order to constantly monitor all paths executed by the rover. The present work basically regards the development of an effective visual odometry system, focusing as much as possible on issues such as continuous operating mode, system speed and reliability.

The Buddhist Philosophical Perspective of Environmental Preservation and Management

At present we face a lot of environmental issues at both national and global levels. At the same time we will have to face severe environmental issues in the future. This is evident in forming the elements of earth, air, and water which reflect the human influence on organic and inorganic life. So, it is timely significant to pay attention on environmental preservation and management. The main purpose of this study is to explore how the Buddhist teaching could be used for environmental preservation and management. Accordingly, this study introduces a suitable long term environmental preservation model. The other objectives of this study are to learn Buddhism for environmental preservation and management, to create a new model which combines man and environment together, to compare Buddhist thinking and modem man＇s thinking regarding environmental preservation and management through the above and, to motivate man to preserve environment in through both direct and indirect ways. This study was based on the question whether the Buddhist philosophical teaching could be utilized to solve today＇s environmental issues？ The hypothesis was that the Buddhist philosophical teaching could be utilized for environmental preservation and management. For this purpose, the teachings of Buddha, related to environmental preservation as found in ＂Suttapil;aka＂ and ＂Vinayapi!;aka＂ were studied. In order to address these conditions we have subjected randomly collected information for interpretation and comparative analysis in qualitative research methodology. The content that has been analyzed is compared with the ethical code related to the patterns of human behavior and its relation to conservation. This has also given way to building some models related to the Buddhist teaching of environmental preservation. The objective of Buddhist philosophy is to generate sensitivity in the mind, of human beings and persuade them to preserve organic and inorganic environment, based on the view ＂Man is a creation of the environment＂. The Buddhist philosophical process of environmental preservation includes preserving flora and fauna, water, air, soil as well as garbage disposal. These elements, along with ethics, can be used in effective environment preservation. This new model of environmental preservation directs human beings towards sustainable development with a realistic vision. The Buddhist teaching on environment civilizes man＇s physical and spiritual behaviors, with a view to lead human beings towards environmental preservation with a realistic perspective.

Means-End Chain Model Framework for Measuring Housing Environment Choice Behavior

Housing and housing space has been a place for personal development, recreation and self accentuation. The need for housing and housing space quality can therefore not be overemphasized. The need for housing remains a constant index for all societies through the ages. Housing is a complex and heterogeneous product in its setting, the cognitive structures of housing users for housing attributes is also complex as well as their choice behaviors. Means-End Chain （MEC） model has been found to be very effective and potent in measuring these complexities. This conceptual paper explores from literature the MEC model and attempts to propagate its use as a research model for housing research, environment-behavior studies and person-environment congruence. It also presents the methodology employed by MEC for data collection and data management. It will suggest an extension to the traditional methodology that MEC utilizes. The possibility of extending the previous methods and their applicability in design process is herein presented; and to make a case for the usability of MEC model as a research tool for housing researchers. In dealing with user preference of housing, there is a need for research for a development of a technological tool for the identification of user needs and preference, and the kind of decision support that are required to identify these needs.

Determinism, Free Will, and Moral Responsibility

Human beings live amidst several bonds. These bonds often place both internal and external limitations that apparently create the view that a human being has no free will but is determined. This paper explores the controversial issue whether a human being possesses free will to make free choices or is determined. It is the stance of this study that if one does not have free will then one cannot be morally responsible for one＇s actions and consequently praise and blame would then have no value. The paper, therefore, is of the view that notwithstanding the many bonds within which they live, humans, with their special dignity, have free will that operate within the respective constraints set by the bonds of human life. Furthermore, since morality involves good and bad, the paper asserts that for an act to be designated as morally good or bad, it implies that the agent was free to perform the said act or do otherwise to merit praise or blame respectively. Thus, for human freedom to be significant, it must be responsible.

Assessment of Policies to Promote People＇s Environmental Activities

Nowadays, many kinds of environmentally friendly campaigns led by local governments and private companies alike have been conducted in order to increase the pro-environmental behaviors. Unfortunately, these campaigns do not always lead to the upgrading of people＇s pro-environmental behaviors, because people＇s behaviors are usually based on various motivations, including economic efficiency, convenience and so on. This article mainly aimed at analyzing the implementing reasons of people＇s pro-environmental behaviors and finding out policies of promoting people＇s pro-environmental behaviors. Therefore, the author conducted the internet investigations among male and female respondents over 20 years old, and collected valid responses of more than 1,000 from 2008 till 2014 every year in Japan and also used three communication concepts, which are the direct communication, the indirect communication and the direct and indirect combined communication as a framework for discussing policies of promoting people＇s pro-environmental behaviors. As a result of the internet investigations, it was found that non-environmental factors, such as ＂saving the household＂, ＂compliance with social norms＂ and ＂health＂ were bigger than the environmental factors, such as ＂the prevention of the global warming＂ and ＂saving resources＂ with regard to the implementing reasons of the pro-environmental activities. Actually, the pro-environmental activities often have the non-environmental benefits, such as cost-saving, health and so on. And so, the author suggests that it is effective that upgrading the implementation rate of the pro-environmental activities do not only appeal to the effects of reducing the environmental loading that the activity has （the direct communication）, but also to the non-environmental benefits that the activity has, especially it is true to unconcerned people about environmental issues （the indirect communication）. In addition, the author emphases that people need to appeal to both the environmental effects and the non-environmental benefits which the activity has, respectively, especially to people with the concern about environmental issues to some extent （the direct and indirect combined communication）.

Stability margin of the quadruped bionic robot with spinning gait

Spinning gait is valuable for quadruped robot,which can be used to avoid obstacles quickly for robot walking in unstructured environment. A kind of bionic flexible body is presented for quadruped robot to perform the spinning gait. The spinning gait can be achieved by coordinated movement of body laterally bending and legs swing,which can improve the mobility of robot walking in the unstructured environments. The coordinated movement relationship between the body and the leg mechanism is presented. The stability of quadruped robot with spinning gait is analyzed based on the center of gravity( COG) projection method. The effect of different body bending angle on the stability of quadruped robot with spinning gait is mainly studied. For the quadruped robot walking with spinning gait,during one spinning gait cycle,the supporting polygon and the trajectory of COG projection point under different body bending angle are calculated. Finally,the stability margin of quadruped robot with spinning gait under different body bending angle is determined,which can be used to evaluate reasonableness of spinning gait parameters.

Expressive Aspect of Phallia-autocracy in an Indigenous African Society： The Case of Yoruba Proverbs

The patriarchal leaning of most traditional African communities is sign-posted by certain behavioural models which place the woman at the receiving end of certain prejudices in our cultural milieu. Such prejudices manifest in diverse behavioural and relational manners that either peripheralize the woman or out-rightly remove every vestige of human dignity from her being. Language, being a significant carrier of our emotions, biases, beliefs, preference and prejudices, provides a crucial platform for the interrogation of the nature of gender relations and their consequences in any society, such consideration has forced a preponderance of scholarly interest in gender studies in arts and humanities. This study caries out a scholarly investigate into such gender inspired biases through the prison of Yoruba proverbs as a reflection of our cultural practices and beliefs about the position of the woman in a typical traditional Yoruba setting

Cairo＇s Slums： A Ticking Time Bomb

Despite being one of the symbols of civilization throughout human history, Greater Cairo has many slum areas, hosting a population of three million people living in deteriorating conditions and lacking the basic human necessities. These slums represent a fertile environment for diseases caused by pollution in all its forms and are subject to crimes, rape and theft. There is a huge difference in the state of conditions when comparing the formally planned areas to the informally planned ones. People living in the formally planned settlements, like Nasr City, and in informal ones, like Ezbet El-Haggana, are similar to the kings and queens and slaves of legends. This paper tries to find solutions to the problem of slums and random areas.

Brief analysis on the issue of staff training in Bank of Shanghai

Nowadays,the world belongs to the era of the economy full of information. The development of human resources in the entel-prise also shows the increasingly important. At present, commercial banks are not only to recruitment, introduction of outstanding professionals to enrich their team, but also the more important is potental of the existing management and staff training. Therefore, staff training and development will highlight out from the commercial bank management, which can make sure that a business adapt to the environment, realizing the fundamental value and the main enterprises for sustainable development.

底部架空住区风环境风洞试验研究

为研究底层架空建筑住区风环境,通过大气边界层风洞试验的方法,以广州地区某建筑底部架空住区为对象,研究了底部架空对于住区人行高度风环境以及建筑表面风压的影响。研究结果表明:对于各组团建筑周边开敞区域的风速测点位置,大部分风向下无架空情况的阵风等效风速比稍大于有架空情况;无架空情况下二层高度平均风压系数略高于有架空情况,而对于整体风压有无架空影响不大;在夏季主导风向下,无架空情况各组团建筑表面平均风压差均略高于有架空情况。