Risk Perception and Information Processing: The Development and Validation of a Questionnaire to Assess Self‐Reported Information Processing

The role of information processing in understanding people's responses to risk information has recently received substantial attention. One limitation of this research concerns the unavailability of a validated questionnaire of information processing. This article presents two studies in which we describe the development and validation of the Information‐Processing Questionnaire to meet that need. Study 1 describes the development and initial validation of the questionnaire. Participants were randomized to either a systematic processing or a heuristic processing condition after which they completed a manipulation check and the initial 15‐item questionnaire and again two weeks later. The questionnaire was subjected to factor reliability and validity analyses on both measurement times for purposes of cross‐validation of the results. A two‐factor solution was observed representing a systematic processing and a heuristic processing subscale. The resulting scale showed good reliability and validity, with the systematic condition scoring significantly higher on the systematic subscale and the heuristic processing condition significantly higher on the heuristic subscale. Study 2 sought to further validate the questionnaire in a field study. Results of the second study corresponded with those of Study 1 and provided further evidence of the validity of the Information‐Processing Questionnaire. The availability of this information‐processing scale will be a valuable asset for future research and may provide researchers with new research opportunities.     

对《文物保护法》有关民间收藏文物诸条款的若干思考

2002年10月28日颁布实施的《文物保护法》将原法“私人收藏文物”更名为“民间收藏文物”,并由原来的3条增加到10条。新《文物保护法》对民间收藏文物诸条款的规定,一方面能够适应社会主义市场经济体制建立后所面临的新情况,另一方面在管理制度和政策上有利于实行适度开放的政策,从而达到规范市场,使民间收藏文物有序流通的目的。     

Large sample behavior of the Bernstein copula estimator

Bernstein polynomial estimators have been used as smooth estimators for density functions and distribution functions. The idea of using them for copula estimation has been given in Sancetta and Satchell (2004). In the present paper we study the asymptotic properties of this estimator: almost sure consistency rates and asymptotic normality. We also obtain explicit expressions for the asymptotic bias and asymptotic variance and show the improvement of the asymptotic mean squared error compared to that of the classical empirical copula estimator. A small simulation study illustrates this superior behavior in small samples.     

Nonparametric kernel estimation of expected shortfall under negatively associated sequences

Abstract

In this article, Bahadur type expansions of a nonparametric kernel estimator for ES under NA sequences are given. The strong consistency and the uniformly asymptotic normality of the estimator are yielded from the Bahadur type expansions, while the convergence rates of the above asymptotic properties are also obtained. Moreover, the expectation, the variance and the mean squared error (MSE) of the estimator are given. Besides, the optimal bandwidth selection of this estimator is discussed. We point out that all above results are based on the NA sequences. Finally, we conduct numerical simulations and compare performances of some ES estimators.     

The Risk of Photochemical Reactions

In January 1987, an incident occurred at a petrochemical complex in Salavat, Russia. The incident resulted in the poisioning of 17 people by the products of photochemical smog. This paper describes the incident and discusses the possibility of chemical reactions that pose toxic hazardous situations for chemical plant personnel. Pollutants present in the atmosphere as a result of continuous releases can result in the formation of toxic substances and the poisioning of people, even when permissible levels of concentrations are not exceeded for the initial pollutants. In addition, this paper addresses the need to consider the possibility of secondary chemical reactions in the environment while planning chemical plant activity.     

OSHA''s Permissible Exposure Limits: Regulatory Compliance Versus Health Risk

Workplace exposures to airborne chemicals are regulated in the U.S. by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) via the promulgation of permissible exposure limits (PELs). These limits, usually defined as eight-hour time-weighted average values, are enforced as concentrations never to be exceeded. In the case of chronic or delayed toxicants, the PEL is determined from epidemiological evidence and/or quantitative risk assessments based on long-term mean exposures or, equivalently, cumulative lifetime exposures. A statistical model was used to investigate the relation between the compliance strategy, the PEL as a limit never to be exceeded, and the health risk as measured by the probability that an individual's long-term mean exposure concentration is above the PEL. The model incorporates within-worker and between-worker variability in exposure, and assumes the relevant distributions to be log-normal. When data are inadequate to estimate the parameters of the full model, as it is in compliance inspections, it is argued that the probability of a random measurement being above the PEL must be regarded as a lower bound on the probability that a randomly selected worker's long-term mean exposure concentration will exceed the PEL. It is concluded that OSHA's compliance strategy is a reasonable, as well as a practical, means of limiting health risk for chronic or delayed toxicants.     

化学反应工程教学体会

文章以提高化学反应工程教学质量为目标,介绍了一些提高化学反应工程教学效果的个人体会,希望能为化学反应工程教学改革提供参考。     

含N纳米TiO_2的制备及其可见光响应的研究

以纳米TiO2为原料,氨水为掺杂N源,采用高能球磨法合成了含N纳米TiO2粉末.利用XRD、FT-IR、UV-Vis光谱、纳米粒度仪和光催化降解实验对其进行结构及光催化性能表征.研究结果表明,经过氮掺杂的纳米TiO2主要为锐钛矿晶型,晶粒尺寸位于8～10nm之间.对可见光具有良好的吸收性能,其吸收边红移至550nm左右,禁带宽度减小至2.25eV.当太阳光照射30min时,亚甲基蓝溶液的降解率接近100%,体现出良好的可见光响应特性.     

语音与含意

本文讨论语言单位的语音形式与会话含意的关系 ,主要从两个方面进行论述 ,即 :语音中的谐音现象和超音段现象与含意的关系     

西部大开发热潮中的冷思考

:西部大开发是一项长期、艰巨的伟大工程 ,目前存在的“盲目速成”和“悲观失望”两种思想者都是十分有害的。中央政府和西部各省、市、自治区应通过技术进步与提升产业结构来实现从资源优势到经济优势的转变 ,科学地确定产业发展顺序和制度创新应成为西部经济加速增长的切入点