The rank-size scaling law and entropy-maximizing principle

The rank-size regularity known as Zipf’s law is one of the scaling laws and is frequently observed in the natural living world and social institutions. Many scientists have tried to derive the rank-size scaling relation through entropy-maximizing methods, but they have not been entirely successful. By introducing a pivotal constraint condition, I present here a set of new derivations based on the self-similar hierarchy of cities. First, I derive a pair of exponent laws by postulating local entropy maximizing. From the two exponential laws follows a general hierarchical scaling law, which implies the general form of Zipf’s law. Second, I derive a special hierarchical scaling law with the exponent equal to 1 by postulating global entropy maximizing, and this implies the pure form of Zipf’s law. The rank-size scaling law has proven to be one of the special cases of the hierarchical scaling law, and the derivation suggests a certain scaling range with the first or the last data point as an outlier. The entropy maximization of social systems differs from the notion of entropy increase in thermodynamics. For urban systems, entropy maximizing suggests the greatest equilibrium between equity for parts/individuals and efficiency of the whole.     

Random-growth urban model with geographical fitness

This paper formulates a random-growth urban model with a notion of geographical fitness. Using techniques of complex-network theory, we study our system as a type of preferential-attachment model with fitness, and we analyze its macro behavior to clarify the properties of the city-size distributions it predicts. First, restricting the geographical fitness to take positive values and using a continuum approach, we show that the city-size distributions predicted by our model asymptotically approach Pareto distributions with coefficients greater than unity. Then, allowing the geographical fitness to take negative values, we perform local coefficient analysis to show that the predicted city-size distributions can deviate from Pareto distributions, as is often observed in actual city-size distributions. As a result, the model we propose can generate a generic class of city-size distributions, including but not limited to Pareto distributions. For applications to city-population projections, our simple model requires randomness only when new cities are created, not during their subsequent growth. This property leads to smooth trajectories of city population growth, in contrast to other models using Gibrat’s law. In addition, a discrete form of our dynamical equations can be used to estimate past city populations based on present-day data; this fact allows quantitative assessment of the performance of our model. Further study is needed to determine appropriate formulas for the geographical fitness.     

多水平成层的非均匀介质圆弧形峡谷地下多点地震动模拟

开发了考虑圆弧场地水平多分层效应的地下多点地震动模拟可视化程序,验证其可靠性。首先,描述了给出的圆弧场地多分层效应的SH波动散射频域解,其本质是突破了传统均匀介质和分层不穿越峡谷前提的局限性;其次,利用从水平地表到峡谷表面再到地下土层的传递函数,通过两次传递得到了圆弧峡谷地下的目标功率谱和反应谱;进而,具体描述所导出的圆弧场地平-凹相关性的相干函数及其推导过程;最后,基于上述理论,开发了多层状的非均匀圆弧场地的多点地震动模拟程序,给出了模拟结果与目标功率谱、反应谱和相干函数的拟合对比,验证了该理论和程序的合理性和可靠性,便于所发展理论和方法的实用化和推广。     

Spatial statistical analysis of the effects of urban form indicators on road-traffic noise exposure of a city in South Korea

The purpose of this study is to present a statistical model which can predict the noise level of road-traffic in urban area. A spatial statistical model which can take into account spatial dependency on geographically neighboring areas is constructed from a noise map of a city in South Korea. A system of 250 m × 250 m grid cells is placed on the city of Cheongju, South Korea, and the noise level and urban form indicators are averaged over each cell. The population-weighted mean of the noise level is subsequently regressed on the average urban form by adopting the spatial autoregressive model (SAR) and the spatial error model (SEM), as well as an ordinary least squares (OLS) model. Direct and indirect impacts are analyzed for a valid interpretation of the spatial statistical models. Factors such as GSI, FSI, traffic volume, traffic speed, road area density, and the fraction of industrial area turn out to have significant impacts on the noise level.     

Comparison of aerosol characteristics during haze periods over two urban agglomerations in China using CALIPSO observations

Using CALIPSO (cloud-aerosol lidar and infrared pathfinder satellite observation) vertical observation data during haze periods from January 2007 to December 2008, we analyzed differences in aerosol characteristics near the surface, as well as in the middle troposphere between the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei metropolitan region (Area A) and the Yangtze River Delta region (Area B) in China. One significant difference was that haze pollution in Area A was related to local and non-local aerosols, while in Area B it was related to local anthropogenic sources. In all seasons apart from autumn, aerosol pollution in Area A was more severe than in Area B, both near the surface and at higher altitudes. In Area A, non-spherical aerosols were dominant from 0 to 4 km in spring, summer, and winter; while in autumn, there were considerably high numbers of non-spherical aerosols below 0.5 km, and near-spherical aerosols from 0.5 to 4 km. In Area B, both near-spherical and non-spherical aerosols were common in all seasons. Moreover, aerosols with attenuated color ratios of 0–0.2 were more common in all seasons in Area A than in Area B, indicating that fine particle pollution in Area A was more serious than in Area B. Finally, relatively large aerosols linked to gravity settling appeared more frequently near the surface in Area A than in Area B.     

宿州城市土壤重金属污染特征及其健康风险评价

选取宿州市不同功能区(工业区、商业区、车站附近、居民区以及城市绿地)采集表层土壤样品55个,利用XRF测定出土壤中重金属Cu、Zn、Pb、Cr、Mn、Ni的含量,并借助健康风险评价模型,分别评价了土壤重金属在不同暴露途径下的健康风险。结果表明,Cu、Zn、Pb和Cr的平均含量均超出安徽省土壤背景值,说明宿州城市土壤中已受到不同程度的重金属污染;工业区、商业区和车站附近土壤重金属含量普遍较高,Cu、Zn、Pb与交通运输、工业生产关系密切,Cr主要来源于工业废弃物排放,Ni则受到生活污染和交通污染的双重影响;土壤重金属的非致癌风险指数(HI)和致癌风险指数(Risk)均低于危害水平界限,未形成明显的健康风险。     

基于多特征融合的城市遥感图像自动解译方法

为更全面有效地解译城市遥感图像,提出了一种新的基于多特征融合的自动解译方法。该方法定义对象网络来表达图像结构并获取更为准确的处理单元。在此基础上,综合分析颜色、纹理、形状和位置等众多特征,通过自适应的概率学习训练最优分类器并标记目标类别。方法中还结合上下文信息进行空间平滑,大大消除了噪音、遮挡等影响,矢量标绘后得到最终解译结果。实验表明,该方法准确率高、鲁棒性好,适用于多种遥感图像城市场景的自动解译。     

Assessment of railway noise in an urban setting

The railroads that pass through the city of Curitiba played an important role in Brazil’s economic development. When the rail tracks were laid down, their route was consistent with the city’s layout, but today they are incompatible with its occupation and urban density. Due to its considerable presence in the urban grid, the railway track causes many problems to the population living in its proximities, such as noise pollution. The purpose of this study was therefore to assess the noise levels generated by a railway that passes through an urban area of a large city and to evaluate possible steps that could be adopted to mitigate the noise levels. To this end, three possible alternatives were simulated to control the noise pollution generated by railway traffic: (1) exclusion of the train horn, (2) inclusion of acoustic barriers, and (3) removal of the railway tracks from the urban perimeter. Noise levels were assessed in the surroundings of two major hospitals and a large educational institution. Acoustic mapping revealed that the simulated noise mitigation measures led to a reduction of 2–12 dB(A) in noise levels reaching the facades of the hospitals and school.     

Soundscape quality analysis by fuzzy logic: A field study in Cordoba,Argentina

This research studies urban soundscapes through the comparative analysis of twelve public open spaces in the city of Córdoba (Argentina), taken as case studies. The work aims to examine selection of indicators and assessment tools intended to characterize soundscape quality. The field study was carried out through surveys and acoustic and psychoacoustic indicators, that are used together to objectively describe the sound quality of urban spaces.