Life quality index revisited

The derivation of the life quality index (LQI) is revisited for a revision. This revision takes into account the unpaid but necessary work time needed to stay alive in clean and healthy conditions to be fit for effective wealth producing work and to enjoyable free time. Dimension analysis consistency problems with the standard power function expression of the LQI are pointed out. It is emphasized that the combination coefficient in the convex differential combination between the relative differential of the gross domestic product per capita and the relative differential of the expected life at birth should not vary between countries. Finally the distributional assumptions are relaxed as compared to the assumptions made in an earlier work by the author. These assumptions concern the calculation of the life expectancy change due to the removal of an accident source. Moreover a simple public acceptance criterion is compared to the LQI criterion.     

Life quality time allocation index – an equilibrium economy consistent version of the current life quality index

The definition the life quality index for a country as originally suggested by Nathwani, Lind and Pandey is based on the gross domestic product (GDP), the expected life in good health at birth, and the fraction of life time the anonymous citizen of the country is occupied with money making work. The LQI is invented to serve as a mean to evaluate how much money that reasonably can be allocated to safety improving investments by simply requiring constancy of the LQI. By choosing that the importance of increments in the two first variables should be measured relative to the current values of the variables themselves, the relative increment of the LQI becomes defined as a convex combination of the two relative increments. The combination parameter is obtained by an optimality argument about the anonymous citizen’s distribution of his or her time between free time and work time. In the original definition this equilibrium economy principle is applied under the assumption that the GDP is directly proportional to the work time fraction. This direct proportionality has been relaxed by the first author in two earlier papers with an essential effect on the combination parameter. The present paper presents a further development casting the definition into dimensionless quantities that make the index get a pure unit of time and not the somewhat obscure unit as a power product of a money unit and a time unit. To avoid confusion, this new variant of the LQI is called the life quality time allocation index (LQTAI). Moreover, the Danish data from the period from 1948 to 2003 show good agreement with the relation between the productivity and the work time as obtained from the optimality argument. The data fitting leads to an estimate of the combination coefficient of c = 0.092 together with a reduction factor of r = 0.92 to be applied to the total life expectation at birth to obtain the expected life in good health. Among other infinitely many choices of (c, r) there are (0.085, 1.0) and (0.1, 0.85).     

The derivation and calibration of the life-quality index (LQI) from economic principles

The life-quality index (LQI) is a versatile tool to support the effective implementation of programs and practices for managing risk to life safety. The LQI allows a transparent and consistent basis for determination of the net benefit arising from projects, programs, standards and policies undertaken at some cost to improve safety or enhance the quality of life. The paper shows that the LQI model is in harmony with well-established principles of economics, utility theory and recent developments to quantify the progress of nations through indicators of human development. The initial calibration of the LQI was based on a simplifying assumption of a linear relation between the GDP and work time. In this paper, we modify the calibration using empirical data for GDP and work time and link the LQI model to well-established economic principles and theory of production. The proposed improvements to the model eliminate a systematic bias associated with estimation of societal willingness to pay for safety. In addition, it provides a rigorous basis for program evaluation to assist decision-makers in directing expenditures where they may most effective.     

Jacknife and bootstrap estimation of biological index of water quality

Many biological indices of water quality are generally used with a very low number of field samples to estimate water conditions. This precludes the application of traditional statistical techniques in order to test for significant differences between values of the indices for different sampling stations. Two non-standard statistical methods now in common use, namely the jacknife and the bootstrap, could be proficiently applied to obtain a quantitative measure of the indicator power of biological indices. This methodology allows the detection of significant trends in water pollution or water improvement. Application of these methods is exemplified by the Pantle and Buck saprobity index of water quality.     

A water quality index for lake beaches

Discriminant analysis of ten years of data from seven beaches located on three lakes in Gatineau Park (Québec) leads to a canonical vector accounting for most of the variability of the three microbial count variables recorded. This discriminant axis orders the beaches along a cline of increasing pollution. It is then transformed into a microbial water quality index calibrated for the given set of beaches, which is in turn used to study the medium-term variability and the long-term evolution of water quality of the beaches.     

Fuzzy system modeling for forecasting water quality index in municipal distribution system

An attempt has been made to develop a fuzzy expert system capable of establishing a criterion for predicting water quality index (WQI) in the various zones of municipal distribution system using pH, alkalinity, hardness, dissolved oxygen (DO), total solids (TS) and most probable number (MPN). The proposed expert system includes a fuzzy model consisting of IF-THEN rules to determine WQI based on water quality characteristics. The fuzzy models are developed using triangular and trapezoidal membership functions, with centroid, bisector and mean of maxima (MOM) methods for defuzzification. Further, the performance of fuzzy models is compared with adaptive neuro fuzzy inference (ANFIS) models. ANFIS models are developed by using triangular, trapezoidal, bell and Gaussian membership function. The study reveals that fuzzy models outperform ANFIS models for all water quality classes. Out of twenty nine zones in the study area, for twenty two zones fuzzy model with triangular membership function performs better than trapezoidal membership function and, for sixteen zones, the centroid method, for seven zones bisector and for remaining six zones MOM method of defuzzification performs better.     

工程质量控制的新七种统计分析方法

介绍了统计分析方法在工程质量控制中的作用，主要阐述了新七种统计分析方法的特点，提出在工程质量控制中应用新七种统计分析方法将有效促进全面质量管理的实现。     

Valuing the health benefits of improving indoor air quality in residences

Unlike commercial premises, the indoor air quality of residences is more dynamic, uncontrolled, and prone to human behavioral changes. In consequence, measuring the health benefit gains derived from improving indoor air quality in residences is more complicated. To overcome this, a human thermal comfort model was first integrated with indoor microenvironment models, and subsequently linked with appropriate concentration-response and economic data for estimating the economic benefit gains derived from improving indoor air quality in residences for an adult and an elderly person. In this study, the development of the model is illustrated by using a typical residential apartment locating at the worst air quality neighborhood in Hong Kong and the daily weather profiles between 2002 and 2006. Three types of personal intervention measures were examined in the study: (i) using air cleaner in residence, (ii) changing time spent in residence, and (iii) relocating to a better air quality neighborhood. Our results revealed that employing air cleaners with windows closed in residence throughout the entire year was the most beneficial measure as it could provide the greatest annual health benefit gains. It would give a maximum of HK$2072 in 5-year cumulative benefit gain for an adult and HK$1700 for an elderly person. Employing air cleaners with windows closed in only cool season (October through March) could give the highest marginal return per dollar spent. The benefit gains would become smaller when windows were opened to a greater extent. By contrast, relocating to a better air quality neighborhood and changing the time spent in residence did not appeal to be beneficial intervention measures.     

水泥性能指标对混凝土质量的影响

宏观分析了混凝土性能指标与水泥有关性能指标的关系,为了保证混凝土的强度要求及耐久性、稳定性等各方面的性能指标,对相应的水泥性能指标及检测方法提出建议,力求从控制水泥的性能指标来提高混凝土的使用质量。     

浅谈项目管理过程中的质量管理

从建设工程质量管理的定义、特点到重要性、质量控制的方法及统计分析方法等方面进行了论述,提出只有管理人员及所有参与施工人员均重视质量,掌握科学的管理方法,才能使工程质量得到提高。     

Adaptation and evaluation of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment Water Quality Index (CCME WQI) for use as an effective tool to characterize drinking source water quality

Protecting drinking source water quality is a critical step in ensuring a safe supply of drinking water. Increasingly, drinking source water protection programs rely on the active participation of various stakeholders with differing degrees of water science knowledge. A drinking source water quality index presents a potential communication and analysis tool to facilitate cooperation between diverse interest groups as well as represent composite water quality. We tested the effectiveness of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment Water Quality Index (CCME WQI) in capturing expert assessments of drinking water quality. In cooperation with a panel of drinking water quality experts we identified a core set of parameters to reflect common source water concerns. Drinking source water target values were drafted for use in the index corresponding to two basic treatment levels. Index scores calculated using the core parameter set and associated source water target values were strongly correlated with expert assessments of water quality. We recommend a modified index calculation procedure to accommodate parameters measured at different frequencies within any particular study period. The resulting drinking source water CCME WQI provides a valuable means of monitoring, communicating, and understanding surface source water quality.     

城市文化与城市生活质量

分析了国内外对生活质量的研究状况，着重论述了城市文化对城市生活质量的影响，提出了要提高城市的生活质量切不可忽视城市文化。     

钢筋混凝土施工质量评价的加权距离判别模型及应用

基于马氏距离判别分析理论,综合考虑各判别指标对钢筋混凝土施工质量影响程度的差异,运用专家评分法得到的指标权重对马氏距离进行修正,并提出新的协方差矩阵的计算方法,进而提出了加权距离判别分析准则;选取模板工程、钢筋工程、混凝土工程的施工质量为评价指标,评价钢筋混凝土施工质量程度.通过实际工程实例的样本训练,建立了钢筋混凝土...     

城市社区生活空间规划的控制性指标体系

以社会公平对应空间公正的人本主义理念为指导,以提高城市社区生活空间质量为最高目标,运用实证主义、结构主义的方法．并结合人们微观认知的行为主义方法．构建了社区生活空间规划的三大控制要素（城市空间资源、社区资源、城市生活场所）及其两套指标体系（社区生活空间观下的社区规划控制指标体系和居民对生活场所感应-认知的存在主义控制指标体系）,总结出了社区（体系）规划的棱柱体控制模型。     

城乡规划特色应用型人才基本素养评价指标体系研究

针对中国新型城镇化建设对规划师职业能力的需求,对城乡规划特色应用型人才及其基本素养的概念进行了梳理,分析了城乡规划特色应用型人才基本素养的影响因素,指出了基本素质、专业核心理论知识、专业相关理论知识、创新与实践能力、语言与文字表达能力、优势与特色是主要的影响因素,并采用AHP法,从素质、知识、能力三个方面构建了评价指标体系,以期为城乡规划特色应用型人才的培养提供参考。     

基于主成分分析和综合指数法的饮用水水源地水质评价

将主成分分析和综合指数评价法相结合,对绵阳市饮用水水源地的水质现状进行了评价。结果表明,2006--2010年饮用水水源地水质呈下降趋势,特别是2010年水质污染程度严重,主成分载荷值最大者为BOD5,重金属汞的单因子指数为2,无法满足II级水源地（III类地表水）标准要求,并根据水质污染现状,提出了相应的保护水源地水质的措施。     

衡量世界大都市的生活质量——底特律经验

介绍一个关于生活质量(QualityOfLife)的研究项目。文章在列出这一项目的主要研究问题之后列出了若干指导这类研究的概念模型,并着重介绍该项目在美国底特律大都市区开展情况,讨论了在底特律以及世界若干参与这一项目的城市正在进行的研究活动。最后总结了生活质量研究对政策制定、学术研究和设计所带来的益处。     

The social benefits of restoring water quality in the context of the Water Framework Directive: A comparison of willingness to pay and willingness to accept

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) is by far the most important piece of water legislation in Europe for the coming decades. Its main aim is to achieve “good ecological status” for all water resources by 2015. The economic valuation of the non-market benefits derived from improving water quality is an important input in assisting the design and implementation of efficient and effective water management policies. In this study, the contingent valuation method has been applied with a double purpose. On the one hand, we have estimated the value of a hypothetical improvement in water quality of a river asking individuals about their willingness to pay, and on the other hand, the issue of exemptions contemplated in the WFD has been addressed surveying people on their willingness to accept compensation if projected improvements were not carried out. Finally, a comparison of costs and benefits in a cost-benefit framework shows that the net present value of the water quality policy is positive both if we consider willingness to pay estimates as willingness to accept estimates, therefore this policy appears desirable from a social perspective.     

Implications of the corrosion index for the quality of flowing tap water and the effects of added alkalinity on corrosion control

Three corrosion indices, Langelier saturation index (LSI), Ryznar index (RI) and calcium carbonate precipitation potential (CCPP), were determined to find whether the corrosive index of flowing tap water could indicate the quality of the water that corresponded to the calculated index value. Water samples were collected from tap water distribution pipe in buildings of Kangwon National University, Korea. Correlations among the LSI, RI and CCPP were also investigated. The effects of alkalinity addition using lime and carbon dioxide on the progress of corrosion were examined in a laboratory‐scale simulated water distribution system (SWDS) for 5 months. In the SWDS study, corrosion rate in flowing tap waters was retarded by 12% with the alkalinity addition. The results of the current study confirmed that the corrosion indices are not always the best indicators to predict the quality of the flowing tap water.