Analysis of human spatial behavior in a GIS environment: Recent developments and future prospects

In recent years, comprehensive geographic data sets of metropolitan areas and individual-level, georeferenced data are becoming more available to social scientists. At the same time, tools for performing spatial analysis in a GIS environment have also become more available. These developments provide many new opportunities for the analysis and theoretical understanding of disaggregate human spatial behavior. This paper examines how these developments may enable the researcher to represent complex urban and cognitive environments more realistically, and to overcome the limitations of aggregate spatial data framework. It explores their implications for the theoretical and methodological development in geography and other social science disciplines.     

Gender differences in space-time constraints

Summary This study explores gender differences in space-time constraints and their impact on women's and men's activity-travel patterns from a time-geographic perspective. Using a travel diary data set collected in Columbus, Ohio (USA), the time-budget and fixity constraints of three population subgroups are examined. This paper concludes that space-time constraints have a significant impact on individual's activity-travel patterns.     

Analysis of flow-sediment rating curve hysteresis based on flow and sediment travel time estimations

A flow-sediment rating curve is used to describe the relation between flow discharge and suspended-sediment concentration for a specific location. Five types of flow-sediment rating curves - single-valued line, clockwise loop, counterclockwise loop, single-valued line plus loop, and figure eight - were found to rely on the flow and available sediment arriving at the measuring site. In this study, equations for flow and sediment travel time were derived according to soil, rainfall, and watershed geomorphologic characteristics. The hysteresis of the rating curve was related to the travel times by a series of numerical tests. Field data collected from the Goodwin Creek Experimental Watershed, Mississippi, United States were used to verify the proposed rating curve hysteresis analysis. The results indicate that when the flow travel time is more extended than the sediment travel time, the rating curve shows a clockwise loop. A counterclockwise loop in the rating curve shows that the flow travel time is less extended than the sediment travel time. If the flow travel time exceeds the sediment travel time in specific runoff states and is less than the sediment travel time in other runoff states, then a single line plus a loop rating curve or a figure-eight rating curve is observed. The criterion for the model parameters to obtain equalization of the flow and sediment travel times was derived, which can identify the type of flow-sediment rating curve in a specific watershed.     

Fluid–structure interaction analysis of 3-D rectangular tanks by a variationally coupled BEM–FEM and comparison with test results

A variationally coupled BEM–FEM is developed which can be used to analyse dynamic response, including free-surface sloshing motion, of 3-D rectangular liquid storage tanks subjected to horizontal ground excitation. The tank structure is modelled by the finite element method and the fluid region by the indirect boundary element method. By minimizing a single Lagrange function defined for the entire system, the governing equation with symmetric coefficient matrices is obtained. To verify the newly developed method, the analysis results are compared with the shaking-table test data of a 3-D rectangular tank model and with the solutions by the direct BEM–FEM. Analytical studies are conducted on the dynamic behaviour of 3-D rectangular tanks using the method developed. In particular, the characteristics of the sloshing response, the effect of the rigidity of adjacent walls on the dynamic response of the tanks and the orthogonal effects are investigated. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Methods for ultimate limit state assessment of ships and ship-shaped offshore structures: Part II stiffened panels

The present paper is Part II of a series of three papers on methods useful for the ultimate limit state assessment of ships and ship-shaped offshore structures. In contrast to Part I [Paik et al., 2007a. Methods for ultimate limit state assessment of ships and ship-shaped offshore structures: Part I unstiffened plates, Ocean Engineering, doi:10.1016/j.oceaneng.2007.08.004] that deals with unstiffened plates, the present paper (Part II) is focused on methods for the ultimate limit state assessment of stiffened plate structures under combined biaxial compression and lateral pressure actions. The object structure is the bottom part of an AFRAMAX-class hypothetical double-hull oil tanker structure designed by IACS common structural rules (CSR) method, that is the same ship studied in Part I. Three candidate methods, namely ANSYS nonlinear finite element method, DNV PULS method, and ALPS/ULSAP method, are employed for the present study. The results and insights developed from the present study are summarized in terms of ultimate strength characteristics of bottom-stiffened plate structures.     

Refinement of the channel response system by considering time-varying parameters for flood prediction

Impulse response functions derived from different types of flood wave equations (simplified shallow water equations) are continuously developed to conduct the linear channel routing (LCR), which is based on the linearized Saint Venant equation and has been widely applied to avoid any possibility of numerical instability. The impulse response function proposed by Dooge, Napiórkowski, and Strupczewski (1987) and derived from the dynamic wave equation with complete force terms has been acknowledged as a classic work to establish a good physical interpretation for the LCR model; however, the flexibility of altering the shape of impulse response still needs to be improved. Based on the concept of this work, this study intends to introduce the time-varying parameters in the model, so the values of parameters can be adjusted according to the inflow condition, flood stage, and the cross-sectional shape. Moreover, an integrated routing procedure is proposed to formulate the impulse response function for lateral-flow inputs and then to connect multiple inputs from subwatersheds or alongside the main channel with the impulse response function of each channel segment to reflect the spatial variation of hydraulic characteristics among different segments. In the discussion of this article, the impulse response function is analysed to show its sensitivity to hydraulic variables with spatial and temporary variations. Flood-event simulations of a studied watershed are also provided to verify the applicability of the proposed channel routing system.     

Distribution of organochlorines in the dissolved and suspended phase of the sea-surface microlayer and seawater in Hong Kong, China

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were measured in the dissolved and suspended particulate phase in the sea-surface microlayer (SML) and subsurface water (SSW) collected from Hong Kong's coastal environment. The concentration ranges (pg/L) for summation sigmaHCHs, summation sigmaDDTs and summation sigmaPCBs in the SSW dissolved phase (DP i.e. sum of truly dissolved and colloidal phase) were 409-940 (mean 602), 774-5583 (mean 1908) and 266-433 (mean 278), respectively. The concentration ranges (pg/L) for summation sigmaHCHs, summation sigmaDDTs and summation sigmaPCBs in SSW suspended particulate matter (SPM) were <5-85 (mean 59), 358-1369 (mean 787) and 85.6-273 (mean 172), respectively. The enrichment factor of PCBs and OCPs in the SML varied between 1.1 and 4.5 for the DP, and 0.4-8.2 for the SPM. The distribution of contaminants between DP and SPM in both the SML and SSW indicates that particulate matter plays an important role in the distribution and fate of DDTs and PCBs, but not for HCH isomers. The Pearl River Estuary is likely to be a major source of contaminants transported to Hong Kong.     

How fixed is fixed? Gendered rigidity of space–time constraints and geographies of everyday activities

The space–time fixity constraint that binds activities to specific times and places has long been considered an important concept in transportation, feminist and communication geography. However, only few studies to date have directly examined differences in the space–time fixity of everyday activities, and the knowledge of how the context of activity participation affects space–time fixity is even more limited. Using space–time diary data from Columbus (Ohio, USA) and multilevel models, we investigate how variations in fixity levels are associated with activity type, other activity attributes, and the personal, household and geographical background of the person pursuing the activity. We consider whether these associations differ between men and women to understand better how space–time constraints operate differently in the everyday lives of men and women. The results suggest that context matters: fixity levels depend not just on activity type but also on when, where, for how long, with whom an activity is conducted, as well as on the background of the person initiating the activity, and some of these effects differ systematically between men and women. Implications of the findings for academic research and public policies are also discussed.     

Geo-Narrative: Extending Geographic Information Systems for Narrative Analysis in Qualitative and Mixed-Method Research∗

This research seeks to contribute to advancing qualitative methodologies at the intersection of qualitative geographic information systems (GIS), narrative analysis, 3D GIS-based time-geographic methods, and computer-aided qualitative data analysis. The approach to GIS-based narrative analysis developed in the study, called “geo-narrative,” is based on extending current GIS capabilities for the analysis and interpretation of narrative materials such as oral histories, life histories, and biographies. The three central elements in this approach are (1) narrative analysis as the qualitative approach; (2) 3D GIS-based time-geographic methods as the representational framework; and (3) 3D-VQGIS as the GIS-based computer-aided qualitative data analysis component. A case example based on a study of the lives of the Muslim women in Columbus, Ohio, after 11 September 2001 is used to illustrate the approach.     

Main nutritional contents of 30 Dalian coastal microalgae species

This paper reports results of study on the contents of proteins, amino acids, polysaccharose and uronic acids in 30 species of macroalgae from Shicao, Heishijiao, Shimiao, and Xiaofujiazhuang in the vicinity of Dalian City, N.E.China. The results showed that the protein contents of the 30 algae from highest (112.55μg/ml) to the lowest (0.24 p.g/ml) was in the descending order of Dictyopteris ndalata, Gelidium vagum,Gymnogongrus japonican, Ectocarpus confervoides, Tinocladia crassa, Sargassum thunberii. In general, the protein content in red algae was higher than that in brown algae. The content of free ami no acids showed nosignificent differences from 7.44μg/ml-4.96μg/ml in all these algae, in the descending order of Gymnogongrusrus japonican, Sargassum confusum, Undoria pinnatifida, Laminaria japonica and Ectocarpus confervoides. The content of polysaccharose varied from 168.2 gg/ml-22.15 p.g/ml in the descending order of Symphyocladiaia tiuscula, Scytosiphon lomentarius, Desmarestia viridis., Tinocladia crassa, Gracilaria asiatica and Porphyra yezoensis. The content of uronic acids is from 196.24μg/ml-20.77μg/ml in the descending order of Ulva lactuca,Symphyoclaldia latiuscula, Scytosiphon lomentarius, Ceramimum kondoi, Gracilaria vemucosa and Porphyra yezoensis. The fatty acids in 30 species of algae belong to Rhodophyta, Chlorophyta and Phaeophyta. Most phaeophytes have many (4-12) types of fatty acids.