Efficiency and limitations of the upper airway mucosa as an air conditioner evaluated from the mechanisms of bronchoconstriction in asthmatic subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Konno, A; Terada, N; Okamoto, Y; Togawa, K

1985-01-01

To elucidate a limit to the efficiency of the upper airway mucosa as an air conditioner, the temperatures of the inspiratory air and mucosa were measured in the cervical trachea. Both of them were affected only minimally by change of atmospheric air temperature during resting nose breathing, but were affected greatly by change of mode of breathing. During hyperventilation through the mouth, when the atmospheric air temperature was 1 degree C, a temperature difference of 9 degrees C was noted between inspiratory air in the cervical trachea and body temperature, together with a mucosal temperature fall by 1.86 +/- 0.61 degree C. Wearing of a mask caused a rise of 3 degrees C in the inspiratory air temperature in the cervical trachea.

Effects of air temperature and discharge on Upper Mississippi River summer water temperatures

Science.gov (United States)

Gray, Brian R.; Robertson, Dale M.; Rogala, James T.

2018-01-01

Recent interest in the potential effects of climate change has prompted studies of air temperature and precipitation associations with water temperatures in rivers and streams. We examined associations between summer surface water temperatures and both air temperature and discharge for 5 reaches of the Upper Mississippi River during 1994–2011. Water–air temperature associations at a given reach approximated 1:1 when estimated under an assumption of reach independence but declined to approximately 1:2 when water temperatures were permitted to covary among reaches and were also adjusted for upstream air temperatures. Estimated water temperature–discharge associations were weak. An apparently novel feature of this study is that of addressing changes in associations between water and air temperatures when both are correlated among reaches.

Operation and extension of the Bavarian state air-hygienic monitoring system and the radioactive nuisance measuring grid in northern Bavaria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Munzert, K.

1994-01-01

The measuring grid of the Bavarian state air-hygienic monitoring system with, currently, 71 measuring points (Upper and Lower Palatine, Upper, Middle and Lower Franconia) in 35 sites measures nuisances in northern Bavaria. 14 of the sites are also used for measuring radioactivity. The measuring stations are situated above all in areas with a high industrial or residential density (established areas of investigation); but also in areas near the border receiving heavy pollutant freights because of long-range pollutant transport (smog areas in the urban and rural district of Hof, rural district of Wundsiedel) and in areas far afield from industrial zones, measurements are carried out.- At each station, the air-analytical, meteorological and radiological readings are continuously processed by computer into half-hourly, hourly or three-hourly means. (orig./HP) [de

Observed OH and HO2 concentrations in the upper troposphere inside and outside of Asian monsoon influenced air.

Science.gov (United States)

Marno, D. R.; Künstler, C.; Hens, K.; Tatum Ernest, C.; Broch, S.; Fuchs, H.; Martinez, M.; Bourtsoukidis, E.; Williams, J.; Holland, F.; Hofzumahaus, A.; Tomsche, L.; Fischer, H.; Klausner, T.; Schlager, H.; Eirenschmalz, L.; Stratmann, G.; Stock, P.; Ziereis, H.; Roiger, A.; Bohn, B.; Zahn, A.; Wahner, A.; Lelieveld, J.; Harder, H.

2016-12-01

The Asian monsoon convectively transports pollutants like volatile organic compounds (VOCs), NOx, and SO2 from the boundary layer over South Asia into the upper troposphere where they can potentially enter the stratosphere, or be dispersed globally. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the oxidizing capacity of this system regarding the rate of aerosol formation, and conversion of pollutants into compounds that have much shorter atmospheric lifetimes. OH plays a central role in this oxidation process. During the OMO-ASIA campaign in the summer of 2015, OH and HO2 were measured onboard the High Altitude Long-Range (HALO) Research Aircraft. Two laser-induced fluorescence instruments based on the fluorescence assay by gas expansion technique (LIF-FAGE) had been deployed, the AIR-LIF instrument from Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH and the HORUS instrument from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz. To measure the chemical background of OH potentially produced inside the HORUS instrument from highly oxidized VOCs, atmospheric OH is scavenged by an Inlet Pre-injector (IPI) system. This was the first time an IPI system was implemented within an airborne LIF-FAGE instrument measuring OH and HO2. Throughout this campaign OH and HO2 were measured at 12 to 15km within the Asian monsoon anticyclone. These measurements have been contrasted by probing air outside the anticyclone in air masses influenced by North American emissions, and in very clean air masses originated from the southern hemisphere.

Retrospective Review of Air Transportation Use for Upper Extremity Amputations at a Level-1 Trauma Center.

Science.gov (United States)

Grantham, W Jeffrey; To, Philip; Watson, Jeffry T; Brywczynski, Jeremy; Lee, Donald H

2016-08-01

Air transportation to tertiary care centers of patients with upper extremity amputations has been utilized in hopes of reducing the time to potential replantation; however, this mode of transportation is expensive and not all patients will undergo replantation. The purpose of this study is to review the appropriateness and cost of air transportation in upper extremity amputations. Consecutive patients transported by aircraft with upper extremity amputations in a 7-year period at a level-1 trauma center were retrospectively reviewed. The distance traveled was recorded, along with the times of the injury, referral, transportation duration, arrival, and start of the operation. The results of the transfer were defined as replantation or revision amputation. Overall, 47 patients were identified with 43 patients going to the operating room, but only 14 patients (30%) undergoing replantation. Patients arrived at the tertiary hand surgery center with a mean time of 182.3 minutes following the injury, which includes 105.2 minutes of transportation time. The average distance traveled was 105.4 miles (range, 22-353 miles). The time before surgery of those who underwent replantation was 154.6 minutes. The average cost of transportation was $20,482. Air transportation for isolated upper extremity amputations is costly and is not usually the determining factor for replantation. The type of injury and patients' expectations often dictate the outcome, and these may be better determined at the time of referral with use of telecommunication photos, discussion with a hand surgeon, and patient counseling. III.

Air pollution and incidence of cancers of the stomach and the upper aerodigestive tract in the European Study of Cohorts for Air Pollution Effects (ESCAPE).

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nagel, Gabriele; Stafoggia, Massimo; Pedersen, Marie; Andersen, Zorana J; Galassi, Claudia; Munkenast, Jule; Jaensch, Andrea; Sommar, Johan; Forsberg, Bertil; Olsson, David; Oftedal, Bente; Krog, Norun H; Aamodt, Geir; Pyko, Andrei; Pershagen, Göran; Korek, Michal; De Faire, Ulf; Pedersen, Nancy L; Östenson, Claes-Göran; Fratiglioni, Laura; Sørensen, Mette; Tjønneland, Anne; Peeters, Petra H; Bueno-de-Mesquita, Bas; Vermeulen, Roel; Eeftens, Marloes; Plusquin, Michelle; Key, Timothy J; Concin, Hans; Lang, Alois; Wang, Meng; Tsai, Ming-Yi; Grioni, Sara; Marcon, Alessandro; Krogh, Vittorio; Ricceri, Fulvio; Sacerdote, Carlotta; Ranzi, Andrea; Cesaroni, Giulia; Forastiere, Francesco; Tamayo-Uria, Ibon; Amiano, Pilar; Dorronsoro, Miren; de Hoogh, Kees; Beelen, Rob; Vineis, Paolo; Brunekreef, Bert; Hoek, Gerard; Raaschou-Nielsen, Ole; Weinmayr, Gudrun

2018-01-01

Air pollution has been classified as carcinogenic to humans. However, to date little is known about the relevance for cancers of the stomach and upper aerodigestive tract (UADT). We investigated the association of long-term exposure to ambient air pollution with incidence of gastric and UADT cancer

Air pollution and hospital visits for acute upper and lower respiratory infections among children in Ningbo, China: A time-series analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Pei-Wen; Wang, Jian-Bing; Zhang, Zhen-Yu; Shen, Peng; Chai, Peng-Fei; Li, Die; Jin, Ming-Juan; Tang, Meng-Ling; Lu, Huai-Chu; Lin, Hong-Bo; Chen, Kun

2017-08-01

Acute upper and lower respiratory infections are main causes of mortality and morbidity in children. Air pollution has been recognized as an important contributor to development and exacerbation of respiratory infections. However, few studies are available in China. In this study, we investigated the short-term effect of air pollution on hospital visits for acute upper and lower respiratory infections among children under 15 years in Ningbo, China. Poisson generalized models were used to estimate the associations between air pollution and hospital visits for acute upper and lower respiratory infections adjusted for temporal, seasonal, and meteorological effects. We found that four pollutants (PM 2.5 , PM 10 , NO 2 , and SO 2 ) were significantly associated with hospital visits for acute upper and lower respiratory infections. The effect estimates for acute upper respiratory infections tended to be higher (PM 2.5 ER = 3.46, 95% CI 2.18, 4.76; PM 10 ER = 2.81, 95% CI 1.93, 3.69; NO 2 ER = 11.27, 95% CI 8.70, 13.89; SO 2 ER = 15.17, 95% CI 11.29, 19.19). Significant associations for gaseous pollutants (NO 2 and SO 2 ) were observed after adjustment for particular matter. Stronger associations were observed among older children and in the cold period. Our study suggested that short-term exposure to outdoor air pollution was associated with hospital visits for acute upper and lower respiratory infections in Ningbo.

System for measuring of air concentration in air-steam mixture during the transients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gorbenko, Gennady A.; Gakal, Pavlo G.; Epifanov, Konstantin S.; Osokin, Gennady V.; Smirnov, Sergey V.

2006-01-01

Description of system for air concentration measuring in air-steam mixture during the transients is represented. Air concentration measuring is based on discrete sampling method. The measuring system consists of sampler, transport pipeline, distributor and six measuring vessels. From the sampler air-steam mixture comes to distributor through transport pipeline and fills consecutively the measuring vessels. The true air concentration in place of measurement was defined based on measured air concentration in samples taken from measuring vessels. For this purpose, the mathematical model of transients in measuring system was developed. Air concentration transient in air-steam mixture in place of measurement was described in mathematical model by air concentration time-dependent function. The function parameters were defined based on air concentration measured in samples taken from measuring vessels. Estimated error of air concentration identification was about 10%. Measuring system was used in experiments on EREC BKV-213 test facility intended for testing of VVER-440/V-213 reactor barbotage-vacuum system

Observing Boundary-Layer Winds from Hot-Air Balloon Flights

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bruijn, de E.I.F.; Haan, de S.; Bosveld, F.C.; Wichers Schreur, B.G.J.; Holtslag, A.A.M.

2016-01-01

High-resolution upper-air wind observations are sparse, and additional observations are a welcome source of meteorological information. In this paper the potential of applying balloon flights for upper-air wind measurements is explored, and the meteorological content of this information is

Measurements of local liquid velocity and interfacial parameters of air-water bubbly flows in a horizontal tube

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Jian; Zhang Mingyuan; Zhang Chaojie; Su Yuliang

2002-01-01

Distribution of local kinematic parameters of air-water bubbly flows in a horizontal tube with an ID of 35 mm was investigated. The local liquid velocity was measured with a cylindrical hot film probe, and local void fraction, bubble frequency and bubble velocity were measured with a double-sensor probe. It was found that the axial liquid velocity has a same profile as that of single liquid phase flow in the lower part of the tube, and it suffers a sudden reduction in the upper part of the tube. With increasing airflow rate, the liquid velocity would increase in the lower part of the tube, and further decrease at the upper part of the tube, respectively. Most bubbles are congested at the upper part of the tube, and the void fraction and bubble frequencies have similar profile and both are asymmetrical with the tube axis with their maximum values located near the upper tube wall

The Vertical Structure of Relative Humidity and Ozone in the Tropical Upper Troposphere: Intercomparisons Among In Situ Observations, A-Train Measurements and Large-Scale Models

Science.gov (United States)

Selkirk, Henry B.; Manyin, Michael; Douglass, Anne R.; Oman, Luke; Pawson, Steven; Ott, Lesley; Benson, Craig; Stolarski, Richard

2010-01-01

In situ measurements in the tropics have shown that in regions of active convection, relative humidity with respect to ice in the upper troposphere is typically close to saturation on average, and supersaturations greater than 20% are not uncommon. Balloon soundings with the cryogenic frost point hygrometer (CFH) at Costa Rica during northern summer, for example, show this tendency to be strongest between 11 and 15.5 km (345-360 K potential temperature, or approximately 250-120 hPa). this is the altitude range of deep convective detrainment. Additionally, simultaneous ozonesonde measurements show that stratospheric air (O3 greater than 150 ppbv) can be found as low as approximately 14 km (350 K/150 hPa). In contrast, results from northern winter show a much drier upper troposphere and little penetration of stratospheric air below the tropopause at 17.5 km (approximately 383 K). We show that these results are consistent with in situ measurements from the Measurement of Ozone and water vapor by Airbus In-service airCraft (MOZAIC) program which samples a wider, though still limited, range of tropical locations. To generalize to the tropics as a whole, we compare our insitu results to data from two A-Train satellite instruments, the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) and the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) on the Aqua and Aura satellites respectively. Finally, we examine the vertical structure of water vapor, relative humidity and ozone in the NASA Goddard MERRA analysis, an assimilation dataset, and a new version of the GEOS CCM, a free-running chemistry-climate model. We demonstrate that conditional probability distributions of relative humidity and ozone are a sensitive diagnostic for assessing the representation of deep convection and upper troposphere/lower stratosphere mixing processes in large-scale analyses and climate models.

Multi-station synthesis of early twentieth century surface atmospheric electricity measurements for upper tropospheric properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. G. Harrison

2007-07-01

Full Text Available The vertical columnar current density in the global atmospheric electrical circuit depends on the local columnar resistance. A simple model for the columnar resistance is suggested, which separates the local boundary layer component from the upper troposphere cosmic ray component, and calculates the boundary layer component from a surface measurement of air conductivity. This theory is shown to provide reasonable agreement with observations. One application of the simple columnar model theory is to provide a basis for the synthesis of surface atmospheric electrical measurements made simultaneously at several European sites. Assuming the ionospheric potential to be common above all the sites, the theoretical air-earth current density present in the absence of a boundary layer columnar resistance can be found by extrapolation. This is denoted the free troposphere limit air-earth current density, J₀. Using early surface data from 1909 when no ionospheric potential data are available for corroboration, J₀ is found to be ~6 pA m⁻², although this is subject to uncertainties in the data and limitations in the theory. Later (1966–1971 European balloon and surface data give J₀=2.4 pA m⁻².

Upper cervical spine movement during intubation: fluoroscopic comparison of the AirWay Scope, McCoy laryngoscope, and Macintosh laryngoscope.

Science.gov (United States)

Maruyama, K; Yamada, T; Kawakami, R; Kamata, T; Yokochi, M; Hara, K

2008-01-01

The AirWay Scope (AWS) is a new fibreoptic intubation device, which allows visualization of the glottic structures without alignment of the oral, pharyngeal, and tracheal axes, and thus may be useful in patients with limited cervical spine (C-spine) movement. We fluoroscopically evaluated upper C-spine movement during intubation with the AWS or Macintosh or McCoy laryngoscope. Forty-five patients, with normal C-spine, scheduled for elective surgery were randomly assigned to one of the three intubation devices. Movement of the upper C-spine was examined by measuring angles formed by adjacent vertebrae during intubation. Time to intubation was also recorded. Median cumulative upper C-spine movement was 22.3 degrees, 32.3 degrees, and 36.5 degrees with the AWS, Macintosh laryngoscope, and McCoy laryngoscope, respectively (Pmovement of the C-spine at C1/C2 in comparison with the Macintosh or McCoy laryngoscope (P=0.012), and at C3/C4 in comparison with the McCoy laryngoscope (P=0.019). Intubation time was significantly longer in the AWS group than in the Macintosh group (P=0.03). Compared with the Macintosh or McCoy laryngoscope, the AWS produced less movement of upper C-spine for intubation in patients with a normal C-spine.

The Relationship Between Air Particulate Levels and Upper Respiratory Disease in Soldiers Deployed to Bosnia (1997-1998)

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Hastings, Deborah

2001-01-01

This study had three objectives: to determine if there is a relationship between air particulate levels and upper respiratory disease in soldiers deployed to Bosnia between 1997-98, to establish a method for linking environmental...

Estimating surface solar radiation from upper-air humidity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kun Yang [Telecommunications Advancement Organization of Japan, Tokyo (Japan); Koike, Toshio [University of Tokyo (Japan). Dept. of Civil Engineering

2002-07-01

A numerical model is developed to estimate global solar irradiance from upper-air humidity. In this model, solar radiation under clear skies is calculated through a simple model with radiation-damping processes under consideration. A sky clearness indicator is parameterized from relative humidity profiles within three atmospheric sublayers, and the indicator is used to connect global solar radiation under clear skies and that under cloudy skies. Model inter-comparisons at 18 sites in Japan suggest (1) global solar radiation strongly depends on the sky clearness indicator, (2) the new model generally gives better estimation to hourly-mean solar irradiance than the other three methods used in numerical weather predictions, and (3) the new model may be applied to estimate long-term solar radiation. In addition, a study at one site in the Tibetan Plateau shows vigorous convective activities in the region may cause some uncertainties to radiation estimations due to the small-scale and short life of convective systems. (author)

40 CFR 89.414 - Air flow measurement specifications.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Air flow measurement specifications... Emission Test Procedures § 89.414 Air flow measurement specifications. (a) The air flow measurement method... incorporates devices that affect the air flow measurement (such as air bleeds) that result in understated...

Upper Gastrointestinal (GI) Series

Science.gov (United States)

... standard barium upper GI series, which uses only barium a double-contrast upper GI series, which uses both air and ... evenly coat your upper GI tract with the barium. If you are having a double-contrast study, you will swallow gas-forming crystals that ...

New airborne pathogen transport model for upper-room UVGI spaces conditioned by chilled ceiling and mixed displacement ventilation: Enhancing air quality and energy performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanaan, Mohamad; Ghaddar, Nesreen; Ghali, Kamel; Araj, Georges

2014-01-01

Highlights: • A model of bacteria transport is developed in CC/DV conditioned spaces with UVGI. • The model identifies buoyant, partially mixed, and fully mixed transport zones. • The predicted bacteria concentration agreed well with CFD results. • The higher the supply flow rate, the more restrictive is return air mixing ratio. • Upper-room UVGI results in higher return mixing and 33% in energy savings. - Abstract: The maximum allowable return air ratio in chilled ceiling (CC) and mixed displacement ventilation (DV) system for good air quality is regulated by acceptable levels of CO 2 concentration not to exceed 700 ppm and airborne bacterial count to satisfy World Health Organization (WHO) requirement for bacterial count not to exceed 500 CFU/m 3 . Since the CC/DV system relies on buoyancy effects for driving the contaminated air upwards, infectious particles will recirculate in the upper zone allowing effective utilization of upper-room ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) to clean return air. The aim of this work is to develop a new airborne bacteria transport plume-multi-layer zonal model at low computational cost to predict bacteria concentration distribution in mixed CC/DV conditioned room without and with upper-room UVGI installed. The results of the simplified model were compared with layer-averaged concentration predictions of a detailed and experimentally-validated 3-D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. The comparison showed good agreement between bacteria transport model results and CFD predictions of room air bacteria concentration with maximum error of ±10.4 CFU/m 3 in exhaust air. The simplified model captured the vertical bacteria concentration distribution in room air as well as the locking effect of highest concentration happening at the stratification level. The developed bacteria transport model was used in a case study to determine the return air mixing ratio that minimizes energy consumption and maintains acceptable IAQ

Volatile organic compounds in indoor air: A review ofconcentrations measured in North America since 1990

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

ATHodgson@lbl.gov

2003-04-01

Central tendency and upper limit concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) measured in indoor air are summarized and reviewed. Data were obtained from published cross-sectional studies of residential and office buildings conducted in North America from 1990through the present. VOC concentrations in existing residences reported in 12 studies comprise the majority of the data set. Central tendency and maximum concentrations are compared between new and existing residences and between existing residences and office buildings. Historical changes in indoor VOC concentrations since the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 are explored by comparing the current data set with two published reviews of previous data obtained primarily in the 1980s. These historical comparisons suggest average indoor concentrations of some toxic air contaminants, such as 1,1,1-trichloroethane have decreased.

Radon measurements technique in air using a track plastic detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pereira, J.F.A.; Silva Estrada, J.J. da; Binns, D.A.C.; Urban, M.

1983-01-01

A difusion chamber is used to measure the radon concentration in air through alpha particles tracks in Makrofol E, 300μm thick. This system was developed by Karlsruhe Nuclear Research Centre, Germany, and is already used by the Occupational Radiological Protection Department of IRD/CNEN, for premilimar measurements in Pocos de Caldas and Rio de Janeiro. In the chamber, the plastic detector is set at the lower end and a filter is placed at the upper end. In this way, a known volume is defined in the detector system. To amplify the tracks produced by the alpha particles due to radon and short-lived dadon-daughter products, an electrochemical system is employed. Some theoretical questions about the treeing produced by the electrochemical etching, the detector characteristics, as well as the adapted statistics model are also discussed. (Author) [pt

The measurement of low air flow velocities

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Aghaei, A.; Mao, X.G.; Zanden, van der A.J.J.; Schaik, W.H.J.; Hendriks, N.A.

2005-01-01

Air flow velocity is measured with an acoustic sensor, which can be used especially for measuring low air flow velocities as well as the temperature of the air simultaneously. Two opposite transducers send a sound pulse towards each other. From the difference of the transit times, the air flow

Hazardous air pollutant handbook: measurements, properties, and fate in ambient air

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Spicer, C.W. (ed.); Gordon, S.M.; Kelly, T.J.; Holdren, M.W.; Mukund, R. [Battelle, Columbus, OH (United States)

2002-07-01

Focussing on the 188 hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) identified in the Title III of the US Clean Air Act Amendments, this work reviews the methods used to identify, measure, and locate the presence of toxics in ambient air. After a classification and characterization of the HAPs, the current status of ambient measurement methods are surveyed and categorized according to applicable, likely, and potential methods. The results of studies of ambient air concentrations of the HAPs are presented. Methods used to study atmospheric transformations of toxic air pollutants are reviewed and the concept of atmospheric lifetimes of HAPs is discussed.

Air brake-dynamometer accurately measures torque

Science.gov (United States)

1965-01-01

Air brake-dynamometer assembly combines the principles of the air turbine and the air pump to apply braking torque. The assembly absorbs and measures power outputs of rotating machinery over a wide range of shaft speeds. It can also be used as an air turbine.

Measurement of natural radioactivity in building materials in Qena city, Upper Egypt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmed, Nour Khalifa

2005-01-01

Building materials cause direct radiation exposure because of their radium, thorium and potassium content. In this paper, samples of commonly used building materials (bricks, cement, gypsum, ceramics, marble, limestone and granite) in Qena city, Upper Egypt have been collected randomly over the city. The samples were tested for their radioactivity contents by using gamma spectroscopic measurements. The results show that the highest mean value of 226 Ra activity is 205 ± 83 Bq kg -1 measured in marble. The corresponding value of 232 Th is 118 ± 14 Bq kg -1 measured in granite. For 40 K this value is (8.7 ± 3.9) x 10 2 Bq kg -1 measured in marble. The average concentrations of the three radionuclides in the different building materials are 116 ± 54, 64 ± 34 and (4.8 ± 2.2) x 10 2 Bq kg -1 for 226 Ra, 232 Th and 40 K, respectively. Radium equivalent activities and various hazard indices were also calculated to assess the radiation hazard. The maximum mean of radium equivalent activity Ra eq is 436 ± 199 Bq kg -1 calculated in marble. The highest radioactivity level and dose rate in air from these materials were calculated in marble

BOREAS AFM-08 ECMWF Hourly Surface and Upper Air Data for the SSA and NSA

Science.gov (United States)

Viterbo, Pedro; Betts, Alan; Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Newcomer, Jeffrey A.; Smith, David E. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (BOREAS) Airborne Fluxes and Meteorology (AFM)-8 team focused on modeling efforts to improve the understanding of the diurnal evolution of the convective boundary layer over the boreal forest. This data set contains hourly data from the European Center for for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) operational model from below the surface to the top of the atmosphere, including the model fluxes at the surface. Spatially, the data cover a pair of the points that enclose the rawinsonde sites at Candle Lake, Saskatchewan, in the Southern Study Area (SSA) and Thompson, Manitoba, in the Northern Study Area (NSA). Temporally, the data include the two time periods of 13 May 1994 to 30 Sept 1994 and 01 Mar 1996 to 31 Mar 1997. The data are stored in tabular ASCII files. The number of records in the upper air data files may exceed 20,000, causing a problem for some software packages. The ECMWF hourly surface and upper air data are available from the Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC). The data files are available on a CD-ROM (see document number 20010000884).

Disruptive Innovation in Air Measurement Technology: Reality ...

Science.gov (United States)

This presentation is a big picture overview on the changing state of air measurement technology in the world, with a focus on the introduction of low-cost sensors into the market place. The presentation discusses how these new technologies may be a case study in disruptive innovation for the air pollution measurement field. The intended audience is primarily those with experience in air pollution measurement methods, but much of the talk is accessible to the general public. This is a keynote presentation on emerging air monitoring technology, to be provided at the AWMA measurements conference in March, 2016.

40 CFR 92.108 - Intake and cooling air measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Intake and cooling air measurements....108 Intake and cooling air measurements. (a) Intake air flow measurement. Measurement of the flow rate..., the measurement technique shall conform to the following: (1) The air flow measurement method used...

A study on the environmental behavior of global air pollutants based on the continuous measurements of atmospheric radon concentrations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iida, Takao; Yamazawa, Hiromi

2003-01-01

Radon is a useful natural radioactive tracer of air transportation of atmospheric pollution, since radon is a noble gas and chemically inert. The atmospheric radon concentration is usually measured by a high-sensitivity electrostatic collection method or a two-filter method. The variations of radon concentrations observed over a solitary island and in the upper atmosphere are suitable for comparing with those of air pollutants. Some numerical simulation models were used to study the radon global transport in the atmosphere. In East Asia, atmospheric radon and air pollutants are transported with the air stream from the continent of China to the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. It is necessary to clarify the transport mechanism from both radon observations at various locations and numerical simulation. (author)

Aircraft measurements over Europe of an air pollution plume from Southeast Asia – aerosol and chemical characterization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Stohl

2007-01-01

Full Text Available An air pollution plume from Southern and Eastern Asia, including regions in India and China, was predicted by the FLEXPART particle dispersion model to arrive in the upper troposphere over Europe on 24–25 March 2006. According to the model, the plume was exported from Southeast Asia six days earlier, transported into the upper troposphere by a warm conveyor belt, and travelled to Europe in a fast zonal flow. This is confirmed by the retrievals of carbon monoxide (CO from AIRS satellite measurements, which are in excellent agreement with the model results over the entire transport history. The research aircraft DLR Falcon was sent into this plume west of Spain on 24 March and over Southern Europe on 25 March. On both days, the pollution plume was found close to the predicted locations and, thus, the measurements taken allowed the first detailed characterization of the aerosol content and chemical composition of an anthropogenic pollution plume after a nearly hemispheric transport event. The mixing ratios of CO, reactive nitrogen (NOy and ozone (O3 measured in the Asian plume were all clearly elevated over a background that was itself likely elevated by Asian emissions: CO by 17–34 ppbv on average (maximum 60 ppbv and O3 by 2–9 ppbv (maximum 22 ppbv. Positive correlations existed between these species, and a ΔO3/ΔCO slope of 0.25 shows that ozone was formed in this plume, albeit with moderate efficiency. Nucleation mode and Aitken particles were suppressed in the Asian plume, whereas accumulation mode aerosols were strongly elevated and correlated with CO. The suppression of the nucleation mode was likely due to the large pre-existing aerosol surface of the transported larger particles. Super-micron particles, likely desert dust, were found in part of the Asian pollution plume and also in surrounding cleaner air. The aerosol light absorption coefficient was enhanced in the plume (average values for individual plume encounters 0.25–0

40 CFR 89.326 - Engine intake air humidity measurement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Engine intake air humidity measurement... Test Equipment Provisions § 89.326 Engine intake air humidity measurement. (a) Humidity conditioned air... type of intake air supply, the humidity measurements must be made within the intake air supply system...

40 CFR 91.310 - Engine intake air humidity measurement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Engine intake air humidity measurement... Provisions § 91.310 Engine intake air humidity measurement. This section refers to engines which are supplied... air, the ambient testcell humidity measurement may be used. (a) Humidity conditioned air supply. Air...

3D Measurement of Forearm and Upper Arm during Throwing Motion using Body Mounted Sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Koda, Hideharu; Sagawa, Koichi; Kuroshima, Kouta; Tsukamoto, Toshiaki; Urita, Kazutaka; Ishibashi, Yasuyuki

The aim of this study is to propose the measurement method of three-dimensional (3D) movement of forearm and upper arm during pitching motion of baseball using inertial sensors without serious consideration of sensor installation. Although high accuracy measurement of sports motion is achieved by using optical motion capture system at present, it has some disadvantages such as the calibration of cameras and limitation of measurement place. Whereas the proposed method for 3D measurement of pitching motion using body mounted sensors provides trajectory and orientation of upper arm by the integration of acceleration and angular velocity measured on upper limb. The trajectory of forearm is derived so that the elbow joint axis of forearm corresponds to that of upper arm. Spatial relation between upper limb and sensor system is obtained by performing predetermined movements of upper limb and utilizing angular velocity and gravitational acceleration. The integration error is modified so that the estimated final position, velocity and posture of upper limb agree with the actual ones. The experimental results of the measurement of pitching motion show that trajectories of shoulder, elbow and wrist estimated by the proposed method are highly correlated to those from the motion capture system within the estimation error of about 10 [%].

40 CFR 91.309 - Engine intake air temperature measurement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... measurement. 91.309 Section 91.309 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR... Provisions § 91.309 Engine intake air temperature measurement. (a) Engine intake air temperature measurement must be made within 100 cm of the air-intake of the engine. The measurement location must be either in...

40 CFR 91.416 - Intake air flow measurement specifications.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Intake air flow measurement... Procedures § 91.416 Intake air flow measurement specifications. (a) If used, the engine intake air flow measurement method used must have a range large enough to accurately measure the air flow over the engine...

The application of accelerometers to measure movements of upper limbs: Pilot study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patrik Kutilek

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Even though inertial measurement units (IMU are already being used experimentally for evaluating movements of segment of the axial skeleton, no studies have been found which have used IMUs to measure the behavior of the segments of upper limbs during quiet stance. Objective: The objective is to design a suitable application of IMUs to measure movements of the upper extremities in Romberg's test and analyze spontaneous arm movements. Second aim is to identify possible discrepancies between the dominant and non-dominant arm movements. Methods: The dominant and non-dominant upper limb of each participant was identified. Then, the movements of both upper limbs were measured by the Xsens system equipped with MTx motion trackers during the quiet stance on a firm surface with eyes open (EO and eyes closed (EC. The measured data was used to calculate the medians and maximums of the superior-inferior, medio-lateral and anterior-posterior acceleration. Also, tremor intensity was calculated to quantitatively evaluate the measured data. Results: The comparison of values of maximal accelerations of the dominant and non-dominant arms showed significant difference between the arms during EC conditions. The comparison of values of median accelerations of the dominant and non-dominant arms showed significant differences between the acceleration of arms in medio-lateral direction during EO and EC conditions. In all cases, values of maximal and median accelerations and values of tremor intensity of the dominant limb strongly correlated with values on the non-dominant limb. Conclusions: Findings suggest possible usefulness of the designed application of IMUs and evaluation methods for their use in Romberg's test in clinical practice for evaluation of upper limb movements.

Next Generation Air Measurement Technologies Fact Sheet

Science.gov (United States)

EPA is advancing lower cost and portable air measurement technology to enhance monitoring capabilities for complying with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. The technology is providing mobile and stationary real-time measurement capabilities.

Impacts of using reformulated and oxygenated fuel blends on the regional air quality of the upper Rhine valley

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J.-F. Vinuesa

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The effects of using three alternative gasoline fuel blends on regional air quality of the upper Rhine valley have been investigated. The first of the tested fuels is oxygenated by addition of ethyl-tertio-butyl ether (ETBE, the second is based on a reformulation of its composition and the third on is both oxygenated and reformulated. The upper Rhine valley is a very sensitive region for pollution episodes and several meteorological and air quality studies have already been performed. High temporal and spatial emission inventories are available allowing relevant and realistic modifications of the emission inventories. The calculation period, i.e., 11 May 1998, corresponds to a regional photochemical ozone pollution episode during which ozone concentrations exceeded several times the information threshold of the ozone directive of the European Union (180 μg m-3 as 1 hourly average. New emission inventories are set up using specific emission factors related to the alternative fuels by varying the fraction of gasoline passenger cars (from 50% to 100% using the three fuel blends. Then air quality modeling simulations are performed using these emission inventories over the upper Rhine valley. The impact of alternative fuels on regional air quality is evaluated by comparing these simulations with the one using a reference emission inventory, e.g., where no modifications of the fuel composition are included. The results are analyzed by focusing on peak levels and daily averaged concentrations. The use of the alternative fuels leads to general reductions of ozone and volatile organic compounds (VOC and increases of NOx levels. We found different behaviors related to the type of the area of concern i.e. rural or urban. The impacts on ozone are enhanced in urban areas where 15% reduction of the ozone peak and daily averaged concentrations can be reached. This behavior is similar for the NOx for which, in addition, an increase of the levels can be noted

Counting systems characterization for air activity measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vijayakumar, B.; Balamurugan, M.; Ravi, P.M.

2018-01-01

Air activity measurements are carried out continuously at all the nuclear power plant (NPP) sites both during pre-operational phase and also during operation of nuclear facility. These measurements provide a trend line for the background air activity in the surrounding environments of an operating NPP. Any increase in air activity over the benchmark level becomes very handy to investigate the releases from the station and to give feedback to the operators of NPP about the prevailing air activity levels and their correlation to the plant releases. This paper compiles the results obtained for air filter samples using different counters operating in GM region and also plastic scintillators

Aircraft measurements over Europe of an air pollution plume from Southeast Asia ? aerosol and chemical characterization

OpenAIRE

Stohl , A.; Forster , C.; Huntrieser , H.; Mannstein , H.; Mcmillan , W. W.; Petzold , A.; Schlager , H.; Weinzierl , B.

2006-01-01

An air pollution plume from Southern and Eastern Asia, including regions in India and China, was predicted by the FLEXPART particle dispersion model to arrive in the upper troposphere over Europe on 24–25 March 2006. According to the model, the plume was exported from Southeast Asia only six days earlier, transported into the upper troposphere by a warm conveyor belt, and travelled to Europe in a fast zonal flow. This is confirmed by the retrievals of carbon monoxide (CO) from AIRS sate...

Clinical comparison of automatic, noninvasive measurements of blood pressure in the forearm and upper arm.

Science.gov (United States)

Schell, Kathleen; Bradley, Elisabeth; Bucher, Linda; Seckel, Maureen; Lyons, Denise; Wakai, Sandra; Bartell, Deborah; Carson, Elizabeth; Chichester, Melanie; Foraker, Teresa; Simpson, Kathleen

2005-05-01

When the upper arm (area from shoulder to elbow) is inaccessible and/or a standard-sized blood pressure cuff does not fit, some healthcare workers use the forearm to measure blood pressure. To compare automatic noninvasive measurements of blood pressure in the upper arm and forearm. A descriptive, correlational comparison study was conducted in the emergency department of a 1071-bed teaching hospital. Subjects were 204 English-speaking patients 6 to 91 years old in medically stable condition who had entered the department on foot or by wheelchair and who had no exclusions to using their left upper extremity. A Welch Allyn Vital Signs 420 series monitor was used to measure blood pressure in the left upper arm and forearm with the subject seated and the upper arm or forearm at heart level. Pearson r correlation coefficients between measurements in the upper arm and forearm were 0.88 for systolic blood pressure and 0.76 for diastolic blood pressure (P upper arm and forearm differed significantly (t = 2.07, P = .04). A Bland-Altman analysis indicated that the distances between the mean values and the limits of agreement for the 2 sites ranged from 15 mm Hg (mean arterial pressure) to 18.4 mm Hg (systolic pressure). Despite strict attention to correct cuff size and placement of the upper arm or forearm at heart level, measurements of blood pressure obtained noninvasively in the arm and forearm of seated patients in stable condition are not interchangeable.

Amine Measurements in Boreal Forest Air

Science.gov (United States)

Hemmilä, Marja; Hellén, Heidi; Makkonen, Ulla; Hakola, Hannele

2015-04-01

Amines are reactive, volatile bases in the air with a general formula of RNH2, R2NH or R3N. Especially small amines can stabilize sulphuric acid clusters and hence affect nucleation. Amines react rapidly with hydroxyl radical (OH˙) thus affecting oxidative capacity of the atmosphere. The amine concentrations are higher in forest air than in urban air (Hellén et al., 2014), but the sources are not known. In order to get more information concerning amine sources, we conducted a measurement campaign in a boreal forest. At SMEAR II station at Hyytiälä, Southern Finland (61°510'N, 24°170'E, 180 m a.s.l.) The measurements cover seven months, from June to December 2014. For sampling and measuring we used MARGA (The instrument for Measuring AeRosols and Gases in Ambient air) which is an on-line ion chromatograph (IC) connected to a sampling system. The IC component of the MARGA system was coupled to an electrospray ionization quadrupole mass spectrometer (MS) to improve sensitivity of amine measurements. This new set-up enabled amine concentration measurements in ambient air both in aerosol and gas phases with a time resolution of only 1 hour. With MARGA-MS we analysed 7 different amines: monomethylamine (MMA), dimethylamine (DMA), trimethylamine (TMA), ethylamine (EA), diethylamine (DEA), propylamine (PA) and butylamine (BA). In preliminary data-analysis we found out, that in June and July most of the measured amines were in gas phase, and particle phase amine concentrations were mostly under detection limits (<1.7 pptv). In June the gaseous amine concentrations were higher than in July. The measured concentrations of gaseous amines followed temperature variation, which could indicate that amines are produced and emitted from the environment or re-emitted from the surfaces as temperature rises after deposition during night-time. All measured amines had similar diurnal variation with maxima during afternoon and minima during night. Results from other months will also

40 CFR 90.416 - Intake air flow measurement specifications.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Intake air flow measurement... Gaseous Exhaust Test Procedures § 90.416 Intake air flow measurement specifications. (a) If used, the engine intake air flow measurement method used must have a range large enough to accurately measure the...

Using satellite observations in performance evaluation for regulatory air quality modeling: Comparison with ground-level measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Odman, M. T.; Hu, Y.; Russell, A.; Chai, T.; Lee, P.; Shankar, U.; Boylan, J.

2012-12-01

Regulatory air quality modeling, such as State Implementation Plan (SIP) modeling, requires that model performance meets recommended criteria in the base-year simulations using period-specific, estimated emissions. The goal of the performance evaluation is to assure that the base-year modeling accurately captures the observed chemical reality of the lower troposphere. Any significant deficiencies found in the performance evaluation must be corrected before any base-case (with typical emissions) and future-year modeling is conducted. Corrections are usually made to model inputs such as emission-rate estimates or meteorology and/or to the air quality model itself, in modules that describe specific processes. Use of ground-level measurements that follow approved protocols is recommended for evaluating model performance. However, ground-level monitoring networks are spatially sparse, especially for particulate matter. Satellite retrievals of atmospheric chemical properties such as aerosol optical depth (AOD) provide spatial coverage that can compensate for the sparseness of ground-level measurements. Satellite retrievals can also help diagnose potential model or data problems in the upper troposphere. It is possible to achieve good model performance near the ground, but have, for example, erroneous sources or sinks in the upper troposphere that may result in misleading and unrealistic responses to emission reductions. Despite these advantages, satellite retrievals are rarely used in model performance evaluation, especially for regulatory modeling purposes, due to the high uncertainty in retrievals associated with various contaminations, for example by clouds. In this study, 2007 was selected as the base year for SIP modeling in the southeastern U.S. Performance of the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model, at a 12-km horizontal resolution, for this annual simulation is evaluated using both recommended ground-level measurements and non-traditional satellite

40 CFR 89.325 - Engine intake air temperature measurement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Engine intake air temperature measurement. 89.325 Section 89.325 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR... Test Equipment Provisions § 89.325 Engine intake air temperature measurement. (a) Engine intake air...

Gap in air pollution reduction measures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamphuis, E.; Spijker, E.

2006-01-01

The air quality dossier in the Netherlands requires drastic cleaning of the vehicles fleet. However, the present measures are too much focused on the installation and use of soot filters. Other options to improve the air quality are discussed [nl

40 CFR 90.309 - Engine intake air temperature measurement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Engine intake air temperature measurement. 90.309 Section 90.309 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR... Emission Test Equipment Provisions § 90.309 Engine intake air temperature measurement. (a) The measurement...

Device for measuring mass of air. Einrichtung zur Luftmassenmessung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sass, W

1989-09-28

In a device for measuring the mass of air, particularly for vehicles with internal combustion engines, with a measurement bridge, in one branch of which an air flow resistance, particularly a hot film sensor, which has air flowing round it, is connected in series with a measuring resistance and in another branch of which a compensation resistance measuring the air temperature is connected in series with a fixed resistor, where the bridge differential voltage is measured in the zero branch of the measuring bridge and the resulting signal is used to control a transistor valve situated in the bridge supply path of a bridge supply source with an emitter connected to the bridge via the transistor base for bridge compensation and where the voltage at the measurement resistance after bridge compensation is evaluated as a measure of the air flow, the invention proposes that the transistor valve should be made as an npn transistor blocking for negative voltage peaks in the bridge supply path. This ensures that for netgative voltage peaks in the supply line, the transistor valve closes temporarily and overheating of the measurement bridge is prevented. Such overheating would lead to measurement of too great air mass flow and therefore to a dangerously too rich fuel/air mixture, for example (instead the negative voltage peaks give a safe temporary lean mixture).

40 CFR 90.310 - Engine intake air humidity measurement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Engine intake air humidity measurement... Emission Test Equipment Provisions § 90.310 Engine intake air humidity measurement. This section refers to... for the engine intake air, the ambient test cell humidity measurement may be used. (a) Humidity...

Multifunction Lidar for Air Data and Kinetic Air Hazard Measurement, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Ophir proposes to develop a multifunction, low-cost lidar capable of accurately measuring kinetic air hazards, and air data, simultaneously. The innovation is...

Rural southeast Texas air quality measurements during the 2006 Texas Air Quality Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Schade, Gunnar W; Khan, Siraj; Park, Changhyoun; Boedeker, Ian

2011-10-01

The authors conducted air quality measurements of the criteria pollutants carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and ozone together with meteorological measurements at a park site southeast of College Station, TX, during the 2006 Texas Air Quality Study II (TexAQS). Ozone, a primary focus of the measurements, was above 80 ppb during 3 days and above 75 ppb during additional 8 days in summer 2006, suggestive of possible violations of the ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) in this area. In concordance with other air quality measurements during the TexAQS II, elevated ozone mixing ratios coincided with northerly flows during days after cold front passages. Ozone background during these days was as high as 80 ppb, whereas southerly air flows generally provided for an ozone background lower than 40 ppb. Back trajectory analysis shows that local ozone mixing ratios can also be strongly affected by the Houston urban pollution plume, leading to late afternoon ozone increases of as high as 50 ppb above background under favorable transport conditions. The trajectory analysis also shows that ozone background increases steadily the longer a southern air mass resides over Texas after entering from the Gulf of Mexico. In light of these and other TexAQS findings, it appears that ozone air quality is affected throughout east Texas by both long-range and regional ozone transport, and that improvements therefore will require at least a regionally oriented instead of the current locally oriented ozone precursor reduction policies.

Vandenberg Air Force Base Upper Level Wind Launch Weather Constraints

Science.gov (United States)

Shafer, Jaclyn A.; Wheeler, Mark M.

2012-01-01

The 30th Operational Support Squadron Weather Flight (30 OSSWF) provides comprehensive weather services to the space program at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California. One of their responsibilities is to monitor upper-level winds to ensure safe launch operations of the Minuteman III ballistic missile. The 30 OSSWF tasked the Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU) to analyze VAFB sounding data with the goal of determining the probability of violating (PoV) their upper-level thresholds for wind speed and shear constraints specific to this launch vehicle, and to develop a tool that will calculate the PoV of each constraint on the day of launch. In order to calculate the probability of exceeding each constraint, the AMU collected and analyzed historical data from VAFB. The historical sounding data were retrieved from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Earth System Research Laboratory archive for the years 1994-2011 and then stratified into four sub-seasons: January-March, April-June, July-September, and October-December. The maximum wind speed and 1000-ft shear values for each sounding in each subseason were determined. To accurately calculate the PoV, the AMU determined the theoretical distributions that best fit the maximum wind speed and maximum shear datasets. Ultimately it was discovered that the maximum wind speeds follow a Gaussian distribution while the maximum shear values follow a lognormal distribution. These results were applied when calculating the averages and standard deviations needed for the historical and real-time PoV calculations. In addition to the requirements outlined in the original task plan, the AMU also included forecast sounding data from the Rapid Refresh model. This information provides further insight for the launch weather officers (LWOs) when determining if a wind constraint violation will occur over the next few hours on day of launch. The interactive graphical user interface (GUI) for this project was developed in

Measuring upper limb function in children with hemiparesis with 3D inertial sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Newman, Christopher J; Bruchez, Roselyn; Roches, Sylvie; Jequier Gygax, Marine; Duc, Cyntia; Dadashi, Farzin; Massé, Fabien; Aminian, Kamiar

2017-12-01

Upper limb assessments in children with hemiparesis rely on clinical measurements, which despite standardization are prone to error. Recently, 3D movement analysis using optoelectronic setups has been used to measure upper limb movement, but generalization is hindered by time and cost. Body worn inertial sensors may provide a simple, cost-effective alternative. We instrumented a subset of 30 participants in a mirror therapy clinical trial at baseline, post-treatment, and follow-up clinical assessments, with wireless inertial sensors positioned on the arms and trunk to monitor motion during reaching tasks. Inertial sensor measurements distinguished paretic and non-paretic limbs with significant differences (P < 0.01) in movement duration, power, range of angular velocity, elevation, and smoothness (normalized jerk index and spectral arc length). Inertial sensor measurements correlated with functional clinical tests (Melbourne Assessment 2); movement duration and complexity (Higuchi fractal dimension) showed moderate to strong negative correlations with clinical measures of amplitude, accuracy, and fluency. Inertial sensor measurements reliably identify paresis and correlate with clinical measurements; they can therefore provide a complementary dimension of assessment in clinical practice and during clinical trials aimed at improving upper limb function.

Some measurements of ambient air pollution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Memon, H.R.; Memon, A.A.; Behan, M.Y.

1999-01-01

Ambient air pollution arising from different sources in Karachi and its surroundings has been studied. The urban centres like Karachi are mostly confronted with eye-irritation, reduce visibility, heart-diseases, nervous disorder, smog and other unpleasant experiences. In this paper quantitative estimations of some air-pollutants such as sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, chlorine and particular matters are presented with their hazardous effects. The remedial measures for the control of major air emissions are also discussed. (author)

Hazard Assessment of Chemical Air Contaminants Measured in Residences

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Logue, J.M.; McKone, T.E.; Sherman, M. H.; Singer, B.C.

2010-05-10

Identifying air pollutants that pose a potential hazard indoors can facilitate exposure mitigation. In this study, we compiled summary results from 77 published studies reporting measurements of chemical pollutants in residences in the United States and in countries with similar lifestyles. These data were used to calculate representative mid-range and upper bound concentrations relevant to chronic exposures for 267 pollutants and representative peak concentrations relevant to acute exposures for 5 activity-associated pollutants. Representative concentrations are compared to available chronic and acute health standards for 97 pollutants. Fifteen pollutants appear to exceed chronic health standards in a large fraction of homes. Nine other pollutants are identified as potential chronic health hazards in a substantial minority of homes and an additional nine are identified as potential hazards in a very small percentage of homes. Nine pollutants are identified as priority hazards based on the robustness of measured concentration data and the fraction of residences that appear to be impacted: acetaldehyde; acrolein; benzene; 1,3-butadiene; 1,4-dichlorobenzene; formaldehyde; naphthalene; nitrogen dioxide; and PM{sub 2.5}. Activity-based emissions are shown to pose potential acute health hazards for PM{sub 2.5}, formaldehyde, CO, chloroform, and NO{sub 2}.

Measuring Air Force Contracting Customer Satisfaction

Science.gov (United States)

2015-12-01

NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA MBA PROFESSIONAL REPORT MEASURING AIR FORCE CONTRACTING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION ...... satisfaction elements should be included in a standardized tool that measures the level of customer satisfaction for AF Contracting’s external and

Association between air pollution and general outpatient clinic consultations for upper respiratory tract infections in Hong Kong.

Science.gov (United States)

Tam, Wilson W S; Wong, Tze Wai; Ng, Lorna; Wong, Samuel Y S; Kung, Kenny K L; Wong, Andromeda H S

2014-01-01

Many studies have shown the adverse effects of air pollution on respiratory health, but few have examined the effects of air pollution on service utilisation in the primary care setting. The aim of this study was to examine the association between air pollution and the daily number of consultations due to upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) in general outpatient clinics (GOPCs) in Hong Kong. Daily data on the numbers of consultations due to URTIs in GOPCs, the concentrations of major air pollutants, and the mean values of metrological variables were retrospectively collected over a 3-year period (2008-2010, inclusive). Generalised additive models were constructed to examine the association between air pollution and the daily number of consultations, and to derive the relative risks and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of GOPC consultations for a unit increase in the concentrations of air pollutants. The mean daily consultations due to URTIs in GOPCs ranged from 68.4 to 253.0 over the study period. The summary relative risks (and 95% CI) of daily consultations in all GOPCs for the air pollutants PM10, NO2, O3, and SO2 were 1.005 (1.002, 1.009), 1.010 (1.006, 1.013), 1.009 (1.006, 1.012), and 1.004 (1.000, 1.008) respectively, per 10 µg/m(3) increase in the concentration of each pollutant. Significant associations were found between the daily number of consultations due to URTIs in GOPCs and the concentrations of air pollutants, implying that air pollution incurs a substantial morbidity and increases the burden of primary health care services.

Upper arm circumference measurement for detecting overweight and obesity in children aged 6-7 years

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dewi Rosariah Ayu

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Background Obesity is a worldwide problem and is associated with increased risk of metabolic syndrome. Nutritional status in children has traditionally been determined by body mass index (BMI scores, but with limitations. Upper arm circumference measurement may be a better predictor of energy, protein, and fat storage, as well as a simpler method for screening overweight and obesity in children. Objective To determine the diagnostic value of upper arm circumference compared to BMI for detecting overweight and obesity in children aged 6-7 years. Methods This diagnostic study with a cross-sectional design was performed from September to October 2015 at 16 primary schools in Palembang, Indonesia. We measured the heights, weights, and upper arm circumferences, and calculated BMIs of 2,258 children. Receiver-operator characteristic (ROC curve analysis was used to find an optimal upper arm circumference cut-off point to detect overweight and obesity. Diagnostic value was calculated by using a 2x2 table analysis. Results The prevalences of overweight and obesity were 5.8% and 11.7%, respectively. The optimal upper arm circumference cut-off points for detecting overweight in children aged 6-7 years was 185 mm (sensitivity 88.1% and specificity 78.3%, and for obesity was 195 mm (sensitivity 90.15% and specificity 86.65%. Upper arm circumference had a strong correlation with BMI. Conclusion Upper arm circumference measurement is an accurate method fordistinguishing between normoweight, overweight, and obesity in children aged 6-7 years.

Measure Guideline: Guide to Attic Air Sealing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lstiburek, J.

2014-09-01

The Guide to Attic Air Sealing was completed in 2010 and although not in the standard Measure Guideline format, is intended to be a Measure Guideline on Attic Air Sealing. The guide was reviewed during two industry stakeholders meetings held on December 18th, 2009 and January 15th, 2010, and modified based on the comments received. Please do not make comments on the Building America format of this document. The purpose of the Guide to Attic Air Sealing is to provide information and recommendations for the preparation work necessary prior to adding attic insulation. Even though the purpose of this guide is to save energy - health, safety and durability should not be compromised by energy efficiency. Accordingly, combustion safety and ventilation for indoor air quality are addressed first. Durability and attic ventilation then follow. Finally, to maximize energy savings, air sealing is completed prior to insulating. The guide is intended for home remodelers, builders, insulation contractors, mechanical contractors, general contractors who have previously done remodeling and homeowners as a guide to the work that needs to be done.

Designing instrumented walker to measure upper-extremity's efforts: A case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Khodadadi, Mohammad; Baniasad, Mina Arab; Arazpour, Mokhtar; Farahmand, Farzam; Zohoor, Hassan

2018-02-26

The high prevalence of shoulder pain in using walkers in patients who have spinal cord injury (SCI). Also, the limited options available to economically measure grip forces in walkers, which drove the need to create one. This article describes a method to obtain upper-extremities' forces and moments in a person with SCI by designing an appropriate instrumented walker. First, since the commercial multidirectional loadcells are too expensive, custom loadcells are fabricated. Ultimately, a complete gait analysis by means of VICON motion analysis and using inverse dynamic method has been held to measure upper-extremities' efforts. The results for a person with SCI using a two-wheel walker in low and high heights and a basic walker show that there are higher shoulder and elbow flexion-extension moments and also higher shoulder forces in superior-inferior direction and higher elbow and wrist forces in anterior-posterior directions. The results are not much different in using two different types of walker. By using the proposed method, upper-extremities' forces and moments were obtained and the results were compared to each other in using two different walkers.

Measurement of oxygen transfer from air into organic solvents

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ramesh, Hemalata; Mayr, Torsten; Hobisch, Mathias

2016-01-01

biological reactions require the supply of oxygen, most normally from air. However, reliable on-line measurements of oxygen concentration in organic solvents (and hence oxygen transfer rates from air to the solvent) has to date proven impossible due limitations in the current analytical methods. Results...... applications). Subsequently, we measured the oxygen transfer rates from air into these organic solvents. Conclusion The measurement of oxygen transfer rates from air into organic solvents using the dynamic method was established using the solvent resistant optical sensor. The feasibility of online oxygen...... For the first time, we demonstrate on-line oxygen measurements in non-aqueous media using a novel optical sensor. The sensor was used to measure oxygen concentration in various organic solvents including toluene, THF, isooctane, DMF, heptane and hexane (which have all been shown suitable for several biological...

40 CFR 86.313-79 - Air flow measurement specifications; diesel engines.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 18 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Air flow measurement specifications... Procedures § 86.313-79 Air flow measurement specifications; diesel engines. (a) The air flow measurement... (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) CONTROL OF EMISSIONS FROM NEW AND IN-USE HIGHWAY VEHICLES AND ENGINES...

The Aeroflex: A Bicycle for Mobile Air Quality Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Elen, Bart; Peters, Jan; Van Poppel, Martine; Bleux, Nico; Theunis, Jan; Reggente, Matteo; Standaert, Arnout

2013-01-01

Fixed air quality stations have limitations when used to assess people's real life exposure to air pollutants. Their spatial coverage is too limited to capture the spatial variability in, e.g., an urban or industrial environment. Complementary mobile air quality measurements can be used as an additional tool to fill this void. In this publication we present the Aeroflex, a bicycle for mobile air quality monitoring. The Aeroflex is equipped with compact air quality measurement devices to monitor ultrafine particle number counts, particulate mass and black carbon concentrations at a high resolution (up to 1 second). Each measurement is automatically linked to its geographical location and time of acquisition using GPS and Internet time. Furthermore, the Aeroflex is equipped with automated data transmission, data pre-processing and data visualization. The Aeroflex is designed with adaptability, reliability and user friendliness in mind. Over the past years, the Aeroflex has been successfully used for high resolution air quality mapping, exposure assessment and hot spot identification. PMID:23262484

Experimental verification of air flow rate measurement for representative isokinetic air sampling in ventilation stacks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okruhlica, P.; Mrtvy, M.; Kopecky, Z.

2009-01-01

Nuclear facilities are obliged to monitor their discharge's influence on environment. Main monitored factions in NPP's ventilation stacks are usually noble gasses, particulates and iodine. These factions are monitored in air sampled from ventilation stack by means of sampling rosette and bypass followed with on-line measuring monitors and balance sampling devices with laboratory evaluations. Correct air flow rate measurement and representative iso-kinetic air sampling system is essential for physical correct and metrological accurate evaluation of discharge influence on environment. Pairs of measuring sensors (Anemometer, pressure gauge, thermometer and humidity meter) are symmetrically placed in horizontal projection of stack on positions based on measured air flow velocity distribution characteristic, Analogically diameter of sampling rosette nozzles and their placement in the middle of 6 - 7 annuluses are calculated for assurance of representative iso-kinetic sampling. (authors)

Experimental verification of air flow rate measurement for representative isokinetic air sampling in ventilation stacks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okruhlica, P.; Mrtvy, M.; Kopecky, Z.

2008-01-01

Nuclear facilities are obliged to monitor their discharge's influence on environment. Main monitored factions in NPP's ventilation stacks are usually noble gasses, particulates and iodine. These factions are monitored in air sampled from ventilation stack by means of sampling rosette and bypass followed with on-line measuring monitors and balance sampling devices with laboratory evaluations. Correct air flow rate measurement and representative iso-kinetic air sampling system is essential for physical correct and metrological accurate evaluation of discharge influence on environment. Pairs of measuring sensors (Anemometer, pressure gauge, thermometer and humidity meter) are symmetrically placed in horizontal projection of stack on positions based on measured air flow velocity distribution characteristic, Analogically diameter of sampling rosette nozzles and their placement in the middle of 6- 7 annuluses are calculated for assurance of representative iso-kinetic sampling. (authors)

Air encapsulation. I. Measurement in a field soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fayer, M.J.; Hillel, D.

1986-01-01

Encapsulated air is an important component of shallow water table fluctuations. Their objective was to measure the quantity and persistence of encapsulated air in a field setting. Using sprinkling rates of either 3.5 x 10 -6 or 3.8 x 10 -5 m s -1 , they brought the water table in a field soil from a depth of 1.5 m to the surface on several occasions. Moisture contents during and after sprinkling were monitored with a neutron probe. Twice following sprinkling, the water table was maintained at the surface for more than 20 d, during which time they continued to monitor moisture contents. With the water table at the surface, differences between the porosity and the measured moisture content were attributed to encapsulated air. Encapsulated air contents ranged from 1.1 to 6.3% of the bulk soil volume, depending on the rate of sprinkling, soil depth, and initial soil moisture content. During ponding, encapsulated air persisted at the 0.3-m depth for up to 28 d. The results indicate that encapsulated air is measurable in a field situation and that its quantity and persistence should be considered in analyzing the results of similar field experiments. 16 references

The Origins of Air Parcels Uplifted in a Two Dimensional Gravity Wave in the Tropical Upper Troposphere During the NASA Stratosphere Troposphere Exchange Project (STEP)

Science.gov (United States)

Selkirk, Henry B.; Pfister, Leonhard; Chan, K. Roland; Kritz, Mark; Kelly, Ken

1989-01-01

During January and February 1987, as part of the Stratosphere-Troposphere Exchange Project, the NASA ER-2 made 11 flights from Darwin, Australia to investigate dehydration mechanisms in the vicinity of the tropical tropopause. After the monsoon onset in the second week of January, steady easterly flow of 15-25 ms (exp -1) was established in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere over northern Australia and adjacent seas. Penetrating into this regime were elements of the monsoon convection such as overshooting convective turrets and extensive anvils including cyclone cloud shields. In cases of the latter, the resulting flow obstructions tended to produce mesoscale gravity waves. In several instances the ER- 2 meteorological and trace constituent measurements provide a detailed description of the structure of these gravity waves. Among these was STEP Flight 6, 22-23 January. It is of particular interest to STEP because of the close proximity of ice-laden and dehydrated air on the same isentropic surfaces. Convective events inject large amounts of ice into the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere which may not be completely removed by local precipitation processes. In the present instance, a gravity wave for removed from the source region appears to induce relativity rapid upward motion in the ice-laden air and subsequent dessication. Potential mechanisms for such a localized removal process are under investigation.

Femtosecond frequency comb based distance measurement in air.

Science.gov (United States)

Balling, Petr; Kren, Petr; Masika, Pavel; van den Berg, S A

2009-05-25

Interferometric measurement of distance using a femtosecond frequency comb is demonstrated and compared with a counting interferometer displacement measurement. A numerical model of pulse propagation in air is developed and the results are compared with experimental data for short distances. The relative agreement for distance measurement in known laboratory conditions is better than 10(-7). According to the model, similar precision seems feasible even for long-distance measurement in air if conditions are sufficiently known. It is demonstrated that the relative width of the interferogram envelope even decreases with the measured length, and a fringe contrast higher than 90% could be obtained for kilometer distances in air, if optimal spectral width for that length and wavelength is used. The possibility of comb radiation delivery to the interferometer by an optical fiber is shown by model and experiment, which is important from a practical point of view.

Measurement of Air Pollutants in the Troposphere

Science.gov (United States)

Clemitshaw, Kevin C.

2011-01-01

This article describes the principles, applications and performances of methods to measure gas-phase air pollutants that either utilise passive or active sampling with subsequent laboratory analysis or involve automated "in situ" sampling and analysis. It focuses on air pollutants that have adverse impacts on human health (nitrogen…

Integration of the effects of air quality measures in the SOLVE mix of measures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hesselmans, T.; Heijnis, F.

2008-01-01

SOLVE is the Dutch abbreviation for fast solutions for air and traffic and is a website by means of which provinces and municipalities in the Netherlands can gain insight into the best measures for traffic to improve the quality of the ambient air. Since halfway June 2008, the effects on air quality of approximately 35 traffic measures were included in the SOLVE mix of measures. The effects of traffic measures on emissions of particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide have been calculated. The effects are expressed in a decrease of the contribution of traffic indicated in a scale from A (very large decrease) to E (no decrease). The outcome depends on the location where the measure is implemented. [mk] [nl

Real-Time Aerodynamic Parameter Estimation without Air Flow Angle Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Morelli, Eugene A.

2010-01-01

A technique for estimating aerodynamic parameters in real time from flight data without air flow angle measurements is described and demonstrated. The method is applied to simulated F-16 data, and to flight data from a subscale jet transport aircraft. Modeling results obtained with the new approach using flight data without air flow angle measurements were compared to modeling results computed conventionally using flight data that included air flow angle measurements. Comparisons demonstrated that the new technique can provide accurate aerodynamic modeling results without air flow angle measurements, which are often difficult and expensive to obtain. Implications for efficient flight testing and flight safety are discussed.

Applications of air ion measurement in environmental diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tammet, H.

1996-01-01

The present paper is dealing with the methods employing the measuring of naturally created air ions. The amount and mobility distribution of these ions offer hidden information about air pollution. On the other hand, the natural air ions are active in some environmental processes and they should be considered as an immediate environmental factor

Alpha radioactivity measurement technology with ionized air type measurement. Applicability evaluation to verification of the clearance level

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mita, Yutaka; Matsumura, Toshihiro; Yokoyama, Kaoru; Sugitsue, Noritake

2008-10-01

The purpose of this test is to evaluate the applicability of the clearance level measuring system by Ionized Air Type Measurement after decontaminated by sulfuric acid sample. In Ningyo-toge Environmental Engineering Center. The equipment and radioactive waste which were contaminated with uranium are generated so much in future dismantling stage. In our plan, some of equipments and radioactive waste are contaminated to a clearance level, and cut down on decommission and disposal expense. This plan needs the alpha-rays measurement technology of the very low level. We think that ionized Air transfer measurement technology is promising as of clearance verification technology. The ionized Air transfer measurement technology applied to the Ionized Air Type Measurement can measure plan radioactivity of a very low level. Moreover, as compared with a direct survey, there is the merit which can be measured in a short time. However ionized Air transfer measurement technology is new technology. Therefore, there is almost no measurement track record. Furthermore, the date about the influence of a background, a detection limit, measurement performance, and reliability is insufficient. So, this measurement test estimated applicability as clearance level verification of an Ionized Air Type Measurement. (author)

Air Monitoring, Measuring, and Emissions Research

Science.gov (United States)

Measurement research is advancing the ability to determine the composition of sources of air pollution, conduct exposure assessments, improve monitoring capabilities and support public health research.

A Laser-Induced Fluorescence Instrument for Aircraft Measurements of Sulfur Dioxide in the Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Rollins, Andrew W.; Thornberry, Troy D.; Ciciora, Steven J.; McLaughlin, Richard J.; Watts, Laurel A.; Hanisco, Thomas F.; Baumann, Esther; Giorgetta, Fabrizio R.; Bui, Thaopaul V.; Fahey, David W.

2016-01-01

This work describes the development and testing of a new instrument for in situ measurements of sulfur dioxide (SO2) on airborne platforms in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS). The instrument is based on the laser-induced fluorescence technique and uses the fifth harmonic of a tunable fiber-amplified semiconductor diode laser system at 1084.5 nm to excite SO2 at 216.9 nm. Sensitivity and background checks are achieved in flight by additions of SO2 calibration gas and zero air, respectively. Aircraft demonstration was performed during the NASA Volcano Plume Investigation Readiness and Gas-Phase and Aerosol Sulfur (VIRGAS) experiment, which was a series of flights using the NASA WB-57F during October 2015 based at Ellington Field and Harlingen, Texas. During these flights, the instrument successfully measured SO2 in the UTLS at background (non-volcanic) conditions with a precision of 2 ppt at 10 s and an overall uncertainty determined primarily by instrument drifts of +/- (16% + 0.9 ppt).

Laboratory Evaluation of Air Flow Measurement Methods for Residential HVAC Returns

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walker, Iain; Stratton, Chris

2015-07-01

This project improved the accuracy of air flow measurements used in commissioning California heating and air conditioning systems in Title 24 (Building and Appliance Efficiency Standards), thereby improving system performance and efficiency of California residences. The research team at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory addressed the issue that typical tools used by contractors in the field to test air flows may not be accurate enough to measure return flows used in Title 24 applications. The team developed guidance on performance of current diagnostics as well as a draft test method for use in future evaluations. The series of tests performed measured air flow using a range of techniques and devices. The measured air flows were compared to reference air flow measurements using inline air flow meters built into the test apparatus. The experimental results showed that some devices had reasonable results (typical errors of 5 percent or less) but others had much bigger errors (up to 25 percent).

Development of an Upper Extremity Function Measurement Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Ickpyo; Simpson, Annie N; Li, Chih-Ying; Velozo, Craig A

This study demonstrated the development of a measurement model for gross upper-extremity function (GUE). The dependent variable was the Rasch calibration of the 27 ICF-GUE test items. The predictors were object weight, lifting distance from floor, carrying, and lifting. Multiple regression was used to investigate the contribution that each independent variable makes to the model with 203 outpatients. Object weight and lifting distance were the only statistically and clinically significant independent variables in the model, accounting for 83% of the variance (p model indicates that, with each one pound increase in object weight, item challenge increases by 0.16 (p measurement model for the ICF-GUE can be explained by object weight and distance lifted from the floor.

Estimation of uncertainty in tracer gas measurement of air change rates.

Science.gov (United States)

Iizuka, Atsushi; Okuizumi, Yumiko; Yanagisawa, Yukio

2010-12-01

Simple and economical measurement of air change rates can be achieved with a passive-type tracer gas doser and sampler. However, this is made more complex by the fact many buildings are not a single fully mixed zone. This means many measurements are required to obtain information on ventilation conditions. In this study, we evaluated the uncertainty of tracer gas measurement of air change rate in n completely mixed zones. A single measurement with one tracer gas could be used to simply estimate the air change rate when n = 2. Accurate air change rates could not be obtained for n ≥ 2 due to a lack of information. However, the proposed method can be used to estimate an air change rate with an accuracy of air change rate can be avoided. The proposed estimation method will be useful in practical ventilation measurements.

Radon in indoor air. Health risk, measurement methods and remedial measures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strand, T.

1996-02-01

Radon in indoor air is the main source of ionizing radiation in Norway. The booklet contains a presentation of radon sources, measurement methods, indoor radon concentrations, action levels, health risk and remedial measures

Traceable measurements of the activity concentration in air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paul, Annette; Honig, Anja; Forkel-Wirth, Doris; Mueller, Andre; Marcos, Alicia

2002-01-01

The nuclear reactions induced by high energetic protons in heavy targets such as UC 2 and ThC cause a particular, complex radiation protection task at facilities like ISOLDE: the measurement of a mixture of different isotopes of the radioactive noble gas radon and the radon progenies in air. The knowledge of their respective activity concentration is fundamental for exposure assessments. Due to the complex mixture of activity concentrations in air, its precise determination is quite difficult. Therefore, a new procedure for taking reference samples was developed and implemented for the traceable measurement of the activity concentration of radioactive ions (e.g., radon progenies) in air. This technique is combined by measuring α-particles with a multi-wire ionization chamber for the parallel on-line determination of the activity concentration of different radon isotopes

Measurement Methods to Determine Air Leakage Between Adjacent Zones

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hult, Erin L. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Dickerhoff, Darryl J. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Price, Phillip N. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2012-09-01

Air leakage between adjacent zones of a building can lead to indoor air quality and energy efficiency concerns, however there is no existing standard for measuring inter-zonal leakage. In this study, synthesized data and field measurements are analyzed in order to explore the uncertainty associated with different methods for collecting and analyzing fan pressurization measurements to calculate interzone leakage.

Ozone sonde cell current measurements and implications for observations of near-zero ozone concentrations in the tropical upper troposphere

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Vömel

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Laboratory measurements of the Electrochemical Concentration Cell (ECC ozone sonde cell current using ozone free air as well as defined amounts of ozone reveal that background current measurements during sonde preparation are neither constant as a function of time, nor constant as a function of ozone concentration. Using a background current, measured at a defined timed after exposure to high ozone may often overestimate the real background, leading to artificially low ozone concentrations in the upper tropical troposphere, and may frequently lead to operator dependent uncertainties. Based on these laboratory measurements an improved cell current to partial pressure conversion is proposed, which removes operator dependent variability in the background reading and possible artifacts in this measurement. Data from the Central Equatorial Pacific Experiment (CEPEX have been reprocessed using the improved background treatment based on these laboratory measurements. In the reprocessed data set near-zero ozone events no longer occur. At Samoa, Fiji, Tahiti, and San Cristóbal, nearly all near-zero ozone concentrations occur in soundings with larger background currents. To a large extent, these events are no longer observed in the reprocessed data set using the improved background treatment.

Measurements of Terminal Velocities of Cirrus Clouds in the Upper Trosphere

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nee Jan Bai

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Cirrus clouds are composed of ice crystals condensed from humidity due to low temperature condition in the upper atmosphere. The microphysics of cirrus clouds including sizes and shapes of ice particles are not well understood but are important in climate modeling. Ice crystal will fall under gravitational sedimentation to reach terminal velocities which depend on the size, mass, and ice habit. We studied here the terminal velocity of cirrus clouds by using lidar observations at Chungli (25N, 121E. The terminal velocities for a few cases of stable cirrus clouds are measured to determine the ice particle sizes and processes in the upper atmosphere.

Measuring centimeter-resolution air temperature profiles above land and water using fiber-optic Distributed Temperature Sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Sigmund, Armin; Pfister, Lena; Olesch, Johannes; Thomas, Christoph K.

2016-04-01

The precise determination of near-surface air temperature profiles is of special importance for the characterization of airflows (e.g. cold air) and the quantification of sensible heat fluxes according to the flux-gradient similarity approach. In contrast to conventional multi-sensor techniques, measuring temperature profiles using fiber-optic Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) provides thousands of measurements referenced to a single calibration standard at much reduced costs. The aim of this work was to enhance the vertical resolution of Raman scatter DTS measurements up to the centimeter-scale using a novel approach for atmospheric applications: the optical fiber was helically coiled around a meshed fabric. In addition to testing the new fiber geometry, we quantified the measurement uncertainty and demonstrated the benefits of the enhanced-resolution profiles. The fiber-optic cable was coiled around a hollow column consisting of white reinforcing fabric supported by plexiglass rings every meter. Data from two columns of this type were collected for 47 days to measure air temperature vertically over 3.0 and 5.1 m over a gently inclined meadow and over and in a small lake, respectively. Both profiles had a vertical resolution of 1 cm in the lower section near the surface and 5 cm in the upper section with an along-fiber instrument-specific averaging of 1.0 m and a temporal resolution of 30 s. Measurement uncertainties, especially from conduction between reinforcing fabric and fiber-optic cable, were estimated by modeling the fiber temperature via a detailed energy balance approach. Air temperature, wind velocity and radiation components were needed as input data and measured separately. The temperature profiles revealed valuable details, especially in the lowest 1 m above surface. This was best demonstrated for nighttime observations when artefacts due to solar heating did not occur. For example, the dynamics of a cold air layer was detected in a clear night

An Air Bearing Rotating Coil Magnetic Measurement System

CERN Document Server

Gottschalk, Stephen C; Taylor, David J; Thayer, William

2005-01-01

This paper describes a rotating coil magnetic measurement system supported on air bearings. The design is optimized for measurements of 0.1micron magnetic centerline changes on long, small aperture quadrupoles. Graphite impregnated epoxy resin is used for the coil holder and coil winding forms. Coil holder diameter is 11 mm with a length between supports of 750mm. A pair of coils is used to permit quadrupole bucking during centerline measurements. Coil length is 616mm, inner radius 1.82mm, outer radius 4.74mm. The key features of the mechanical system are simplicity; air bearings for accurate, repeatable measurements without needing warm up time and a vibration isolated stand that uses a steel-topped Newport optical table with air suspension. Coil rotation is achieved by a low noise servo motor controlled by a standalone Ethernet servo board running custom servo software. Coil calibration procedures that correct wire placement errors, tests for mechanical resonances, and other system checks will also be discu...

LABORATORY EVALUATION OF AIR FLOW MEASUREMENT METHODS FOR RESIDENTIAL HVAC RETURNS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walker, Iain; Stratton, Chris

2015-02-01

This project improved the accuracy of air flow measurements used in commissioning California heating and air conditioning systems in Title 24 (Building and Appliance Efficiency Standards), thereby improving system performance and efficiency of California residences. The research team at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory addressed the issue that typical tools used by contractors in the field to test air flows may not be accurate enough to measure return flows used in Title 24 applications. The team developed guidance on performance of current diagnostics as well as a draft test method for use in future evaluations. The series of tests performed measured air flow using a range of techniques and devices. The measured air flows were compared to reference air flow measurements using inline air flow meters built into the test apparatus. The experimental results showed that some devices had reasonable results (typical errors of 5 percent or less) but others had much bigger errors (up to 25 percent). Because manufacturers’ accuracy estimates for their equipment do not include many of the sources of error found in actual field measurements (and replicated in the laboratory testing in this study) it is essential for a test method that could be used to determine the actual uncertainty in this specific application. The study team prepared a draft test method through ASTM International to determine the uncertainty of air flow measurements at residential heating ventilation and air conditioning returns and other terminals. This test method, when finalized, can be used by the Energy Commission and other entities to specify required accuracy of measurement devices used to show compliance with standards.

Traceable measurements of the activity concentration in air

CERN Document Server

Paul, A; Forkel-Wirth, Doris; Müller, A; Marcos, A

2002-01-01

The nuclear reactions induced by high energetic protons in heavy targets such as UC/sub 2/ and ThC cause a particular, complex radiation protection task at facilities like ISOLDE: the measurement of a mixture of different isotopes of the radioactive noble gas radon and the radon progenies in air. The knowledge of their respective activity concentration is fundamental for exposure assessments. Due to the complex mixture of activity concentrations in air, its precise determination is quite difficult. Therefore, a new procedure for taking reference samples was developed and implemented for the traceable measurement of the activity concentration of radioactive ions (e.g., radon progenies) in air. This technique is combined by measuring alpha -particles with a multi-wire ionization chamber for the parallel on-line determination of the activity concentration of different radon isotopes. (10 refs).

Confounding and exposure measurement error in air pollution epidemiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Sheppard, Lianne; Burnett, Richard T; Szpiro, Adam A; Kim, Sun-Young; Jerrett, Michael; Pope, C Arden; Brunekreef, Bert

2012-06-01

Studies in air pollution epidemiology may suffer from some specific forms of confounding and exposure measurement error. This contribution discusses these, mostly in the framework of cohort studies. Evaluation of potential confounding is critical in studies of the health effects of air pollution. The association between long-term exposure to ambient air pollution and mortality has been investigated using cohort studies in which subjects are followed over time with respect to their vital status. In such studies, control for individual-level confounders such as smoking is important, as is control for area-level confounders such as neighborhood socio-economic status. In addition, there may be spatial dependencies in the survival data that need to be addressed. These issues are illustrated using the American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention II cohort. Exposure measurement error is a challenge in epidemiology because inference about health effects can be incorrect when the measured or predicted exposure used in the analysis is different from the underlying true exposure. Air pollution epidemiology rarely if ever uses personal measurements of exposure for reasons of cost and feasibility. Exposure measurement error in air pollution epidemiology comes in various dominant forms, which are different for time-series and cohort studies. The challenges are reviewed and a number of suggested solutions are discussed for both study domains.

Factors controlling upper tropospheric relative humidity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Kärcher

2004-03-01

Full Text Available Factors controlling the distribution of relative humidity in the absence of clouds are examined, with special emphasis on relative humidity over ice (RHI under upper tropospheric and lower stratospheric conditions. Variations of temperature are the key determinant for the distribution of RHI, followed by variations of the water vapor mixing ratio. Multiple humidity modes, generated by mixing of different air masses, may contribute to the overall distribution of RHI, in particular below ice saturation. The fraction of air that is supersaturated with respect to ice is mainly determined by the distribution of temperature. The nucleation of ice in cirrus clouds determines the highest relative humdity that can be measured outside of cirrus clouds. While vertical air motion and ice microphysics determine the slope of the distributions of RHI, as shown in a separate study companion (Haag et al., 2003, clouds are not required to explain the main features of the distributions of RHI below the ice nucleation threshold. Key words. Atmospheric composition and structure (pressure, density and temperature; troposphere – composition and chemistry; general or miscellaneous

Factors controlling upper tropospheric relative humidity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Kärcher

2004-03-01

Full Text Available Factors controlling the distribution of relative humidity in the absence of clouds are examined, with special emphasis on relative humidity over ice (RHI under upper tropospheric and lower stratospheric conditions. Variations of temperature are the key determinant for the distribution of RHI, followed by variations of the water vapor mixing ratio. Multiple humidity modes, generated by mixing of different air masses, may contribute to the overall distribution of RHI, in particular below ice saturation. The fraction of air that is supersaturated with respect to ice is mainly determined by the distribution of temperature. The nucleation of ice in cirrus clouds determines the highest relative humdity that can be measured outside of cirrus clouds. While vertical air motion and ice microphysics determine the slope of the distributions of RHI, as shown in a separate study companion (Haag et al., 2003, clouds are not required to explain the main features of the distributions of RHI below the ice nucleation threshold.

Key words. Atmospheric composition and structure (pressure, density and temperature; troposphere – composition and chemistry; general or miscellaneous

High-precision diode-laser-based temperature measurement for air refractive index compensation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hieta, Tuomas; Merimaa, Mikko; Vainio, Markku; Seppae, Jeremias; Lassila, Antti

2011-01-01

We present a laser-based system to measure the refractive index of air over a long path length. In optical distance measurements, it is essential to know the refractive index of air with high accuracy. Commonly, the refractive index of air is calculated from the properties of the ambient air using either Ciddor or Edlen equations, where the dominant uncertainty component is in most cases the air temperature. The method developed in this work utilizes direct absorption spectroscopy of oxygen to measure the average temperature of air and of water vapor to measure relative humidity. The method allows measurement of temperature and humidity over the same beam path as in optical distance measurement, providing spatially well-matching data. Indoor and outdoor measurements demonstrate the effectiveness of the method. In particular, we demonstrate an effective compensation of the refractive index of air in an interferometric length measurement at a time-variant and spatially nonhomogeneous temperature over a long time period. Further, we were able to demonstrate 7 mK RMS noise over a 67 m path length using a 120 s sample time. To our knowledge, this is the best temperature precision reported for a spectroscopic temperature measurement.

Implication of Broadband Dispersion Measurements in Constraining Upper Mantle Velocity Structures

Science.gov (United States)

Kuponiyi, A.; Kao, H.; Cassidy, J. F.; Darbyshire, F. A.; Dosso, S. E.; Gosselin, J. M.; Spence, G.

2017-12-01

Dispersion measurements from earthquake (EQ) data are traditionally inverted to obtain 1-D shear-wave velocity models, which provide information on deep earth structures. However, in many cases, EQ-derived dispersion measurements lack short-period information, which theoretically should provide details of shallow structures. We show that in at least some cases short-period information, such as can be obtained from ambient seismic noise (ASN) processing, must be combined with EQ dispersion measurements to properly constrain deeper (e.g. upper-mantle) structures. To verify this, synthetic dispersion data are generated using hypothetical velocity models under four scenarios: EQ only (with and without deep low-velocity layers) and combined EQ and ASN data (with and without deep low-velocity layers). The now "broadband" dispersion data are inverted using a trans-dimensional Bayesian framework with the aim of recovering the initial velocity models and assessing uncertainties. Our results show that the deep low-velocity layer could only be recovered from the inversion of the combined ASN-EQ dispersion measurements. Given this result, we proceed to describe a method for obtaining reliable broadband dispersion measurements from both ASN and EQ and show examples for real data. The implication of this study in the characterization of lithospheric and upper mantle structures, such as the Lithosphere-Asthenosphere Boundary (LAB), is also discussed.

The effect of a photocatalytic air purifier on indoor air quality quantified using different measuring methods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kolarik, Barbara; Wargocki, Pawel; Skorek-Osikowska, A.

2010-01-01

The effect on indoor air quality of an air purifier based on photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) was determined by different measuring techniques: sensory assessments of air quality made by human subjects, Proton-Transfer-Reaction Mass Spectrometry (PTR-MS) and chromatographic methods (Gas......, additional measurements were made with no pollution sources present in the office. All conditions were tested with the photocatalytic air purifier turned on and off. The results show that operation of the air purifier in the presence of pollutants emitted by building materials and furniture improves indoor...... Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry and High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography with UV detection). The experiment was conducted in a simulated office, ventilated with 0.6 h(-1), 2.5 h(-1) and 6 h(-1), in the presence of additional pollution sources (carpet, chipboard and linoleum). At the lowest air change rate...

Acoustic explorations of the upper ocean boundary layer

Science.gov (United States)

Vagle, Svein

2005-04-01

The upper ocean boundary layer is an important but difficult to probe part of the ocean. A better understanding of small scale processes at the air-sea interface, including the vertical transfer of gases, heat, mass and momentum, are crucial to improving our understanding of the coupling between atmosphere and ocean. Also, this part of the ocean contains a significant part of the total biomass at all trophic levels and is therefore of great interest to researchers in a range of different fields. Innovative measurement plays a critical role in developing our understanding of the processes involved in the boundary layer, and the availability of low-cost, compact, digital signal processors and sonar technology in self-contained and cabled configurations has led to a number of exciting developments. This talk summarizes some recent explorations of this dynamic boundary layer using both active and passive acoustics. The resonant behavior of upper ocean bubbles combined with single and multi-frequency broad band active and passive devices are now giving us invaluable information on air-sea gas transfer, estimation of biological production, marine mammal behavior, wind speed and precipitation, surface and internal waves, turbulence, and acoustic communication in the surf zone.

Measuring Outdoor Air Intake Rates into Existing Building

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fisk, William; Sullivan, Douglas; Cohen, Sebastian; Han, Hwataik

2009-04-16

Practical and accurate technologies are needed for continuously measuring and controlling outdoor air (OA) intake rates in commercial building heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. This project evaluated two new measurement approaches. Laboratory experiments determined that OA flow rates were measurable with errors generally less than 10 percent using electronic air velocity probes installed between OA intake louver blades or at the outlet face of louvers. High accuracy was maintained with OA flow rates as low as 15 percent of the maximum for the louvers. Thus, with this measurement approach HVAC systems do not need separate OA intakes for minimum OA supply. System calibration parameters are required for each unique combination of louver type and velocity sensor location but calibrations are not necessary for each system installation. The research also determined that the accuracy of measuring OA flow rates with velocity probes located in the duct downstream of the intake louver was not improved by installing honeycomb airflow straighteners upstream of the probes. Errors varied with type of upstream louver, were as high as 100 percent, and were often greater than 25 percent. In conclusion, use of electronic air velocity probes between the blades of OA intake louvers or at the outlet face of louvers is a highly promising means of accurately measuring rates of OA flow into HVAC systems. The use of electronic velocity probes downstream of airflow straighteners is less promising, at least with the relatively small OA HVAC inlet systems employed in this research.

Estimation of Uncertainty in Tracer Gas Measurement of Air Change Rates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Atsushi Iizuka

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Simple and economical measurement of air change rates can be achieved with a passive-type tracer gas doser and sampler. However, this is made more complex by the fact many buildings are not a single fully mixed zone. This means many measurements are required to obtain information on ventilation conditions. In this study, we evaluated the uncertainty of tracer gas measurement of air change rate in n completely mixed zones. A single measurement with one tracer gas could be used to simply estimate the air change rate when n = 2. Accurate air change rates could not be obtained for n ≥ 2 due to a lack of information. However, the proposed method can be used to estimate an air change rate with an accuracy of

Measure Guideline. Air Sealing Attics in Multifamily Buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Otis, Casey [Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB), Norwalk, CT (United States); Maxwell, Sean [Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB), Norwalk, CT (United States)

2012-06-01

This Building America Measure Guideline is intended for owners, builders, contractors, homeowners, and other stakeholders in the multifamily building industry, and focuses on challenges found in existing buildings for a variety of housing types. It explains why air sealing is desirable, explores related health and safety issues, and identifies common air leakage points in multifamily building attics. In addition, it also gives an overview of materials and techniques typically used to perform air sealing work.

Direct measurement of homogeneously distributed radioactive air contamination with germanium detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sowa, W.

1990-01-01

Air contamination by γ emitting radionuclides was measured with a vertically arranged germanium detector, laterally shielded by a lead ring, and calibration factors and detection limits of a number of fission products determined. The possibility of measuring simultaneously existing air and soil contamination by measurements with and without lead shield is described. The change of detection limit of air contamination is presented for different soil contamination levels by the same radionuclide. Calibration factors are given to determine the dose rate on the ground due to air contamination by different radionuclides. (author)

High-precision diode-laser-based temperature measurement for air refractive index compensation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hieta, Tuomas; Merimaa, Mikko; Vainio, Markku; Seppä, Jeremias; Lassila, Antti

2011-11-01

We present a laser-based system to measure the refractive index of air over a long path length. In optical distance measurements, it is essential to know the refractive index of air with high accuracy. Commonly, the refractive index of air is calculated from the properties of the ambient air using either Ciddor or Edlén equations, where the dominant uncertainty component is in most cases the air temperature. The method developed in this work utilizes direct absorption spectroscopy of oxygen to measure the average temperature of air and of water vapor to measure relative humidity. The method allows measurement of temperature and humidity over the same beam path as in optical distance measurement, providing spatially well-matching data. Indoor and outdoor measurements demonstrate the effectiveness of the method. In particular, we demonstrate an effective compensation of the refractive index of air in an interferometric length measurement at a time-variant and spatially nonhomogeneous temperature over a long time period. Further, we were able to demonstrate 7 mK RMS noise over a 67 m path length using a 120 s sample time. To our knowledge, this is the best temperature precision reported for a spectroscopic temperature measurement. © 2011 Optical Society of America

1991 measurement report. Air pollution monitoring in Schleswig-Holstein

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

This article provides a report of the immission situation for 1991 in Schleswig-Holstein on the basis of the continuously processing measuring stations of the Air Hygienic Monitoring Schleswig-Holstein and the special measuring programs at selected sites. The measuring results of the Air Hygienic Monitoring determined for Schleswig-Holstein in 1991 can be summarized as follows: - The basic load of air by pollutants such as sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ), nitrogen monoxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) and airborne particles in relatively small in the entires region of the nation; Schleswig-Holstein is, therefore, continues to be ranked as one of the regions in the Federal Republic of Germany least burden to air contaminates. - A slight increase compared to the previous year could be determined for the components of sulphur dioxide and airborne particles. - The limit values defined by the European Community (EG) were adhered to at the time of the report; the admittance values for SO 2 and NO 2 were, however, exceeded. (orig./KW) [de

Measurement of radon daughters in air samples by alpha spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Acena, M.L.; Crespo, M.T.

1989-01-01

The concentration of radon progeny in air has been determined by alpha spectrometry measurement of polonium 214 and polonium 218. A known volume of air was passed through a filter, then the alpha activity was directly measured on this filter (Author)

Prototype Systems for Measuring Outdoor Air Intake Rates in Rooftop Air Handlers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fisk, William J. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Chan, Wanyu R. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Hotchi, Toshifumi [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2015-01-01

The widespread absence of systems for real-time measurement and feedback control, of minimum outdoor air intake rates in HVAC systems contributes to the poor control of ventilation rates in commercial buildings. Ventilation rates affect building energy consumption and influence occupant health. The project designed fabricated and tested four prototypes of systems for measuring rates of outdoor air intake into roof top air handlers. All prototypes met the ±20% accuracy target at low wind speeds, with all prototypes accurate within approximately ±10% after application of calibration equations. One prototype met the accuracy target without a calibration. With two of four prototype measurement systems, there was no evidence that wind speed or direction affected accuracy; however, winds speeds were generally below usually 3.5 m s^-1 (12.6 km h^-1) and further testing is desirable. The airflow resistance of the prototypes was generally less than 35 Pa at maximum RTU air flow rates. A pressure drop of this magnitude will increase fan energy consumption by approximately 4%. The project did not have resources necessary to estimate costs of mass produced systems. The retail cost of components and materials used to construct prototypes ranged from approximately $1,200 to $1,700. The test data indicate that the basic designs developed in this project, particularly the designs of two of the prototypes, have considerable merit. Further design refinement, testing, and cost analysis would be necessary to fully assess commercial potential. The designs and test results will be communicated to the HVAC manufacturing community.

Wind and Temperature Spectrometry of the Upper Atmosphere in Low-Earth Orbit

Science.gov (United States)

Herrero, Federico

2011-01-01

Wind and Temperature Spectrometry (WATS) is a new approach to measure the full wind vector, temperature, and relative densities of major neutral species in the Earth's thermosphere. The method uses an energy-angle spectrometer moving through the tenuous upper atmosphere to measure directly the angular and energy distributions of the air stream that enters the spectrometer. The angular distribution gives the direction of the total velocity of the air entering the spectrometer, and the energy distribution gives the magnitude of the total velocity. The wind velocity vector is uniquely determined since the measured total velocity depends on the wind vector and the orbiting velocity vector. The orbiting spectrometer moves supersonically, Mach 8 or greater, through the air and must point within a few degrees of its orbital velocity vector (the ram direction). Pointing knowledge is critical; for example, pointing errors 0.1 lead to errors of about 10 m/s in the wind. The WATS method may also be applied without modification to measure the ion-drift vector, ion temperature, and relative ion densities of major ionic species in the ionosphere. In such an application it may be called IDTS: Ion-Drift Temperature Spectrometry. A spectrometer-based coordinate system with one axis instantaneously pointing along the ram direction makes it possible to transform the Maxwellian velocity distribution of the air molecules to a Maxwellian energy-angle distribution for the molecular flux entering the spectrometer. This implementation of WATS is called the gas kinetic method (GKM) because it is applied to the case of the Maxwellian distribution. The WATS method follows from the recognition that in a supersonic platform moving at 8,000 m/s, the measurement of small wind velocities in the air on the order of a few 100 m/s and less requires precise knowledge of the angle of incidence of the neutral atoms and molecules. The same is true for the case of ion-drift measurements. WATS also

[Comparison of ability to humidification of inspired air through the nose and oral cavity using dew point hygrometer].

Science.gov (United States)

Paczesny, Daniel; Rapiejko, Piotr; Weremczuk, Jerzy; Jachowicz, Ryszard; Jurkiewicz, Dariusz

2007-01-01

Aim of this study was to check at the hospital the dew point hygrometer for fast measurement of air humidity in upper airways. The nose ability to humidification of inspired air and partially recover moisture from expired air was evaluated. Measurements from respiration through the nose and oral cavity were compared. The study was carried out in a group of 30 people (8 female and 22 male), age group 18 to 70 (mean age: 37 years old). In 22 of the participants there were no deviation from normal state in laryngologic examination, while in 4 participants nasal septum deviation without imaired nasal; oatency was found, in other 3--nasal vonchae hyperthrophy and in 1--nasal polips (grade I). The measurements of air humidity in upper air ways was done using specially designed and constructed measurement system. The air inspired through the nose and oral cavity is humidified. For typical external conditions (T = 22 degrees C i RH = 50%) the nose humidifies inspired air two times better then oral cavity (short time range of measurement approximately 1 min). Moisture from expired air through the nose is partially recovered (for patients with regular patency is 25% of the value of humidifying of inspired air). The oral cavity does not have ability to partially recovery moisture form expired air. The paper presented fast dew point hygrometer based on semiconductor microsystems for measurement humidity in inspired and expired air through the nose and oral cavity. Presented system can be a proper instrument for evaluation of nasal functions.

Impact of individually controlled facially applied air movement on perceived air quality at high humidity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Skwarczynski, M.A. [Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Institute of Environmental Protection Engineering, Department of Indoor Environment Engineering, Lublin University of Technology, Lublin (Poland); International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy, Department of Civil Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Copenhagen (Denmark); Melikov, A.K.; Lyubenova, V. [International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy, Department of Civil Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Copenhagen (Denmark); Kaczmarczyk, J. [Faculty of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Department of Heating, Ventilation and Dust Removal Technology, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice (Poland)

2010-10-15

The effect of facially applied air movement on perceived air quality (PAQ) at high humidity was studied. Thirty subjects (21 males and 9 females) participated in three, 3-h experiments performed in a climate chamber. The experimental conditions covered three combinations of relative humidity and local air velocity under a constant air temperature of 26 C, namely: 70% relative humidity without air movement, 30% relative humidity without air movement and 70% relative humidity with air movement under isothermal conditions. Personalized ventilation was used to supply room air from the front toward the upper part of the body (upper chest, head). The subjects could control the flow rate (velocity) of the supplied air in the vicinity of their bodies. The results indicate an airflow with elevated velocity applied to the face significantly improves the acceptability of the air quality at the room air temperature of 26 C and relative humidity of 70%. (author)

Concentration of Radon Progeny in Air by Alpha Spectrometry Measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Acena, M. L.; Crespo, M. T.

1989-01-01

The concentration of radon progeny in air has been determined by alpha spectrometry measurement of 214 Po and 318 Po. A known volume of air was passed through a filter, then the alpha activity was directly measured on this filter. (Author) 15 refs

Air quality measurements for site characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carter, M.W.; Conklin, W.C.

1982-01-01

Effective and timely site characterization is an important part of selecting a site for low-level waste disposal. Parameters measured can be compared with pertinent regulatory requirements, used for a reference base, helpful in evaluating environmental impacts, utilized in documenting changes in control programs, of value in modeling studies and other data uses, and beneficial in providing relevant sampling and methodology training. This paper will focus on specific air quality measurements which should be an inherent part of the site characterization program. The program is designed to measure, quantify, and identify contributions from site uses (operational procedures), atmospheric fallout, natural radioactivity, and vicinity and regional applications of radionuclides. The recommended air quality measurements program will be described in association with a reference site developd by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Particular attention will be devoted to the type and quality of information which is needed, the scope of sampling and measurements, the frequency of measurements, locations and numbers of sampling stations, the period of time needed for site characterization, and the proper uses of the information once it has been obtained. Adequate characterization of the site will be most important in final site selection and in the operation of the site as to periodically assessing environmental impacts and helping guide any remedial control efforts designed to meet regulatory requirements

Level of Agreement Between Forearm and Upper Arm Blood Pressure Measurements in Patients With Large Arm Circumference.

Science.gov (United States)

Watson, Sheri; Aguas, Marita; Colegrove, Pat; Foisy, Nancy; Jondahl, Bonnie; Anastas, Zoe

2017-02-01

The purpose of the study was to determine if forearm blood pressures (BPs) measured in three different locations agree with the recommended upper arm location for noninvasive BP measurement. A method-comparison design was used. In a convenience sample of postanesthesia care unit patients with large upper arm circumference, BP's were obtained in three different forearm locations (lower forearm, middle forearm, and upper forearm) and compared to upper arm BP using an automated BP measuring device. The level of agreement (bias ± precision) between each forearm location and the upper arm BP was calculated using standard formulas. Acceptable levels of agreement based on expert opinion were set a priori at bias and precision values of less than ±5 mm Hg (bias) and ±8 mm Hg (precision). Forty-eight postanesthesia patients participated in the study. Bias and precision values were found to exceed the acceptable level of agreement for all but one of the systolic and diastolic BP comparisons in the three forearm BP locations. Fifty-six percent of all patients studied had one or more BP difference of at least 10 mm Hg in each of the three forearm locations, with 10% having one or more differences of at least 20 mm Hg. The differences in forearm BP measurements observed in this study indicate that the clinical practice of using a forearm BP with a regular-sized BP cuff in place of a larger sized BP cuff placed on the upper arm in postanesthesia care unit patients with large arm circumferences is inappropriate. The BPs obtained at the forearm location are not equivalent to the BPs obtained at the upper arm location. Copyright © 2015 American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nasal congestion in relation to low air exchange rate in schools. Evaluation by acoustic rhinometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Wålinder, R; Norbäck, D; Wieslander, G; Smedje, G; Erwall, C

1997-09-01

Upper airway symptoms are common, but there is little information available on clinical findings in relation to indoor air pollution. This pilot study was conducted to test whether increased levels of indoor air pollutants in schools may correlate to a swelling of the nasal mucosa. The assumption was made that the degree of swelling could be related to the degree of decongestive effect of xylometazoline, and measured by acoustic rhinometry. The study was performed among 15 subjects in a school with low air exchange rate (0.6 air changes/h) and 12 subjects in a school with high air exchange rate (5.2 air changes/h). Hygienic measurements were performed in both schools. Acoustic rhinometry was performed for each individual under standardized forms. Cross-sectional areas and volumes of the nasal cavity were measured before and after decongestion with xylometazoline hydrochloride. Absolute values of the minimal cross-sectional area were lower in the school with poor ventilation. The decongestive effect of xylometazoline was significantly higher in the school with low air exchange, when correction for the influence of age was made. A diminished decongestive effect was seen with increasing age. The exposure measurements showed that indoor concentrations of volatile organic compounds, bacteria and moulds were higher in the school with low ventilation. In conclusion, raised levels of indoor air pollutants due to inadequate ventilation in schools may affect the upper airways and cause a swelling of the nasal mucosa, and acoustic rhinometry could be a useful objective method to measure human nasal reactions to the indoor environment.

Development of measure methods of radon in indoor air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yaginuma, L.T.; Pela, C.A.; Navas, E.A.; Ghilardi, A.J.P.

1992-01-01

The development of some conventional measuring methods, aiming obtain an estimation of radon concentration in air, mainly in indoor air is described, including the charcoal absorption collector, Lucas cell and thermoluminescent dosemeters. (C.G.C)

Investigation of intra-esophageal air kinetics and esophageal sphincters in patients with total laryngectomy during esophageal speech.

Science.gov (United States)

Bozan, Aykut; Vardar, Rukiye; Akyildiz, Serdar; Kirazli, Tayfun; Ogut, Fatih; Yildirim, Esra; Bor, Serhat

2015-08-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the air kinetics of well- and poor-speaking patients and their upper (UES) and lower (LES) esophageal sphincter pressures . The esophageal speech capability of 23 total laryngectomy patients was assessed with the Wepman scale. LES and UES points and pressures were measured, and air kinetics were compared. All patients were male, with an average age of 58 years. Both the LES and UES pressures were not statistically different between good-speaking and poor-speaking patients (p > 0.05). The ability to speak was estimated only by looking at tracings. Good speakers are able to retain air successfully and on a long-term basis between the upper and lower esophageal sphincters. During short and/or rapid speech, these patients are able to rapidly suck and then expel the air from their upper esophagus. During long speeches, after sucking the air into their distal esophagus, they used the air in the upper part of the esophagus during the speech, only later seeming to fill the lower esophagus with the air as a possible reserve in the stomach. It has been shown that the basic requirement for speaking is the capacity to suck and store the air within the esophagus. For successful speech, the air should be stored inside the esophagus. MII technology contributes to our understanding of speech kinetics and occupies an important place in patient training as a biofeedback technique.

Assessment of NOAA NUCAPS upper air temperature profiles using COSMIC GPS radio occultation and ARM radiosondes

Science.gov (United States)

Feltz, M. L.; Borg, L.; Knuteson, R. O.; Tobin, D.; Revercomb, H.; Gambacorta, A.

2017-09-01

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently began operational processing to derive vertical temperature profiles from two new sensors, Cross-Track Infrared Sounder and Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder, which were developed for the next generation of U.S. weather satellites. The NOAA-Unique Combined Atmospheric Processing System (NUCAPS) has been developed by NOAA to routinely process data from future Joint Polar Satellite System operational satellites and the preparatory Suomi-NPP satellite. This paper assesses the NUCAPS vertical temperature profile product from the upper troposphere into the middle stratosphere using radiosonde and GPS radio occultation (RO) data. Radiosonde data from the Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program are=] compared to both the NUCAPS and GPS RO temperature products to evaluate bias and RMS errors. At all three fixed ARM sites for time periods investigated the NUCAPS temperature in the 100-40 hPa range is found to have an average bias to the radiosondes of less than 0.45 K and an RMS error of less than 1 K when temperature averaging kernels are applied. At a 95% confidence level, the radiosondes and RO were found to agree within 0.4 K at the North Slope of Alaska site and within 0.83 K at Southern Great Plains and Tropical Western Pacific. The GPS RO-derived dry temperatures, obtained from the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (COSMIC) mission, are used as a common reference for the intercomparison of NUCAPS temperature products to similar products produced by NASA from Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) and by European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites from MetOp-B Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI). For seasonal and zonal scales, the NUCAPS agreement with AIRS and IASI is less than 0.5 K after application of averaging kernels.

A study of pipe flow rate measurement using air-coupled ultrasound

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsukada, Keisuke; Tsuzuki, Nobuyoshi; Kikura, Hiroshige

2013-01-01

A non-contact flow meter employing air-coupled ultrasound is developed in this research. Ultrasonic flow meter is applied to the higher accuracy flow rate measurement, compared with pressure difference flow meter. However, ultrasonic flow meter has difficulty to measure in severe conditions such as in the condition of high temperature, high pressure condition, and radioactive materials in fluid. Especially, in high temperature condition, piezoelectric device in ultrasonic sensors lose the piezoelectricity, and it becomes difficult to transmit or detect ultrasound. Thus, in this research, ultrasonic sensors are fixed in the air. Ultrasonic sensors transmit and detect ultrasound through air, and measure the flow rate in the pipe. However, most of ultrasound is refracted and reflected at the boundaries between air and the pipe. And detected signals are weak. To increase the signal level, we developed focusing ultrasonic sensors that was optimized for the pipe flow measurement. And employing these focusing sensors the flow rate measurement has been done in order to evaluate the air-coupled ultrasonic flow meter by the ultrasonic beam focusing technique. (author)

Measures of upper limb function for people with neck pain. A systematic review of measurement and practical properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Alreni, Ahmad Salah Eldin; Harrop, Deborah; Lowe, Anna; Tanzila Potia; Kilner, Karen; McLean, Sionnadh Mairi

2017-06-01

There is a strong relationship between neck pain (NP) and upper limb disability (ULD). Optimal management of NP should incorporate upper limb rehabilitation and therefore include the use of an ULD measure in the assessment and management process. Clear guidance regarding the suitability of available measures does not exist. The aim of this study was to identify all available measures of ULD for populations with NP, critically evaluate their measurement properties and finally recommend a list of suitable measures. This two-phase systematic review is reported in accordance with the PRISMA statement. Phase one identified clearly reproducible measures of ULD for patients with NP. Phase two identified evidence of their measurement properties. In total, 11 papers evaluating the measurement properties of five instruments were included in this review. The instruments identified were the DASH questionnaire, the QuickDASH questionnaire, the NULI questionnaire, the SFA and the SAMP test. There was limited positive evidence of validity of the DASH, QuickDASH, NULI, SFA and SAMP. There was limited positive evidence of reliability of the NULI, SFA and SAMP. There was unknown evidence of responsiveness of the DASH and QuickDASH. Although all measures are supported by a limited amount of low quality evidence, the DASH, QuickDASH, NULI questionnaires, and the SAMP test are promising measures, but they require further robust evaluation. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

New measurements and analysis of high-energy muons in cosmic ray extensive air showers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarkar, S.K.; Ghose, B.; Murkherjee, N.; Sanyal, S.; Chaudhuri, N.; Chhetri, R.; Basak, D.K.

1991-01-01

Cosmic ray air shower structure measurements and measurement of density and energy of air shower muons of a wide energy range simultaneously in individual air showers by two magnet spectrographs are presented. The measured muon densities have been used to compare with some of the previous measurements on muon densities in air showers of nearly the same size. The measured muon densities have also been applied for distinguishing between various interaction models and between light and heavier air shower primaries. In the air shower size range 10 4 -10 6 particles the present measurements do not provide evidence for iron primaries and the different interaction models seem not to be distinguishable by air shower observations. (Author)

Clear-air lidar dark band

Science.gov (United States)

Girolamo, Paolo Di; Scoccione, Andrea; Cacciani, Marco; Summa, Donato; Schween, Jan H.

2018-04-01

This paper illustrates measurements carried out by the Raman lidar BASIL in the frame of HOPE, revealing the presence of a clear-air dark band phenomenon (i.e. the appearance of a minimum in lidar backscatter echoes) in the upper portion of the convective boundary layer. The phenomenon is clearly distinguishable in the lidar backscatter echoes at 1064 nm. This phenomenon is attributed to the presence of lignite aerosol particles advected from the surrounding open pit mines in the vicinity of the measuring site.

30 CFR 75.320 - Air quality detectors and measurement devices.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Air quality detectors and measurement devices... COAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH MANDATORY SAFETY STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Ventilation § 75.320 Air quality detectors and measurement devices. (a) Tests for methane shall be made by a qualified person with...

Lower cost air measurement technology – what is on the ...

Science.gov (United States)

This presentation is to the MARAMA 2014 annual monitoring meeting and is an invited talk to provide an overview on lower cost air measurement technology. This presentation is to the MARAMA 2014 annual monitoring meeting and is an invited talk to provide an overview on lower cost air measurement technology.

Air temperature measurements based on the speed of sound to compensate long distance interferometric measurements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Astrua Milena

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A method to measure the real time temperature distribution along an interferometer path based on the propagation of acoustic waves is presented. It exploits the high sensitivity of the speed of sound in air to the air temperature. In particular, it takes advantage of a special set-up where the generation of the acoustic waves is synchronous with the amplitude modulation of a laser source. A photodetector converts the laser light to an electronic signal considered as reference, while the incoming acoustic waves are focused on a microphone and generate a second signal. In this condition, the phase difference between the two signals substantially depends on the temperature of the air volume interposed between the sources and the receivers. The comparison with the traditional temperature sensors highlighted the limit of the latter in case of fast temperature variations and the advantage of a measurement integrated along the optical path instead of a sampling measurement. The capability of the acoustic method to compensate the interferometric distance measurements due to air temperature variations has been demonstrated for distances up to 27 m.

Air pollution assessment in the Slovak Republic in 2005. Measurement stations of air quality monitoring network

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon

2006-05-01

In this Appendix to the report 'Air pollution assessment in the Slovak Republic in 2005' the main characteristics of measurement stations of air quality monitoring network of the Slovak Republic are presented

Air pollution assessment in the Slovak Republic in 2004. Measurement stations of air quality monitoring network

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon

2005-07-01

In this Appendix to the report 'Air pollution assessment in the Slovak Republic in 2004' the main characteristics of measurement stations of air quality monitoring network of the Slovak Republic are presented

Determining the Probability of Violating Upper-Level Wind Constraints for the Launch of Minuteman Ill Ballistic Missiles At Vandenberg Air Force Base

Science.gov (United States)

Shafer, Jaclyn A.; Brock, Tyler M.

2013-01-01

The 30th Operational Support Squadron Weather Flight (30 OSSWF) provides comprehensive weather services to the space program at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California. One of their responsibilities is to monitor upper-level winds to ensure safe launch operations of the Minuteman Ill ballistic missile. The 30 OSSWF requested the Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU) analyze VAFB sounding data to determine the probability of violating (PoV) upper-level thresholds for wind speed and shear constraints specific to this launch vehicle, and to develop a graphical user interface (GUI) that will calculate the PoV of each constraint on the day of launch. The AMU suggested also including forecast sounding data from the Rapid Refresh (RAP) model. This would provide further insight for the launch weather officers (LWOs) when determining if a wind constraint violation will occur over the next few hours, and help to improve the overall upper winds forecast on launch day.

Thermal performances of vertical hybrid PV/T air collector

Science.gov (United States)

Tabet, I.; Touafek, K.; Bellel, N.; Khelifa, A.

2016-11-01

In this work, numerical analyses and the experimental validation of the thermal behavior of a vertical photovoltaic thermal air collector are investigated. The thermal model is developed using the energy balance equations of the PV/T air collector. Experimental tests are conducted to validate our mathematical model. The tests are performed in the southern Algerian region (Ghardaïa) under clear sky conditions. The prototype of the PV/T air collector is vertically erected and south oriented. The absorber upper plate temperature, glass cover temperature, air temperature in the inlet and outlet of the collector, ambient temperature, wind speed, and solar radiation are measured. The efficiency of the collector increases with increase in mass flow of air, but the increase in mass flow of air reduces the temperature of the system. The increase in efficiency of the PV/T air collector is due to the increase in the number of fins added. In the experiments, the air temperature difference between the inlet and the outlet of the PV/T air collector reaches 10 ° C on November 21, 2014, the interval time is between 10:00 and 14:00, and the temperature of the upper plate reaches 45 ° C at noon. The mathematical model describing the dynamic behavior of the typical PV/T air collector is evaluated by calculating the root mean square error and mean absolute percentage error. A good agreement between the experiment and the simulation results is obtained.

Specifics of Building Envelope Air Leakage Problems and Airtightness Measurements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Borodinecs Anatolijs

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In addition to transmission heat loses the infiltration of outdoor air can cause significant heat losses. The external building envelope should be airtight in order to prevent uncontrolled cold air infiltration. The article analysis modern building materials and structures influence on airtightness. The practical measurements of renovated buildings’ airtightness are presented and compared to non-renovated buildings. In addition paper presents data on airtightness measurements of whole multi apartment building and single apartment in analyzed building taking inco accout properties of building materials. The airtightness of single apartment was evaluated with support pressure in neighbor apartments. The results show that the airtightness measurements of multi apartment building can be evaluated by measuring single apartment on last floor with support pressure in neighbor apartments. The practical measurement of renovated buildings had shown the air leakage rate q50 of typical Latvian construction after renovation is between 2.5 and 2.9 m3/(m2·h. Since the building envelope has to minimize the heat loses (transmission and infiltration and ventilation system either mechanical or natural has to provide necessary air exchange, the building envelope airtightness shouldn’t be dependent on type of ventilation systems.

Confounding and exposure measurement error in air pollution epidemiology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sheppard, L.; Burnett, R.T.; Szpiro, A.A.; Kim, J.Y.; Jerrett, M.; Pope, C.; Brunekreef, B.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/067548180

2012-01-01

Studies in air pollution epidemiology may suffer from some specific forms of confounding and exposure measurement error. This contribution discusses these, mostly in the framework of cohort studies. Evaluation of potential confounding is critical in studies of the health effects of air pollution.

Hydrogen Radicals, Nitrogen Radicals, and the Production of O3 in the Upper Troposphere

Science.gov (United States)

Wennberg, P. O.; Hanisco, T. F.; Jaegle, L.; Jacob, D. J.; Hintsa, E. J.; Lanzendorf, E. J.; Anderson, J. G.; Gao, R.-S.; Keim, E. R.; Donnelly, S. G.;

Fine-Tuned Intrinsically Ultramicroporous Polymers Redefine the Permeability/Selectivity Upper Bounds of Membrane-Based Air and Hydrogen Separations

KAUST Repository

Swaidan, Raja

2015-08-20

Intrinsically ultramicroporous (<7 Å) polymers represent a new paradigm in materials development for membrane-based gas separation. In particular, they demonstrate that uniting intrachain “rigidity”, the traditional design metric of highly permeable polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs), with gas-sieving ultramicroporosity yields high-performance gas separation membranes. Highly ultramicroporous PIMs have redefined the state-of-the-art in large-scale air (e.g., O2/N2) and hydrogen recovery (e.g., H2/N2, H2/CH4) applications with unprecedented molecular sieving gas transport properties. Accordingly, presented herein are new 2015 permeability/selectivity “upper bounds” for large-scale commercial membrane-based air and hydrogen applications that accommodate the substantial performance enhancements of recent PIMs over preceding polymers. A subtle balance between intrachain rigidity and interchain spacing has been achieved in the amorphous microstructures of PIMs, fine-tuned using unique bridged-bicyclic building blocks (i.e., triptycene, ethanoanthracene and Tröger’s base) in both ladder and semiladder (e.g., polyimide) structures.

Measurement of 222Rn in soil concentrations in interstitial air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duenas, C.; Fernandez, M.C.; Carretero, J.; Liger, E.

1996-01-01

Measurements of 222 Rn soil concentrations were made by inserting stainless-steel sampling tubes into the soil. The samples of the soil interstitial air were taken in to pre-evacuated 1 L glass flasks. The glass flasks are cylindrical and coated with a film of ZnS(Ag). 222 Rn was measured by counting the alpha particles emitted by 222 Rn and its daughter products, 218 Po and 214 Bi, when they reached radioactive equilibrium. Measurements of 222 Rn gas concentrations in the soil air interstices by the method at different depths were used to calculate the diffusion coefficient of the 222 Rn in the soil air. This study has been carried out for diverse soils. (Author)

Development of alpha radioactivity measurement using ionized air transportation technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanemoto, Shigeru; Naito, Susumu; Sano, Akira; Sato, Mitsuyoshi; Fukumoto, Masahiko; Miyamoto, Yasuaki; Nanbu, Kenichi; Takahashi, Hiroyuki

2005-01-01

Alpha radioactivity Measurement using ionized Air Transportation technology (AMAT) is developed to measure alpha contaminated wastes with large and complex surfaces. An outline of this project was described in this text. A major problem of AMAT technology is that the theoretical relation between alpha radioactivity and observed ion current is unclear because of the complicated behavior of ionized air molecules. An ion current prediction model covering from ionization of air molecules to ion detection was developed based on atmospheric electrodynamics. This model was described in this text, too. (author)

Femtosecond frequency comb based distance measurement in air

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Balling, P.; Kren, P.; Masika, P.; van den Berg, S.A.

2009-01-01

Interferometric measurement of distance using a femtosecond frequency comb is demonstrated and compared with a counting interferometer displacement measurement. A numerical model of pulse propagation in air is developed and the results are compared with experimental data for short distances. The

Air slab-correction for Γ-ray attenuation measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Mann, Kulwinder Singh

2017-12-01

Gamma (γ)-ray shielding behaviour (GSB) of a material can be ascertained from its linear attenuation coefficient (μ, cm-1). Narrow-beam transmission geometry is required for μ-measurement. In such measurements, a thin slab of the material has to insert between point-isotropic γ-ray source and detector assembly. The accuracy in measurements requires that sample's optical thickness (OT) remain below 0.5 mean free path (mfp). Sometimes it is very difficult to produce thin slab of sample (absorber), on the other hand for thick absorber, i.e. OT >0.5 mfp, the influence of the air displaced by it cannot be ignored during μ-measurements. Thus, for a thick sample, correction factor has been suggested which compensates the air present in the transmission geometry. The correction factor has been named as an air slab-correction (ASC). Six samples of low-Z engineering materials (cement-black, clay, red-mud, lime-stone, cement-white and plaster-of-paris) have been selected for investigating the effect of ASC on μ-measurements at three γ-ray energies (661.66, 1173.24, 1332.50 keV). The measurements have been made using point-isotropic γ-ray sources (Cs-137 and Co-60), NaI(Tl) detector and multi-channel-analyser coupled with a personal computer. Theoretical values of μ have been computed using a GRIC2-toolkit (standardized computer programme). Elemental compositions of the samples were measured with Wavelength Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (WDXRF) analyser. Inter-comparison of measured and computed μ-values, suggested that the application of ASC helps in precise μ-measurement for thick samples of low-Z materials. Thus, this hitherto widely ignored ASC factor is recommended to use in similar γ-ray measurements.

Simulation of global oceanic upper layers forced at the surface by an optimal bulk formulation derived from multi-campaign measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

Garric, G.; Pirani, A.; Belamari, S.; Caniaux, G.

2006-12-01

order to improve the air/sea interface for the future MERCATOR global ocean operational system, we have implemented the new bulk formulation developed by METEO-FRANCE (French Meteo office) in the MERCATOR 2 degree global ocean-ice coupled model (ORCA2/LIM). A single bulk formulation for the drag, temperature and moisture exchange coefficients is derived from an extended consistent database gathering 10 years of measurements issued from five experiments dedicated to air-sea fluxes estimates (SEMAPHORE, CATCH, FETCH, EQUALANT99 and POMME) in various oceanic basins (from Northern to equatorial Atlantic). The available database (ALBATROS) cover the widest range of atmospheric and oceanic conditions, from very light (0.3 m/s) to very strong (up to 29 m/s) wind speeds, and from unstable to extremely stable atmospheric boundary layer stratification. We have defined a work strategy to test this new formulation in a global oceanic context, by using this multi- campaign bulk formulation to derive air-sea fluxes from base meteorological variables produces by the ECMWF (European Centre for Medium Range and Weather Forecast) atmospheric forecast model, in order to get surface boundary conditions for ORCA2/LIM. The simulated oceanic upper layers forced at the surface by the previous air/sea interface are compared to those forced by the optimal bulk formulation. Consecutively with generally weaker transfer coefficient, the latter formulation reduces the cold bias in the equatorial Pacific and increases the too weak summer sea ice extent in Antarctica. Compared to a recent mixed layer depth (MLD) climatology, the optimal bulk formulation reduces also the too deep simulated MLDs. Comparison with in situ temperature and salinity profiles in different areas allowed us to evaluate the impact of changing the air/sea interface in the vertical structure.

A UAV-based active AirCore system for measurements of greenhouse gases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Andersen

2018-05-01

Full Text Available We developed and field-tested an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV-based active AirCore for atmospheric mole fraction measurements of CO2, CH4, and CO. The system applies an alternative way of using the AirCore technique invented by NOAA. As opposed to the conventional concept of passively sampling air using the atmospheric pressure gradient during descent, the active AirCore collects atmospheric air samples using a pump to pull the air through the tube during flight, which opens up the possibility to spatially sample atmospheric air. The active AirCore system used for this study weighs ∼ 1.1 kg. It consists of a ∼ 50 m long stainless-steel tube, a small stainless-steel tube filled with magnesium perchlorate, a KNF micropump, and a 45 µm orifice working together to form a critical flow of dried atmospheric air through the active AirCore. A cavity ring-down spectrometer (CRDS was used to analyze the air samples on site not more than 7 min after landing for mole fraction measurements of CO2, CH4, and CO. We flew the active AirCore system on a UAV near the atmospheric measurement station at Lutjewad, located in the northwest of the city of Groningen in the Netherlands. Five consecutive flights took place over a 5 h period on the same morning, from sunrise until noon. We validated the measurements of CO2 and CH4 from the active AirCore against those from the Lutjewad station at 60 m. The results show a good agreement between the measurements from the active AirCore and the atmospheric station (N  =  146; R2CO2: 0.97 and R2CH4: 0.94; and mean differences: ΔCO2: 0.18 ppm and ΔCH4: 5.13 ppb. The vertical and horizontal resolution (for CH4 at typical UAV speeds of 1.5 and 2.5 m s−1 were determined to be ±24.7 to 29.3 and ±41.2 to 48.9 m, respectively, depending on the storage time. The collapse of the nocturnal boundary layer and the buildup of the mixed layer were clearly observed with three consecutive vertical

A UAV-based active AirCore system for measurements of greenhouse gases

Science.gov (United States)

Andersen, Truls; Scheeren, Bert; Peters, Wouter; Chen, Huilin

2018-05-01

We developed and field-tested an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based active AirCore for atmospheric mole fraction measurements of CO2, CH4, and CO. The system applies an alternative way of using the AirCore technique invented by NOAA. As opposed to the conventional concept of passively sampling air using the atmospheric pressure gradient during descent, the active AirCore collects atmospheric air samples using a pump to pull the air through the tube during flight, which opens up the possibility to spatially sample atmospheric air. The active AirCore system used for this study weighs ˜ 1.1 kg. It consists of a ˜ 50 m long stainless-steel tube, a small stainless-steel tube filled with magnesium perchlorate, a KNF micropump, and a 45 µm orifice working together to form a critical flow of dried atmospheric air through the active AirCore. A cavity ring-down spectrometer (CRDS) was used to analyze the air samples on site not more than 7 min after landing for mole fraction measurements of CO2, CH4, and CO. We flew the active AirCore system on a UAV near the atmospheric measurement station at Lutjewad, located in the northwest of the city of Groningen in the Netherlands. Five consecutive flights took place over a 5 h period on the same morning, from sunrise until noon. We validated the measurements of CO2 and CH4 from the active AirCore against those from the Lutjewad station at 60 m. The results show a good agreement between the measurements from the active AirCore and the atmospheric station (N = 146; R2CO2: 0.97 and R2CH4: 0.94; and mean differences: ΔCO2: 0.18 ppm and ΔCH4: 5.13 ppb). The vertical and horizontal resolution (for CH4) at typical UAV speeds of 1.5 and 2.5 m s-1 were determined to be ±24.7 to 29.3 and ±41.2 to 48.9 m, respectively, depending on the storage time. The collapse of the nocturnal boundary layer and the buildup of the mixed layer were clearly observed with three consecutive vertical profile measurements in the early morning hours. Besides

A mixing method for traceable air velocity measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sillanpää, S; Heinonen, M

2008-01-01

A novel and quite simple method to establish a traceability link between air velocity and the national standards of mass and time is presented in this paper. The method is based on the humidification of flowing air before the blower of a wind tunnel with a known mass flow of water. Then air velocity can be calculated as a function of humidification water flow. The method is compared against a Pitot-tube-based velocity measurement in a wind tunnel at the MIKES. The results of these two different methods agreed well, with a maximum difference of 0.7%

Using Upper Extremity Skin Temperatures to Assess Thermal Comfort in Office Buildings in Changsha, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Zhibin; Li, Nianping; Cui, Haijiao; Peng, Jinqing; Chen, Haowen; Liu, Penglong

2017-09-21

Existing thermal comfort field studies are mainly focused on the relationship between the indoor physical environment and the thermal comfort. In numerous chamber experiments, physiological parameters were adopted to assess thermal comfort, but the experiments' conclusions may not represent a realistic thermal environment due to the highly controlled thermal environment and few occupants. This paper focuses on determining the relationships between upper extremity skin temperatures (i.e., finger, wrist, hand and forearm) and the indoor thermal comfort. Also, the applicability of predicting thermal comfort by using upper extremity skin temperatures was explored. Field studies were performed in office buildings equipped with split air-conditioning (SAC) located in the hot summer and cold winter (HSCW) climate zone of China during the summer of 2016. Psychological responses of occupants were recorded and physical and physiological factors were measured simultaneously. Standard effective temperature (SET*) was used to incorporate the effect of humidity and air velocity on thermal comfort. The results indicate that upper extremity skin temperatures are good indicators for predicting thermal sensation, and could be used to assess the thermal comfort in terms of physiological mechanism. In addition, the neutral temperature was 24.7 °C and the upper limit for 80% acceptability was 28.2 °C in SET*.

Using Upper Extremity Skin Temperatures to Assess Thermal Comfort in Office Buildings in Changsha, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhibin Wu

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Existing thermal comfort field studies are mainly focused on the relationship between the indoor physical environment and the thermal comfort. In numerous chamber experiments, physiological parameters were adopted to assess thermal comfort, but the experiments’ conclusions may not represent a realistic thermal environment due to the highly controlled thermal environment and few occupants. This paper focuses on determining the relationships between upper extremity skin temperatures (i.e., finger, wrist, hand and forearm and the indoor thermal comfort. Also, the applicability of predicting thermal comfort by using upper extremity skin temperatures was explored. Field studies were performed in office buildings equipped with split air-conditioning (SAC located in the hot summer and cold winter (HSCW climate zone of China during the summer of 2016. Psychological responses of occupants were recorded and physical and physiological factors were measured simultaneously. Standard effective temperature (SET* was used to incorporate the effect of humidity and air velocity on thermal comfort. The results indicate that upper extremity skin temperatures are good indicators for predicting thermal sensation, and could be used to assess the thermal comfort in terms of physiological mechanism. In addition, the neutral temperature was 24.7 °C and the upper limit for 80% acceptability was 28.2 °C in SET*.

Microbes in the upper atmosphere and unique opportunities for astrobiology research.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, David J

2013-10-01

Microbial taxa from every major biological lineage have been detected in Earth's upper atmosphere. The goal of this review is to communicate (1) relevant astrobiology questions that can be addressed with upper atmosphere microbiology studies and (2) available sampling methods for collecting microbes at extreme altitudes. Precipitation, mountain stations, airplanes, balloons, rockets, and satellites are all feasible routes for conducting aerobiology research. However, more efficient air samplers are needed, and contamination is also a pervasive problem in the field. Measuring microbial signatures without false positives in the upper atmosphere might contribute to sterilization and bioburden reduction methods for proposed astrobiology missions. Intriguingly, environmental conditions in the upper atmosphere resemble the surface conditions of Mars (extreme cold, hypobaria, desiccation, and irradiation). Whether terrestrial microbes are active in the upper atmosphere is an area of intense research interest. If, in fact, microbial metabolism, growth, or replication is achievable independent of Earth's surface, then the search for habitable zones on other worlds should be broadened to include atmospheres (e.g., the high-altitude clouds of Venus). Furthermore, viable cells in the heavily irradiated upper atmosphere of Earth could help identify microbial genes or enzymes that bestow radiation resistance. Compelling astrobiology questions on the origin of life (if the atmosphere synthesized organic aerosols), evolution (if airborne transport influenced microbial mutation rates and speciation), and panspermia (outbound or inbound) are also testable in Earth's upper atmosphere.

Incorporation monitoring by measurements of activity concentrations in air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Breukelmann, G.; Dalheimer, A.; Dilger, H.; Henrichs, K.

1997-01-01

The incorporation monitoring of workers handling actinides is in many cases not possible by individual methods: The sensitivity of bioassay of methods (in vivo, in vitro) is not sufficient to detect amounts as required by the low annual limits of intake. Similar difficulties may occur with the use of radionuclides with very short physical half-lives. In these cases, the measuring of activity concentrations in the air is the only way to monitor the workers and to meet legal requirements. The essential problem connected with this approach is to make sure, that the air sample analyzed represents the average air inhaled actually. Correspondingly, the new system regulating the incorporation monitoring in Germany requires additional measures to ensure this representatively. (author)

Measurements and prediction of inhaled air quality with personalized ventilation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cermak, Radim; Majer, M.; Melikov, Arsen Krikor

2002-01-01

the room air) at flow rates ranging from less than 5 L/s up to 23 L/s. The air quality assessment was based on temperature measurements of the inhaled air and on the portion of the personalized air inhaled. The percentage of dissatisfied with the air quality was predicted. The results suggest......This paper examines the performance of five different air terminal devices for personalized ventilation in relation to the quality of air inhaled by a breathing thermal manikin in a climate chamber. The personalized air was supplied either isothermally or non-isothermally (6 deg.C cooler than...... that regardless of the temperature combinations, personalized ventilation may decrease significantly the number of occupants dissatisfied with the air quality. Under non-isothermal conditions the percentage of dissatisfied may decrease up to 4 times....

Calibration of NASA Turbulent Air Motion Measurement System

Science.gov (United States)

Barrick, John D. W.; Ritter, John A.; Watson, Catherine E.; Wynkoop, Mark W.; Quinn, John K.; Norfolk, Daniel R.

1996-01-01

A turbulent air motion measurement system (TAMMS) was integrated onboard the Lockheed 188 Electra airplane (designated NASA 429) based at the Wallops Flight Facility in support of the NASA role in global tropospheric research. The system provides air motion and turbulence measurements from an airborne platform which is capable of sampling tropospheric and planetary boundary-layer conditions. TAMMS consists of a gust probe with free-rotating vanes mounted on a 3.7-m epoxy-graphite composite nose boom, a high-resolution inertial navigation system (INS), and data acquisition system. A variation of the tower flyby method augmented with radar tracking was implemented for the calibration of static pressure position error and air temperature probe. Additional flight calibration maneuvers were performed remote from the tower in homogeneous atmospheric conditions. System hardware and instrumentation are described and the calibration procedures discussed. Calibration and flight results are presented to illustrate the overall ability of the system to determine the three-component ambient wind fields during straight and level flight conditions.

Aspirated capacitor measurements of air conductivity and ion mobility spectra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aplin, K.L.

2005-01-01

Measurements of ions in atmospheric air are used to investigate atmospheric electricity and particulate pollution. Commonly studied ion parameters are (1) air conductivity, related to the total ion number concentration, and (2) the ion mobility spectrum, which varies with atmospheric composition. The physical principles of air ion instrumentation are long established. A recent development is the computerized aspirated capacitor, which measures ions from (a) the current of charged particles at a sensing electrode, and (b) the rate of charge exchange with an electrode at a known initial potential, relaxing to a lower potential. As the voltage decays, only ions of higher and higher mobility are collected by the central electrode and contribute to the further decay of the voltage. This enables extension of the classical theory to calculate ion mobility spectra by inverting voltage decay time series. In indoor air, ion mobility spectra determined from both the voltage decay inversion, and an established voltage switching technique, were compared and shown to be of similar shape. Air conductivities calculated by integration were: 5.3±2.5 and 2.7±1.1 fSm -1 , respectively, with conductivity determined to be 3 fSm -1 by direct measurement at a constant voltage. Applications of the relaxation potential inversion method include air ion mobility spectrum retrieval from historical data, and computation of ion mobility spectra in planetary atmospheres

Blood pressure measurement in obese patients: comparison between upper arm and forearm measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

Pierin, Angela M G; Alavarce, Débora C; Gusmão, Josiane L; Halpern, Alfredo; Mion, Décio

2004-06-01

It is well known that blood pressure measurement with a standard 12-13 cm wide cuff is erroneous for large arms. To compare arm blood pressure measurements with an appropriate cuff and forearm blood pressure measurements (BPM) with a standard cuff, and both measurements by the Photopletismography (Finapres) method. One hundred and twenty-nine obese patients were studied (body mass index=40+/-7 kg/m2). The patients had three arm BPM taken by an automatic oscillometric device using an appropriate cuff and three forearm BPM with a standard cuff in the sitting position after a five-minute rest. Data were analysed by the analysis of variance. The correction values were obtained by the linear regression test. Systolic and diastolic arm BPM with an appropriate cuff were significantly lower (pforearm BPM with a standard cuff. The measurements obtained by Finapres were significantly lower (pforearm systolic and diastolic blood pressures and upper arm diastolic blood pressure. The equation to correct BPM in forearm in obese patients with arm circumference between 32-44 cm was: systolic BPM=33.2+/-0.68 x systolic forearm BPM, and diastolic BPM=25.2+0.59 x forearm diastolic BPM. This study showed that forearm blood pressure measurement overestimates the values of arm blood pressure measurement. In addition, it is possible to correct forearm BPM with an equation.

Integrated Assessment of Air Pollution Control Measures for Megacities

Science.gov (United States)

Friedrich, R.; Theloke, J.; Denier-van-der-Gon, H.; Kugler, U.; Kampffmeyer, T.; Roos, J.; Torras, S.

2012-04-01

Air pollution in large cities is still a matter of concern. Especially the concentration of fine particles (PM10 and PM2.5) is largest in large cities leading to severe health impacts. Furthermore the PM10 thresholds of the EU Air Quality Directive are frequently exceeded. Thus the question arises, whether the initiated policies and measures for mitigating air pollution are sufficient to meet the air quality targets and - if not - which efficient further pollution mitigation measures exist. These questions have been addressed in the EU research project MEGAPOLI for the four European megacities respectively agglomerations London, Paris, Rhine-Ruhr area and Po valley. Firstly, a reference scenario of future activities and emissions has been compiled for the megacities for the years 2020, 2030 and 2050 for all relevant air pollutants (CO, NH3, NMVOC, NOx, PM10, PM2.5 and SO2) and greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4 and N2O). The reference scenario takes into account as well population changes as technical progress and economic growth. As pollution flowing in from outside the city is about as important as pollution caused by emissions in the city, the analysis covers the whole of Europe and not only the city area. Emissions are then transformed into concentrations using atmospheric models. The higher concentrations in cities were estimated with a newly developed 'urban increment' model. Results show, that in the megacities the limits of the Air Quality Directive (2008/50/EC) will be exceeded. Thus additional efforts are necessary to reduce emissions further. Thus, a number of further measures (not implemented in current legislation) were selected and assessed. These included mitigation options for road transport, other mobile sources, large combustion plants, small and medium combustion plants and industry. For each measure and in addition for various bundles of measures a cost-benefit analysis has been carried out. Benefits (avoided health risks and climate change risks) have

Measurement of horizontal air showers with the Auger Engineering Radio Array

Science.gov (United States)

Kambeitz, Olga

2017-03-01

The Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA), at the Pierre Auger Observatory in Argentina, measures the radio emission of extensive air showers in the 30-80 MHz frequency range. AERA consists of more than 150 antenna stations distributed over 17 km2. Together with the Auger surface detector, the fluorescence detector and the underground muon detector (AMIGA), AERA is able to measure cosmic rays with energies above 1017 eV in a hybrid detection mode. AERA is optimized for the detection of air showers up to 60° zenith angle, however, using the reconstruction of horizontal air showers with the Auger surface array, very inclined showers can also be measured. In this contribution an analysis of the AERA data in the zenith angle range from 62° to 80° will be presented. CoREAS simulations predict radio emission footprints of several km2 for horizontal air showers, which are now confirmed by AERA measurements. This can lead to radio-based composition measurements and energy determination of horizontal showers in the future and the radio detection of neutrino induced showers is possible.

Measurement results obtained from air quality monitoring system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Turzanski, P.K.; Beres, R. [Provincial Inspection of Environmental Protection, Cracow (Poland)

1995-12-31

An automatic system of air pollution monitoring operates in Cracow since 1991. The organization, assembling and start-up of the network is a result of joint efforts of the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Cracow environmental protection service. At present the automatic monitoring network is operated by the Provincial Inspection of Environmental Protection. There are in total seven stationary stations situated in Cracow to measure air pollution. These stations are supported continuously by one semi-mobile (transportable) station. It allows to modify periodically the area under investigation and therefore the 3-dimensional picture of creation and distribution of air pollutants within Cracow area could be more intelligible.

Measurement of radon concentration in air employing Lucas chamber

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Machaj, B.

1997-01-01

The results of investigations aimed to determine the main features of radon concentration gauge in air, employing 0.17 L Lucas chamber, and air sample forced by an air pump are presented. For two hour sampling and measuring cycle time the dynamic error in the worst case (first read out) equals 5 % relative to the step jump of radon concentration. This is due to the increase of activity of the decay products in the chamber. It was observed that the short lived radon decay products (Po-218, Pb-214, Bi-214) are depositing on the walls of the chamber and they are not removed by flushing the chamber with air. (author)

Use of electrochemical sensors for measurement of air pollution: correcting interference response and validating measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Cross, Eben S.; Williams, Leah R.; Lewis, David K.; Magoon, Gregory R.; Onasch, Timothy B.; Kaminsky, Michael L.; Worsnop, Douglas R.; Jayne, John T.

2017-09-01

The environments in which we live, work, and play are subject to enormous variability in air pollutant concentrations. To adequately characterize air quality (AQ), measurements must be fast (real time), scalable, and reliable (with known accuracy, precision, and stability over time). Lower-cost air-quality-sensor technologies offer new opportunities for fast and distributed measurements, but a persistent characterization gap remains when it comes to evaluating sensor performance under realistic environmental sampling conditions. This limits our ability to inform the public about pollution sources and inspire policy makers to address environmental justice issues related to air quality. In this paper, initial results obtained with a recently developed lower-cost air-quality-sensor system are reported. In this project, data were acquired with the ARISense integrated sensor package over a 4.5-month time interval during which the sensor system was co-located with a state-operated (Massachusetts, USA) air quality monitoring station equipped with reference instrumentation measuring the same pollutant species. This paper focuses on validating electrochemical (EC) sensor measurements of CO, NO, NO2, and O3 at an urban neighborhood site with pollutant concentration ranges (parts per billion by volume, ppb; 5 min averages, ±1σ): [CO] = 231 ± 116 ppb (spanning 84-1706 ppb), [NO] = 6.1 ± 11.5 ppb (spanning 0-209 ppb), [NO2] = 11.7 ± 8.3 ppb (spanning 0-71 ppb), and [O3] = 23.2 ± 12.5 ppb (spanning 0-99 ppb). Through the use of high-dimensional model representation (HDMR), we show that interference effects derived from the variable ambient gas concentration mix and changing environmental conditions over three seasons (sensor flow-cell temperature = 23.4 ± 8.5 °C, spanning 4.1 to 45.2 °C; and relative humidity = 50.1 ± 15.3 %, spanning 9.8-79.9 %) can be effectively modeled for the Alphasense CO-B4, NO-B4, NO2-B43F, and Ox-B421 sensors, yielding (5 min average) root

Application and measurement properties of EQ-5D to measure quality of life in patients with upper extremity orthopaedic disorders: a systematic literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Grobet, Cécile; Marks, Miriam; Tecklenburg, Linda; Audigé, Laurent

2018-04-13

The EuroQol-5 Dimension (EQ-5D) is the most widely used generic instrument to measure quality of life (QoL), yet its application in upper extremity orthopaedics as well as its measurement properties remain largely undefined. We implemented a systematic literature review to provide an overview of the application of EQ-5D in patients with upper extremity disorders and analyse its measurement properties. We searched Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane and Scopus databases for clinical studies including orthopaedic patients with surgical interventions of the upper extremity who completed the EQ-5D. For all included studies, the use of EQ-5D and quantitative QoL data were described. Validation studies of EQ-5D were assessed according to COSMIN guidelines and standard measurement properties were examined. Twenty-three studies were included in the review, 19 of which investigated patients with an intervention carried out at the shoulder region. In 15 studies, EQ-5D assessed QoL as the primary outcome. Utility index scores in non-trauma patients generally improved postoperatively, whereas trauma patients did not regain their recalled pre-injury QoL levels. EQ-5D measurement properties were reported in three articles on proximal humerus fractures and carpal tunnel syndrome. Positive ratings were seen for construct validity (Spearman correlation coefficient ≥ 0.70 with the Short Form (SF)-12 or SF-6D health surveys) and reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient ≥ 0.77) with intermediate responsiveness (standardised response means: 0.5-0.9). However, ceiling effects were identified with 16-48% of the patients scoring the maximum QoL. The methodological quality of the three articles varied from fair to good. For surgical interventions of the upper extremity, EQ-5D was mostly applied to assess QoL as a primary outcome in patients with shoulder disorders. Investigations of the measurement properties were rare, but indicate good reliability and validity as well as

Measurement of Air Flow Rate in a Naturally Ventilated Double Skin Facade

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kalyanova, Olena; Jensen, Rasmus Lund; Heiselberg, Per

2007-01-01

Air flow rate in a naturally ventilated space is extremely difficult to measure due to the stochastic nature of wind, and as a consequence non-uniform and dynamic flow conditions. This paper describes three different methods to measure the air flow in a full-scale outdoor test facility...... with a naturally ventilated double skin façade. In the first method, the air flow in the cavity is estimated on the basis of six measured velocity profiles. The second method is represented by constant injection of tracer gas and in the third method a measured relation in the laboratory is used to estimate...... the flow rate on the basis of continues measurement of the pressure difference between the surface pressure at the opening and inside pressure of the double skin façade. Although all three measurement methods are difficult to use under such dynamic air flow conditions, two of them show reasonable agreement...

A novel polarization interferometer for measuring upper atmospheric winds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ting-Kui, Mu; Chun-Min, Zhang

2010-01-01

A static polarization interferometer for measuring upper atmospheric winds is presented, based on two Savart plates with their optical axes perpendicular to each other. The principle and characteristics of the interferometer are described. The interferometer with a wide field of view can offer a stable benchmark optical path difference over a specified spectral region of 0.55–0.63 μm because there are no quarter wave plates. Since the instrument employs a straight line common-path configuration but without moving parts and slits, it is very compact, simple, inherently robust and has high throughput. The paper is limited to a theoretical analysis. (general)

An induced current method for measuring zeta potential of electrolyte solution-air interface.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Yongxin; Zhao, Kai; Wang, Junsheng; Wu, Xudong; Pan, Xinxiang; Sun, Yeqing; Li, Dongqing

2014-02-15

This paper reports a novel and very simple method for measuring the zeta potential of electrolyte solution-air interface. When a measuring electrode contacts the electrolyte solution-air interface, an electrical current will be generated due to the potential difference between the electrode-air surface and the electrolyte solution-air interface. The amplitude of the measured electric signal is linearly proportional to this potential difference; and depends only on the zeta potential at the electrolyte solution-air interface, regardless of the types and concentrations of the electrolyte. A correlation between the zeta potential and the measured voltage signal is obtained based on the experimental data. Using this equation, the zeta potential of any electrolyte solution-air interface can be evaluated quickly and easily by inserting an electrode through the electrolyte solution-air interface and measuring the electrical signal amplitude. This method was verified by comparing the obtained results of NaCl, MgCl2 and CaCl2 solutions of different pH values and concentrations with the zeta potential data reported in the published journal papers. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Measurements of radon activity concentrations in air at Niska spa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adrovic, F.; Vuckovic, B.; Ninkovic, M.

2004-01-01

Radon activity concentrations in air were measured in the recreational-tourist center of Niska Banja. Alpha Guard PQ 2000/ MC50 instrumentation (Genitron instruments, Frankfurt) was used. The observed indoor radon concentrations in the air of the Radon Hotel pool lay within the range of 0.980-1.908 kBq/m 3 and were directly dependent on the exhalation of radon from thermomineral waters. Radon concentrations were also measured outdoors, at locations for capping thermomineral water, as well as at locations for draining used water from the Radon Hotel pool. Outdoor radon concentrations as high as over 500 Bq/m 3 were observed. Gamma dose rates were measured in parallel and found to lie within the range of 72-420 nSv/h. The gamma doses correlated well with the observed radon levels. The largest gamma dose rates in air were measured in the pool of Radon Hotel and at the site where this thermomineral water is being capped

Measurement of the concentration of radon in the air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aten, J.B.Th.; Bierhuizen, H.W.J.; Hoek, L.P. van; Ros, D.; Weber, J.

1975-01-01

A simple transportable air monitoring apparatus was developed for controlling the radon contamination of air in laboratory rooms. It is not highly accurate but is sufficient to register the order of magnitude of the radon concentration. Air is pumped through a filter for one or two hours and an alpha decay curve of the dust on the filter is determined. Scintillation counting forty minutes after sampling indicates the radon activity. The calibration method of measuring the equilibrium of daughter product concentrations is discussed extensively

Air radon equilibrium factor measurement in a Waste Water Pre-Treatment Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinez, J.E.; Juste, B.; Ortiz, J.; Martorell, S.; Verdu, G.

2017-01-01

We analyze in this paper a Waste Water Pre-Treatment Plant (WWTP) located at the Mediterranean coast with air radon concentration above Spanish action level (600 Bq per cubic meter). This paper presents a method for radon equilibrium determination by gamma spectrometry measuring of the radon progeny concentrations in the air, in order to estimate WWTP workers effective dose more exactly. The method is based on simultaneous sampling of air through a filter paper and alpha spectrometry measurement of radon activity concentration in the air. According to the measured radon activity concentration in the air of 368±45 Bq/m 3 the equilibrium factor between radon and progenies is estimated to be F=0.27, which is in good agreement with expected values. - Highlights: • High levels of Radon in a workplace can increase health risks in the employees. • Using the typical equilibrium factor 0.4 could lead to an error in the estimation of radon doses. • We present a method for radon equilibrium determination. • Equilibrium factor is calculated by gamma spectrometry measuring of radon progeny concentrations in the air.

Effect measure modification of blood lead-air lead slope factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Richmond-Bryant, Jennifer; Meng, Qingyu; Cohen, Jonathan; Davis, J Allen; Svendsgaard, David; Brown, James S; Tuttle, Lauren; Hubbard, Heidi; Rice, Joann; Kirrane, Ellen; Vinikoor-Imler, Lisa; Kotchmar, Dennis; Hines, Erin; Ross, Mary

2015-01-01

There is abundant literature finding that susceptibility factors, including race and ethnicity, age, and housing, directly influence blood lead levels. No study has explored how susceptibility factors influence the blood lead-air lead relationship nationally. The objective is to evaluate whether susceptibility factors act as effect measure modifiers on the blood lead-air lead relationship. Participant level blood lead data from the 1999 to 2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were merged with air lead data from the US Environmental Protection Agency. Linear mixed effects models were run with and without an air lead interaction term for age group, sex, housing age, or race/ethnicity to determine whether these factors are effect measure modifiers for all ages combined and for five age brackets. Age group and race/ethnicity were determined to be effect measure modifiers in the all-age model and for some age groups. Being a child (1-5, 6-11, and 12-19 years) or of Mexican-American ethnicity increased the effect estimate. Living in older housing (built before 1950) decreased the effect estimate for all models except for the 1-5-year group, where older housing was an effect measure modifier. These results are consistent with the peer-reviewed literature of time-activity patterns, ventilation, and toxicokinetics.

Kinematic measures for upper limb motor assessment during robot-mediated training in patients with severe sub-acute stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

Duret, Christophe; Courtial, Ophélie; Grosmaire, Anne Gaelle

2016-01-01

Kinematic assessments are increasingly used as motor outcome measures during upper limb robot-assisted training, in addition to clinical scales. However, their relevance has not been evaluated much. Thirty-eight patients with severe sub-acute stroke (age 56 ± 17 [19-87] years; time since stroke, 55 ± 22 days) carried out 16 sessions (average 3/week, 35 ± 15 days) of upper limb robot-assisted training combined with standard therapy. Pre/post motor performance was evaluated using the Fugl-Meyer Assessment scale, Motor Status Scale (MSS) and kinematic measures. Motor outcomes were compared and relationships between clinical and kinematic outcomes were analyzed. All clinical and kinematic outcomes improved after training (p kinematic measures were strongly correlated with clinical scores. Correlations between clinical and kinematic changes were moderate (r = -0.65 for change in FM Proximal score and change in accuracy measure). However, smoothness and accuracy indicators were shown to be responsive measures. This study demonstrated that baseline kinematic measures and their pre/post training changes were significantly correlated with clinical motor outcome measures. However, even if kinematic measures are valid for the evaluation of motor impairment we cannot propose to substitute common clinical measures of motor function which also evaluate functional abilities of the upper limb.

Kinematic measures for upper limb robot-assisted therapy following stroke and correlations with clinical outcome measures: A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Tran, Vi Do; Dario, Paolo; Mazzoleni, Stefano

2018-03-01

This review classifies the kinematic measures used to evaluate post-stroke motor impairment following upper limb robot-assisted rehabilitation and investigates their correlations with clinical outcome measures. An online literature search was carried out in PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus and IEEE-Xplore databases. Kinematic parameters mentioned in the studies included were categorized into the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) domains. The correlations between these parameters and the clinical scales were summarized. Forty-nine kinematic parameters were identified from 67 articles involving 1750 patients. The most frequently used parameters were: movement speed, movement accuracy, peak speed, number of speed peaks, and movement distance and duration. According to the ICF domains, 44 kinematic parameters were categorized into Body Functions and Structure, 5 into Activities and no parameters were categorized into Participation and Personal and Environmental Factors. Thirteen articles investigated the correlations between kinematic parameters and clinical outcome measures. Some kinematic measures showed a significant correlation coefficient with clinical scores, but most were weak or moderate. The proposed classification of kinematic measures into ICF domains and their correlations with clinical scales could contribute to identifying the most relevant ones for an integrated assessment of upper limb robot-assisted rehabilitation treatments following stroke. Increasing the assessment frequency by means of kinematic parameters could optimize clinical assessment procedures and enhance the effectiveness of rehabilitation treatments. Copyright © 2018 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mapping spatial and temporal variation of stream water temperature in the upper Esopus Creek watershed

Science.gov (United States)

Chien, H.; McGlinn, L.

2017-12-01

The upper Esopus Creek and its tributary streams located in the Catskill Mountain region of New York State provide habitats for cold-adapted aquatic species. However, ongoing global warming may change the stream water temperature within a watershed and disturb the persistence of coldwater habitats. Characterizing thermal regimes within the upper Esopus Creek watershed is important to provide information of thermally suitable habitats for aquatic species. The objectives of this study are to measure stream water temperature and map thermal variability among tributaries to the Esopus Creek and within Esopus Creek. These objectives will be achieved by measuring stream water temperature for at least two years. More than 100 water temperature data loggers have been placed in the upper Esopus Creek and their tributaries to collect 30-minute interval water temperatures. With the measured water temperature, we will use spatial interpolation in ArcGIS to create weekly and monthly water temperature surface maps to evaluate the thermal variation over time and space within the upper Esopus Creek watershed. We will characterize responsiveness of water temperature in tributary streams to air temperature as well. This information of spatial and temporal variation of stream water temperature will assist stream managers with prioritizing management practices that maintain or enhance connectivity of thermally suitable habitats in high priority areas.

Calibrating the absolute amplitude scale for air showers measured at LOFAR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nelles, A.; Hörandel, J. R.; Karskens, T.; Krause, M.; Corstanje, A.; Enriquez, J. E.; Falcke, H.; Rachen, J. P.; Rossetto, L.; Schellart, P.; Buitink, S.; Erdmann, M.; Krause, R.; Haungs, A.; Hiller, R.; Huege, T.; Link, K.; Schröder, F. G.; Norden, M. J.; Scholten, O.

2015-01-01

Air showers induced by cosmic rays create nanosecond pulses detectable at radio frequencies. These pulses have been measured successfully in the past few years at the LOw-Frequency ARray (LOFAR) and are used to study the properties of cosmic rays. For a complete understanding of this phenomenon and the underlying physical processes, an absolute calibration of the detecting antenna system is needed. We present three approaches that were used to check and improve the antenna model of LOFAR and to provide an absolute calibration of the whole system for air shower measurements. Two methods are based on calibrated reference sources and one on a calibration approach using the diffuse radio emission of the Galaxy, optimized for short data-sets. An accuracy of 19% in amplitude is reached. The absolute calibration is also compared to predictions from air shower simulations. These results are used to set an absolute energy scale for air shower measurements and can be used as a basis for an absolute scale for the measurement of astronomical transients with LOFAR

Measurements of environmental policy for air pollution abatement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Friedrich, R.

1993-01-01

The first part of the study goes into the determination of efficient strategies for the reduction of air pollutants. The developed method is not only derived theoretically but is tested with the concrete example of emissions sources of a German state. The second part goes into the question what the government can do in order to attain that air pollution abatement measures recognized as being efficient will be put into practice. As market economy mechanisms have advantages over central state planning in the allocation of economic resources the question arises if not also for environmental protection market economy tools may contribute to an improvement of the efficiency of air pollution abatement. Therefore the suitability of different tools of environmental policy for the realization of efficient air pollution abatement is investigated and evaluated. This is again not done abstractly but with existing emission sources. (orig./HSCH). 32 figs., 12 tabs [de

Measurement of the refraction Index of air using Interference refractometers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schellekens, P.H.J.; Wilkening, G.; Reinboth, F.; Downs, M.J.; Birch, K.P.; Spronck, J.

1986-01-01

Comparisons have been carried out between interference refractometers built in different countries. Individual measurements of the refractive index of air have been made using air from the same sample volume. Direct comparison of refractometers was realized by coupling the instruments to the same

First upper limits on the radar cross section of cosmic-ray induced extensive air showers

Science.gov (United States)

Abbasi, R. U.; Abe, M.; Abou Bakr Othman, M.; Abu-Zayyad, T.; Allen, M.; Anderson, R.; Azuma, R.; Barcikowski, E.; Belz, J. W.; Bergman, D. R.; Besson, D.; Blake, S. A.; Byrne, M.; Cady, R.; Chae, M. J.; Cheon, B. G.; Chiba, J.; Chikawa, M.; Cho, W. R.; Farhang-Boroujeny, B.; Fujii, T.; Fukushima, M.; Gillman, W. H.; Goto, T.; Hanlon, W.; Hanson, J. C.; Hayashi, Y.; Hayashida, N.; Hibino, K.; Honda, K.; Ikeda, D.; Inoue, N.; Ishii, T.; Ishimori, R.; Ito, H.; Ivanov, D.; Jayanthmurthy, C.; Jui, C. C. H.; Kadota, K.; Kakimoto, F.; Kalashev, O.; Kasahara, K.; Kawai, H.; Kawakami, S.; Kawana, S.; Kawata, K.; Kido, E.; Kim, H. B.; Kim, J. H.; Kim, J. H.; Kitamura, S.; Kitamura, Y.; Kunwar, S.; Kuzmin, V.; Kwon, Y. J.; Lan, J.; Lim, S. I.; Lundquist, J. P.; Machida, K.; Martens, K.; Matsuda, T.; Matsuyama, T.; Matthews, J. N.; Minamino, M.; Mukai, K.; Myers, I.; Nagasawa, K.; Nagataki, S.; Nakamura, T.; Nonaka, T.; Nozato, A.; Ogio, S.; Ogura, J.; Ohnishi, M.; Ohoka, H.; Oki, K.; Okuda, T.; Ono, M.; Oshima, A.; Ozawa, S.; Park, I. H.; Prohira, S.; Pshirkov, M. S.; Rezazadeh-Reyhani, A.; Rodriguez, D. C.; Rubtsov, G.; Ryu, D.; Sagawa, H.; Sakurai, N.; Sampson, A. L.; Scott, L. M.; Schurig, D.; Shah, P. D.; Shibata, F.; Shibata, T.; Shimodaira, H.; Shin, B. K.; Smith, J. D.; Sokolsky, P.; Springer, R. W.; Stokes, B. T.; Stratton, S. R.; Stroman, T. A.; Suzawa, T.; Takai, H.; Takamura, M.; Takeda, M.; Takeishi, R.; Taketa, A.; Takita, M.; Tameda, Y.; Tanaka, H.; Tanaka, K.; Tanaka, M.; Thomas, S. B.; Thomson, G. B.; Tinyakov, P.; Tkachev, I.; Tokuno, H.; Tomida, T.; Troitsky, S.; Tsunesada, Y.; Tsutsumi, K.; Uchihori, Y.; Udo, S.; Urban, F.; Vasiloff, G.; Venkatesh, S.; Wong, T.; Yamane, R.; Yamaoka, H.; Yamazaki, K.; Yang, J.; Yashiro, K.; Yoneda, Y.; Yoshida, S.; Yoshii, H.; Zollinger, R.; Zundel, Z.

2017-01-01

TARA (Telescope Array Radar) is a cosmic ray radar detection experiment colocated with Telescope Array, the conventional surface scintillation detector (SD) and fluorescence telescope detector (FD) near Delta, Utah, U.S.A. The TARA detector combines a 40 kW, 54.1 MHz VHF transmitter and high-gain transmitting antenna which broadcasts the radar carrier over the SD array and within the FD field of view, towards a 250 MS/s DAQ receiver. TARA has been collecting data since 2013 with the primary goal of observing the radar signatures of extensive air showers (EAS). Simulations indicate that echoes are expected to be short in duration (∼ 10 μs) and exhibit rapidly changing frequency, with rates on the order 1 MHz/μs. The EAS radar cross-section (RCS) is currently unknown although it is the subject of over 70 years of speculation. A novel signal search technique is described in which the expected radar echo of a particular air shower is used as a matched filter template and compared to waveforms obtained by triggering the radar DAQ using the Telescope Array fluorescence detector. No evidence for the scattering of radio frequency radiation by EAS is obtained to date. We report the first quantitative RCS upper limits using EAS that triggered the Telescope Array Fluorescence Detector. The transmitter is under the direct control of experimenters, and in a radio-quiet area isolated from other radio frequency (RF) sources. The power and radiation pattern are known at all times. Forward power up to 40 kW and gain exceeding 20 dB maximize energy density in the radar field. Continuous wave (CW) transmission gives 100% duty cycle, as opposed to pulsed radar. TARA utilizes a high sample rate DAQ (250 MS/s). TARA is colocated with a large state-of-the-art conventional CR observatory, allowing the radar data stream to be sampled at the arrival times of known cosmic ray events. Each of these attributes of the TARA detector has been discussed in detail in the literature [8]. A map

Nitric oxide in exhaled and aspirated nasal air as an objective measure of human response to indoor air pollution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kolarik, Barbara; Lagercrantz, L.; Sundell, Jan

2009-01-01

The concentration of nitric oxide (NO) in exhaled and aspirated nasal air was used to objectively assess human response to indoor air pollutants in a climate chamber exposure experiment. The concentration of NO was measured before exposure, after 2, and 4.5 h of exposure, using a chemiluminescence...... by the exposures. The results may indicate an association between polluted indoor air and subclinical inflammation.Measurement of nitric oxide in exhaled air is a possible objective marker of subclinical inflammation in healthy adults....... NO analyzer. Sixteen healthy female subjects were exposed to two indoor air pollutants and to a clean reference condition for 4.5 h. Subjective assessments of the environment were obtained by questionnaires. After exposure (4.5 h) to the two polluted conditions a small increase in NO concentration in exhaled...

Measurement of the resistivity of porous materials with an alternating air-flow method.

Science.gov (United States)

Dragonetti, Raffaele; Ianniello, Carmine; Romano, Rosario A

2011-02-01

Air-flow resistivity is a main parameter governing the acoustic behavior of porous materials for sound absorption. The international standard ISO 9053 specifies two different methods to measure the air-flow resistivity, namely a steady-state air-flow method and an alternating air-flow method. The latter is realized by the measurement of the sound pressure at 2 Hz in a small rigid volume closed partially by the test sample. This cavity is excited with a known volume-velocity sound source implemented often with a motor-driven piston oscillating with prescribed area and displacement magnitude. Measurements at 2 Hz require special instrumentation and care. The authors suggest an alternating air-flow method based on the ratio of sound pressures measured at frequencies higher than 2 Hz inside two cavities coupled through a conventional loudspeaker. The basic method showed that the imaginary part of the sound pressure ratio is useful for the evaluation of the air-flow resistance. Criteria are discussed about the choice of a frequency range suitable to perform simplified calculations with respect to the basic method. These criteria depend on the sample thickness, its nonacoustic parameters, and the measurement apparatus as well. The proposed measurement method was tested successfully with various types of acoustic materials.

Measure Guideline: Guide to Attic Air Sealing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lstiburek, Joseph [Building Science Corporation, Westford, MA (United States)

2014-09-01

The purpose of this measure guideline is to provide information and recommendations for the preparation work necessary prior to adding attic insulation. Even though the purpose of this guide is to save energy, health, safety, and durability should not be compromised by energy efficiency. Accordingly, combustion safety and ventilation for indoor air quality are addressed first. Durability and attic ventilation then follow. Finally, to maximize energy savings, air sealing is completed prior to insulating. The guide is intended for home remodelers, builders, insulation contractors, mechanical contractors, general contractors who have previously done remodeling and homeowners as a guide to the work that needs to be done.

Air pollution and incidence of cancers of the stomach and the upper aerodigestive tract in the European Study of Cohorts for Air Pollution Effects (ESCAPE).

Science.gov (United States)

Nagel, Gabriele; Stafoggia, Massimo; Pedersen, Marie; Andersen, Zorana J; Galassi, Claudia; Munkenast, Jule; Jaensch, Andrea; Sommar, Johan; Forsberg, Bertil; Olsson, David; Oftedal, Bente; Krog, Norun H; Aamodt, Geir; Pyko, Andrei; Pershagen, Göran; Korek, Michal; De Faire, Ulf; Pedersen, Nancy L; Östenson, Claes-Göran; Fratiglioni, Laura; Sørensen, Mette; Tjønneland, Anne; Peeters, Petra H; Bueno-de-Mesquita, Bas; Vermeulen, Roel; Eeftens, Marloes; Plusquin, Michelle; Key, Timothy J; Concin, Hans; Lang, Alois; Wang, Meng; Tsai, Ming-Yi; Grioni, Sara; Marcon, Alessandro; Krogh, Vittorio; Ricceri, Fulvio; Sacerdote, Carlotta; Ranzi, Andrea; Cesaroni, Giulia; Forastiere, Francesco; Tamayo-Uria, Ibon; Amiano, Pilar; Dorronsoro, Miren; de Hoogh, Kees; Beelen, Rob; Vineis, Paolo; Brunekreef, Bert; Hoek, Gerard; Raaschou-Nielsen, Ole; Weinmayr, Gudrun

2018-04-26

Air pollution has been classified as carcinogenic to humans. However, to date little is known about the relevance for cancers of the stomach and upper aerodigestive tract (UADT). We investigated the association of long-term exposure to ambient air pollution with incidence of gastric and UADT cancer in 11 European cohorts. Air pollution exposure was assigned by land-use regression models for particulate matter (PM) below 10 µm (PM 10 ), below 2.5 µm (PM 2.5 ), between 2.5 and 10 µm (PM coarse ), PM 2.5 absorbance and nitrogen oxides (NO 2 and NO X ) as well as approximated by traffic indicators. Cox regression models with adjustment for potential confounders were used for cohort-specific analyses. Combined estimates were determined with random effects meta-analyses. During average follow-up of 14.1 years of 305 551 individuals, 744 incident cases of gastric cancer and 933 of UADT cancer occurred. The hazard ratio for an increase of 5 µg/m 3 of PM 2.5 was 1.38 (95%-CI 0.99;1.92) for gastric and 1.05 (95%-CI 0.62;1.77) for UADT cancers. No associations were found for any of the other exposures considered. Adjustment for additional confounders and restriction to study participants with stable addresses did not influence markedly the effect estimate for PM 2.5 and gastric cancer. Higher estimated risks of gastric cancer associated with PM 2.5 was found in men (HR 1.98 (1.30;3.01)) as compared to women (HR 0.85 (0.5;1.45)). This large multicentre cohort study shows an association between long-term exposure to PM 2.5 and gastric cancer, but not UADT cancers, suggesting that air pollution may contribute to gastric cancer risk. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. © 2018 UICC.

Analysis of chosen urban bioclimatic conditions in Upper Silesian Industrial Region, Poland

Science.gov (United States)

Zimnol, Jan

2013-04-01

Due to the increasing urbanization, people spend more and more time in cities. Because of that fact during the last century the human bioclimatological approach had an important influence on the applied urban bioclimatology. The aim of the study was to analyze chosen thermal bioclimatic conditions in urban area of Upper Silesian Industrial Region in connection with the atmospheric circulation and air masses. The study was focused on the thermal conditions that are important for the bioclimatological research on human thermal comfort. They were the basis for making study on how to show the influence of the air masses and circulations types on frequency and variability of the chosen bioclimate indexes. That research was based on data (2004 - 2008) acquired by the Silesian University (Faculty of Earth Sciences) meteorological station located in the city of Sosnowiec (50°17'N, 19°08'E, h=263 m a.s.l.). The temperature measurements were made automatically every 10 minutes on the 2 meters above the ground level. Previous research showed that the station is a good representation of the local urban climate conditions in Upper Silesian Industrial Region. In the study the following air temperatures were taken into consideration: average day temperature, maximum day temperature, minimum day temperature and the average air temperature at 12 UTC. They were associated with atmospheric circulation types and masses typical for the region. Using the data mentioned above I conducted a classification to divide days into following objective categories: cool, cold, comfortable, hot, warm and very hot in the seasonal depiction. The final stage of the work was to find the answer to the following question: "When and how do the strong air masses and air circulations types modify bioclimatic conditions in the study area?" Answer to that question together with further results of the research will be presented on my poster.

Comparison of dose measurements in water versus in air for therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nasukha

1987-01-01

Comparison of dose measurements in water versus in air for therapy. Dose measurements in water and in the air had been done by teletherapy unit Co-60 Picker Model V 4m/60 with Farmer dosimeter. The result of inverse square law, TAR, PDD, and PSF compared to BJR No. 17 produced a difference of more than 4,65% with SSD 80 cm. Doses in water calculated from the result of dose measurement in air using BJR tables given, was compared with direct dose measurement in water. Values of 0,9850 to 1,0302 were obtained if using inverse square law, PDD and PSF formula. Using inverse square law and TAR, values of 0,9474 to 1,0197 were obtained for 4 depths and 5 field sizes. Measurements done in 5 cm depth and 10 cm x 10 cm field size using both methods, were still good. (author). 7 figs, 8 refs

Correlation and uncertainties evaluation in backscattering of entrance surface air kerma measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Teixeira, G.J.; Sousa, C.H.S.; Peixoto, J.G.P., E-mail: gt@ird.gov.br [Instituto de Radioproteção e Dosimetria (IRD/CNEN-RJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2017-07-01

The air kerma measurement is important to verify the applied doses in radiodiagnostic. The literature determines some methods to measure the entrance surface air kerma or entrance surface dose but some of this methods may increase the measurement with the backscattering. Were done setups of measurements to do correlations between them. The expanded uncertainty exceeded 5% for measurements with backscattering, reaching 8.36%, while in situations where the backscattering was avoided, the uncertainty was 3.43%. (author)

Measures against the adverse impact of natural wind on air-cooled condensers in power plant

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2010-01-01

The natural wind plays disadvantageous roles in the operation of air-cooled steam condensers in power plant.It is of use to take various measures against the adverse effect of wind for the performance improvement of air-cooled condensers.Based on representative 2×600 MW direct air-cooled power plant,three ways that can arrange and optimize the flow field of cooling air thus enhance the heat transfer of air-cooled condensers were proposed.The physical and mathematical models of air-cooled condensers with various flow leading measures were presented and the flow and temperature fields of cooling air were obtained by CFD simulation.The back pressures of turbine were calculated for different measures on the basis of the heat transfer model of air-cooled condensers.The results show that the performance of air-cooled condensers is improved thus the back pressure of turbine is lowered to some extent by taking measures against the adverse impact of natural wind.

Environmental injustice and air pollution in coal affected communities, Hunter Valley, Australia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Higginbotham, N.; Freeman, S.; Connor, L.; Albrecht, G. [University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW (Australia). School of Medicine & Public Health

2010-03-15

The authors describe environmental injustice from air pollution in the Upper Hunter, Australia, and analyse the inaction of state authorities in addressing residents' health concerns. Obstacles blocking a public-requested health study and air monitoring include: the interdependence of state government and corporations in reaping the economic benefits of coal production; lack of political will, regulatory inertia and procedural injustice; and study design and measurement issues. We analyse mining- and coal-related air pollution in a contested socio-political arena, where residents, civil society and local government groups struggle with corporations and state government over the burden of imposed health risk caused by air pollution.

Surface and upper air meteorological features during onset phase

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

There was a sharp fall in the temperature difference between 850 and 500 hPa, and the height of zero degree isotherm about 2–3 days before the monsoon onset. The flux of sensible heat was positive (sea to air) over south Arabian Sea during the onset phase. Over the Bay of Bengal higher negative (air to sea) values of ...

Nitric oxide density measurements in air and air/fuel nanosecond pulse discharges by laser induced fluorescence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uddi, M; Jiang, N; Adamovich, I V; Lempert, W R

2009-01-01

Laser induced fluorescence is used to measure absolute nitric oxide concentrations in air, methane-air and ethylene-air non-equilibrium plasmas, as a function of time after initiation of a single pulse, 20 kV peak voltage, 25 ns pulse duration discharge. A mixture of NO and nitrogen with known composition (4.18 ppm NO) is used for calibration. Peak NO density in air at 60 Torr, after a single pulse, is ∼8 x 10 12 cm -3 (∼4.14 ppm) occurring at ∼250 μs after the pulse, with decay time of ∼16.5 ms. Peak NO atom mole fraction in a methane-air mixture with equivalence ratio of ψ = 0.5 is found to be approximately equal to that in air, with approximately the same rise and decay rate. In an ethylene-air mixture (also with equivalence ratio of ψ = 0.5), the rise and decay times are comparable to air and methane-air, but the peak NO concentration is reduced by a factor of approximately 2.5. Spontaneous emission measurements show that excited electronic states N 2 (C 3 Π) and NO(A 2 Σ) in air at P = 60 Torr decay within ∼20 ns and ∼1 μs, respectively. Kinetic modelling calculations incorporating air plasma kinetics complemented with the GRI Mech 3.0 hydrocarbon oxidation mechanism are compared with the experimental data using three different NO production mechanisms. It is found that NO concentration rise after the discharge pulse is much faster than predicted by Zel'dovich mechanism reactions, by two orders of magnitude, but much slower compared with reactions of electronically excited nitrogen atoms and molecules, also by two orders of magnitude. It is concluded that processes involving long lifetime (∼100 μs) metastable states, such as N 2 (X 1 Σ,v) and O 2 (b 1 Σ), formed by quenching of the metastable N 2 (A 3 Σ) state by ground electronic state O 2 , may play a dominant role in NO formation. NO decay, in all cases, is found to be dominated by the reverse Zel'dovich reaction, NO + O → N + O 2 , as well as by conversion into NO 2 in a reaction

Nitric oxide density measurements in air and air/fuel nanosecond pulse discharges by laser induced fluorescence

Science.gov (United States)

Uddi, M.; Jiang, N.; Adamovich, I. V.; Lempert, W. R.

2009-04-01

Laser induced fluorescence is used to measure absolute nitric oxide concentrations in air, methane-air and ethylene-air non-equilibrium plasmas, as a function of time after initiation of a single pulse, 20 kV peak voltage, 25 ns pulse duration discharge. A mixture of NO and nitrogen with known composition (4.18 ppm NO) is used for calibration. Peak NO density in air at 60 Torr, after a single pulse, is ~8 × 1012 cm-3 (~4.14 ppm) occurring at ~250 µs after the pulse, with decay time of ~16.5 ms. Peak NO atom mole fraction in a methane-air mixture with equivalence ratio of phiv = 0.5 is found to be approximately equal to that in air, with approximately the same rise and decay rate. In an ethylene-air mixture (also with equivalence ratio of phiv = 0.5), the rise and decay times are comparable to air and methane-air, but the peak NO concentration is reduced by a factor of approximately 2.5. Spontaneous emission measurements show that excited electronic states N2(C 3Π) and NO(A 2Σ) in air at P = 60 Torr decay within ~20 ns and ~1 µs, respectively. Kinetic modelling calculations incorporating air plasma kinetics complemented with the GRI Mech 3.0 hydrocarbon oxidation mechanism are compared with the experimental data using three different NO production mechanisms. It is found that NO concentration rise after the discharge pulse is much faster than predicted by Zel'dovich mechanism reactions, by two orders of magnitude, but much slower compared with reactions of electronically excited nitrogen atoms and molecules, also by two orders of magnitude. It is concluded that processes involving long lifetime (~100 µs) metastable states, such as N2(X 1Σ,v) and O2(b 1Σ), formed by quenching of the metastable N2(A 3Σ) state by ground electronic state O2, may play a dominant role in NO formation. NO decay, in all cases, is found to be dominated by the reverse Zel'dovich reaction, NO + O → N + O2, as well as by conversion into NO2 in a reaction of NO with ozone.

Air pollution measurements in a semi-arid zine, using neutron activation analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shani, G; Cohen, D

1977-01-01

Neutron activation analysis was used for measurement of air pollution in a semi arid zone. After a careful selection of the air filter, air samples were filtered in the city of Beer-Sheva in the south of Israel. The sampling took place over a period of 2 months with each sampling period lasting 2 days. The samples were irradiated in a thermal neutron flux of the order of 10/sup 13/ n/cm/sup 2/ sec for 1 h and the gamma spectrum was measured several times. The concentration of elements was concluded from the measured gamma spectrum. Several conclusions were obtained by combining the weather conditions with the measurement results. The air pollution can be divided into several sources: dust of a certain origin containing Fe, Co, Cr, Sc, Th and Na (probably from the Dead Sea area), other dust sources containing Sb, Eu, and Hf, and urban pollution due to industry and transportation--Br, Hg. The air pollution has its maxima and minima according to weather or industrial conditions. The pollution requires 4 days to clear out. Other relations to weather conditions were also found.

Air pollution measurements in a semi-arid zone, using neutron activation analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shani, G; Cohen, D [Ben-Gurion Univ. of the Negev, Beersheba (Israel). Dept. of Nuclear Engineering

1977-12-01

Neutron activation analysis was used for measurement of air pollution in a semi-arid zone. After a careful selection of the air filter, air samples were filtered in the city of Beer-Sheva in the south of Israel. The sampling took place over a period of 2 months with each sampling period lasting 2 days. The samples were irradiated in a thermal neutron flux of the order of 10/sup 13/ n/cm/sup 2/ sec for 1 h and the gamma spectrum was measured several times. The concentration of elements was concluded from the measured gamma spectrum. Several conclusions were obtained by combining the weather conditions with the measurement results. The air pollution can be divided into several sources: dust of a certain origin containing Fe, Co, Cr, Sc, Th and Na (probably from the Dead Sea area), other dust sources containing Sb, Eu, and Hf, and urban pollution due to industry and transportation-Br, Hg. The air pollution has its maxima and minima according to weather or industrial conditions. The pollution requires 4 days to clear out. Other relations to weather conditions were also found.

Air pollution measurements in a semi-arid zone, using neutron activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shani, G.; Cohen, D.

1977-01-01

Neutron activation analysis was used for measurement of air pollution in a semi-arid zone. After a careful selection of the air filter, air samples were filtered in the city of Beer-Sheva in the south of Israel. The sampling took place over a period of 2 months with each sampling period lasting 2 days. The samples were irradiated in a thermal neutron flux of the order of 10 13 n/cm 2 sec for 1 h and the gamma spectrum was measured several times. The concentration of elements was concluded from the measured gamma spectrum. Several conclusions were obtained by combining the weather conditions with the measurement results. The air pollution can be divided into several sources: dust of a certain origin containing Fe, Co, Cr, Sc, Th and Na (probably from the Dead Sea area), other dust sources containing Sb, Eu, and Hf, and urban pollution due to industry and transportation-Br, Hg. The air pollution has its maxima and minima according to weather or industrial conditions. The pollution requires 4 days to clear out. Other relations to weather conditions were also found. (Auth.)

High-altitude wind prediction and measurement technology assessment

Science.gov (United States)

2009-06-30

The principles and operational characteristics of balloon and radar-based techniques for measuring upper air winds in support of launches and recoveries are presented. Though either a balloon or radar system could serve as a standalone system, the sa...

Air pulse deformation measurement: a preliminary method for noninvasive vocal fold pliability analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Larsson, Hans; Lindestad, P Å; Hertegård, S

2011-01-01

A new method, air pulse pliability measurement, is presented, with which the pliability and elasticity of the vocal folds was measured in vitro and in vivo using air pulses. The size of the mucosal movements induced by air pulse stimulation was measured with a laser-based technique. The air pulses fed via a 2-mm tubing, introduced through the working channel of a flexible endoscope. Both in vitro and in vivo tests were performed. Nine normal, vocally healthy subjects were examined by air pulse stimulations of the vocal folds, of the skin (cheek and dorsum of the hand) and of the inside of the lips. The in vitro tests showed a coefficient of variation of 5% within a range of 1-5 mm from the probe to the surface. The elasticity data showed no differences between vocal folds, lips or cheek. The hand data showed a significantly higher stiffness as compared to the other 3 measuring points (p measuring points, but in ideal conditions on skin it was 9%. The results show that the technique allows automatic, quantitative, noninvasive vocal fold pliability measurements on awake subjects. Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

A Climate Benchmark of Upper Air Temperature Observations from GNSS Radio Occultation

Science.gov (United States)

Ao, C. O.; Mannucci, A. J.; Leroy, S. S.; Verkhoglyadova, O. P.

2017-12-01

GPS (Global Positioning System), or more generally Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), radio occultation (RO) is a remote sensing technique that produces highly accurate temperature in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere across the globe with fine vertical resolution. Its fundamental measurement is the time delay of the microwave signal as it travels from a GNSS satellite to the receiver in low Earth orbit. With a relatively simple physical retrieval, the uncertainty in the derived temperature can be traced rigorously through the retrieval chain back to the raw measurements. The high absolute accuracy of RO allows these observations to be assimilated without bias correction in numerical weather prediction models and provides an anchor for assimilating other types of observations. The high accuracy, coupled with long-term stability, makes RO valuable in detecting decadal temperature trends. In this presentation, we will summarize the current state of RO observations and show temperature trends derived from 15 years of RO data in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. We will discuss our recent efforts in developing retrieval algorithms that are more tailored towards climate applications. Despite the relatively robust "self-calibrating" nature of RO observations, disparity in receiver hardware and software may introduce subtle differences that need to be carefully addressed. While the historic RO data record came from relatively homogeneous hardware based largely on NASA/JPL design (e.g., CHAMP and COSMIC), the future data will likely be comprised of a diverse set of observations from Europe, China, and various commercial data providers. In addition, the use of non-GPS navigation systems will become more prevalent. We will discuss the challenges involved in establishing a long-term RO climate data record from a suite of research and operational weather satellites with changes in instrumentation and coverage.

Measurement of low-ppm mixing ratios of water vapor in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere using chemical ionization mass spectrometry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. D. Thornberry

2013-06-01

Full Text Available A chemical ionization mass spectrometer (CIMS instrument has been developed for the fast, precise, and accurate measurement of water vapor (H2O at low mixing ratios in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UT/LS. A low-pressure flow of sample air passes through an ionization volume containing an α-particle radiation source, resulting in a cascade of ion-molecule reactions that produce hydronium ions (H3O+ from ambient H2O. The production of H3O+ ions from ambient H2O depends on pressure and flow through the ion source, which were tightly controlled in order to maintain the measurement sensitivity independent of changes in the airborne sampling environment. The instrument was calibrated every 45 min in flight by introducing a series of H2O mixing ratios between 0.5 and 153 parts per million (ppm, 10−6 mol mol−1 generated by Pt-catalyzed oxidation of H2 standards while overflowing the inlet with dry synthetic air. The CIMS H2O instrument was deployed in an unpressurized payload area aboard the NASA WB-57F high-altitude research aircraft during the Mid-latitude Airborne Cirrus Properties Experiment (MACPEX mission in March and April 2011. The instrument performed successfully during seven flights, measuring H2O mixing ratios below 5 ppm in the lower stratosphere at altitudes up to 17.7 km, and as low as 3.5 ppm near the tropopause. Data were acquired at 10 Hz and reported as 1 s averages. In-flight calibrations demonstrated a typical sensitivity of 2000 Hz ppm−1 at 3 ppm with a signal to noise ratio (2 σ, 1 s greater than 32. The total measurement uncertainty was 9 to 11%, derived from the uncertainty in the in situ calibrations.

Measurements of upper mantle shear wave anisotropy from a permanent network in southern Mexico

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Benthem, S.A.C.; Valenzuela, R.W.; Ponce, G.J.

2013-01-01

Upper mantle shear wave anisotropy under stations in southern Mexico was measured using records of SKS phases. Fast polarization directions where the Cocos plate subducts subhorizontally are oriented in the direction of the relative motion between the Cocos and North American plates, and are

A distribution law for relative humidity in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere derived from three years of MOZAIC measurements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Gierens

1999-09-01

Full Text Available Data from three years of MOZAIC measurements made it possible to determine a distribution law for the relative humidity in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. Data amounting to 13.5% of the total were obtained in regions with ice supersaturation. Troposphere and stratosphere are distinguished by an ozone concentration of 130 ppbv as threshold. The probability of measuring a certain amount of ice supersaturation in the troposphere decreases exponentially with the degree of ice supersaturation. The probability of measuring a certain relative humidity in the stratosphere (both with respect to water and ice decreases exponentially with the relative humidity. A stochastic model that naturally leads to the exponential distribution is provided. Mean supersaturation in the troposphere is about 15%, whereas ice nucleation requires 30% supersaturation on the average. This explains the frequency of regions in which aircraft induce persistent contrails but which are otherwise free of clouds. Ice supersaturated regions are 3-4 K colder and contain more than 50% more vapour than other regions in the upper troposphere. The stratospheric air masses sampled are dry, as expected, having mean relative humidity over water of 12% and over ice of 23%, respectively. However, 2% of the stratospheric data indicate ice supersaturation. As the MOZAIC measurements have been obtained on commercial flights mainly between Europe and North America, the data do not provide a complete global picture, but the exponential character of the distribution laws found is probably valid globally. Since water vapour is the most important greenhouse gas and since it might enhance the anthropogenic greenhouse effects via positive feedback mechanisms, it is important to represent its distribution correctly in climate models. The discovery of the distribution law of the relative humidity makes possible simple tests to show whether the hydrological cycle in climate models is

A programmable air sampler with adsorption tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riesing, J.; Roetzer, H.; Hick, H.

1997-01-01

The Air Sampler AS3 was utilized for the European Tracer Experiment (ETEX) to measure the concentrations of the perfluorocarbon tracers. At thirty-two sampling points these devices were placed to collect the tracer substances in adsorption tubes for subsequent laboratory analysis in the Environment Institute of the JRC Ispra. The Air Sampler is also suitable for monitoring the environment, particularly of industrial emitters or landfills, by sampling of volatile substances. The Air Sampler AS3 is a portable, user-friendly instrument due to light weight, ruggedness and reliable operation. It is capable of fully automatic sampling of air and gas with 24 adsorption tubes and program-controlled gas flow. Collection times can be programmed freely between 1 sec and 8 days and waiting times between 1 sec and 30 days. Programming is possible via keyboard, memory card or serial interface. A protocol of sampling control data is stored on a memory card giving documentation of sampling conditions. On the memory card there is space for the storage of 10 sampling programs and 10 sets of sampling control data. Before the start of ETEX the AS3 was used in a measurement campaign to measure the background concentrations of the perfluorocarbon tracers in Austria. In the provinces of Upper Austria and Salzburg the Air Sampler is used by the departments for environmental protection for the monitoring of BTX-concentrations in air. (author)

Speciated arsenic in air: measurement methodology and risk assessment considerations.

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Ari S; Reid, Kim R; Pollock, Margaret C; Campleman, Sharan L

2012-01-01

Accurate measurement of arsenic (As) in air is critical to providing a more robust understanding of arsenic exposures and associated human health risks. Although there is extensive information available on total arsenic in air, less is known on the relative contribution of each arsenic species. To address this data gap, the authors conducted an in-depth review of available information on speciated arsenic in air. The evaluation included the type of species measured and the relative abundance, as well as an analysis of the limitations of current analytical methods. Despite inherent differences in the procedures, most techniques effectively separated arsenic species in the air samples. Common analytical techniques such as inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and/or hydride generation (HG)- or quartz furnace (GF)-atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) were used for arsenic measurement in the extracts, and provided some of the most sensitive detection limits. The current analysis demonstrated that, despite limited comparability among studies due to differences in seasonal factors, study duration, sample collection methods, and analytical methods, research conducted to date is adequate to show that arsenic in air is mainly in the inorganic form. Reported average concentrations of As(III) and As(V) ranged up to 7.4 and 10.4 ng/m3, respectively, with As(V) being more prevalent than As(III) in most studies. Concentrations of the organic methylated arsenic compounds are negligible (in the pg/m3 range). However because of the variability in study methods and measurement methodology, the authors were unable to determine the variation in arsenic composition as a function of source or particulate matter (PM) fraction. In this work, the authors include the implications of arsenic speciation in air on potential exposure and risks. The authors conclude that it is important to synchronize sample collection, preparation, and analytical techniques in order to generate

Measurements of indoor thermal environment and energy analysis in a large space building in typical seasons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Chen; Zou, Zhijun; Li, Meiling; Wang, Xin; Huang, Wugang; Yang, Jiangang [University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai (China); Li, Wei; Xiao, Xueqin [Shanghai International Gymnastics Stadium, Shanghai (China)

2007-05-15

Shanghai International Gymnastics Stadium is the selected object for site-measurement. The site-measurements have been carried out during summer, winter, and the transitional seasons. Their indoor thermal environments were controlled by continuous air-conditioning, intermittent air-conditioning and natural ventilation, respectively. The site-measurement includes outdoor environment (the weather conditions and peripheral hallway), indoor air temperature distribution (the occupant zone temperature, radial temperature near upper openings and the vertical temperature distributions, etc.), and the heat balance of air-conditioning system, etc. It is found that temperature stratification in winter with air-conditioning is most obvious. The maximum difference of vertical temperature is 15{sup o}C in winter. The second largest one is 12{sup o}C in summer, and less than 2{sup o}C in the transitional season. The results of measurements indicate that it is different in the characteristics on energy saving of upper openings during the different seasons. With heat balance measurements, it is discovered that the roof load and ventilated and infiltrated load account for larger percentages in terms of cooling and heating load. In this paper, many discussions on the results of site measurements show some characteristics and regulations of indoor thermal environment in large space building. (author)

Positive pressure ventilation in a patient with a right upper lobar bronchocutaneous fistula: right upper bronchus occlusion using the cuff of a left-sided double lumen endobronchial tube.

Science.gov (United States)

Omori, Chieko; Toyama, Hiroaki; Takei, Yusuke; Ejima, Yutaka; Yamauchi, Masanori

2017-08-01

In patients with a bronchocutaneous fistula, positive pressure ventilation leads to air leakage and potential hypoxemia. A male patient with a right upper bronchocutaneous fistula was scheduled for esophageal reconstruction. His preoperative chest computed tomography image revealed aeration in the right middle and lower lobe, a large bulla in the left upper lobe, and pleural effusion and pneumonia in the left lower lobe. Therefore, left one-lung ventilation was considered to result in hypoxemia. Before anesthesia induction, the bronchocutaneous fistula was covered with gauze and film to prevent air leakage. After anesthesia induction, mask ventilation was performed with a peak positive pressure of 10 cmH 2 O. A left-sided double lumen endobronchial tube (DLT) was then inserted into the right main bronchus for occluding only the right superior bronchus, and two-lung ventilation was performed to minimize airway pressure and maintain oxygenation, which did not cause air leakage through the fistula. During anesthesia, no ventilation-related difficulty was faced. The method of inserting a left-sided DLT into the right main bronchus and occluding the right upper bronchus selectively by bronchial cuff is considered to be an option for mechanical ventilation in patients with a right upper bronchial fistula, as demonstrated in the present case.

Use of electrochemical sensors for measurement of air pollution: correcting interference response and validating measurements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. S. Cross

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The environments in which we live, work, and play are subject to enormous variability in air pollutant concentrations. To adequately characterize air quality (AQ, measurements must be fast (real time, scalable, and reliable (with known accuracy, precision, and stability over time. Lower-cost air-quality-sensor technologies offer new opportunities for fast and distributed measurements, but a persistent characterization gap remains when it comes to evaluating sensor performance under realistic environmental sampling conditions. This limits our ability to inform the public about pollution sources and inspire policy makers to address environmental justice issues related to air quality. In this paper, initial results obtained with a recently developed lower-cost air-quality-sensor system are reported. In this project, data were acquired with the ARISense integrated sensor package over a 4.5-month time interval during which the sensor system was co-located with a state-operated (Massachusetts, USA air quality monitoring station equipped with reference instrumentation measuring the same pollutant species. This paper focuses on validating electrochemical (EC sensor measurements of CO, NO, NO2, and O3 at an urban neighborhood site with pollutant concentration ranges (parts per billion by volume, ppb; 5 min averages, ±1σ: [CO]  =  231 ± 116 ppb (spanning 84–1706 ppb, [NO]  =  6.1 ± 11.5 ppb (spanning 0–209 ppb, [NO2]  =  11.7 ± 8.3 ppb (spanning 0–71 ppb, and [O3]  =  23.2 ± 12.5 ppb (spanning 0–99 ppb. Through the use of high-dimensional model representation (HDMR, we show that interference effects derived from the variable ambient gas concentration mix and changing environmental conditions over three seasons (sensor flow-cell temperature  =  23.4 ± 8.5 °C, spanning 4.1 to 45.2 °C; and relative humidity  =  50.1 ± 15.3 %, spanning 9.8–79.9�

Measurement of nitrogen dioxide in the air

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Monteriolo, S C; Bertolaccini, M A

1973-01-01

A comparative study of automatic analytical methods for the monitoring of nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide in the air indicates the need for a correct chemical conversion of the nonmeasurable species into the measurable species to obtain dependable results. The automatic colorimetric and chemiluminescent methods were compared to the manual colorimeter, and the electrochemical method was compared to chemiluminescence. Average, minimum, and maximum values are given for each comparison. All three methods are equally valid, in response linearity, sensitivity, and concentration limit, for the determination of nitric oxide, the measurable species. The determination of nitrogen dioxide, however, is strictly dependent on the efficiency of the conversion of the non-measurable species into the measurable form.

Do Activity Level Outcome Measures Commonly Used in Neurological Practice Assess Upper-Limb Movement Quality?

Science.gov (United States)

Demers, Marika; Levin, Mindy F

2017-07-01

Movement is described in terms of task-related end point characteristics in external space and movement quality (joint rotations in body space). Assessment of upper-limb (UL) movement quality can assist therapists in designing effective treatment approaches for retraining lost motor elements and provide more detailed measurements of UL motor improvements over time. To determine the extent to which current activity level outcome measures used in neurological practice assess UL movement quality. Outcome measures assessing arm/hand function at the International Classification of Function activity level recommended by neurological clinical practice guidelines were reviewed. Measures assessing the UL as part of a general mobility assessment, those strictly evaluating body function/structure or participation, and paediatric measures were excluded. In all, 15 activity level outcome measures were identified; 9 measures assess how movement is performed by measuring either end point characteristics or movement quality. However, except for the Reaching Performance Scale for Stroke and the Motor Evaluation Scale for Upper Extremity in Stroke Patients, these measures only account for deficits indirectly by giving a partial score if movements are slower or if the person experiences difficulties. Six outcome measures neither assess any parameters related to movement quality, nor distinguish between improvements resulting from motor compensation or recovery of desired movement strategies. Current activity measures may not distinguish recovery from compensation and adequately track changes in movement quality over time. Movement quality may be incorporated into clinical assessment using observational kinematics with or without low-cost motion tracking technology.

Measurements of acetylene in air extracted from polar ice cores

Science.gov (United States)

Nicewonger, M. R.; Aydin, M.; Montzka, S. A.; Saltzman, E. S.

2016-12-01

Acetylene (ethyne) is a non-methane hydrocarbon emitted during combustion of fossil fuels, biofuels, and biomass. The major atmospheric loss pathway of acetylene is oxidation by hydroxyl radical with a lifetime estimated at roughly two weeks. The mean annual acetylene levels over Greenland and Antarctica are 250 ppt and 20 ppt, respectively. Firn air measurements suggest atmospheric acetylene is preserved unaltered in polar snow and firn. Atmospheric reconstructions based on firn air measurements indicate acetylene levels rose significantly during the twentieth century, peaked near 1980, then declined to modern day levels. This historical trend is similar to that of other fossil fuel-derived non-methane hydrocarbons. In the preindustrial atmosphere, acetylene levels should primarily reflect emissions from biomass burning. In this study, we present the first measurements of acetylene in preindustrial air extracted from polar ice cores. Air from fluid and dry-drilled ice cores from Summit, Greenland and WAIS-Divide Antarctica is extracted using a wet-extraction technique. The ice core air is analyzed using gas chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry. Between 1400 to 1800 C.E., acetylene levels over Greenland and Antarctica varied between roughly 70-120 ppt and 10-30 ppt, respectively. The preindustrial Greenland acetylene levels are significantly lower than modern levels, reflecting the importance of northern hemisphere fossil fuel sources today. The preindustrial Antarctic acetylene levels are comparable to modern day levels, indicating similar emissions in the preindustrial atmosphere, likely from biomass burning. The implications of the preindustrial atmospheric acetylene records from both hemispheres will be discussed.

Indoor air-quality measurements in energy-efficient residential buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berk, J.V.; Hollowell, C.D.; Pepper, J.H.; Young, R.

1980-05-01

The potential impact on indoor air quality of energy-conserving measures that reduce ventilation is being assessed in a field-monitoring program conducted by the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. Using a mobile laboratory, on-site monitoring of infiltration rate, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, nitric oxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide, formaldehyde, total aldehydes, and particulates was conducted in three houses designed to be energy-efficient. Preliminary results show that energy-conserving design features that reduce air-exchange rates compromise indoor air quality; specifically, indoor levels of several pollutants were found to exceed levels detected outdoors. Although the indoor levels of most pollutants are within limits established by present outdoor air-quality standards, considerable work remains to be accomplished before health-risk effects can be accurately assessed and broad-scale regulatory guidelines revised to comply with energy-conservation goals.

Measure Guideline: Combustion Safety for Natural Draft Appliances Using Indoor Air

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brand, L.

2014-04-01

This measure guideline covers how to assess and carry out the combustion safety procedures for appliances and heating equipment that uses indoor air for combustion in low-rise residential buildings. Only appliances installed in the living space, or in an area freely communicating with the living space, vented alone or in tandem with another appliance are considered here. A separate measure guideline addresses combustion appliances located either within the living space in enclosed closets or side rooms or outside the living space in an adjacent area like an attic or garage that use outdoor air for combustion. This document is for inspectors, auditors, and technicians working in homes where energy upgrades are being conducted whether or not air infiltration control is included in the package of measures being applied. In the indoor combustion air case, guidelines summarized here are based on language provided in several of the codes to establish minimum requirements for the space using simplified prescriptive measures. In addition, building performance testing procedures are provided by testing agencies. The codes in combination with the test procedures offer comprehensive combustion safety coverage to address safety concerns, allowing inexperienced residential energy retrofit inspectors to effectively address combustion safety issues and allow energy retrofits to proceed.

Measuring air layer volumes retained by submerged floating-ferns Salvinia and biomimetic superhydrophobic surfaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthias J. Mayser

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Some plants and animals feature superhydrophobic surfaces capable of retaining a layer of air when submerged under water. Long-term air retaining surfaces (Salvinia-effect are of high interest for biomimetic applications like drag reduction in ship coatings of up to 30%. Here we present a novel method for measuring air volumes and air loss under water. We recorded the buoyancy force of the air layer on leaf surfaces of four different Salvinia species and on one biomimetic surface using a highly sensitive custom made strain gauge force transducer setup. The volume of air held by a surface was quantified by comparing the buoyancy force of the specimen with and then without an air layer. Air volumes retained by the Salvinia-surfaces ranged between 0.15 and 1 L/m2 depending on differences in surface architecture. We verified the precision of the method by comparing the measured air volumes with theoretical volume calculations and could find a good agreement between both values. In this context we present techniques to calculate air volumes on surfaces with complex microstructures. The introduced method also allows to measure decrease or increase of air layers with high accuracy in real-time to understand dynamic processes.

Air quality measurements in urban green areas - a case study

Science.gov (United States)

Kuttler, W.; Strassburger, A.

The influence of traffic-induced pollutants (e.g. CO, NO, NO 2 and O 3) on the air quality of urban areas was investigated in the city of Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Germany. Twelve air hygiene profile measuring trips were made to analyse the trace gas distribution in the urban area with high spatial resolution and to compare the air hygiene situation of urban green areas with the overall situation of urban pollution. Seventeen measurements were made to determine the diurnal concentration courses within urban parks (summer conditions: 13 measurements, 530 30 min mean values, winter conditions: 4 measurements, 128 30 min mean values). The measurements were carried out during mainly calm wind and cloudless conditions between February 1995 and March 1996. It was possible to establish highly differentiated spatial concentration patterns within the urban area. These patterns were correlated with five general types of land use (motorway, main road, secondary road, residential area, green area) which were influenced to varying degrees by traffic emissions. Urban parks downwind from the main emission sources show the following typical temporal concentration courses: In summer rush-hour-dependent CO, NO and NO 2 maxima only occurred in the morning. A high NO 2/NO ratio was established during weather conditions with high global radiation intensities ( K>800 W m -2), which may result in a high O 3 formation potential. Some of the values measured found in one of the parks investigated (Gruga Park, Essen, area: 0.7 km 2), which were as high as 275 μg m -3 O 3 (30-min mean value) were significantly higher than the German air quality standard of 120 μg m -3 (30-min mean value, VDI Guideline 2310, 1996) which currently applies in Germany and about 20% above the maximum values measured on the same day by the network of the North Rhine-Westphalian State Environment Agency. In winter high CO and NO concentrations occur in the morning and during the afternoon rush-hour. The

Concentration of Radon Progeny in Air by Alpha Spectrometry Measurement; Medida de los descendientes del radon en aire por Espectrometria Alfa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Acena, M L; Crespo, M T

1989-07-01

The concentration of radon progeny in air has been determined by alpha spectrometry measurement of 214 Po and 318 Po. A known volume of air was passed through a filter, then the alpha activity was directly measured on this filter. (Author) 15 refs.

Intercomparison of different instruments for measuring radon concentration in air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimo, Michikuni; Iida, Takao

1990-01-01

An intercomparison of different instruments for measurement of radon concentration was carried out. The instruments include an ionization chamber, the charcoal-trap method, a flow-type ionization chamber (pulse-counting method), a two-filter method, an electrostatic collection method and a passive integration radon monitor. All instruments except for the passive radon monitor have been calibrated independently. Measurements were performed over a concentration range from about 3.5 Bq·m -3 (in outdoor air) to 110 Bq·m -3 (in indoor air). The results obtained by these techniques, except the two-filter technique, are comparable. Radon daughter concentration measured using a filter-sampling method was about 52% of radon concentration. (author)

Intercomparison of different instruments that measure radon concentration in air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimo, M.; Iida, T.; Ikebe, Y.

1987-01-01

An intercomparison of different instruments for measurement of radon concentration was carried out. The instruments include an ionization chamber, the charcoal-trap technique, a flow-type ionization chamber (pulse-counting technique), a two-filter method, an electrostatic collection method and a passive integrating radon monitor. All instruments except for the passive radon monitor have been calibrated independently. Measurements were performed over a concentration range from about 3.5 Bq/m/sup 3/ (in outdoor air) to 110 Bq/m/sup 3/ (in indoor air). The results obtained from these techniques, except the two-filter technique, are comparable. Radon daughter concentration measured using a filter-sampling technique was about 52% of radon concentrations

Incorporating Measurement Error from Modeled Air Pollution Exposures into Epidemiological Analyses.

Science.gov (United States)

Samoli, Evangelia; Butland, Barbara K

2017-12-01

Outdoor air pollution exposures used in epidemiological studies are commonly predicted from spatiotemporal models incorporating limited measurements, temporal factors, geographic information system variables, and/or satellite data. Measurement error in these exposure estimates leads to imprecise estimation of health effects and their standard errors. We reviewed methods for measurement error correction that have been applied in epidemiological studies that use model-derived air pollution data. We identified seven cohort studies and one panel study that have employed measurement error correction methods. These methods included regression calibration, risk set regression calibration, regression calibration with instrumental variables, the simulation extrapolation approach (SIMEX), and methods under the non-parametric or parameter bootstrap. Corrections resulted in small increases in the absolute magnitude of the health effect estimate and its standard error under most scenarios. Limited application of measurement error correction methods in air pollution studies may be attributed to the absence of exposure validation data and the methodological complexity of the proposed methods. Future epidemiological studies should consider in their design phase the requirements for the measurement error correction method to be later applied, while methodological advances are needed under the multi-pollutants setting.

Measuring Air Density in the Introductory Lab

Science.gov (United States)

Calza, G.; Gratton, L. M.; Lopez-Arias, T.; Oss, S.

2010-01-01

The measurement of the mass, or the density, of air can easily be done with very simple materials and offers many interesting phenomena for discussion--buoyancy and its effects being the most obvious but not the only one. Many interesting considerations can be done regarding the behavior of gases, the effect of the external conditions in the…

The air quality in Norwegian cities. Development - reasons - measures - future

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larssen, Steinar; Hagen, Leif Otto

1998-12-01

There is an increasing focus on the air quality in Norwegian cities and townships. The air quality depends on several factors and the connections are complex. The aim of this report is to present a short and simple survey of this complex field. The report consists of three parts: Part 1 is a survey of the development until today. Measurements of SO 2 and soot were started in the 1950's. Systematic determinations of NO x and NO 2 , CO and particles, ozone and benzene was started during the last three decades. The population exposure to air pollutants and their main sources are described as well as the air quality in Norwegian cities compared to other cities in Europe. In part 2 developments within transport, a sector necessary for understanding the development, are described. Part 3 is a survey of forecasting the air quality in Norway, pollution warnings and surveillance. The forecasts are based on assumed developments in important sectors such as transport, energy consumption for heating and industrial purposes and the effects of demands for fuel and vehicles. Effect analyses of further measures which may be useful for reaching the national goals for the air quality are carried out. A survey of the most important limiting values and criteria as well as technical terms is presented in the report and in the appendix. The report is commissioned by the Norwegian Petroleum Institute (Norsk Petroleumsinstitutt) and the Norwegian Road Federation (Opplysningsraadet for Veitrafikken)

Cosmic Ray-Air Shower Measurement from Space

Science.gov (United States)

Takahashi, Yoshiyuki

1997-01-01

A feasibility study has been initiated to observe from space the highest energy cosmic rays above 1021 eV. A satellite observatory concept, the Maximum-energy Auger (Air)-Shower Satellite (MASS), is recently renamed as the Orbital Wide-angle Collector (OWL) by taking its unique feature of using a very wide field-of-view (FOV) optics. A huge array of imaging devices (about 10(exp 6) pixels) is required to detect and record fluorescent light profiles of cosmic ray cascades in the atmosphere. The FOV of MASS could extend to as large as about 60 in. diameter, which views (500 - 1000 km) of earth's surface and more than 300 - 1000 cosmic ray events per year could be observed above 1020 eV. From far above the atmosphere, the MASS/OWL satellite should be capable of observing events at all angles including near horizontal tracks, and would have considerable aperture for high energy photon and neutrino observation. With a large aperture and the spatial and temporal resolution, MASS could determine the energy spectrum, the mass composition, and arrival anisotropy of cosmic rays from 1020 eV to 1022 eV; a region hitherto not explored by ground-based detectors such as the Fly's Eye and air-shower arrays. MASS/OWL's ability to identify cosmic neutrinos and gamma rays may help providing evidence for the theory which attributes the above cut-off cosmic ray flux to the decay of topological defects. Very wide FOV optics system of MASS/OWL with a large array of imaging devices is applicable to observe other atmospheric phenomena including upper atmospheric lightning. The wide FOV MASS optics being developed can also improve ground-based gamma-ray observatories by allowing simultaneous observation of many gamma ray sources located at different constellations.

Measurement of air entrainment in plasma jets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fincke, J.R.; Rodriquez, R.; Pentecost, C.G.

1990-01-01

The concentration and temperature of air entrained into argon and helium plasma jets has been measured using coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS). The argon plasma flow field is characterized by a short region of well behaved laminar flow near the nozzle exit followed by an abrupt transition to turbulence. Once the transition of turbulence occurs, air is rapidly mixed into the jet core. The location of the transition region is determined by the rapid cooling of the jet and the resulting increase in Reynolds number. In contrast, the helium plasma flow field never exceeds a Reynolds number of 200 and remains laminar. The entrainment process in this case is controlled by molecular diffusion rather than turbulent mixing. 9 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab

Spectrally resolved pressure dependence measurements of air fluorescence emission with AIRFLY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ave, M.; Bohacova, M.; Buonomo, B.; Busca, N.; Cazon, L.; Chemerisov, S.D.; Conde, M.E.; Crowell, R.A.; Di Carlo, P.; Di Giulio, C.; Doubrava, M.; Esposito, A.; Facal, P.; Franchini, F.J.; Hoerandel, J.; Hrabovsky, M.; Iarlori, M.; Kasprzyk, T.E.; Keilhauer, B.; Klages, H.

2008-01-01

The knowledge of the fluorescence emission as a function of atmospheric parameters is essential for the detection of extensive air showers with the fluorescence technique. In this paper, we summarize AIRFLY published measurements of the pressure dependence of the fluorescence yield. The spectral distribution of the fluorescent light between 280 and 429 nm has been measured with high resolution. Relative intensities of 34 spectral lines have been determined. The pressure dependence of 25 lines was measured in terms of quenching reference pressures p λ ' in air. This set of AIRFLY measurements yields the most comprehensive parametrization of the pressure dependence of the fluorescent spectrum.

Differences in blood pressure measurements in the forearm and upper arm of obese otherwise healthy first year medical students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suganthi V, Navin Rajaratnam, Suzanne Maria D’cruz

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Background: The prevalence of obesity is increasing in Indian youth and obesity is associated with complications like systemic hypertension. Often, due to the non-availability of appropriate sized cuffs, standard cuff bladders are used to measure blood pressure in the forearms of obese young adults. Aim: To compare the upper arm arterial blood pressure measured using an appropriate cuff with the forearm arterial blood pressure measured using a standard cuff and conventional sphygmomanometry in obese otherwise healthy first year medical students. Materials and Methods: Blood pressure was measured in 27 obese otherwise healthy first year medical students after five minutes of rest using a mercury sphygmomanometer with the subjects seated and the arm and forearm at heart level, using an appropriate sized cuff for the upper arm according to American Heart Association standards and a standard cuff for the fore arm. Results: A statistically significant difference in both systolic [t-test (paired = -6.921; df = 26; sig = .000 (2- tailed] and diastolic blood pressure [t-test (paired = -8.508; df = 26; sig = .000 (2- tailed] was found, with the blood pressure readings being higher in the forearm. The correlations between upper arm and forearm systolic and diastolic blood pressure were 0.785 (p = .000 and 0.870 (p = .000. Conclusion: Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements were significantly higher in the forearm. Further studies with larger sample size should be conducted to confirm that forearm blood pressure measurements using standard cuff bladders cannot be considered equal to upper arm measurements made using an appropriate sized cuff in all young obese individuals

Association between air pollution and general practitioner visits for respiratory diseases in Hong Kong

OpenAIRE

Wong, TW; Tam, W; Wun, YT; Wong, CM; Yu, ITS; Wong, AHS

2006-01-01

Background: Few studies have explored the relation between air pollution and general practitioner (GP) consultations in Asia. Clinic attendance data from a network of GPs were studied, and the relationship between daily GP consultations for upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) and non-URTI respiratory diseases and daily air pollutant concentrations measured in their respective districts was examined. Methods: A time series study was performed in 2000-2002 using data on daily patient cons...

Application of New MODIS-Based Aerosol Index for Air Pollution Severity Assessment and Mapping in Upper Northern Thailand

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chat Phayungwiwatthanakoon

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This paper reports capability of a newly-proposed index called the aerosol prediction index (API in the determination and mapping of near-ground PM10 concentrations (at spatial resolution of 500 x 500 m during the 2009 and 2010 burning seasons in upper northern Thailand. API is a normalized index defined based on the difference in the observed reflectance data at two spectral bands of the MODIS instrument aboard NASA�s Terra satellite; Band 3 (blue and Band 7 (mid-infrared. Initial analysis suggested that API had strong correlation with the corresponding MODIS-AOD and AERONET-AOD with coefficient of determination (R2 about 0.62 in both cases, and also with the reference PM10 data with R2 of 0.66. In terms of predictive performance, it exhibited low bias at low PM10 condition and achieved impressive prediction accuracy with relative error of 10.78 %. The near-ground PM10 concentration map yielded from the proposed index was proved very useful in the comprehensive assessment of aerosol pollution situation over entire area at fine spatial detail. This task could not be fulfilled from sole use of the ground-based measured data or standard MODIS-AOD product. These findings indicate that API should be a promising tool for the regular monitoring of air pollution severity over the concerned area.

Measurement and Modelling of Air Flow Rate in a Naturally Ventilated Double Skin Facade

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heiselberg, Per; Kalyanova, Olena; Jensen, Rasmus Lund

2008-01-01

Air flow rate in a naturally ventilated double skin façade (DSF) is extremely difficult to measure due to the stochastic nature of wind, and as a consequence non-uniform and dynamic flow conditions. This paper describes the results of two different methods to measure the air flow in a full...... by the thermal simulation program, BSim, based on measured weather boundary conditions are compared to the measured air temperature, temperature gradient and mass flow rate in the DSF cavity. The results show that it is possible to predict the temperature distribution and airflow in the DSF although some......-scale outdoor test facility with a naturally ventilated double skin façade. Although both methods are difficult to use under such dynamic air flow conditions, they show reasonable agreement and can be used for experimental validation of numerical models of natural ventilation air flow in DSF. Simulations...

Upper atmosphere research at INPE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clemesha, B.R.

1984-01-01

Upper atmosphere research at INPE is mainly concerned with the chemistry and dynamics of the stratosphere, upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere, and the middle thermosphere. Experimental work includes lidar observations of the stratospheric aerosol, measurements of stratospheric ozone by Dobson spectrophotometers and by balloon and rocket-borne sondes, lidar measurements of atmospheric sodium, and photometric observations of O, O 2 , OH and Na emissions, including interferrometric measurements of the OI6300 emission for the purpose of determing thermospheric winds and temperature. The airglow observations also include measurements of a number of emissions produced by the precipitation of energetic neutral particles generated by charge exchange in the ring current. Some recent results of INPE's upper atmosphere program are presented. (Author) [pt

New website SOLVE on traffic measures for a better air quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hesselmans, T.

2007-01-01

SOLVE is the Dutch abbreviation for fast solutions for air and traffic and is a website by means of which provinces and municipalities in the Netherlands can gain insight into the best measures for traffic to improve the quality of the ambient air [nl

In want of measurements of air pollution from wood smoke

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Czeskleba-Dupont, Rolf; Czeskleba-Dupont, Solveig

2007-01-01

, handy measuring instruments at their disposal, so that the inconvenience from smoke could be analytically documented. The contribution details arguments on serious wood smoke pollution, health problems and  regulations  needed.  Local measurements should be promoted  regarding air pollution from...... of ventilation and fine cracks in the outer walls. In the night people can not air the bedrooms without getting the rooms filled with wood smoke. Until now the regulations of wood smoke have been ineffective. - It would be a great step forward, if local authorities and smoke affected people could have effective...

On the use of dorsiventral reflectance asymmetry of hornbeam (Carpinus betulus L.) leaves in air pollution estimation.

Science.gov (United States)

Brackx, Melanka; Verhelst, Jolien; Scheunders, Paul; Samson, Roeland

2017-08-25

This study examines the role of dorsiventral leaf measurements in reflectance-based air quality estimation. The dorsiventral asymmetry is used to describe the difference between the upper (adaxial) and lower (abaxial) leaf side. Spectral characteristics of dorsiventral asymmetry and both adaxial and abaxial leaf reflectance are investigated for a typical dicotyledonous species Carpinus betulus used in an urban environment. The link with traffic-related air pollution is established and the potential for monitoring of air quality is evaluated. We conclude that dorsiventral reflectance asymmetry is a factor that should not be ignored in canopy measurements and modeling. On the other hand, the benefits of dorsiventral asymmetry indices as a tool for reflectance-based air quality seem limited.

Field Measurements of Perceived Air Quality in the Test-Bed for Innovative Climate Conditioning Technologies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kolarik, Jakub; Toftum, Jørn; Kabrhel, Michal

the potential influence of aforementioned technologies on the perceived air quality. Additionally, the effect of Demand Controlled Ventilation (DCV) on the perceived air quality was tested. Measurements comprised of the assessments of perceived air quality and objective measurements of operative temperature...

Feasibility study for CPR1000 incore measurement instrumentation educed from the reactor pressure vessel upper head

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guang Jianwei; Liu Qian; Li Wenhong; Duan Yuangang

2010-01-01

The article discusses about the feasibility of in-core measurement instrumentation educed from the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) upper head. Incore instrumentation educed from the reactor pressure vessel upper head is one of advanced technology in the third generation nuclear power plant. This technology can reduce the manufacture problem of RPV; decrease the manufacture time effectively. Furthermore, this technology can get rid of the trouble for loss of water caused by many penetrations in the RPV bottom head, can increase security of nuclear power plant. By the description of structure analysis, comparison, maturity for four type incore instrumentation detectors, the incore instrumentation can be educed from RPV upper head, which can increase reactor's security, reduce the manufacture time, decrease group dose in refueling period. The core design ability can be enhanced through this study. (authors)

Measurement of microwave radiation from electron beam in the atmosphere

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ohta, I.S.; Akimune, H. [Faculty of Science and Engineering, Konan University, Kobe 658-8501 (Japan); Fukushima, M.; Ikeda, D. [Institute of Cosmic Ray Research, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8582 (Japan); Inome, Y. [Faculty of Science and Engineering, Konan University, Kobe 658-8501 (Japan); Matthews, J.N. [University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 4112-0830 (United States); Ogio, S. [Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka 558-8585 (Japan); Sagawa, H. [Institute of Cosmic Ray Research, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8582 (Japan); Sako, T. [Solar-Terrestrial Environment Laboratory, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601 (Japan); Shibata, T. [High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), Tsukuba 305-0801 (Japan); Yamamoto, T., E-mail: tokonatu@konan-u.ac.jp [Faculty of Science and Engineering, Konan University, Kobe 658-8501 (Japan)

2016-02-21

We report the use of an electron light source (ELS) located at the Telescope Array Observatory in Utah, USA, to measure the isotropic microwave radiation from air showers. To simulate extensive air showers, the ELS emits an electron beam into the atmosphere and a parabola antenna system for the satellite communication is used to measure the microwave radiation from the electron beam. Based on this measurement, an upper limit on the intensity of a 12.5 GHz microwave radiation at 0.5 m from a 10{sup 18} eV air shower was estimated to be 3.96×10{sup −16} W m{sup −2} Hz{sup −1} with a 95% confidence level.

On the feasibility of measuring urban air pollution by wireless distributed sensor networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Moltchanov, Sharon; Levy, Ilan; Etzion, Yael; Lerner, Uri; Broday, David M; Fishbain, Barak

2015-01-01

Accurate evaluation of air pollution on human-wellbeing requires high-resolution measurements. Standard air quality monitoring stations provide accurate pollution levels but due to their sparse distribution they cannot capture the highly resolved spatial variations within cities. Similarly, dedicated field campaigns can use tens of measurement devices and obtain highly dense spatial coverage but normally deployment has been limited to short periods of no more than few weeks. Nowadays, advances in communication and sensory technologies enable the deployment of dense grids of wireless distributed air monitoring nodes, yet their sensor ability to capture the spatiotemporal pollutant variability at the sub-neighborhood scale has never been thoroughly tested. This study reports ambient measurements of gaseous air pollutants by a network of six wireless multi-sensor miniature nodes that have been deployed in three urban sites, about 150 m apart. We demonstrate the network's capability to capture spatiotemporal concentration variations at an exceptional fine resolution but highlight the need for a frequent in-situ calibration to maintain the consistency of some sensors. Accordingly, a procedure for a field calibration is proposed and shown to improve the system's performance. Overall, our results support the compatibility of wireless distributed sensor networks for measuring urban air pollution at a sub-neighborhood spatial resolution, which suits the requirement for highly spatiotemporal resolved measurements at the breathing-height when assessing exposure to urban air pollution. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Isometric and isokinetic muscle strength in the upper extremity can be reliably measured in persons with chronic stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

Ekstrand, Elisabeth; Lexell, Jan; Brogårdh, Christina

2015-09-01

To evaluate the test-retest reliability of isometric and isokinetic muscle strength measurements in the upper extremity after stroke. A test-retest design. Forty-five persons with mild to moderate paresis in the upper extremity > 6 months post-stroke. Isometric arm strength (shoulder abduction, elbow flexion), isokinetic arm strength (elbow extension/flexion) and isometric grip strength were measured with electronic dynamometers. Reliability was evaluated with intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC), changes in the mean, standard error of measurements (SEM) and smallest real differences (SRD). Reliability was high (ICCs: 0.92-0.97). The absolute and relative (%) SEM ranged from 2.7 Nm (5.6%) to 3.0 Nm (9.4%) for isometric arm strength, 2.6 Nm (7.4%) to 2.9 Nm (12.6%) for isokinetic arm strength, and 22.3 N (7.6%) to 26.4 N (9.2%) for grip strength. The absolute and relative (%) SRD ranged from 7.5 Nm (15.5%) to 8.4 Nm (26.1%) for isometric arm strength, 7.1 Nm (20.6%) to 8.0 Nm (34.8%) for isokinetic arm strength, and 61.8 N (21.0%) to 73.3 N (25.6%) for grip strength. Muscle strength in the upper extremity can be reliably measured in persons with chronic stroke. Isometric measurements yield smaller measurement errors than isokinetic measurements and might be preferred, but the choice depends on the research question.

75 FR 81471 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Minnesota; Sulfur Dioxide SIP...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-28

... measured at Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN, and upper air data was measured at St. Cloud, MN. The modeling used a...'s ability to attain and maintain the one-hour SO 2 standard. IV. What action is EPA taking? EPA is... notes that it will not impose substantial direct costs on Tribal governments or preempt Tribal law. The...

Technical assessment of air quality measuring analyzers; Evaluation technique des analyseurs de mesure de la qualite de l`air

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tatry, V. [Laboratoire de mesures a l`air ambiant, Dept. Mesures et Analyses, INERIS, (France)

1996-12-31

Air quality measuring analyzers are assessed in order to verify their measuring performance and to examine their aptitude to field measurements. For ensuring such assessment, the INERIS institute (France) disposes of three climatic enclosures, gas mixture emission systems and data acquisition systems. The assessment methodology is presented together with the various possible results: response time, linearity and limits determination, calibration studies, thresholds, drifts, hysteresis, physical detrimental effects, etc. Applications such as analyzers for one or more pollutants in ambient air and at the emission source (portable multi-gas analyzers) are presented, together with their results

Two-phase air-water stratified flow measurement using ultrasonic techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan, Shiwei; Yan, Tinghu; Yeung, Hoi

2014-01-01

In this paper, a time resolved ultrasound system was developed for investigating two-phase air-water stratified flow. The hardware of the system includes a pulsed wave transducer, a pulser/receiver, and a digital oscilloscope. The time domain cross correlation method is used to calculate the velocity profile along ultrasonic beam. The system is able to provide velocities with spatial resolution of around 1mm and the temporal resolution of 200μs. Experiments were carried out on single phase water flow and two-phase air-water stratified flow. For single phase water flow, the flow rates from ultrasound system were compared with those from electromagnetic flow (EM) meter, which showed good agreement. Then, the experiments were conducted on two-phase air-water stratified flow and the results were given. Compared with liquid height measurement from conductance probe, it indicated that the measured velocities were explainable

Computation and measurement of air temperature distribution of an industrial melt blowing die

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wu Li-Li

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The air flow field of the dual slot die on an HDF-6D melt blowing non-woven equipment is computed numerically. A temperature measurement system is built to measure air temperatures. The computation results tally with the measured results proving the correctness of the computation. The results have great valuable significance in the actual melt blowing production.

Climate change and air quality - measures with co-benefits in China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kristin Aunan; Jinghua Fang; Tao Hu; Hans Martin Seip; Haakon Vennemo [Center for International Climate and Environmental Research-Oslo (CICERO) (Norway)

2006-08-15

Several studies carried out in China over the past 5-10 years, including the authors own work, have found that many measures aimed primarily at reducing local air pollution decrease GHG emissions as a co-benefit. Conversely, a range of CO{sub 2} mitigation policies entail reductions in air pollution as a co-benefit. This implies that the real costs of climate policies in China may be lower than anticipated by the government. This article describes the links between climate change and air quality issues as well as the health and environmental benefits accruing from alterative measures and policies for CO{sub 2} mitigation in China where coal is expected to remain a main energy source for many years to come. The tremendous potential to cut GHG emissions while simultaneously reducing air pollution should make cooperation on climate control strategies more attractive to China and other countries in a similar position. 43 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab.

Frequency comb calibrated frequency-sweeping interferometry for absolute group refractive index measurement of air.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Lijun; Wu, Xuejian; Wei, Haoyun; Li, Yan

2017-04-10

The absolute group refractive index of air at 194061.02 GHz is measured in real time using frequency-sweeping interferometry calibrated by an optical frequency comb. The group refractive index of air is calculated from the calibration peaks of the laser frequency variation and the interference signal of the two beams passing through the inner and outer regions of a vacuum cell when the frequency of a tunable external cavity diode laser is scanned. We continuously measure the refractive index of air for 2 h, which shows that the difference between measured results and Ciddor's equation is less than 9.6×10-8, and the standard deviation of that difference is 5.9×10-8. The relative uncertainty of the measured refractive index of air is estimated to be 8.6×10-8. The data update rate is 0.2 Hz, making it applicable under conditions in which air refractive index fluctuates fast.

Methods for Sampling and Measurement of Compressed Air Contaminants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stroem, L

1976-10-15

In order to improve the technique for measuring oil and water entrained in a compressed air stream, a laboratory study has been made of some methods for sampling and measurement. For this purpose water or oil as artificial contaminants were injected in thin streams into a test loop, carrying dry compressed air. Sampling was performed in a vertical run, down-stream of the injection point. Wall attached liquid, coarse droplet flow, and fine droplet flow were sampled separately. The results were compared with two-phase flow theory and direct observation of liquid behaviour. In a study of sample transport through narrow tubes, it was observed that, below a certain liquid loading, the sample did not move, the liquid remaining stationary on the tubing wall. The basic analysis of the collected samples was made by gravimetric methods. Adsorption tubes were used with success to measure water vapour. A humidity meter with a sensor of the aluminium oxide type was found to be unreliable. Oil could be measured selectively by a flame ionization detector, the sample being pretreated in an evaporation- condensation unit

Methods for Sampling and Measurement of Compressed Air Contaminants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stroem, L.

1976-10-01

In order to improve the technique for measuring oil and water entrained in a compressed air stream, a laboratory study has been made of some methods for sampling and measurement. For this purpose water or oil as artificial contaminants were injected in thin streams into a test loop, carrying dry compressed air. Sampling was performed in a vertical run, down-stream of the injection point. Wall attached liquid, coarse droplet flow, and fine droplet flow were sampled separately. The results were compared with two-phase flow theory and direct observation of liquid behaviour. In a study of sample transport through narrow tubes, it was observed that, below a certain liquid loading, the sample did not move, the liquid remaining stationary on the tubing wall. The basic analysis of the collected samples was made by gravimetric methods. Adsorption tubes were used with success to measure water vapour. A humidity meter with a sensor of the aluminium oxide type was found to be unreliable. Oil could be measured selectively by a flame ionization detector, the sample being pretreated in an evaporation- condensation unit

Absolute distance measurement with correction of air refractive index by using two-color dispersive interferometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Hanzhong; Zhang, Fumin; Liu, Tingyang; Li, Jianshuang; Qu, Xinghua

2016-10-17

Two-color interferometry is powerful for the correction of the air refractive index especially in the turbulent air over long distance, since the empirical equations could introduce considerable measurement uncertainty if the environmental parameters cannot be measured with sufficient precision. In this paper, we demonstrate a method for absolute distance measurement with high-accuracy correction of air refractive index using two-color dispersive interferometry. The distances corresponding to the two wavelengths can be measured via the spectrograms captured by a CCD camera pair in real time. In the long-term experiment of the correction of air refractive index, the experimental results show a standard deviation of 3.3 × 10-8 for 12-h continuous measurement without the precise knowledge of the environmental conditions, while the variation of the air refractive index is about 2 × 10-6. In the case of absolute distance measurement, the comparison with the fringe counting interferometer shows an agreement within 2.5 μm in 12 m range.

Quantitative assessment based on kinematic measures of functional impairments during upper extremity movements: A review.

Science.gov (United States)

de los Reyes-Guzmán, Ana; Dimbwadyo-Terrer, Iris; Trincado-Alonso, Fernando; Monasterio-Huelin, Félix; Torricelli, Diego; Gil-Agudo, Angel

2014-08-01

Quantitative measures of human movement quality are important for discriminating healthy and pathological conditions and for expressing the outcomes and clinically important changes in subjects' functional state. However the most frequently used instruments for the upper extremity functional assessment are clinical scales, that previously have been standardized and validated, but have a high subjective component depending on the observer who scores the test. But they are not enough to assess motor strategies used during movements, and their use in combination with other more objective measures is necessary. The objective of the present review is to provide an overview on objective metrics found in literature with the aim of quantifying the upper extremity performance during functional tasks, regardless of the equipment or system used for registering kinematic data. A search in Medline, Google Scholar and IEEE Xplore databases was performed following a combination of a series of keywords. The full scientific papers that fulfilled the inclusion criteria were included in the review. A set of kinematic metrics was found in literature in relation to joint displacements, analysis of hand trajectories and velocity profiles. These metrics were classified into different categories according to the movement characteristic that was being measured. These kinematic metrics provide the starting point for a proposed objective metrics for the functional assessment of the upper extremity in people with movement disorders as a consequence of neurological injuries. Potential areas of future and further research are presented in the Discussion section. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Air Density Measurements in a Mach 10 Wake Using Iodine Cordes Bands

Science.gov (United States)

Balla, Robert J.; Everhart, Joel L.

2012-01-01

An exploratory study designed to examine the viability of making air density measurements in a Mach 10 flow using laser-induced fluorescence of the iodine Cordes bands is presented. Experiments are performed in the NASA Langley Research Center 31 in. Mach 10 air wind tunnel in the hypersonic near wake of a multipurpose crew vehicle model. To introduce iodine into the wake, a 0.5% iodine/nitrogen mixture is seeded using a pressure tap at the rear of the model. Air density was measured at 56 points along a 7 mm line and three stagnation pressures of 6.21, 8.62, and 10.0 MPa (900, 1250, and 1450 psi). Average results over time and space show rho(sub wake)/rho(sub freestream) of 0.145 plus or minus 0.010, independent of freestream air density. Average off-body results over time and space agree to better than 7.5% with computed densities from onbody pressure measurements. Densities measured during a single 60 s run at 10.0 MPa are time-dependent and steadily decrease by 15%. This decrease is attributed to model forebody heating by the flow.

Is it feasible to estimate radiosonde biases from interlaced measurements?

Science.gov (United States)

Kremser, Stefanie; Tradowsky, Jordis S.; Rust, Henning W.; Bodeker, Greg E.

2018-05-01

Upper-air measurements of essential climate variables (ECVs), such as temperature, are crucial for climate monitoring and climate change detection. Because of the internal variability of the climate system, many decades of measurements are typically required to robustly detect any trend in the climate data record. It is imperative for the records to be temporally homogeneous over many decades to confidently estimate any trend. Historically, records of upper-air measurements were primarily made for short-term weather forecasts and as such are seldom suitable for studying long-term climate change as they lack the required continuity and homogeneity. Recognizing this, the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) Reference Upper-Air Network (GRUAN) has been established to provide reference-quality measurements of climate variables, such as temperature, pressure, and humidity, together with well-characterized and traceable estimates of the measurement uncertainty. To ensure that GRUAN data products are suitable to detect climate change, a scientifically robust instrument replacement strategy must always be adopted whenever there is a change in instrumentation. By fully characterizing any systematic differences between the old and new measurement system a temporally homogeneous data series can be created. One strategy is to operate both the old and new instruments in tandem for some overlap period to characterize any inter-instrument biases. However, this strategy can be prohibitively expensive at measurement sites operated by national weather services or research institutes. An alternative strategy that has been proposed is to alternate between the old and new instruments, so-called interlacing, and then statistically derive the systematic biases between the two instruments. Here we investigate the feasibility of such an approach specifically for radiosondes, i.e. flying the old and new instruments on alternating days. Synthetic data sets are used to explore the

Measurement of Circumstellar Disk Sizes in the Upper Scorpius OB Association with ALMA

Science.gov (United States)

Barenfeld, Scott A.; Carpenter, John M.; Sargent, Anneila I.; Isella, Andrea; Ricci, Luca

2017-12-01

We present detailed modeling of the spatial distributions of gas and dust in 57 circumstellar disks in the Upper Scorpius OB Association observed with ALMA at submillimeter wavelengths. We fit power-law models to the dust surface density and CO J = 3–2 surface brightness to measure the radial extent of dust and gas in these disks. We found that these disks are extremely compact: the 25 highest signal-to-noise disks have a median dust outer radius of 21 au, assuming an {R}-1 dust surface density profile. Our lack of CO detections in the majority of our sample is consistent with these small disk sizes assuming the dust and CO share the same spatial distribution. Of seven disks in our sample with well-constrained dust and CO radii, four appear to be more extended in CO, although this may simply be due to the higher optical depth of the CO. Comparison of the Upper Sco results with recent analyses of disks in Taurus, Ophiuchus, and Lupus suggests that the dust disks in Upper Sco may be approximately three times smaller in size than their younger counterparts, although we caution that a more uniform analysis of the data across all regions is needed. We discuss the implications of these results for disk evolution.

Participatory measurements of individual exposure to air pollution in urban areas

Science.gov (United States)

Madelin, Malika; Duché, Sarah; Dupuis, Vincent

2016-04-01

Air pollution is a major environmental issue in urban areas. Chronic and high concentration exposure presents a health risk with cardiovascular and respiratory problems and longer term nervous, carcinogenic and endocrine problems. In addition to the estimations based on simulations of both background and regional pollution and of the pollution induced by the traffic, knowing exposure of each individual is a key issue. This exposure reflects the high variability of pollution at fine spatial and time scales, according to the proximity of emission sources and the urban morphology outside. The emergence of citizen science and the progress of miniaturized electronics, low-cost and accessible to (almost) everyone, offers new opportunities for the monitoring of air pollution, but also for the citizens' awareness of their individual exposure to air pollution. In this communication, we propose to present a participatory research project 'What is your air?' (project funded by the Île-de-France region), which aims at raising awareness on the theme of air quality, its monitoring with sensors assembled in a FabLab workshop and an online participatory mapping. Beyond the discussion on technical choices, the stages of manufacture or the sensor calibration procedures, we discuss the measurements made, in this case the fine particle concentration measurements, which are dated and georeferenced (communication via a mobile phone). They show high variability between the measurements (in part linked to the substrates, land use, traffic) and low daily contrasts. In addition to the analysis of the measurements and their comparison with the official data, we also discuss the choice of representation of information, including mapping, and therefore the message about pollution to communicate.

Real-time monitoring of emissions with traffic data, simulation and air quality measurements

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Klunder, G.A.; Wilmink, I.R.

2009-01-01

This paper investigates the possibility to decide when to apply a (dynamic) traffic management measure to improve the air quality or reduce CO2 emissions, based on a limited set of (measured) data. It is expected that a combination of monitoring and modeling is needed for reliable air quality

Historical occupational trichloroethylene air concentrations based on inspection measurements from Shanghai, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Friesen, Melissa C; Locke, Sarah J; Chen, Yu-Cheng; Coble, Joseph B; Stewart, Patricia A; Ji, Bu-Tian; Bassig, Bryan; Lu, Wei; Xue, Shouzheng; Chow, Wong-Ho; Lan, Qing; Purdue, Mark P; Rothman, Nathaniel; Vermeulen, Roel

2015-01-01

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a carcinogen that has been linked to kidney cancer and possibly other cancer sites including non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Its use in China has increased since the early 1990s with China's growing metal, electronic, and telecommunications industries. We examined historical occupational TCE air concentration patterns in a database of TCE inspection measurements collected in Shanghai, China to identify temporal trends and broad contrasts among occupations and industries. Using a database of 932 short-term, area TCE air inspection measurements collected in Shanghai worksites from 1968 through 2000 (median year 1986), we developed mixed-effects models to evaluate job-, industry-, and time-specific TCE air concentrations. Models of TCE air concentrations from Shanghai work sites predicted that exposures decreased 5-10% per year between 1968 and 2000. Measurements collected near launderers and dry cleaners had the highest predicted geometric means (GM for 1986 = 150-190 mg m(-3)). The majority (53%) of the measurements were collected in metal treatment jobs. In a model restricted to measurements in metal treatment jobs, predicted GMs for 1986 varied 35-fold across industries, from 11 mg m(-3) in 'other metal products/repair' industries to 390 mg m(-3) in 'ships/aircrafts' industries. TCE workplace air concentrations appeared to have dropped over time in Shanghai, China between 1968 and 2000. Understanding differences in TCE concentrations across time, occupations, and industries may assist future epidemiologic studies in China. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society 2014.

Air refractometry in a length comparator and the response to changes in the measurement environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pieles, H

1998-11-01

Two different interference refractometers and one air parameter set-up are simultaneously operated in a temperature-stabilized casing of a length comparator. They allow absolute and relative measurements and calculations, respectively of the refractive index of air to be carried out for continuous interferometric length measurements. Measurement results are presented which were obtained under optimized environmental conditions. In addition, sources of disturbances are described which can significantly influence the measurements of the refractive index of air, and consequently may influence the accuracy of interferometric displacement measurements. (orig.)

Supplementary measurements for air monitoring under NOVANA - Benzene and PAH; Supplerende maalinger til luftovervaagning under NOVANA - benzen og PAH

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ellermann, T.; Klenoe Noejgaard, J.; Bossi, R.

2011-10-15

The report presents results from a project carried out for the Danish Environmental Protection Agency. The aim of the project was to carry out several measuring campaigns in order to be able to better assess the monitoring needs for PAH and benzene in relation to EU's air quality directives. The results show that the mean concentrations of benzene are almost at the same level in Denmark's four largest cities, and that the concentrations are both below the threshold value (5mug/m3) as well as below the lower assessment threshold (2mug/m3). The report presents a method for objectively estimation the benzene concentration based on measurements of CO. The method can be applied to fulfil the monitoring need for benzene in those zones where no measurements of benzene are made. Measurements of PAH, especially benzo(a)pyrene, have been made during 12 months in the period 2010-2011 in an area with many wood burning furnaces are used (the town Jyllinge). The concentrations of benzo(a)pyrene in Jyllinge is almost three times higher than in the street H.C. Andersens Boulevard in Copenhagen. The concentrations of benzo(a)pyrene in Jylllinge are 0,6 ng/m3, which corresponds to the upper assessment threshold (0,6 ng/m3) and is 40% below the measuring value (1 ng/m3). On this basis, there is a need for re-evaluating the monitoring of PAH in the sub-programme for air under NOVANA. Measurements of PM{sub 10} showed that the levels in the towns Jyllinge, Lille Valby/Risoe and at the H.C. Oersted Institute in Copenhagen are all at about 20-22 mug/m3. (LN)

EPA scientists develop Federal Reference & Equivalent Methods for measuring key air pollutants

Science.gov (United States)

EPA operates a nationwide air monitoring network to measure six primary air pollutants: carbon monoxide, lead, sulfur dioxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and particulate matter as part of its mission to protect human health and the environment.

Problems in air traffic management. VII., Job training performance of air traffic control specialists - measurement, structure, and prediction.

Science.gov (United States)

1965-07-01

A statistical study of training- and job-performance measures of several hundred Air Traffic Control Specialists (ATCS) representing Enroute, Terminal, and Flight Service Station specialties revealed that training-performance measures reflected: : 1....

Measurement of the Air Chance Rate and Ventilation Characteristics During Short Term Transient Phenomena

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heiselberg, Per Kvols; Perino, M.

2004-01-01

Different measurement procedures are available for the experimental assessment of air change rates inside ventilated enclosures. These mainly consist of tracer gas techniques and can usually be applied to steady-state or moderately transient conditions and when a continous mixing of the indoor air...... ventilation. The results are critically compared with the air flow rates assessed through anemometric measurements. The measurement features, limitations, shortcomings and uncertainties are also discussed....... is assured throughout the test. However, due to the relatively slow response of the gas analysers, none of these procedures can usually be applied to fast transient phenomena that last 15 minutes or less. Moreover in many cases of natural ventilation strategies, the continuous mixing of the indoor air would...

Air-water flow measurement for ERVC conditions by LIF/PIV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, Jong Woong; Jeong, Yong Hoon

2016-01-01

Critical heat flux (CHF) of the external reactor vessel wall is a safety limit that indicate the integrity of the reactor vessel during the situation. Many research conducted CHF experiments in the IVR-ERVC conditions. However, the flow velocity field which is an important factor in the CHF mechanism were not studied enough in the IVR-ERVC situations. In this study, flow measurements including velocity vector field and the liquid velocity in the IVR-ERVC conditions were studied. The air-water two phase flow loop simulating IVRERVC conditions was set up and liquid velocity field was measured by LIF/PIV technique in this study. The experiment was conducted with and without air injection conditions. For the air-water flow experiment, liquid velocity at the outside of two phase boundary layer became higher and the two phase boundary layer thickness became smaller when the mass flux increases. The velocity data obtained in this study are expected to improve the CHF correlation in the IVR-ERVC situations.

Air-water flow measurement for ERVC conditions by LIF/PIV

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoon, Jong Woong; Jeong, Yong Hoon [KAIST, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-05-15

Critical heat flux (CHF) of the external reactor vessel wall is a safety limit that indicate the integrity of the reactor vessel during the situation. Many research conducted CHF experiments in the IVR-ERVC conditions. However, the flow velocity field which is an important factor in the CHF mechanism were not studied enough in the IVR-ERVC situations. In this study, flow measurements including velocity vector field and the liquid velocity in the IVR-ERVC conditions were studied. The air-water two phase flow loop simulating IVRERVC conditions was set up and liquid velocity field was measured by LIF/PIV technique in this study. The experiment was conducted with and without air injection conditions. For the air-water flow experiment, liquid velocity at the outside of two phase boundary layer became higher and the two phase boundary layer thickness became smaller when the mass flux increases. The velocity data obtained in this study are expected to improve the CHF correlation in the IVR-ERVC situations.

The Measurement of Fuel-Air Ratio by Analysis for the Oxidized Exhaust Gas

Science.gov (United States)

Gerrish, Harold C.; Meem, J. Lawrence, Jr.

1943-01-01

An investigation was made to determine a method of measuring fuel-air ratio that could be used for test purposes in flight and for checking conventional equipment in the laboratory. Two single-cylinder test engines equipped with typical commercial engine cylinders were used. The fuel-air ratio of the mixture delivered to the engines was determined by direct measurement of the quantity of air and of fuel supplied and also by analysis of the oxidized exhaust gas and of the normal exhaust gas. Five fuels were used: gasoline that complied with Army-Navy fuel Specification No. AN-VV-F-781 and four mixtures of this gasoline with toluene, benzene, and xylene. The method of determining the fuel-air ratio described in this report involves the measurement of the carbon-dioxide content of the oxidized exhaust gas and the use of graphs for the presented equation. This method is considered useful in aircraft, in the field, or in the laboratory for a range of fuel-air ratios from 0.047 to 0.124.

The Measurement of Fuel-air Ratio by Analysis of the Oxidized Exhaust Gas

Science.gov (United States)

Memm, J. Lawrence, Jr.

1943-01-01

An investigation was made to determine a method of measuring fuel-air ratio that could be used for test purposes in flight and for checking conventional equipment in the laboratory. Two single-cylinder test engines equipped with typical commercial engine cylinders were used. The fuel-air ratio of the mixture delivered to the engines was determined by direct measurement of the quantity of air and of fuel supplied and also by analysis of the oxidized exhaust gas and of the normal exhaust gas. Five fuels were used: gasoline that complied with Army-Navy Fuel Specification, No. AN-VV-F-781 and four mixtures of this gasoline with toluene, benzene, and xylene. The method of determining the fuel-air ratio described in this report involves the measurement of the carbon-dioxide content of the oxidized exhaust gas and the use of graphs or the presented equation. This method is considered useful in aircraft, in the field, or in the laboratory for a range of fuel-air ratios from 0.047 to 0.124

New sensor for measurement of low air flow velocity. Phase I final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashemian, H.M.; Hashemian, M.; Riggsbee, E.T.

1995-08-01

The project described here is the Phase I feasibility study of a two-phase program to integrate existing technologies to provide a system for determining air flow velocity and direction in radiation work areas. Basically, a low air flow sensor referred to as a thermocouple flow sensor has been developed. The sensor uses a thermocouple as its sensing element. The response time of the thermocouple is measured using an existing in-situ method called the Loop Current Step Response (LCSR) test. The response time results are then converted to a flow signal using a response time-versus-flow correlation. The Phase I effort has shown that a strong correlation exists between the response time of small diameter thermocouples and the ambient flow rate. As such, it has been demonstrated that thermocouple flow sensors can be used successfully to measure low air flow rates that can not be measured with conventional flow sensors. While the thermocouple flow sensor developed in this project was very successful in determining air flow velocity, determining air flow direction was beyond the scope of the Phase I project. Nevertheless, work was performed during Phase I to determine how the new flow sensor can be used to determine the direction, as well as the velocity, of ambient air movements. Basically, it is necessary to use either multiple flow sensors or move a single sensor in the monitoring area and make flow measurements at various locations sweeping the area from top to bottom and from left to right. The results can then be used with empirical or physical models, or in terms of directional vectors to estimate air flow patterns. The measurements can be made continuously or periodically to update the flow patterns as they change when people and objects are moved in the monitoring area. The potential for using multiple thermocouple flow sensors for determining air flow patterns will be examined in Phase II

Measurement of air and VOC vapor fluxes during gas-driven soil remediation: bench-scale experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Heonki; Kim, Taeyun; Shin, Seungyeop; Annable, Michael D

2012-09-04

In this laboratory study, an experimental method was developed for the quantitative analyses of gas fluxes in soil during advective air flow. One-dimensional column and two- and three-dimensional flow chamber models were used in this study. For the air flux measurement, n-octane vapor was used as a tracer, and it was introduced in the air flow entering the physical models. The tracer (n-octane) in the gas effluent from the models was captured for a finite period of time using a pack of activated carbon, which then was analyzed for the mass of n-octane. The air flux was calculated based on the mass of n-octane captured by the activated carbon and the inflow concentration. The measured air fluxes are in good agreement with the actual values for one- and two-dimensional model experiments. Using both the two- and three-dimensional models, the distribution of the air flux at the soil surface was measured. The distribution of the air flux was found to be affected by the depth of the saturated zone. The flux and flux distribution of a volatile contaminant (perchloroethene) was also measured by using the two-dimensional model. Quantitative information of both air and contaminant flux may be very beneficial for analyzing the performance of gas-driven subsurface remediation processes including soil vapor extraction and air sparging.

Measurements of electron avalanche formation time in W-band microwave air breakdown

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cook, Alan M.; Hummelt, Jason S.; Shapiro, Michael A.; Temkin, Richard J.

2011-01-01

We present measurements of formation times of electron avalanche ionization discharges induced by a focused 110 GHz millimeter-wave beam in atmospheric air. Discharges take place in a free volume of gas, with no nearby surfaces or objects. When the incident field amplitude is near the breakdown threshold for pulsed conditions, measured formation times are ∼0.1-2 μs over the pressure range 5-700 Torr. Combined with electric field breakdown threshold measurements, the formation time data shows the agreement of 110 GHz air breakdown with the similarity laws of gas discharges.

Measurements of electron avalanche formation time in W-band microwave air breakdown

Science.gov (United States)

Cook, Alan M.; Hummelt, Jason S.; Shapiro, Michael A.; Temkin, Richard J.

2011-08-01

We present measurements of formation times of electron avalanche ionization discharges induced by a focused 110 GHz millimeter-wave beam in atmospheric air. Discharges take place in a free volume of gas, with no nearby surfaces or objects. When the incident field amplitude is near the breakdown threshold for pulsed conditions, measured formation times are ˜0.1-2 μs over the pressure range 5-700 Torr. Combined with electric field breakdown threshold measurements, the formation time data shows the agreement of 110 GHz air breakdown with the similarity laws of gas discharges.

Hydromorphological pattern in middle upper segment of the Arroyo Ventana (Buenos Aires, Argentina

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Belén García Martínez

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The fluvial pattern of the Ventana creek is determined, through hydrological and geomorphologic features in the middle upper segment of the watercourse. A Digital Terrain Model of the middle and upper basin of the course was generated based on the contours of the 1:50,000 Tornquist topographic map. The geomorphological mapping of the course was made from photogrammetric flight (1981 at 1:20,000. Three cross sections of the channel were surveyed. Two different river patterns were identified: a braided type, in the upper segment of the course, and another meandering type in the middle segment of the course. Current river dynamics shows a tendency of incision in the course.

Continuous measurement of air-water gas exchange by underwater eddy covariance

Science.gov (United States)

Berg, Peter; Pace, Michael L.

2017-12-01

Exchange of gases, such as O2, CO2, and CH4, over the air-water interface is an important component in aquatic ecosystem studies, but exchange rates are typically measured or estimated with substantial uncertainties. This diminishes the precision of common ecosystem assessments associated with gas exchanges such as primary production, respiration, and greenhouse gas emission. Here, we used the aquatic eddy covariance technique - originally developed for benthic O2 flux measurements - right below the air-water interface (˜ 4 cm) to determine gas exchange rates and coefficients. Using an acoustic Doppler velocimeter and a fast-responding dual O2-temperature sensor mounted on a floating platform the 3-D water velocity, O2 concentration, and temperature were measured at high-speed (64 Hz). By combining these data, concurrent vertical fluxes of O2 and heat across the air-water interface were derived, and gas exchange coefficients were calculated from the former. Proof-of-concept deployments at different river sites gave standard gas exchange coefficients (k600) in the range of published values. A 40 h long deployment revealed a distinct diurnal pattern in air-water exchange of O2 that was controlled largely by physical processes (e.g., diurnal variations in air temperature and associated air-water heat fluxes) and not by biological activity (primary production and respiration). This physical control of gas exchange can be prevalent in lotic systems and adds uncertainty to assessments of biological activity that are based on measured water column O2 concentration changes. For example, in the 40 h deployment, there was near-constant river flow and insignificant winds - two main drivers of lotic gas exchange - but we found gas exchange coefficients that varied by several fold. This was presumably caused by the formation and erosion of vertical temperature-density gradients in the surface water driven by the heat flux into or out of the river that affected the turbulent

Air Quality in Megacities: Lessons Learned from Mexico City Field Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Molina, L. T.

2014-12-01

More than half of the world's population now lives in urban areas because of the opportunities for better jobs, access to city services, cultural and educational activities, and a desire for more stimulating human interaction. At the same time, many of these urban centers are expanding rapidly, giving rise to the phenomenon of megacities. In recent decades air pollution has become not only one of the most important environmental problems of megacities, but also presents serious consequences to human health and ecosystems and economic costs to society. Although the progress to date in combating air pollution problems in developed and some developing world megacities has been impressive, many challenges remain including the need to improve air quality while simultaneously mitigating climate change. This talk will present the results and the lessons learned from field measurements conducted in Mexico City Metropolitan Area - one of the world's largest megacities - over the past decade. While each city has its own unique circumstances, the need for an integrated assessment approach in addressing complex environmental problems is the same. There is no single strategy in solving air pollution problems in megacities; a mix of policy measures based on sound scientific findings will be necessary to improve air quality, protect public health, and mitigate climate change.

Upper arm elevation and repetitive shoulder movements: a general population job exposure matrix based on expert ratings and technical measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

Dalbøge, Annett; Hansson, Gert-Åke; Frost, Poul; Andersen, Johan Hviid; Heilskov-Hansen, Thomas; Svendsen, Susanne Wulff

2016-08-01

We recently constructed a general population job exposure matrix (JEM), The Shoulder JEM, based on expert ratings. The overall aim of this study was to convert expert-rated job exposures for upper arm elevation and repetitive shoulder movements to measurement scales. The Shoulder JEM covers all Danish occupational titles, divided into 172 job groups. For 36 of these job groups, we obtained technical measurements (inclinometry) of upper arm elevation and repetitive shoulder movements. To validate the expert-rated job exposures against the measured job exposures, we used Spearman rank correlations and the explained variance[Formula: see text] according to linear regression analyses (36 job groups). We used the linear regression equations to convert the expert-rated job exposures for all 172 job groups into predicted measured job exposures. Bland-Altman analyses were used to assess the agreement between the predicted and measured job exposures. The Spearman rank correlations were 0.63 for upper arm elevation and 0.64 for repetitive shoulder movements. The expert-rated job exposures explained 64% and 41% of the variance of the measured job exposures, respectively. The corresponding calibration equations were y=0.5%time+0.16×expert rating and y=27°/s+0.47×expert rating. The mean differences between predicted and measured job exposures were zero due to calibration; the 95% limits of agreement were ±2.9% time for upper arm elevation >90° and ±33°/s for repetitive shoulder movements. The updated Shoulder JEM can be used to present exposure-response relationships on measurement scales. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Determining the ventilation and aerosol deposition rates from routine indoor-air measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

Halios, Christos H; Helmis, Costas G; Deligianni, Katerina; Vratolis, Sterios; Eleftheriadis, Konstantinos

2014-01-01

Measurement of air exchange rate provides critical information in energy and indoor-air quality studies. Continuous measurement of ventilation rates is a rather costly exercise and requires specific instrumentation. In this work, an alternative methodology is proposed and tested, where the air exchange rate is calculated by utilizing indoor and outdoor routine measurements of a common pollutant such as SO2, whereas the uncertainties induced in the calculations are analytically determined. The application of this methodology is demonstrated, for three residential microenvironments in Athens, Greece, and the results are also compared against ventilation rates calculated from differential pressure measurements. The calculated time resolved ventilation rates were applied to the mass balance equation to estimate the particle loss rate which was found to agree with literature values at an average of 0.50 h(-1). The proposed method was further evaluated by applying a mass balance numerical model for the calculation of the indoor aerosol number concentrations, using the previously calculated ventilation rate, the outdoor measured number concentrations and the particle loss rates as input values. The model results for the indoors' concentrations were found to be compared well with the experimentally measured values.

Measurements of upper atmosphere water vapor made in situ with a new moisture sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Chleck, D.

1979-01-01

A new thin-film aluminum oxide sensor, Aquamax II, has been developed for the measurement of stratospheric and upper tropospheric water vapor levels. The sensor is briefly described with attention given to its calibration and performance. Data obtained from six balloon flights are presented; almost all the results show a constant water vapor mixing ratio, in agreement with other data from midlatitude regions.

Measurement Error Correction for Predicted Spatiotemporal Air Pollution Exposures.

Science.gov (United States)

Keller, Joshua P; Chang, Howard H; Strickland, Matthew J; Szpiro, Adam A

2017-05-01

Air pollution cohort studies are frequently analyzed in two stages, first modeling exposure then using predicted exposures to estimate health effects in a second regression model. The difference between predicted and unobserved true exposures introduces a form of measurement error in the second stage health model. Recent methods for spatial data correct for measurement error with a bootstrap and by requiring the study design ensure spatial compatibility, that is, monitor and subject locations are drawn from the same spatial distribution. These methods have not previously been applied to spatiotemporal exposure data. We analyzed the association between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and birth weight in the US state of Georgia using records with estimated date of conception during 2002-2005 (n = 403,881). We predicted trimester-specific PM2.5 exposure using a complex spatiotemporal exposure model. To improve spatial compatibility, we restricted to mothers residing in counties with a PM2.5 monitor (n = 180,440). We accounted for additional measurement error via a nonparametric bootstrap. Third trimester PM2.5 exposure was associated with lower birth weight in the uncorrected (-2.4 g per 1 μg/m difference in exposure; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -3.9, -0.8) and bootstrap-corrected (-2.5 g, 95% CI: -4.2, -0.8) analyses. Results for the unrestricted analysis were attenuated (-0.66 g, 95% CI: -1.7, 0.35). This study presents a novel application of measurement error correction for spatiotemporal air pollution exposures. Our results demonstrate the importance of spatial compatibility between monitor and subject locations and provide evidence of the association between air pollution exposure and birth weight.

Decontamination evaluation based on radioactivity measurement instead of air dose rate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shozugawa, Katsumi

2013-01-01

Air dose rate at 1 m above the ground comes from gamma radiations emitted from vast area ranging over several ten meters of the contaminated field from the counter. After showing the actual example of the difference between air dose rate data and Cs 137 distribution map made by using a shielded NaI-scintillation counter within and around a contaminated sinkhole (a ditch or trench) near Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plants, the author proposes to make a decontamination program according to the radioactivity distribution measurement instead of air dose rate measurement. Furthermore, he explains some problems arising from a point and plane radiation source, and also difficulties accompanied by movement of Cs 137 atoms in the soils according to the absorption characteristics of the existing minerals but these are also important to consider for performing an effective decontamination. (S. Ohno)

The impact of European legislative and technology measures to reduce air pollutants on air quality, human health and climate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turnock, S T; Butt, E W; Richardson, T B; Mann, G W; Reddington, C L; Forster, P M; Carslaw, K S; Spracklen, D V; Haywood, J; Johnson, C E; Crippa, M; Janssens-Maenhout, G; Bellouin, N

2016-01-01

European air quality legislation has reduced emissions of air pollutants across Europe since the 1970s, affecting air quality, human health and regional climate. We used a coupled composition-climate model to simulate the impacts of European air quality legislation and technology measures implemented between 1970 and 2010. We contrast simulations using two emission scenarios; one with actual emissions in 2010 and the other with emissions that would have occurred in 2010 in the absence of technological improvements and end-of-pipe treatment measures in the energy, industrial and road transport sectors. European emissions of sulphur dioxide, black carbon (BC) and organic carbon in 2010 are 53%, 59% and 32% lower respectively compared to emissions that would have occurred in 2010 in the absence of legislative and technology measures. These emission reductions decreased simulated European annual mean concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) by 35%, sulphate by 44%, BC by 56% and particulate organic matter by 23%. The reduction in PM 2.5 concentrations is calculated to have prevented 80 000 (37 000–116 000, at 95% confidence intervals) premature deaths annually across the European Union, resulting in a perceived financial benefit to society of US$232 billion annually (1.4% of 2010 EU GDP). The reduction in aerosol concentrations due to legislative and technology measures caused a positive change in the aerosol radiative effect at the top of atmosphere, reduced atmospheric absorption and also increased the amount of solar radiation incident at the surface over Europe. We used an energy budget approximation to estimate that these changes in the radiative balance have increased European annual mean surface temperatures and precipitation by 0.45 ± 0.11 °C and by 13 ± 0.8 mm yr −1 respectively. Our results show that the implementation of European legislation and technological improvements to reduce the emission of air pollutants has improved air quality

In-situ measurements in Vesivehmaa air field - STUK team

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Markkanen, M.; Honkamaa, T.; Niskala, P. [Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety, Helsinki (Finland)

1997-12-31

Nineteen in-situ gamma-ray spectrometric measurements were performed in Vesivehmaa air field on 17th August 1995. The results for {sup 137}Cs and natural radionuclides are in good agreement with the results from soil sampling and laboratory analyses. (au).

In-situ measurements in Vesivehmaa air field - STUK team

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Markkanen, M; Honkamaa, T; Niskala, P [Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety, Helsinki (Finland)

1998-12-31

Nineteen in-situ gamma-ray spectrometric measurements were performed in Vesivehmaa air field on 17th August 1995. The results for {sup 137}Cs and natural radionuclides are in good agreement with the results from soil sampling and laboratory analyses. (au).

ANITA Air Monitoring on the International Space Station: Results Compared to Other Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Honne, A.; Schumann-Olsen, H.; Kaspersen, K.; Limero, T.; Macatangay, A.; Mosebach, H.; Kampf, D.; Mudgett, P. D.; James, J. T.; Tan, G.;

Measurements of air entrainment by vertical plunging liquid jets

Science.gov (United States)

El Hammoumi, M.; Achard, J. L.; Davoust, L.

2002-06-01

This paper addresses the issue of the air-entrainment process by a vertical plunging liquid jet. A non-dimensional physical analysis, inspired by the literature on the stability of free jets submitted to an aerodynamic interaction, was developed and yielded two correlation equations for the laminar and the turbulent plunging jets. These correlation equations allow the volumetric flow rate of the air carryunder represented by the Weber number of entrainment We n to be predicted. The plunging jets under consideration issued from circular tubes long enough to achieve a fully developed flow at the outlet. A sensitive technique based on a rising soap meniscus was developed to measure directly the volumetric flow rate of the air carryunder. Our data are compared with other experimental data available in the literature; they also stand as a possible database for future theoretical modelling.

Measurements of air entrainment by vertical plunging liquid jets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

El Hammoumi, M. [Faculte des Sciences et Techniques, Departement de Physique, Laboratoire de Mecanique Appliquee, Fes (Morocco); Achard, J.L.; Davoust, L. [Laboratoire des Ecoulements Geophysiques et Industriels (LEGI), Grenoble (France)

2002-06-01

This paper addresses the issue of the air-entrainment process by a vertical plunging liquid jet. A non-dimensional physical analysis, inspired by the literature on the stability of free jets submitted to an aerodynamic interaction, was developed and yielded two correlation equations for the laminar and the turbulent plunging jets. These correlation equations allow the volumetric flow rate of the air carryunder represented by the Weber number of entrainment We{sub n} to be predicted. The plunging jets under consideration issued from circular tubes long enough to achieve a fully developed flow at the outlet. A sensitive technique based on a rising soap meniscus was developed to measure directly the volumetric flow rate of the air carryunder. Our data are compared with other experimental data available in the literature; they also stand as a possible database for future theoretical modelling. (orig.)

Measurement of air pollutant emissions from Lome, Cotonou and Accra

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, James; Vaughan, Adam; Nelson, Bethany; Young, Stuart; Evans, Mathew; Morris, Eleanor; Ladkin, Russel

2017-04-01

High concentrations of airborne pollutants (e.g. the oxides of nitrogen, sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide) in existing and evolving cities along the Guinea Coast cause respiratory diseases with potentially large costs to human health and the economic capacity of the local workforce. It is important to understand the rate of emission of such pollutants in order to model current and future air quality and provide guidance to the potential outcomes of air pollution abatement strategies. Often dated technologies and poor emission control strategies lead to substantial uncertainties in emission estimates calculated from vehicle and population number density statistics. The unreliable electrical supply in cities in the area has led to an increased reliance on small-scale diesel powered generators and these potentially present a significant source of emissions. The uncontrolled open incineration of waste adds a further very poorly constrained emission source within the cities. The DACCIWA (Dynamics-Aerosol-Chemistry-Cloud Interactions in West Africa) project involved a field campaign which used highly instrumented aircraft capable of in situ measurements of a range of air pollutants. Seven flights using the UK British Antarctic Survey's Twin Otter aircraft specifically targeted air pollution emissions from cities in West Africa (4 x Accra, Ghana; 2 x Lome, Togo and 1 x Cotonou, Benin). Measurements of NO, NO2, SO2, CO, CH4 and CO2 were made at multiple altitudes upwind and downwind of the cities, with the mass balance technique used to calculate emission rates. These are then compared to the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) estimates. Ultimately the data will be used to inform on and potentially improve the emission estimates, which in turn should lead to better forecasting of air pollution in West African cities and help guide future air pollution abatement strategy.

Ultrasonographic wall thickness measurement of the upper and lower uterine segments in the prediction of the progress of preterm labour.

Science.gov (United States)

Sayed Ahmed, W A; Madny, E H; Habash, Y H; Ibrahim, Z M; Morsy, A G K; Said, M E

2015-01-01

To assess the role of ultrasonographic measurement of the upper and lower uterine segments wall thickness in predicting the progress of preterm labour in patients presenting with preterm labour pains. Fifty pregnant women presenting at Obstetrics Department - Suez Canal University, Egypt with regular lower abdominal pains and diagnosed as having preterm labour were enrolled in the study. Measurements of the upper and lower uterine segments wall thickness by transabdominal ultrasonography in-between contractions and with full bladder were taken. The upper/lower uterine wall thickness ratio was calculated and correlated to the progress of the preterm labour and to the response to tocolytics. The ultrasonographic upper/lower uterine wall thickness ratio was directly related to the progress of preterm delivery (PTD). The change in this ratio is correlated inversely with the response to tocolysis. Using the ROC curve, when the upper/lower uterine wall thickness ratio was ≤ 1.26 the sensitivity was 94.74 and the specificity was 100.00, and when the ratio was ≤ 1.52 the sensitivity was 100.00 and the specificity was 83.33. These data may serve as a baseline ultrasonographic reference values for further studies in prediction the progress of preterm labour in patients presenting with preterm labour pains.

Laboratory Evaluation of Air Flow Measurement Methods for Residential HVAC Returns for New Instrument Standards

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walker, Iain [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Stratton, Chris [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2015-08-01

This project improved the accuracy of air flow measurements used in commissioning California heating and air conditioning systems in Title 24 (Building and Appliance Efficiency Standards), thereby improving system performance and efficiency of California residences. The research team at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory addressed the issue that typical tools used by contractors in the field to test air flows may not be accurate enough to measure return flows used in Title 24 applications. The team developed guidance on performance of current diagnostics as well as a draft test method for use in future evaluations. The study team prepared a draft test method through ASTM International to determine the uncertainty of air flow measurements at residential heating ventilation and air conditioning returns and other terminals. This test method, when finalized, can be used by the Energy Commission and other entities to specify required accuracy of measurement devices used to show compliance with standards.

Simple and rapid measurement of α-rays on smear samples using air luminescence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takiue, M.

1980-01-01

The α-activity collected on smear samples has been measured indirectly using an air luminescence counting method and a liquid scintillation spectrometer. In this method, air luminescence, attributed to the fluorescence emitted by nitrogen molecules excited by α-rays in air, serves to detect α-rays. Thus, sample preparation and α-ray measurement are simple and rapid, and moreover, no radioactive waste solution is produced. Taking into account a low background and a counting efficiency between 10 and 20%, it is estimated that the detectable limit for α-ray measurement is about 1 x 10 -7 μCi/cm 2 for loose contamination. This method is convenient to use in the routine analysis of α-ray-emitting nuclides on smear paper. (author)

Comparisons of Upper Tropospheric Humidity Retrievals from TOVS and METEOSAT

Science.gov (United States)

Escoffier, C.; Bates, J.; Chedin, A.; Rossow, W. B.; Schmetz, J.

1999-01-01

Two different methods for retrieving Upper Tropospheric Humidities (UTH) from the TOVS (TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder) instruments aboard NOAA polar orbiting satellites are presented and compared. The first one, from the Environmental Technology Laboratory, computed by J. Bates and D. Jackson (hereafter BJ method), estimates UTH from a simplified radiative transfer analysis of the upper tropospheric infrared water vapor channel at wavelength measured by HIRS (6.3 micrometer). The second one results from a neural network analysis of the TOVS (HIRS and MSU) data developed at, the Laboratoire de Meteorologie Dynamique (hereafter the 3I (Improved Initialization Inversion) method). Although the two methods give very similar retrievals in temperate regions (30-60 N and S), an absolute bias up to 16% appears in the convective zone of the tropics. The two datasets have also been compared with UTH retrievals from infrared radiance measurements in the 6.3 micrometer channel from the geostationary satellite METEOSAT (hereafter MET method). The METEOSAT retrievals are systematically drier than the TOVS-based results by an absolute bias between 5 and 25%. Despite the biases, the spatial and temporal correlations are very good. The purpose of this study is to explain the deviations observed between the three datasets. The sensitivity of UTH to air temperature and humidity profiles is analysed as are the clouds effects. Overall, the comparison of the three retrievals gives an assessment of the current uncertainties in water vapor amounts in the upper troposphere as determined from NOAA and METEOSAT satellites.

Human factors measurement for future air traffic control systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Langan-Fox, Janice; Sankey, Michael J; Canty, James M

2009-10-01

This article provides a critical review of research pertaining to the measurement of human factors (HF) issues in current and future air traffic control (ATC). Growing worldwide air traffic demands call for a radical departure from current ATC systems. Future systems will have a fundamental impact on the roles and responsibilities of ATC officers (ATCOs). Valid and reliable methods of assessing HF issues associated with these changes, such as a potential increase (or decrease) in workload, are of utmost importance for advancing theory and for designing systems, procedures, and training. We outline major aviation changes and how these relate to five key HF issues in ATC. Measures are outlined, compared, and evaluated and are followed by guidelines for assessing these issues in the ATC domain. Recommendations for future research are presented. A review of the literature suggests that situational awareness and workload have been widely researched and assessed using a variety of measures, but researchers have neglected the areas of trust, stress, and boredom. We make recommendations for use of particular measures and the construction of new measures. It is predicted that, given the changing role of ATCOs and profound future airspace requirements and configurations, issues of stress, trust, and boredom will become more significant. Researchers should develop and/or refine existing measures of all five key HF issues to assess their impact on ATCO performance. Furthermore, these issues should be considered in a holistic manner. The current article provides an evaluation of research and measures used in HF research on ATC that will aid research and ATC measurement.

Optimisation of key performance measures in air cargo demand management

OpenAIRE

Alexander May; Adrian Anslow; Udechukwu Ojiako; Yue Wu; Alasdair Marshall; Maxwell Chipulu

2014-01-01

This article sought to facilitate the optimisation of key performance measures utilised for demand management in air cargo operations. The focus was on the Revenue Management team at Virgin Atlantic Cargo and a fuzzy group decision-making method was used. Utilising intelligent fuzzy multi-criteria methods, the authors generated a ranking order of ten key outcome-based performance indicators for Virgin Atlantic air cargo Revenue Management. The result of this industry-driven study showed that ...

Measurement of two-phase flow at the core upper plenum interface under simulated reflood conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, D.G.; Combs, S.K.; Bagwell, M.E.

1980-01-01

Objectives of the Instrument Development Loop program were to simulate flows at the core/upper plenum interface during the reflood phase of a LOCA and to develop instruments for measuring mass-flows at this interface. A tie plate drag body was developed and tested successfully, and the data obtained were shown to be equivalent to pressure drops. The tie-plate drag body gave useful measurements in pure downflow, and the drag/turbine combination correlates with mass flow for high upflow

Roadside air quality and implications for control measures: A case study of Hong Kong

Science.gov (United States)

Ai, Z. T.; Mak, C. M.; Lee, H. C.

2016-07-01

Traffic related air pollution is one of major environmental issues in densely populated urban areas including Hong Kong. A series of control measures has been implemented by Hong Kong government to cut traffic related air pollutants, including retrofitting the Euro II and Euro III buses with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) devices to lower nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emissions. In order to reveal the real-life roadside air quality and evaluate the effectiveness of the control measures, this study first analyzed the recent six-year data regarding concentrations of pollutants typically associated with traffic recorded in two governmental roadside monitoring stations and second conducted on-site measurements of concentration of pollutants at pedestrian level near five selected roads. Given that there is a possibility of ammonia leakage as a secondary pollutant from SCR devices, a special attention was paid to the measurements of ammonia level in bus stations and along roadsides. Important influencing factors, such as traffic intensity, street configuration and season, were analyzed. Control measures implemented by the government are effective to decrease the traffic emissions. In 2014, only NO2 cannot achieve the annual air quality objective of Hong Kong. However, it is important to find that particulate matters, rather than NO2, post potentially a short-term exposure risk to passengers and pedestrians. Based on the findings of this study, specific control measures are suggested, which are intended to further improve the roadside air quality.

Optimisation of key performance measures in air cargo demand management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander May

2014-04-01

Full Text Available This article sought to facilitate the optimisation of key performance measures utilised for demand management in air cargo operations. The focus was on the Revenue Management team at Virgin Atlantic Cargo and a fuzzy group decision-making method was used. Utilising intelligent fuzzy multi-criteria methods, the authors generated a ranking order of ten key outcome-based performance indicators for Virgin Atlantic air cargo Revenue Management. The result of this industry-driven study showed that for Air Cargo Revenue Management, ‘Network Optimisation’ represents a critical outcome-based performance indicator. This collaborative study contributes to existing logistics management literature, especially in the area of Revenue Management, and it seeks to enhance Revenue Management practice. It also provides a platform for Air Cargo operators seeking to improve reliability values for their key performance indicators as a means of enhancing operational monitoring power.

Corrections to air kerma rate measurements of 125I brachytherapy sources to free space conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shipley, D.R.; Duane, S.

1994-05-01

Air kerma rate measurements have been made between 40 cm and 100 cm from one of a set of 125 I reference sources within the facilities of Amersham International plc. Monte Carlo techniques have been used to calculate the air kerma rate components over the same range of distances from this source. After comparing the calculated data with measurements, the compliance of the data with the inverse square law was investigated, and corrections were derived to obtain the air kerma rate at 1 m in free space from each source. Simulations of the experimental setup with an isotropic monoenergetic point source close to the effective energy of 125 I were found to reproduce the air kerma rate measurements reasonably accurately, and indicated that the contribution due to scattered photons was significant. The overall correction (which is defined as the product of individual corrections for chamber size effect, air attenuation and radiation scatter) required to the inverse square law to obtain the air kerma rate at 1 m in free space was found to be 0.981, 0.984 and 0.980, respectively, for air kerma rate measurements at 40 cm, 60 cm and 100 cm from the 125 I reference source. The total uncertainty in these corrections was estimated to be 0.88% at the 1σ level. (author)

Upper Bounds on Performance Measures of Heterogeneous // Queues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. S. Q. Alves

2011-01-01

Full Text Available In many real-life queueing systems, the servers are often heterogeneous, namely they work at different rates. This paper provides a simple method to compute tight upper bounds on two important performance measures of single-class heterogeneous multi-server Markovian queueing systems, namely the average number in queue and the average waiting time in queue. This method is based on an expansion of the state space that is followed by an approximate reduction of the state space, only considering the most probable states. In most cases tested, we were able to approximate the actual behavior of the system with smaller errors than those obtained from traditional homogeneous multiserver Markovian queues, as shown by GPSS simulations. In addition, we have correlated the quality of the approximation with the degree of heterogeneity of the system, which was evaluated using its Gini index. Finally, we have shown that the bounds are robust and still useful, even considering quite different allocation strategies. A large number of simulation results show the accuracy of the proposed method that is better than that of classical homogeneous multiserver Markovian formulae in many situations.

Air Pollution and Environmental Justice Awareness

Science.gov (United States)

Bouvier-Brown, N. C.

2014-12-01

Air pollution is not equally dispersed in all neighborhoods and this raises many social concerns, such as environmental justice. "Real world" data, whether extracted from online databases or collected in the field, can be used to demonstrate air quality patterns. When students explore these trends, they not only learn about atmospheric chemistry, but they also become socially aware of any inequities. This presentation outlines specific ways to link air pollution and environmental justice suitable for an undergraduate upper division Air Pollution or Atmospheric Chemistry course.

High accuracy acoustic relative humidity measurement in duct flow with air

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schaik, van W.; Grooten, M.H.M.; Wernaart, T.; Geld, van der C.W.M.

2010-01-01

An acoustic relative humidity sensor for air-steam mixtures in duct flow is designed and tested. Theory, construction, calibration, considerations on dynamic response and results are presented. The measurement device is capable of measuring line averaged values of gas velocity, temperature and

Disruptive Innovation in Air Measurement Technology: Reality or Hype?

Science.gov (United States)

This presentation is a big picture overview on the changing state of air measurement technology in the world, with a focus on the introduction of low-cost sensors into the market place. The presentation discusses how these new technologies may be a case study in disruptive innov...

Three phase voltage measurements with simple open air sensors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heesch, van E.J.M.; Caspers, R.; Gulickx, P.F.M.; Jacobs, G.A.P.; Kersten, W.F.J.; Laan, van der P.C.T.

1991-01-01

A low cost, easy to install high-voltage measuring system is described for open air substations and overhead lines. Based on the Differentiating/Integrating (D/I) principle, three free-standing capacitive pickup electrodes are used to sense the three phase to ground voltages. Apart from the

Air mass origins and troposphere-to-stratosphere exchange associated with mid-latitude cyclogenesis and tropopause folding inferred from Be-7 measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Kritz, Mark A.; Rosner, Stefan W.; Danielsen, Edwin F.; Selkirk, Henry B.

1991-01-01

The 1984 extratropical mission of NASA's Stratosphere-Troposphere Exchange Project (STEP) studied cross-jet transport in regions of cyclogenesis and tropopause folding. Correlations of Be-7, ozone, water vapor, and potential vorticity measured on a NASA U-2 research aircraft flying in high shear regions above the jet core are indicative of mixing between the cyclonic and the anticyclonic sides of the jet and are consistent with the hypothesis that small-scale entrainments of upper tropospheric air into the lower stratosphere during cyclogenesis are important in maintaining the vertical gradients of Be-7, ozone, water vapor and other trace constituents in the lower few kilometers of the midlatitude stratosphere. Correlations between Be-7, and ozone suggest a lower tropical stratospheric origin for the ozone-poor lamina observed above the jet core.

Streamlining air import operations by trade facilitation measures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuri da Cunha Ferreira

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Global operations are subject to considerable uncertainties. Due to the Trade Facilitation Agreement that became effective in February 2017, the study of measures to streamline customs controls is urgent. This study aims to assess the impact of trade facilitation measures on import flows. An experimental study was performed in the largest cargo airport in South America through discrete-event simulation and design of experiments. Operation impacts of three trade facilitation measures are assessed on import flow by air. We shed light in the following trade facilitation measures: the use of X-ray equipment for physical inspection; increase of the number of qualified companies in the trade facilitation program; performance targets for customs officials. All trade facilitation measures used indicated potential to provide more predictability, cost savings, time reduction, and increase in security in international supply chain.

Measurement of radon progeny concentrations in air by alpha-particle spectrometey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kerr, G.D.

1975-07-01

A technique is presented for measuring air concentrations of the short-lived progeny of radon-222 by the use of alpha spectrometry. In this technique, the concentration of RaA, RaB, and RaC are calculated from one integral count of the RaA and two integral counts of the RaC' alpha-particle activity collected on a filter with an air sampling device. The influence of air sampling and counting intervals of time on the accuracy of the calculated concentrations is discussed in the report. A computer program is presented for use with this technique. It is written in the BASIC language. The program will calculate the air concentrations of RaA, RaB, and RaC, and will estimate the accuracy in these calculated concentrations. (U.S.)

Laboratory measurements of the influence of air treatment devices on radon daughters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rajala, M.; Janka, K.; Graeffe, G.; Kulmala, V.; Lehtimaeki, M.

1984-01-01

This paper presents laboratory measurements in which the effect of air cleaners on radon decay products has been studied. Experiments show that both a high-efficiency particulate air filter and an electrostatic precipitator substantially decrease the total airborne radon daughter concentration leading to a situation where most of the decay products are unattached. However, in some situations the concentration of fine particles generated by the corona discharge in the electronic air cleaner becomes high enough to increase the total radon daughter concentration and decrease the free decay product concentration. Impurities in the air may have a notable role in the formation of these condensation nuclei. (Author)

Measuring Device for Air Speed in Macroporous Media and Its Application Inside Apple Storage Bins

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Geyer

2018-02-01

Full Text Available In cold storage facilities of fruit and vegetables, airflow is necessary for heat removal. The design of storage facilities influences the air speed in the surrounding of the product. Therefore, knowledge about airflow next to the product is important to plan the layout of cold stores adapted to the requirements of the products. A new sensing device (ASL, Air speed logger is developed for omnidirectional measurement of air speed between fruit or vegetables inside storage bins or in bulk. It consists of four interconnected plastic spheres with 80 mm diameter each, adapted to the size of apple fruit. In the free space between the spheres, silicon diodes are fixed for the airflow measurement based on a calorimetric principle. Battery and data logger are mounted inside the spheres. The device is calibrated in a wind tunnel in a measuring range of 0–1.3 m/s. Air speed measurements in fruit bulks on laboratory scale and in an industrial fruit store show air speeds in gaps between fruit with high stability at different airflow levels. Several devices can be placed between stored products for determination of the air speed distribution inside bulks or bin stacks in a storage room.

Objective Measure of Nasal Air Emission Using Nasal Accelerometry

Science.gov (United States)

Cler, Meredith J.; Lien, Yu-An, S.; Braden, Maia N.; Mittleman, Talia; Downing, Kerri; Stepp, Cara, E.

2016-01-01

Purpose: This article describes the development and initial validation of an objective measure of nasal air emission (NAE) using nasal accelerometry. Method: Nasal acceleration and nasal airflow signals were simultaneously recorded while an expert speech language pathologist modeled NAEs at a variety of severity levels. In addition, microphone and…

Polydimethylsiloxane-air partition ratios for semi-volatile organic compounds by GC-based measurement and COSMO-RS estimation: Rapid measurements and accurate modelling.

Science.gov (United States)

Okeme, Joseph O; Parnis, J Mark; Poole, Justen; Diamond, Miriam L; Jantunen, Liisa M

2016-08-01

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) shows promise for use as a passive air sampler (PAS) for semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs). To use PDMS as a PAS, knowledge of its chemical-specific partitioning behaviour and time to equilibrium is needed. Here we report on the effectiveness of two approaches for estimating the partitioning properties of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), values of PDMS-to-air partition ratios or coefficients (KPDMS-Air), and time to equilibrium of a range of SVOCs. Measured values of KPDMS-Air, Exp' at 25 °C obtained using the gas chromatography retention method (GC-RT) were compared with estimates from a poly-parameter free energy relationship (pp-FLER) and a COSMO-RS oligomer-based model. Target SVOCs included novel flame retardants (NFRs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). Significant positive relationships were found between log KPDMS-Air, Exp' and estimates made using the pp-FLER model (log KPDMS-Air, pp-LFER) and the COSMOtherm program (log KPDMS-Air, COSMOtherm). The discrepancy and bias between measured and predicted values were much higher for COSMO-RS than the pp-LFER model, indicating the anticipated better performance of the pp-LFER model than COSMO-RS. Calculations made using measured KPDMS-Air, Exp' values show that a PDMS PAS of 0.1 cm thickness will reach 25% of its equilibrium capacity in ∼1 day for alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane (α-HCH) to ∼ 500 years for tris (4-tert-butylphenyl) phosphate (TTBPP), which brackets the volatility range of all compounds tested. The results presented show the utility of GC-RT method for rapid and precise measurements of KPDMS-Air. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

SU-D-209-01: Can Fluoroscopic Air-Kerma Rates Be Reliably Measured with Solid-State Meters?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng, C; Thai, L; Wagner, L; Ozus, B

2016-01-01

Purpose: Ionization chambers remain the standard for calibration of air-kerma rate measuring devices. Despite their strong energy-dependent response, solid state radiation detectors are increasingly used, primarily due to their efficiency in making standardized measurements. To test the reliability of these devices in measuring air-kerma rates, we compared ion chambers measurements with solid-state measurements for various mobile fluoroscopes operated at different beam qualities and air-kerma rates. Methods: Six mobile fluoroscopes (GE OEC models 9800 and 9900) were used to generate test beams. Using various field sizes and dose rate controls, copper attenuators and a lead attenuator were placed at the image receptor in varying combinations to generate a range of air-kerma rates. Air-kerma rates at 30 centimeters from the image receptors were measured using two 6-cm"3 ion chambers with electrometers (Radcal, models 1015 and 9015) and two with solid state detectors (Unfors Xi and Raysafe X2). No error messages occurred during measurements. However, about two months later, one solid-state device stopped working and was replaced by the manufacturer. Two out of six mobile fluoroscopic units were retested with the replacement unit. Results: Generally, solid state and ionization chambers agreed favorably well, with two exceptions. Before replacement of the detector, the Xi meter when set in the “RF High” mode deviated from ion chamber readings by factors of 2 and 10 with no message indicating error in measurement. When set in the “RF Low” mode, readings were within −4% to +3%. The replacement Xi detector displayed messages alerting the user when settings were not compatible with air-kerma rates. Conclusion: Air-kerma rates can be measured favorably well using solid-state devices, but users must be aware of the possibility that readings can be grossly in error with no discernible indication for the deviation.

SU-D-209-01: Can Fluoroscopic Air-Kerma Rates Be Reliably Measured with Solid-State Meters?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feng, C; Thai, L; Wagner, L [The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX (United States); Ozus, B [CHI St Luke’s Health, Baylor St Luke’s Medical Center, Houston, TX (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: Ionization chambers remain the standard for calibration of air-kerma rate measuring devices. Despite their strong energy-dependent response, solid state radiation detectors are increasingly used, primarily due to their efficiency in making standardized measurements. To test the reliability of these devices in measuring air-kerma rates, we compared ion chambers measurements with solid-state measurements for various mobile fluoroscopes operated at different beam qualities and air-kerma rates. Methods: Six mobile fluoroscopes (GE OEC models 9800 and 9900) were used to generate test beams. Using various field sizes and dose rate controls, copper attenuators and a lead attenuator were placed at the image receptor in varying combinations to generate a range of air-kerma rates. Air-kerma rates at 30 centimeters from the image receptors were measured using two 6-cm{sup 3} ion chambers with electrometers (Radcal, models 1015 and 9015) and two with solid state detectors (Unfors Xi and Raysafe X2). No error messages occurred during measurements. However, about two months later, one solid-state device stopped working and was replaced by the manufacturer. Two out of six mobile fluoroscopic units were retested with the replacement unit. Results: Generally, solid state and ionization chambers agreed favorably well, with two exceptions. Before replacement of the detector, the Xi meter when set in the “RF High” mode deviated from ion chamber readings by factors of 2 and 10 with no message indicating error in measurement. When set in the “RF Low” mode, readings were within −4% to +3%. The replacement Xi detector displayed messages alerting the user when settings were not compatible with air-kerma rates. Conclusion: Air-kerma rates can be measured favorably well using solid-state devices, but users must be aware of the possibility that readings can be grossly in error with no discernible indication for the deviation.

Tracheobronchial air-liquid interface cell culture: a model for innate mucosal defense of the upper airways?

Science.gov (United States)

Kesimer, Mehmet; Kirkham, Sara; Pickles, Raymond J.; Henderson, Ashley G.; Alexis, Neil E.; DeMaria, Genevieve; Knight, David; Thornton, David J.; Sheehan, John K.

2009-01-01

Human tracheobronchial epithelial cells grown in air-liquid interface culture have emerged as a powerful tool for the study of airway biology. In this study, we have investigated whether this culture system produces “mucus” with a protein composition similar to that of in vivo, induced airway secretions. Previous compositional studies of mucous secretions have greatly underrepresented the contribution of mucins, which are major structural components of normal mucus. To overcome this limitation, we have used a mass spectrometry-based approach centered on prior separation of the mucins from the majority of the other proteins. Using this approach, we have compared the protein composition of apical secretions (AS) from well-differentiated primary human tracheobronchial cells grown at air-liquid interface and human tracheobronchial normal induced sputum (IS). A total of 186 proteins were identified, 134 from AS and 136 from IS; 84 proteins were common to both secretions, with host defense proteins being predominant. The epithelial mucins MUC1, MUC4, and MUC16 and the gel-forming mucins MUC5B and MUC5AC were identified in both secretions. Refractometry showed that the gel-forming mucins were the major contributors by mass to both secretions. When the composition of the IS was corrected for proteins that were most likely derived from saliva, serum, and migratory cells, there was considerable similarity between the two secretions, in particular, in the category of host defense proteins, which includes the mucins. This shows that the primary cell culture system is an important model for study of aspects of innate defense of the upper airways related specifically to mucus consisting solely of airway cell products. PMID:18931053

AirSWOT Measurements of Water Surface Elevations and Hydraulic Gradients over the Yukon Flats, Alaska

Science.gov (United States)

Pitcher, L. H.; Pavelsky, T.; Smith, L. C.; Moller, D.; Altenau, E. H.; Lion, C.; Bertram, M.; Cooley, S. W.

2017-12-01

AirSWOT is an airborne, Ka-band synthetic aperture radar interferometer (InSAR) intended to quantify surface water fluxes by mapping water surface elevations (WSE). AirSWOT will also serve as a calibration/validation tool for the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite mission (scheduled for launch in 2021). The hydrology objectives for AirSWOT and SWOT are to measure WSE with accuracies sufficient to estimate hydrologic fluxes in lakes, wetlands and rivers. However, current understanding of the performance of these related though not identical instruments when applied to complex river-lake-wetland fluvial environments remains predominantly theoretical. We present AirSWOT data acquired 15-June-2015 over the Yukon Flats, Alaska, USA, together with in situ field surveys, to assess the accuracy of AirSWOT WSE measurements in lakes and rivers. We use these data to demonstrate that AirSWOT can be used to estimate large-scale hydraulic gradients across wetland complexes. Finally, we present key lessons learned from this AirSWOT analysis for consideration in future campaigns, including: maximizing swath overlap for spatial averaging to minimize uncertainty as well as orienting flight paths parallel to river flow directions to reduce along track aircraft drift for neighboring flight paths. We conclude that spatially dense AirSWOT measurements of river and lake WSEs can improve geospatial understanding of surface water hydrology and fluvial processes.

Air-mass flux measurement system using Doppler-shifted filtered Rayleigh scattering

Science.gov (United States)

Shirley, John A.; Winter, Michael

1993-01-01

An optical system has been investigated to measure mass flux distributions in the inlet of a high speed air-breathing propulsion system. Rayleigh scattered light from air is proportional to the number density of molecules and hence can be used to ascertain the gas density in a calibrated system. Velocity field measurements are achieved by spectrally filtering the elastically-scattered Doppler-shifted light with an absorbing molecular filter. A novel anamorphic optical collection system is used which allows optical rays from different scattering angles, that have different Doppler shifts, to be recorded separately. This is shown to obviate the need to tune the laser through the absorption to determine velocities, while retaining the ability to make spatially-resolved measurements along a line. By properly selecting the laser tuning and filter parameters, simultaneous density measurements can be made. These properties are discussed in the paper and experiments demonstrating the velocimetry capability are described.

Upper Meter Processes: Short Wind Waves, Surface Flow, and Micro-Turbulence

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Jaehne, Bernd

2000-01-01

.... Since ground truth of the sea surface is still widely missing, a better understanding of the physics of these upper meter processes is of very important for the study of air-sea gas and momentum...

Space fireworks for upper atmospheric wind measurements by sounding rocket experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Yamamoto, M.

2016-01-01

Artificial meteor trains generated by chemical releases by using sounding rockets flown in upper atmosphere were successfully observed by multiple sites on ground and from an aircraft. We have started the rocket experiment campaign since 2007 and call it "Space fireworks" as it illuminates resonance scattering light from the released gas under sunlit/moonlit condition. By using this method, we have acquired a new technique to derive upper atmospheric wind profiles in twilight condition as well as in moonlit night and even in daytime. Magnificent artificial meteor train images with the surrounding physics and dynamics in the upper atmosphere where the meteors usually appear will be introduced by using fruitful results by the "Space firework" sounding rocket experiments in this decade.

Measurement of Temporal Awareness in Air Traffic Control

Science.gov (United States)

Rantanen, E.M.

2009-01-01

Temporal awareness, or level 3 situation awareness, is critical to successful control of air traffic, yet the construct remains ill-defined and difficult to measure. This research sought evidence for air traffic controllers awareness of temporal characteristics of their tasks in data from a high-fidelity system evaluation simulation. Five teams of controllers worked on four scenarios with different traffic load. Several temporal parameters were defined for each task controllers performed during a simulation run and their actions on the tasks were timed relative to them. Controllers showed a strong tendency to prioritize tasks according to a first come, first served principle. This trend persisted as task load increased. Also evident was awareness of the urgency of tasks, as tasks with impending closing of a window of opportunity were performed before tasks that had longer time available before closing of the window.

Repeated measures of recent headache, neck and upper back pain in Australian adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Grimmer, K; Nyland, L; Milanese, S

2006-07-01

The epidemiological and clinical literature identifies strong associations between adult headache, cervical and thoracic spine dysfunction and spinal posture. This paper reports on the prevalence and incidence of headache, neck and upper back pain which occurred in the previous week, in urban Australians aged 13-17 years. Commencing in 1999, we followed a cohort of South Australian students through 5 years of secondary schooling. Of our commencing cohort of students, 132 (30%) provided data on bodily pain every year. For both girls and boys, there was a significantly decreasing prevalence of headache over the study period, while neck pain and upper back pain increased. There was a significantly increasing trend over time for boys with upper back pain. Twenty percent of girls and boys consistently reported headache, neck pain or upper back pain over 5 years. The progression of early adolescent headaches to mid-adolescent neck and upper back pain potentially reflects the adolescents' biomechanical responses to intrinsic and extrinsic imposts. This requires further investigation to understand the causes of adolescent headache, neck and upper thoracic pain.

Measurement of Indoor Air Quality by Means of a Breathing Thermal Manikin

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brohus, Henrik

When a person is located in a contaminant field with significant gradients the contaminant distribution is modified locally due to the entrainment and transport of room air in the human convective boundary layer as well as due to the effect of the person acting as an obstacle to the flow field, etc....... The local modification of the concentration distribution may affect the personal exposure significantly and, thus, the indoor air quality actually experienced. In this paper measurements of indoor air quality by means of a Breathing Thermal Manikin (BTM) are presented....

The role of transportation control measures in California's air pollution control strategy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guensler, R.; Burmich, P.; Geraghty, A.

1992-01-01

In California, significant progress has been made to control emissions from industrial sources as well as from motor vehicles. Nonetheless, policy analysts still debate over whether it makes sense to control motor vehicle emissions through legislated reductions in vehicle use, especially when new vehicle emission standards are becoming even more stringent in California. In this paper, the emission reduction benefits of California's new low-emission vehicles and clean fuels program are reviewed. The air quality management plans of three major metropolitan areas in California are examined, to identify emission reductions needed to meet federal and state air quality standards. For each of these three areas, emission reductions expected from transportation control measure implementation are presented. Then, the extent to which the reductions are open-quotes significantclose quotes and relied upon in each of the local attainment efforts is analyzed. The emission reductions expected from the stringent exhaust emission standards of California's new low-emission vehicles and clean fuels program will not be sufficient to meet mandated clean air standards in the study areas. Based upon our review, transportation control measures appear to be necessary components of the air quality management plans in California's major metropolitan areas. The paper concludes that cost-effective transportation control measures (TCMs) will be needed as a complementary strategy to California's stringent tail-pipe standards in moderate to extreme nonattainment areas

A double Gerdien instrument for simultaneous bipolar air conductivity measurements on balloon platforms.

Science.gov (United States)

Nicoll, K A; Harrison, R G

2008-08-01

A bipolar air conductivity instrument is described for use with a standard disposable meteorological radiosonde package. It is intended to provide electrical measurements at cloud boundaries, where the ratio of the bipolar air conductivities is affected by the presence of charged particles. The sensors are two identical Gerdien-type electrodes, which, through a voltage decay method, measure positive and negative air conductivities simultaneously. Voltage decay provides a thermally stable approach and a novel low current leakage electrometer switch is described which initiates the decay sequence. The radiosonde supplies power and telemetry, as well as measuring simultaneous meteorological data. A test flight using a tethered balloon determined positive (sigma(+)) and negative (sigma(-)) conductivities of sigma(+)=2.77+/-0.2 fS m(-1) and sigma(-)=2.82+/-0.2 fS m(-1), respectively, at 400 m aloft, with sigma(+)sigma(-)=0.98+/-0.04.

Air condensation plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelp, F.; Pohl, H.H.

1978-01-01

In this plant the steam is distributed by a ventilator from the bottom to symmetrically fixed, inclined cooling elements with tubes. The upper part of the current side of the cooling elements as well as the bottom part of the outflow side can be covered by cover plates via a control circuit. This way, part of the air amount is deviated and in case of unfavourable atmospheric conditions (cold) the air is heated. This heating is enough to prevent freezing of the condensate on the cooling tubes. (DG) [de

Brief Communication: Upper Air Relaxation in RACMO2 Significantly Improves Modelled Interannual Surface Mass Balance Variability in Antarctica

Science.gov (United States)

van de Berg, W. J.; Medley, B.

2016-01-01

The Regional Atmospheric Climate Model (RACMO2) has been a powerful tool for improving surface mass balance (SMB) estimates from GCMs or reanalyses. However, new yearly SMB observations for West Antarctica show that the modelled interannual variability in SMB is poorly simulated by RACMO2, in contrast to ERA-Interim, which resolves this variability well. In an attempt to remedy RACMO2 performance, we included additional upper-air relaxation (UAR) in RACMO2. With UAR, the correlation to observations is similar for RACMO2 and ERA-Interim. The spatial SMB patterns and ice-sheet-integrated SMB modelled using UAR remain very similar to the estimates of RACMO2 without UAR. We only observe an upstream smoothing of precipitation in regions with very steep topography like the Antarctic Peninsula. We conclude that UAR is a useful improvement for regional climate model simulations, although results in regions with steep topography should be treated with care.

Experimental system description for air-water CCFL tests of the 161-rod FLECHT-SEASET test vessel upper plenum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fogdall, S.P.; Anderson, J.L.

1983-01-01

A series of countercurrent flow limiting (CCFL) experiments has been performed by EG and G Idaho, Inc. in the Steam-Air-Water (SAW) test facility at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory on behalf of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Tests were performed in a mockup of the vessel for the 161-Rod Systems Effects Test (SET) facility of the FLECHT-SEASET program, conducted by the Westinghouse Electric Corporation. Westinghouse and the NRC will use the test results to provide a CCFL correlation to predict the flooding behavior in the upper plenum of the SET vessel. This paper presents a description of the experimental system and the test conduct, including data validation and uncertainty analysis. The test objectives centered on experimentally obtaining coefficients in the Wallis correlation for flooding with the specific vessel geometry. The test conditions and vessel configuration are described and the design of the test loop, instrumentation, and data acquisition are discussed. The establishment of a test point and the resultant data are described

Measurement of concentration and size distribution of radon decay products in homes using air cleaners

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montassier, N.; Hopke, P.K.; Shi, Y.; McCallum, B.

1992-01-01

By removing particles, air cleaners can also eliminate radon decay products. However, by removing the particles, the open-quotes unattachedclose quotes fraction of the radon progeny is increased leading to a higher dose per unit exposure. Thus, both the concentration and size distributions of the radon decay products are needed to evaluate air cleaners. Three types of room air cleaners, NO-RAD Radon Removal System, Electronic Air Cleaner and PUREFLOW Air Treatment System were tested in a single family home in Arnprior, Ontario (Canada). Semi-continuous measurements of radon gas concentration and radon decay product activity weighted size distribution were performed in the kitchen/dining room under real living conditions. The effects of air cleaners on both the concentration and size distribution of the radon decay products were measured, and their impact on the dose of radiation given to the lung tissue were examined

Measurement error in epidemiologic studies of air pollution based on land-use regression models.

Science.gov (United States)

Basagaña, Xavier; Aguilera, Inmaculada; Rivera, Marcela; Agis, David; Foraster, Maria; Marrugat, Jaume; Elosua, Roberto; Künzli, Nino

2013-10-15

Land-use regression (LUR) models are increasingly used to estimate air pollution exposure in epidemiologic studies. These models use air pollution measurements taken at a small set of locations and modeling based on geographical covariates for which data are available at all study participant locations. The process of LUR model development commonly includes a variable selection procedure. When LUR model predictions are used as explanatory variables in a model for a health outcome, measurement error can lead to bias of the regression coefficients and to inflation of their variance. In previous studies dealing with spatial predictions of air pollution, bias was shown to be small while most of the effect of measurement error was on the variance. In this study, we show that in realistic cases where LUR models are applied to health data, bias in health-effect estimates can be substantial. This bias depends on the number of air pollution measurement sites, the number of available predictors for model selection, and the amount of explainable variability in the true exposure. These results should be taken into account when interpreting health effects from studies that used LUR models.

Thermal separation of soil particles from thermal conductivity measurement under various air pressures.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Sen; Ren, Tusheng; Lu, Yili; Meng, Ping; Zhang, Jinsong

2017-01-05

The thermal conductivity of dry soils is related closely to air pressure and the contact areas between solid particles. In this study, the thermal conductivity of two-phase soil systems was determined under reduced and increased air pressures. The thermal separation of soil particles, i.e., the characteristic dimension of the pore space (d), was then estimated based on the relationship between soil thermal conductivity and air pressure. Results showed that under both reduced and increased air pressures, d estimations were significantly larger than the geometrical mean separation of solid particles (D), which suggested that conductive heat transfer through solid particles dominated heat transfer in dry soils. The increased air pressure approach gave d values lower than that of the reduced air pressure method. With increasing air pressure, more collisions between gas molecules and solid surface occurred in micro-pores and intra-aggregate pores due to the reduction of mean free path of air molecules. Compared to the reduced air pressure approach, the increased air pressure approach expressed more micro-pore structure attributes in heat transfer. We concluded that measuring thermal conductivity under increased air pressure procedures gave better-quality d values, and improved soil micro-pore structure estimation.

Meteorological utilization of measurements of the artificial radioactivity on the air and precipitation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neuwirth, R

1955-01-01

German, French, and American measurements of the rainfall and air activity are being evaluated. For that purpose, trajectories from the experimental grounds for bomb tests in Nevada to Western Germany are drawn. By means of intermediate values, the test possibilities of air paths first only scheduled are given. The so-called deposit spaces and meridional circulations, which are significant particularly in divergence regions, prove to be of especial importance. The mechanism of activation of precipitation is discussed. A connexion between the activity of precipitation and air masses could only be found in individual cases. But it seems that semitropical air masses dispose of a higher specific activity in comparison with the polar air masses.

The Performance of the Upper Limb scores correlate with pulmonary function test measures and Egen Klassifikation scores in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Ha Neul; Sawnani, Hemant; Horn, Paul S; Rybalsky, Irina; Relucio, Lani; Wong, Brenda L

2016-01-01

The Performance of the Upper Limb scale was developed as an outcome measure specifically for ambulant and non-ambulant patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and is implemented in clinical trials needing longitudinal data. The aim of this study is to determine whether this novel tool correlates with functional ability using pulmonary function test, cardiac function test and Egen Klassifikation scale scores as clinical measures. In this cross-sectional study, 43 non-ambulatory Duchenne males from ages 10 to 30 years and on long-term glucocorticoid treatment were enrolled. Cardiac and pulmonary function test results were analyzed to assess cardiopulmonary function, and Egen Klassifikation scores were analyzed to assess functional ability. The Performance of the Upper Limb scores correlated with pulmonary function measures and had inverse correlation with Egen Klassifikation scores. There was no correlation with left ventricular ejection fraction and left ventricular dysfunction. Body mass index and decreased joint range of motion affected total Performance of the Upper Limb scores and should be considered in clinical trial designs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Measurement of Ambient Air Particle (TSP, PM10, PM2,5) Around Candidate Location of PLTN Semenanjung Lemahabang

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

AgusGindo S; Budi Hari H

2008-01-01

Measurement analysis of ambient air particle (TSP, PM 10 , PM 2,5 ) around location candidate of PLTN (Power Station of Nuclear Energy) Semenanjung Lemahabang has been carried out. The measurement was conducted in May 2007 with a purpose to providing information about concentration of ambient air particle (TSP, PM 10 , PM 2,5 ) and diameter distribution of its air particle. The measurement was conducted in three locations i.e. 1). Balong village 2). Bayuran 3). Bondo. Concentration of TSP, PM 10 , and PM 2,5 per 24 hours in all measured locations in area candidate of PLTN exceed quality standard of national ambient air is specified by government. All measurement locations for the TSP, PM 10 , and PM 2,5 was include category of ISPU (Standard Index of Air Pollution) moderate. (author)

Measurement of a thermal neutron flux using air activation; Mesure de flux de neutrons thermiques par activation d'air

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guyonvarh, M; Lecomte, P; Le Meur, R [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1967-07-01

It is necessary to know, in irradiation loops, the thermal neutron flux after the irradiation device has been introduced and without being obliged to wait for the discharge of this device. In order to measure the flux and to control it continuously, one possible method is to place in the flux a coiled steel tube through which air passes. By measuring the activity of argon 41, and with a knowledge of the flow rate and the temperature of the air, it is possible to calculate the flux. An air-circulation flux controller is described and the relationship between the flux and the count rate is established The accuracy of an absolute measurement is about 14 per cent; that of a relative measurement is about 3 per cent. The measurement can be carried out equally well whether the reactor is operating at maximum or at low power. The measurement range goes from 10{sup 9} to lO{sup 15} n.cm{sup -2}.sec{sup -1}, and it would be possible after a few modifications to measure fluxes between 10{sup 5} and 10{sup 15} n.cm{sup -2}.sec{sup -1}. Finally, the method is very safe to operate: there is little risk of irradiation because of the low specific activity of the argon-41 formed, and no risk of contamination because the decay product of argon-41 is stable. This method, which is now being used in loops, is thus very practical. (authors) [French] Sur des boucles d'irradiation il est necessaire de connaitre le flux de neutrons thermiques apres mise en place du dispositif d'irradiation et sans etre oblige d'attendre le detournement de ce dispositif. Pour mesurer le flux et le controler en permanence, une methode consiste a placer sous flux un serpentin en acier dans lequel on fait circuler de l'air. La mesure d'activite d'argon 41 permet de calculer le flux, connaissant le debit et la temperature de l'air. Un controleur de flux par circulation d'air est decrit et la relation entre le flux et le taux de comptage est etablie. La precision d'une mesure absolue est de l'ordre de 14 pour

Next-generation air measurement technologies | Science ...

Science.gov (United States)

This is a presentation at a workshop in Chicago on emerging air monitoring technologies, hosted by a local nonprofit. The audience is composed of a mixture of technical backgrounds. This presentation will be part of an opening panel and the goal is to give an overview of the state of science on emerging air sensor technology. This is a presentation at a workshop in Chicago on emerging air monitoring technologies, hosted by a local nonprofit. The audience is composed of a mixture of technical backgrounds. This presentation will be part of an opening panel and the goal is to give an overview of the state of science on emerging air sensor technology.

Episodic air pollution is associated with increased DNA fragmentation in human sperm without other changes in semen quality

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rubes, J.; Selevan, S.G.; Evenson, D.P.; Zudova, D.; Vozdova, M.; Zudova, Z.; Robbins, W.A.; Perreault, S.D. [US EPA, Research Triangle Park, NC (United States)

2005-10-01

This study examined potential associations between exposure to episodes of air pollution and alterations in semen quality. The air pollution, resulting from combustion of coal for industry and home heating in the Teplice district of the Czech Republic, was much higher during the winter than at other times of year with peaks exceeding US air quality standards. Young men from Teplice were sampled up to seven times over 2 years allowing evaluation of semen quality after periods of exposure to both low and high air pollution. Routine semen analysis (sperm concentration, motility and morphology) and tests for sperm aneuploidy and chromatin integrity were performed, comparing measurements within each subject. Exposure was classified as high or low based on data from ambient air pollution monitoring. Using repeated measures analysis, a significant association was found between exposure to periods of high air pollution (at or above the upper limit of US air quality standards) and the percentage of sperm with DNA fragmentation according to sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA). Other semen measures were not associated with air pollution. It is concluded that exposure to intermittent air pollution may result in sperm DNA damage and thereby increase the rates of male-mediated infertility, miscarriage, and other adverse reproductive outcomes.

Stratospheric measurements of ozone-depleting substances and greenhouse gases using AirCores

Science.gov (United States)

Laube, Johannes; Leedham Elvidge, Emma; Kaiser, Jan; Sturges, Bill; Heikkinen, Pauli; Laurila, Tuomas; Hatakka, Juha; Kivi, Rigel; Chen, Huilin; Fraser, Paul; van der Veen, Carina; Röckmann, Thomas

2017-04-01

Retrieving air samples from the stratosphere has previously required aircraft or large balloons, both of which are expensive to operate. The novel "AirCore" technique (Karion et al., 2010) enables stratospheric sampling using weather balloons, which is much more cost effective. AirCores are long (up to 200 m) stainless steel tubes which are placed as a payload on a small balloon, can ascend to over 30 km and fill upon descent, collecting a vertical profile of the atmosphere. Retrieved volumes are much smaller though, which presents a challenge for trace gas analysis. To date, only the more abundant trace gases such as carnon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) have been quantified in AirCores. Halogenated trace gases are also important greenhouse gases and many also deplete stratospheric ozone. Their concentrations are however much lower i.e. typically in the part per trillion (ppt) molar range. We here present the first stratospheric measurements of halocarbons in AirCores obtained using UEA's highly sensitive (detection limits of 0.01-0.1 ppt in 10 ml of air) gas chromatography mass spectrometry system. The analysed air originates from a Stratospheric Air Sub-sampler (Mrozek et al., 2016) which collects AirCore segments after the non-destructive CO2 and CH4 analysis. Successfully measured species include CFC-11, CFC-12, CFC-113, CFC-115, H-1211, H-1301, HCFC-22, HCFC-141b, HCFC-142b, HCFC-133a, and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6). We compare the observed mixing ratios and precisions with data obtained from samples collected during various high-altitude aircraft campaigns between 2009 and 2016 as well as with southern hemisphere tropospheric long-term trends. As part of the ERC-funded EXC3ITE (EXploring stratospheric Composition, Chemistry and Circulation with Innovative Techniques) project more than 40 AirCore flights are planned in the next 3 years with an expanded range of up to 30 gases in order to explore seasonal and interannual variability in the stratosphere

Measurement of acetates in air using differential ion mobility spectrometer

Science.gov (United States)

Szczurek, Andrzej; Maciejewska, Monika; Zajiczek, Żaneta; Maziejuk, Mirosław

2017-11-01

Volatile organic compounds are one of the most important group of air pollutants. Potential health and environmental problems resulting from their emission prompted the requirement for monitoring these species. It motivates development of new measurement techniques which are fast, cost effective, reliable and field deployable. One of novel approaches is ion mobility spectrometry. It dwells on ion separation in electric field, based on differences in ion mobility. Many variants of this method are developed. In this wok, differential ion mobility spectrometry (DMS) was considered in respect of acetate measurements in air. It was demonstrated that DMS offers linear response to methyl, ethyl, propyl and butyl acetate in concentration range from 0.3 ppm to 7 ppm. Positive ions spectrum has to be utilised for this purpose. We showed that fragments of DMS spectrum which secure linearity are compound-specific. The obtained results are promising from the application point of view.

Evaluation of the upper airway measurements by multi-slice CT before and after operations in obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tao Ping; Dang Yuqing; Chang Bei; Wang Xiao; Jin Zhengyu; Li Wuyi; Huo Hong

2009-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the changes of the upper airway of the patients with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) before and after operations and to know the effects of operations by MSCT. Methods: The upper airway dimensions of 26 patients with OSAS were measured on multiplanar reformatted (MPR), curved-planar reformatted (CPR), volume rendering (VR) images of 16-slice spiral CT. The measurements include the anteroposterior calibres and the areas on the reformatted axial images on the pharyngeal cavity levels, the calibres and the minimum areas in retropalatal and retroglossal regions, the areas of the soft palate and uvula on the reformatted sagittal view with maximum thickness, the maximum wall thickness of the right and left the upper airway on the coronary images, the volume of the upper airway before and after the operations. The measurements were correlated with the polysomnography (PSG) records. The data were analyzed paired-samples t-test and Pearson correlations. Results: By comparison, the anteroposterior calibres and the cross-sectional areas on the reformatted axial view of the lower retropalatal region (slice 4) of the upper airway increased significantly after operations. The anteroposterior diameter increased from 5.9 mm before operations to 12.8 mm after operations, where t=-5.506, P 2 before operations to 275.0 mm 2 after operations, where t=-5.011, P 2 before operations to 128.0 mm 2 after operations, where t=3.087, P 2 before operation to 10.9 mm, 76.0 mm 2 after operation, where t=-3.413, -2.216, respectively and P 2 before operations to 76.0 mm 2 after operations, were t=-4.932, P<0.05. The anteroposterior calibres increased from 4.6 mm before operations to 6.6 mm after operations, where t=-7.308, P<0.05. The L-R calibres increased from 8.3 mm before operations to 13.6 mm after operations, where t=-4.320, P<0.05. Conclusions: MPR, CPR, VR of MSCT can evaluate the not only the morphology but the function changes of the upper airways on the

First measurement of radon transfer. Water - skin - blood - air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Philipsborn, H. von; Grunewald, W.A.

2000-01-01

While radon is disliked in uranium mines and homes, it is used medically in radon spas for the treatment of several ailments. The transfer of radon gas from water, through skin into blood and into expiratory air was studied completely for the first time for a person resting 20-30 min in radon water. For waterborne radon concentrations of 1500±100 Bq/L, 4±1 Bq/L were measured in the blood and 2.4±0.5 kBq/m 3 (Bq/L) in the expiratory air. The results can be understood according to the principles of physiology. The nature of the experiments excluded persons other than the authors. Hence the study has been radiometric (physical), not clinical (medical). (orig.)

Measurements of the Magnetic Field of the Upper Chromosphere with Polarimetry

Science.gov (United States)

Rachmeler, Laurel; Mckenzie, David; Winebarger, Amy; Kobayashi, Ken; Ishikawa, Ryohko; Kubo, Masahito; Narukage, Noriyuki; Bueno, Trujillo, Javier; Auchere, Frederic

2017-01-01

A major remaining challenge for heliophysics is to decipher the magnetic structure of the chromosphere. The chromosphere is the critical interface between the Sun's photosphere and corona: it contains more mass than the entire interplanetary heliosphere, requires a heating rate that is larger than that of the corona, and mediates all the energy driving the solar wind, solar atmospheric heating and solar eruptions. While measurements of the magnetic field in the photosphere are routine, the chromosphere poses several extra challenges. The magnetically sensitive lines formed in the upper chromosphere are in the ultraviolet, so space-based observations are required. The lines are often formed over a range of heights, sampling different plasma which complicates the inversion process. These lines are sensitive to the magnetic field via polarized light that is created or modified through the Hanle and Zeeman effects. There are a few observations of these lines, and a significant challenge remains in extracting the magnetic field from the polarization measurements, as detailed model atmospheres with advanced radiative transfer physics are needed. Real progress is obtained by a simultaneous improvement in both the observational side and the modeling side. We present information on the CLASP (Chromospheric LAyer Spectro-Polarimeter) sounding rocket program, and future prospects for these types of measurements.

The MUMBA campaign: measurements of urban, marine and biogenic air

Science.gov (United States)

Paton-Walsh, Clare; Guérette, Élise-Andrée; Kubistin, Dagmar; Humphries, Ruhi; Wilson, Stephen R.; Dominick, Doreena; Galbally, Ian; Buchholz, Rebecca; Bhujel, Mahendra; Chambers, Scott; Cheng, Min; Cope, Martin; Davy, Perry; Emmerson, Kathryn; Griffith, David W. T.; Griffiths, Alan; Keywood, Melita; Lawson, Sarah; Molloy, Suzie; Rea, Géraldine; Selleck, Paul; Shi, Xue; Simmons, Jack; Velazco, Voltaire

2017-06-01

The Measurements of Urban, Marine and Biogenic Air (MUMBA) campaign took place in Wollongong, New South Wales (a small coastal city approximately 80 km south of Sydney, Australia) from 21 December 2012 to 15 February 2013. Like many Australian cities, Wollongong is surrounded by dense eucalyptus forest, so the urban airshed is heavily influenced by biogenic emissions. Instruments were deployed during MUMBA to measure the gaseous and aerosol composition of the atmosphere with the aim of providing a detailed characterisation of the complex environment of the ocean-forest-urban interface that could be used to test the skill of atmospheric models. The gases measured included ozone, oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane and many of the most abundant volatile organic compounds. The aerosol characterisation included total particle counts above 3 nm, total cloud condensation nuclei counts, mass concentration, number concentration size distribution, aerosol chemical analyses and elemental analysis.The campaign captured varied meteorological conditions, including two extreme heat events, providing a potentially valuable test for models of future air quality in a warmer climate. There was also an episode when the site sampled clean marine air for many hours, providing a useful additional measure of the background concentrations of these trace gases within this poorly sampled region of the globe. In this paper we describe the campaign, the meteorology and the resulting observations of atmospheric composition in general terms in order to equip the reader with a sufficient understanding of the Wollongong regional influences to use the MUMBA datasets as a case study for testing a chemical transport model. The data are available from PANGAEA (pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.871982" target="_blank">http://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.871982).

Estimating air emissions from a remediation of a petroleum sump using direct measurement and modeling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmidt, C.E.

1991-01-01

A technical approach was developed for the remediation of a petroleum sump near a residential neighborhood. The approach evolved around sludge handling/in-situ solidification and on-site disposal. As part of the development of the engineering approach, a field investigation and modeling program was conducted to predict air emissions from the proposed remediation. Field measurements using the EPA recommended surface isolation flux chamber were conducted to represent each major activity or air exposure involving waste at the site. Air emissions from freshly disturbed petroleum waste, along with engineering estimates were used to predict emissions from each phase of the engineering approach. This paper presents the remedial approach and the measurement/modeling technologies used to predict air toxic emissions from the remediation. Emphasis will be placed on the measurement approaches used in obtaining the emission rate data and the assumptions used in the modeling to estimate emissions from engineering scenarios

Monte Carlo simulation of air sampling methods for the measurement of radon decay products.

Science.gov (United States)

Sima, Octavian; Luca, Aurelian; Sahagia, Maria

2017-08-01

A stochastic model of the processes involved in the measurement of the activity of the 222 Rn decay products was developed. The distributions of the relevant factors, including air sampling and radionuclide collection, are propagated using Monte Carlo simulation to the final distribution of the measurement results. The uncertainties of the 222 Rn decay products concentrations in the air are realistically evaluated. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Method and device for measuring the smoke concentration in air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rennemo, B.

1994-01-01

The patent deals with a method and a device for measuring the smoke concentration in air. In a smoke chamber are located two electrodes, connected to a voltage source for forming a circuit in which a DC current flows. A radioactive radiation source to ionize the air molecules is located in the vicinity of the smoke chamber, so that the number of ionized air molecules which are formed is dependent upon the radiation intensity of the ion source and the concentration of smoke particles in the smoke chamber. The charging voltage will further imply that a cloud of high ion concentration is built up close to the surface of the electrodes. The ion cloud will be discharged capacitively upon a plurality of short voltages pulses applied to the electrodes to thereby result in current pulses substantially greater than the DC current flowing through the chamber. 8 figs

The Relative Importance of Random Error and Observation Frequency in Detecting Trends in Upper Tropospheric Water Vapor

Science.gov (United States)

Whiteman, David N.; Vermeesch, Kevin C.; Oman, Luke D.; Weatherhead, Elizabeth C.

2011-01-01

Recent published work assessed the amount of time to detect trends in atmospheric water vapor over the coming century. We address the same question and conclude that under the most optimistic scenarios and assuming perfect data (i.e., observations with no measurement uncertainty) the time to detect trends will be at least 12 years at approximately 200 hPa in the upper troposphere. Our times to detect trends are therefore shorter than those recently reported and this difference is affected by data sources used, method of processing the data, geographic location and pressure level in the atmosphere where the analyses were performed. We then consider the question of how instrumental uncertainty plays into the assessment of time to detect trends. We conclude that due to the high natural variability in atmospheric water vapor, the amount of time to detect trends in the upper troposphere is relatively insensitive to instrumental random uncertainty and that it is much more important to increase the frequency of measurement than to decrease the random error in the measurement. This is put in the context of international networks such as the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) Reference Upper-Air Network (GRUAN) and the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC) that are tasked with developing time series of climate quality water vapor data.

The relationship of gross upper and lower limb motor competence to measures of health and fitness in adolescents aged 13-14 years.

Science.gov (United States)

Weedon, Benjamin David; Liu, Francesca; Mahmoud, Wala; Metz, Renske; Beunder, Kyle; Delextrat, Anne; Morris, Martyn G; Esser, Patrick; Collett, Johnny; Meaney, Andy; Howells, Ken; Dawes, Helen

2018-01-01

Motor competence (MC) is an important factor in the development of health and fitness in adolescence. This cross-sectional study aims to explore the distribution of MC across school students aged 13-14 years old and the extent of the relationship of MC to measures of health and fitness across genders. A total of 718 participants were tested from three different schools in the UK, 311 girls and 407 boys (aged 13-14 years), pairwise deletion for correlation variables reduced this to 555 (245 girls, 310 boys). Assessments consisted of body mass index, aerobic capacity, anaerobic power, and upper limb and lower limb MC. The distribution of MC and the strength of the relationships between MC and health/fitness measures were explored. Girls performed lower for MC and health/fitness measures compared with boys. Both measures of MC showed a normal distribution and a significant linear relationship of MC to all health and fitness measures for boys, girls and combined genders. A stronger relationship was reported for upper limb MC and aerobic capacity when compared with lower limb MC and aerobic capacity in boys (t=-2.21, degrees of freedom=307, P=0.03, 95% CI -0.253 to -0.011). Normally distributed measures of upper and lower limb MC are linearly related to health and fitness measures in adolescents in a UK sample. NCT02517333.

Evaluation of Low-Cost Mitigation Measures Implemented to Improve Air Quality in Nursery and Primary Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Sá, Juliana P; Branco, Pedro T B S; Alvim-Ferraz, Maria C M; Martins, Fernando G; Sousa, Sofia I V

2017-05-31

Indoor air pollution mitigation measures are highly important due to the associated health impacts, especially on children, a risk group that spends significant time indoors. Thus, the main goal of the work here reported was the evaluation of mitigation measures implemented in nursery and primary schools to improve air quality. Continuous measurements of CO₂, CO, NO₂, O₃, CH₂O, total volatile organic compounds (VOC), PM₁, PM 2.5 , PM 10 , Total Suspended Particles (TSP) and radon, as well as temperature and relative humidity were performed in two campaigns, before and after the implementation of low-cost mitigation measures. Evaluation of those mitigation measures was performed through the comparison of the concentrations measured in both campaigns. Exceedances to the values set by the national legislation and World Health Organization (WHO) were found for PM 2.5 , PM 10 , CO₂ and CH₂O during both indoor air quality campaigns. Temperature and relative humidity values were also above the ranges recommended by American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). In general, pollutant concentrations measured after the implementation of low-cost mitigation measures were significantly lower, mainly for CO₂. However, mitigation measures were not always sufficient to decrease the pollutants' concentrations till values considered safe to protect human health.

SCANNING VOLTA POTENTIALS MEASUREMENTS OF METALS IN IRRADIATED AIR.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

ISAACS, H.S.; ADZIC, G.; AND ENERGY SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT; JEFFCOATE, C.S.

2000-10-22

A method for direct dc measurement of the Volta potential is presented. High intensity synchrotron x-ray beams were used to locally irradiate the atmosphere adjacent to the metal surface and produce a conducting path between a sample and a reference probe. The direct measurements of potential in the ionized air could be made at probe heights of around 1 mm compared to less than 0.1 mm for the Kelvin probe. The measurements were similar to traditional Kelvin probe measurements, but had a poorer spatial resolution. In contrast to the Kelvin probe methods, the approach described allows observation of the current as a function of impressed voltage. Methods to improve the special resolution of the technique and applications to corrosion under coating will be presented.

Challenges and Opportunities for Using Crowd-Sourced Air Pollution Measurements for Education and Outreach

Science.gov (United States)

Stanier, C. O.; Dong, C.; Janechek, N. J.; Bryngelson, N.; Schultz, P.; Heimbinder, M.

2017-12-01

As part of the CLE4R air quality education project, the University of Iowa has been working with AirBeam low-cost consumer-grade fine particulate matter (PM2.5) sensors in educational and outreach settings, both in K-12 environments and in informal settings such as science days and technology fairs. Users are attracted to the AirBeam device, in part, because of the easy creation of crowd-sourced maps of air pollution. With over 1000 AirBeam devices in use, extensive measurements are now available at aircasting.org. The AirBeam sensor is a portable, low-cost sensor which measures light scattering due to aerosols as a single bin converting the detected signal to a particle count and uses a calibration fit to estimate particle mass. The AirBeam is able to detect particle sizes of 0.5 - 2.5 µm, concentrations up to 400 µg m-3, and with a time resolution of 1 s. A corresponding Android device is used to visualize, record, and upload measured data to a community website (aircasting.org) that maps the spatial and temporal resolved data. The non-profit vendor's website constructs crowdsourced maps of air quality, environmental, and meteorological variables. As of April 1st, 2017, through the CLE4R project, 109 people had used the AirBeam sensors for educational purposes, for a total of 271 person hours. In the poster, we will explain the outreach that was done, and share best practices for education and outreach using consumer-grade PM sensors. Strengths and needed improvements to the technology for these outreach, education, and classroom uses will also be detailed. Sources of particles that can be artificially generated for educational use, including authentic smoke, spray smoke, and various dust sources will be enumerated. For use in K-12 classrooms, requirements for robust startup, operation, and ease-of-use are high. Mapping of concentrations is a desirable attribute but adds additional sources of failure to the hardware-software system used for education/outreach.

Measurement of the Muon Content of Air Showers with IceTop

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalez, JG; IceCube Collaboration

2016-05-01

IceTop, the surface component of the IceCube detector, has measured the energy spectrum of cosmic ray primaries in the range between 1.6 PeV and 1.3 EeV. IceTop can also be used to measure the average density of GeV muons in the shower front at large radial distances (> 300 m) from the shower axis. Wei present the measurement of the muon lateral distribution function for primary cosmic rays with energies between 1.6 PeV and about 0.1 EeV, and compare it to proton and iron simulations. We also discuss how this information can be exploited in the reconstruction of single air shower events. By combining the information on the muon component with that of the electromagnetic component of the air shower, we expect to reduce systematic uncertainties in the inferred mass composition of cosmic rays arising from theoretical uncertainties in hadronic interaction models.

Walkie-Talkie Measurements for the Speed of Radio Waves in Air

Science.gov (United States)

Dombi, Andra; Tunyagi, Arthur; Neda, Zoltan

2013-01-01

A handheld emitter-receiver device suitable for the direct estimation of the velocity of radio waves in air is presented. The velocity of radio waves is measured using the direct time-of-flight method, without the need for any tedious and precise settings. The results for two measurement series are reported. Both sets of results give an estimate…

Poster - 15: Air kerma rate measurements using a cylindrical free-air ionization chamber on the 05B1-1 beamline at the Canadian Light Source

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anderson, Danielle; Siegbahn, Albert; Fallone, Gino; Warkentin, Brad [BCCA - Sindi Ahluwalia Hawkins Centre for the Southern Interior, Kelowna BC, Stockholm University, Sweden, Cross Cancer Institute, Alberta Health Services and University of Alberta, Edmonton AB, Cross Cancer Institute, Alberta Health Services and University of Alberta, Edmonton AB (Sweden)

2016-08-15

Purpose: The BioMedical Imaging and Therapy (BMIT) beamlines at the Canadian Light Source offer the opportunity for investigating novel imaging and therapy applications of synchrotron radiation. A necessary component in advancing this research, and in progressing toward clinical applications, is the availability of accurate dosimetry that is traceable to a standards institution. However, dosimetry in this setting is challenging. These beams are typically small, non-uniform, and highly intense. This work describes air kerma rate measurements on a BMIT beamline using a free-air ionization chamber (FAC). Methods: The measurements were taken at the 05B1-1 beamline (∼8 – 100 keV) for several beam qualities with mean energies between 20.0 and 84.0 keV. The Victoreen Model 480 cylindrical FAC, with a specially fabricated 0.52 mm diameter aperture, was used to measure air kerma rates. The required correction factors were determined using a variety of methods: tabulated data, measurements, theoretical calculations and Monte Carlo simulations (EGSnrc user code egs-fac). Results: The experimental air kerma rates measured between 0.270 ± 13.6% and 312 ± 2.7% Gy/min. At lower energies (low filtration), the most impactful correction factors were those for ion recombination and for x-ray attenuation. Conclusions: These measurements marked the first absolute dosimetry performed at the BMIT beamlines. The experimental and Monte Carlo methods developed will allow air kerma rates to be measured under other experimental conditions, provide a benchmark to which other dosimeters will be compared, and provide a reference for imaging and therapy research programs on this beamline.

Back-trajectory modeling of high time-resolution air measurement data to separate nearby sources

Science.gov (United States)

Strategies to isolate air pollution contributions from sources is of interest as voluntary or regulatory measures are undertaken to reduce air pollution. When different sources are located in close proximity to one another and have similar emissions, separating source emissions ...

Measuring Air Temperature in Glazed Ventilated Facades in the Presence of Direct Solar Radiation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kalyanova, Olena; Zanghirella, Fabio; Heiselberg, Per

2007-01-01

A distinctive element of buildings with a double glazed façade is naturally or mechanically driven flow in a ventilated cavity. Accurate air temperature measurements in the cavity are crucial to evaluate the dynamic performance of the façade, to predict and control its behavior as a significant...... part of the complete ventilation system. Assessment of necessary cooling/heating loads and of the whole building energy performance will then depend on the accuracy of measured air temperature. The presence of direct solar radiation is an essential element for the façade operation, but it can heavily...... affect measurements of air temperature and may lead to errors of high magnitude using bare thermocouples and even adopting shielding devices. Two different research groups, from Aalborg University and Politecnico di Torino, tested separately various techniques to shield thermocouples from direct...

Precision measurement of refractive index of air based on laser synthetic wavelength interferometry with Edlén equation estimation.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Liping; Chen, Benyong; Zhang, Enzheng; Zhang, Shihua; Yang, Ye

2015-08-01

A novel method for the precision measurement of refractive index of air (n(air)) based on the combining of the laser synthetic wavelength interferometry with the Edlén equation estimation is proposed. First, a n(air_e) is calculated from the modified Edlén equation according to environmental parameters measured by low precision sensors with an uncertainty of 10(-6). Second, a unique integral fringe number N corresponding to n(air) is determined based on the calculated n(air_e). Then, a fractional fringe ε corresponding to n(air) with high accuracy can be obtained according to the principle of fringe subdivision of laser synthetic wavelength interferometry. Finally, high accurate measurement of n(air) is achieved according to the determined fringes N and ε. The merit of the proposed method is that it not only solves the problem of the measurement accuracy of n(air) being limited by the accuracies of environmental sensors, but also avoids adopting complicated vacuum pumping to measure the integral fringe N in the method of conventional laser interferometry. To verify the feasibility of the proposed method, comparison experiments with Edlén equations in short time and in long time were performed. Experimental results show that the measurement accuracy of n(air) is better than 2.5 × 10(-8) in short time tests and 6.2 × 10(-8) in long time tests.

Uptake of SO/sub 2/ and NO/sub 2/ by the isolated upper airways

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yokoyama, E

1968-01-01

SO/sub 2/ and NO/sub 2/ concentrations were measured above and below isolated tracheas of 2 dogs and 3 rabbits. Air--gas mixtures were pumped through nose to upper trachea for 10 to 15 min at rates of 3.5 and 0.75 liters/min, respectively. Gas concentrations ranged from 7 to 87 ppM SO/sub 2/ and from 4 to 41 ppM NO/sub 2/. The rate of uptake for the isolated airways was a generally constant 93.7% for SO/sub 2/ and 42.1% for NO/sub 2/, a significant difference.

Measurements of indoor 222RN activity in dwellings and workplaces of Curitiba (Brazil)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corrêa, Janine N.; Paschuk, Sergei A.; Del Claro, Flávia; Kappke, Jaqueline; Perna, Allan F.N.; Schelin, Hugo R.; Denyak, Valeriy

2014-01-01

The present work describes the results of systematic measurements of radon ( 222 Rn) in residential environments and workplaces in the Metropolitan Region of Curitiba (Paraná State, Brazil) during the period 2004–2012. For radon in air activity measurements, polycarbonate Track Etch Detectors CR-39, mounted in diffusion chambers protected by borosilicate glass fiber filters, were used. After being exposed in air, the CR-39 detectors were submitted to a chemical etching in a 6.25 M NaOH solution at 70 °C for 14 h. The alpha particle tracks were identified and manually counted with an optical microscope, and with the results of previously performed calibrations, the indoor activity concentration of 222 Rn was calculated. The calibration of CR-39 and the alpha particle tracks chemical development procedures were performed in collaboration the National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS, Japan). The major part of indoor 222 Rn concentration in residences was found to be below 100 Bq/m 3 . In the case of working places, all measurements of 222 Rn concentrations were below 100 Bq/m 3 . These values are considered within the limits set by international regulatory agencies, such as the US EPA and ICRP, which adopt up to 148 and 300 Bq/m 3 as upper values for the reference levels for radon gas activity in dwellings, respectively. The latest value of 300 Bq/m 3 for radon activity in air is proposed by ICRP considering the upper value for the individual dose reference level for radon exposure of 10 mSv/yr. - Highlights: • Radon activity in air of dwellings was measured. • Radon activity in air of workplaces was measured. • Obtained experimental results are compared with International Norms and Regulations

Microprocessor isotope gauges for measurement of coating thickness and of air dust pollution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Machaj, B.; Zrudelny, F.; Sikora, A.; Jaszczuk, J.

1986-01-01

The article describes a coating thickness gauge based on measurement of backscattered beta particles, and an air dust pollution gauge based on measurement of dust deposited from known volume of ambient air passed through a filter, by attenuation of beta radiation. In both cases to control the gauges and to process head signals microcomputer system based on Intel 8080 microprocessor is employed. Algorithms for processing and control of the gauges and corresponding flow charts are presented. Block diagram of microcomputer system used is presented, as well as the manner of operation of the gauges. (author)

Utilization of coincidence criteria in absolute length measurements by optical interferometry in vacuum and air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schödel, R

2015-01-01

Traceability of length measurements to the international system of units (SI) can be realized by using optical interferometry making use of well-known frequencies of monochromatic light sources mentioned in the Mise en Pratique for the realization of the metre. At some national metrology institutes, such as Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) in Germany, the absolute length of prismatic bodies (e.g. gauge blocks) is realized by so-called gauge-block interference comparators. At PTB, a number of such imaging phase-stepping interference comparators exist, including specialized vacuum interference comparators, each equipped with three highly stabilized laser light sources. The length of a material measure is expressed as a multiple of each wavelength. The large number of integer interference orders can be extracted by the method of exact fractions in which the coincidence of the lengths resulting from the different wavelengths is utilized as a criterion. The unambiguous extraction of the integer interference orders is an essential prerequisite for correct length measurements. This paper critically discusses coincidence criteria and their validity for three modes of absolute length measurements: 1) measurements under vacuum in which the wavelengths can be identified with the vacuum wavelengths, 2) measurements under air in which the air refractive index is obtained from environmental parameters using an empirical equation, and 3) measurements under air in which the air refractive index is obtained interferometrically by utilizing a vacuum cell placed along the measurement pathway. For case 3), which corresponds to PTB’s Kösters-Comparator for long gauge blocks, the unambiguous determination of integer interference orders related to the air refractive index could be improved by about a factor of ten when an ‘overall dispersion value,’ suggested in this paper, is used as coincidence criterion. (paper)

Measurement of the Tracer Gradient and Sampling System Bias of the Hot Fuel Examination Facility Stack Air Monitoring System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Glissmeyer, John A.; Flaherty, Julia E.

2011-07-20

This report describes tracer gas uniformity and bias measurements made in the exhaust air discharge of the Hot Fuel Examination Facility at Idaho National Laboratory. The measurements were a follow-up on earlier measurements which indicated a lack of mixing of the two ventilation streams being discharged via a common stack. The lack of mixing is detrimental to the accuracy of air emission measurements. The lack of mixing was confirmed in these new measurements. The air sampling probe was found to be out of alignment and that was corrected. The suspected sampling bias in the air sample stream was disproved.

Measurements of air contaminants during the Cerro Grande fire at Los Alamos National Laboratory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eberhart, Craig

2010-08-01

Ambient air sampling for radioactive air contaminants was continued throughout the Cerro Grande fire that burned part of Los Alamos National Laboratory. During the fire, samples were collected more frequently than normal because buildup of smoke particles on the filters was decreasing the air flow. Overall, actual sampling time was 96% of the total possible sampling time for the May 2000 samples. To evaluate potential human exposure to air contaminants, the samples were analyzed as soon as possible and for additional specific radionuclides. Analyses showed that the smoke from the fire included resuspended radon decay products that had been accumulating for many years on the vegetation and the forest floor that burned. Concentrations of plutonium, americium, and depleted uranium were also measurable, but at locations and concentrations comparable to non-fire periods. A continuous particulate matter sampler measured concentrations that exceeded the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for PM-10 (particles less than 10 micrometers in diameter). These high concentrations were caused by smoke from the fire when it was close to the sampler.

Upper limit on a stochastic background of gravitational waves from seismic measurements in the range 0.05-1 Hz.

Science.gov (United States)

Coughlin, Michael; Harms, Jan

2014-03-14

In this Letter, we present an upper limit of ΩGW<1.2×108 on an isotropic stochastic gravitational-wave (GW) background integrated over a year in the frequency range 0.05-1 Hz, which improves current upper limits from high-precision laboratory experiments by about 9 orders of magnitude. The limit is obtained using the response of Earth itself to GWs via a free-surface effect described more than 40 years ago by Dyson. The response was measured by a global network of broadband seismometers selected to maximize the sensitivity.

Chemical composition of aerosol measurements in the air pollution plume during KORUS-AQ

Science.gov (United States)

Park, T.; Lee, J. B.; Lim, Y. J.; Ahn, J.; Park, J. S.; Soo, C. J.; Kim, J.; Park, S.; Lee, Y.; Desyaterik, Y.; Collett, J. L., Jr.; Lee, T.

2017-12-01

The Korean peninsula is a great place to study different sources of the aerosols: urban, rural and marine. In addition, Seoul is one of the large metropolitan areas in the world and has a variety of sources because half of the Korean population lives in Seoul, which comprises only 12% of the country's area. To understand the chemical composition of aerosol form long-range transport and local sources better, an Aerodyne High Resolution Time of Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS) was deployed on an airborne platform (NASA DC-8 aircraft). The HR-ToF-AMS is capable of measuring non-refractory size resolved chemical composition of submicron particle(NR-PM1) in the air pollution plume, including mass concentration of organic carbon, nitrate, sulfate, and ammonium with 10 seconds time resolution. The measurements were performed twenty times research flight for understanding characteristic of the air pollution from May to June, 2016 on the South Korean peninsula during KORUS-AQ 2016 campaign. The scientific goal of this study is to characterize aerosol chemical properties and mass concentration in order to understand the role of the long-range transport from northeast Asia to South Korea, and influence of the local sources. To brief, organics dominated during all of flights. Also, organics and nitrate were dominant around energy industrial complex near by Taean, South Korea. The presentation will provide an overview of the composition of NR-PM1 measured in air pollution plumes, and deliver detail information about width, depth and spatial distribution of the pollutant in the air pollution plumes. The results of this study will provide high temporal and spatial resolved details on the air pollution plumes, which are valuable input parameters of aerosol properties for the current air quality models.

Energy balance measurements over a small reservoir in Ghana's Upper East Region

Science.gov (United States)

van de Giesen, Nick; Ohene Annor, Frank

2013-04-01

Near the small village of Binaba (10.778927 deg N, 0.464859 deg E), a small irrigation reservoir has been instrumented to measure different parts of the energy balance of this water body. Instruments were placed on, or attached to, a spar platform. This platform consisted of a long PVC pipe, the spar, which is closed at the bottom. On the PVC pipe rests an aluminum frame platform that carries instrumentation and solar power panel. In turn, the platform rests partially on a large inflated tire. At the bottom of the PVC pipe, lead weights and batteries were placed to ensure a very low point of gravity to minimize wave impact on the platform movement. The tire ensures a large second moment of the water plane. The combination of large second momentum of the water plane and small displacement, ensures a high placement of the metacenter. The distance between the point of gravity and the metacenter is relatively long and the weight is large due to the weights and batteries. This ensures that the eigenfrequency of the platform is very low. On the platform, we fixed a WindMaster Pro (sonic anemometer for 3D wind speed and air temperature to perform eddy covariance measurements of sensible heat flux), a NR Lite (net radiometer), and air temperature and relative humidity sensors. Water temperature at different depths was measured with a string of TidbiT's (waterproof temperature sensors and loggers). The platform had a wind vane and the spar could turn freely around its anchor cable to ensure that the anemometer always faced upwind. A compass in the logger completed this setup. First results suggest, as expected, that the sensible heat flux is relatively small with on average 20 W/m2 over the course of a day. Sensible heat flux peaked around midnight at 35 W/m2, when the warm water warmed up the air from the colder surrounding land. The dynamics of heat storage during the daytime and longwave radiation during the night time, are important to calculate the latent heat flux.

Junge relationships in measurement data for cyclic siloxanes in air.

Science.gov (United States)

MacLeod, Matthew; Kierkegaard, Amelie; Genualdi, Susie; Harner, Tom; Scheringer, Martin

2013-10-01

In 1974, Junge postulated a relationship between variability of concentrations of gases in air at remote locations and their atmospheric residence time, and this Junge relationship has subsequently been observed empirically for a range of trace gases. Here, we analyze two previously-published datasets of concentrations of cyclic volatile methyl siloxanes (cVMS) in air and find Junge relationships in both. The first dataset is a time series of concentrations of decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5) measured between January and June, 2009 at a rural site in southern Sweden that shows a Junge relationship in the temporal variability of the measurements. The second dataset consists of measurements of hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane (D3), octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4) and D5 made simultaneously at 12 sites in the Global Atmospheric Passive Sampling (GAPS) network that shows a Junge relationship in the spatial variability of the three cVMS congeners. We use the Junge relationship for the GAPS dataset to estimate atmospheric lifetimes of dodecamethylcyclohexasiloxane (D6), 8:2-fluorotelomer alcohol and trichlorinated biphenyls that are within a factor of 3 of estimates based on degradation rate constants for reaction with hydroxyl radical determined in laboratory studies. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Measurements and calculations of neutron fluxes through a simulation of the CRBR upper axial shielding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maerker, R.E.; Muckenthaler, F.J.

1976-01-01

Measurements, using a 4-in. Bonner Ball, have been made of the neutron fluxes penetrating a simulation of CRBR upper axial biological shielding at the Tower Shielding Facility. The simulation consisted of a 45.7 cm thick slab of SS-304 followed by a series of sodium tanks having a total thickness of 457 cm followed by slabs of carbon steel up to 61.0 cm thick. Measurements were made behind the stainless steel, behind intermediate thicknesses of 152 cm, 305 cm, and 457 cm of sodium (with the stainless steel in place), and behind various thicknesses of the carbon steel following both 305 cm and 457 cm of sodium (also with the stainless steel in place). Calculated and measured data are presented and compared

A Simple Measure to Assess Hyperinflation and Air Trapping: 1-Forced Expiratory Volume in Three Second / Forced Vital Capacity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sermin Börekçi

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Several recent studies have suggested that 1 minus-forced expiratory volume expired in 3 seconds / forced vital capacity (1-FEV3/FVC may be an indicator of distal airway obstruction and a promising measure to evaluate small airways dysfunction. Aims: To investigate the associations of 1-FEV3/FVC with the spirometric measures and lung volumes that assess small airways dysfunction and reflects hyperinflation and air trapping. Study Design: Retrospective cross-sectional study. Methods: Retrospective assessment of a total of 1110 cases who underwent body plethysmographic lung volume estimations between a time span from 2005 to 2012. Patients were assigned into two groups: firstly by FEV1/FVC (FEV1/FVC <70% vs. FEV1/FVC ≥70%; secondly by FEV3/FVC < lower limits of normal (LLN (FEV3/FVC < LLN vs. FEV3/FVC ≥ LLN. Spirometric indices and lung volumes measured by whole-body plethysmography were compared in groups. Also the correlation of spirometric indices with measured lung volumes were assessed in the whole-study population and in subgroups stratified according to FEV1/FVC and FEV3/FVC. Results: Six hundred seven (54.7% were male and 503 (45.3% were female, with a mean age of 52.5±15.6 years. Mean FEV3/FVC and 1-FEV3/FVC were 87.05%, 12.95%, respectively. The mean 1-FEV3/FVC was 4.9% in the FEV1/FVC ≥70% group (n=644 vs. 24.1% in the FEV1/FVC <70% group (n=466. A positive correlation was found between 1-FEV3/FVC and residual volume (r=0.70; p<0.0001, functional residual capacity-pleth (r=0.61; p<0.0001, and total lung capacity (r=0.47; p<0.0001. 1-FEV3/FVC was negatively correlated with forced expiratory flow25-75 (r=−0.84; p<0.0001. The upper limit of 95% confidence interval for 1-FEV3/FVC was 13.7%. 1-FEV3/FVC showed significant correlations with parameters of air trapping and hyperinflation measured by whole-body plethysmography. Importantly, these correlations were higher in study participants with FEV1/FVC <70% or FEV3/FVC

Multi-model attribution of upper-ocean temperature changes using an isothermal approach

Science.gov (United States)

Weller, Evan; Min, Seung-Ki; Palmer, Matthew D.; Lee, Donghyun; Yim, Bo Young; Yeh, Sang-Wook

2016-06-01

Both air-sea heat exchanges and changes in ocean advection have contributed to observed upper-ocean warming most evident in the late-twentieth century. However, it is predominantly via changes in air-sea heat fluxes that human-induced climate forcings, such as increasing greenhouse gases, and other natural factors such as volcanic aerosols, have influenced global ocean heat content. The present study builds on previous work using two different indicators of upper-ocean temperature changes for the detection of both anthropogenic and natural external climate forcings. Using simulations from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, we compare mean temperatures above a fixed isotherm with the more widely adopted approach of using a fixed depth. We present the first multi-model ensemble detection and attribution analysis using the fixed isotherm approach to robustly detect both anthropogenic and natural external influences on upper-ocean temperatures. Although contributions from multidecadal natural variability cannot be fully removed, both the large multi-model ensemble size and properties of the isotherm analysis reduce internal variability of the ocean, resulting in better observation-model comparison of temperature changes since the 1950s. We further show that the high temporal resolution afforded by the isotherm analysis is required to detect natural external influences such as volcanic cooling events in the upper-ocean because the radiative effect of volcanic forcings is short-lived.

Cecal perforation with an ascending colon cancer caused by upper gastrointestinal endoscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiroyuki Miyatani

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Hiroyuki Miyatani1, Yukio Yoshida1, Hirokazu Kiyozaki21Department of Gastroenterology, Jichi Medical University, Saitama Medical Center, Saitama, Japan; 2Department of Surgery, Jichi Medical University, Saitama Medical Center, Saitama, JapanAbstract: Colonic perforation caused by upper gastrointestinal (GI endoscopy is extremely rare. A 69-year-old woman was referred to our hospital because of abdominal fullness. Colonoscopy could be performed only up to the hepatic flexure due to an elongated colon and residual stools. Because her symptoms improved, upper GI endoscopy was performed 11 days later. The patient developed severe abdominal pain two hours after the examination. Abdominal X-ray and computed tomography showed massive free air. Immediate laparotomy was performed for the intestinal perforation. After removal of stool, a perforation site was detected in the cecum with an invasive ascending colon cancer. Therefore, a right hemicolectomy, ileostomy, and transverse colostomy were performed. Although she developed postoperative septicemia, the patient was discharged 38 days after admission. Seven months postoperatively, the patient died of lung, liver, and brain metastases. Even in cases with a lesion that is not completely obstructed, it is important to note that air insufflations during upper GI endoscopy can perforate the intestinal wall in patients with advanced colon cancer.Keywords: colonic perforation, colon cancer, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, fecal peritonitis

Determination of air-loop volume and radon partition coefficient for measuring radon in water sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Kil Yong; Burnett, William C

A simple method for the direct determination of the air-loop volume in a RAD7 system as well as the radon partition coefficient was developed allowing for an accurate measurement of the radon activity in any type of water. The air-loop volume may be measured directly using an external radon source and an empty bottle with a precisely measured volume. The partition coefficient and activity of radon in the water sample may then be determined via the RAD7 using the determined air-loop volume. Activity ratios instead of absolute activities were used to measure the air-loop volume and the radon partition coefficient. In order to verify this approach, we measured the radon partition coefficient in deionized water in the temperature range of 10-30 °C and compared the values to those calculated from the well-known Weigel equation. The results were within 5 % variance throughout the temperature range. We also applied the approach for measurement of the radon partition coefficient in synthetic saline water (0-75 ppt salinity) as well as tap water. The radon activity of the tap water sample was determined by this method as well as the standard RAD-H 2 O and BigBottle RAD-H 2 O. The results have shown good agreement between this method and the standard methods.

Determination of air-loop volume and radon partition coefficient for measuring radon in water sample

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kil Yong Lee; Burnett, W.C.

2013-01-01

A simple method for the direct determination of the air-loop volume in a RAD7 system as well as the radon partition coefficient was developed allowing for an accurate measurement of the radon activity in any type of water. The air-loop volume may be measured directly using an external radon source and an empty bottle with a precisely measured volume. The partition coefficient and activity of radon in the water sample may then be determined via the RAD7 using the determined air-loop volume. Activity ratios instead of absolute activities were used to measure the air-loop volume and the radon partition coefficient. In order to verify this approach, we measured the radon partition coefficient in deionized water in the temperature range of 10-30 deg C and compared the values to those calculated from the well-known Weigel equation. The results were within 5 % variance throughout the temperature range. We also applied the approach for measurement of the radon partition coefficient in synthetic saline water (0-75 ppt salinity) as well as tap water. The radon activity of the tap water sample was determined by this method as well as the standard RAD-H 2 O and BigBottle RAD-H 2 O. The results have shown good agreement between this method and the standard methods. (author)

Measurements of air kerma index in computed tomography: a comparison among methodologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alonso, T. C.; Mourao, A. P.; Da Silva, T. A.

2016-10-01

Computed tomography (CT) has become the most important and widely used technique for diagnosis purpose. As CT exams impart high doses to patients in comparison to other radiologist techniques, reliable dosimetry is required. Dosimetry in CT is done in terms of air kerma index in air or in a phantom measured by a pencil ionization chamber under a single X-ray tube rotation. In this work, a comparison among CT dosimetric quantities measured by an UNFORS pencil ionization chamber, MTS-N RADOS thermoluminescent dosimeters and GAFCHROMIC XR-CT radiochromic film was done. The three dosimetric systems were properly calibrated in X-ray reference radiations in a calibration laboratory. CT dosimetric quantities were measured in CT Bright Speed GE Medical Systems Inc., scanner in a PMMA trunk phantom and a comparison among the three dosimetric techniques was done. (Author)

Measurements of air kerma index in computed tomography: a comparison among methodologies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alonso, T. C.; Mourao, A. P.; Da Silva, T. A., E-mail: alonso@cdtn.br [Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Programa de Ciencia y Tecnicas Nucleares, Av. Pres. Antonio Carlos 6627, Pampulha, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais (Brazil)

2016-10-15

Computed tomography (CT) has become the most important and widely used technique for diagnosis purpose. As CT exams impart high doses to patients in comparison to other radiologist techniques, reliable dosimetry is required. Dosimetry in CT is done in terms of air kerma index in air or in a phantom measured by a pencil ionization chamber under a single X-ray tube rotation. In this work, a comparison among CT dosimetric quantities measured by an UNFORS pencil ionization chamber, MTS-N RADOS thermoluminescent dosimeters and GAFCHROMIC XR-CT radiochromic film was done. The three dosimetric systems were properly calibrated in X-ray reference radiations in a calibration laboratory. CT dosimetric quantities were measured in CT Bright Speed GE Medical Systems Inc., scanner in a PMMA trunk phantom and a comparison among the three dosimetric techniques was done. (Author)

Effect of cigarette smoke on the measured equivalent volume activity of 222Rn in air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tuckova, S.; Tykva, R.

1994-01-01

The effect of cigarette smoke in air on the increase of the measured equivalent volume activity of 222 Rn is demonstrated. After introduction of the smoke from one cigarette into 1 m 3 of air, this value increased up to ten times as shown be the method of sucking air through a filter. (author) 5 refs.; 1 fig

Evaluation of Low-Cost Mitigation Measures Implemented to Improve Air Quality in Nursery and Primary Schools

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juliana P. Sá

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Indoor air pollution mitigation measures are highly important due to the associated health impacts, especially on children, a risk group that spends significant time indoors. Thus, the main goal of the work here reported was the evaluation of mitigation measures implemented in nursery and primary schools to improve air quality. Continuous measurements of CO2, CO, NO2, O3, CH2O, total volatile organic compounds (VOC, PM1, PM2.5, PM10, Total Suspended Particles (TSP and radon, as well as temperature and relative humidity were performed in two campaigns, before and after the implementation of low-cost mitigation measures. Evaluation of those mitigation measures was performed through the comparison of the concentrations measured in both campaigns. Exceedances to the values set by the national legislation and World Health Organization (WHO were found for PM2.5, PM10, CO2 and CH2O during both indoor air quality campaigns. Temperature and relative humidity values were also above the ranges recommended by American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE. In general, pollutant concentrations measured after the implementation of low-cost mitigation measures were significantly lower, mainly for CO2. However, mitigation measures were not always sufficient to decrease the pollutants’ concentrations till values considered safe to protect human health.

Assessing Upper-Level Winds on Day-of-Launch

Science.gov (United States)

Bauman, William H., III; Wheeler, Mark M.

2012-01-01

On the day-or-launch. the 45th Weather Squadron Launch Weather Officers (LWOS) monitor the upper-level winds for their launch customers to include NASA's Launch Services Program (LSP). During launch operations, the payload launch team sometimes asks the LWO if they expect the upper level winds to change during the countdown but the LWOs did not have the capability to quickly retrieve or display the upper-level observations and compare them to the numerical weather prediction model point forecasts. The LWOs requested the Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU) develop a capability in the form of a graphical user interface (GUI) that would allow them to plot upper-level wind speed and direction observations from the Kennedy Space Center Doppler Radar Wind Profilers and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station rawinsondes and then overlay model point forecast profiles on the observation profiles to assess the performance of these models and graphically display them to the launch team. The AMU developed an Excel-based capability for the LWOs to assess the model forecast upper-level winds and compare them to observations. They did so by creating a GUI in Excel that allows the LWOs to first initialize the models by comparing the O-hour model forecasts to the observations and then to display model forecasts in 3-hour intervals from the current time through 12 hours.

A noncontact intraocular pressure measurement device using a micro reflected air pressure sensor for the prediagnosis of glaucoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Kyoung Hwan; Kim, Byeong Hee; Seo, Young Ho

2012-01-01

This study investigates a novel, portable tonometer using a micro reflected air pressure sensor for the prediagnosis of glaucoma. Because glaucoma progresses slowly and is not painful, glaucoma patients require a portable prediagnosis system to periodically measure intraocular pressure at home. Conventionally, intraocular pressure is measured by an air-puff tonometer whereby the cornea is deformed by a short pulse of air pressure and the magnitude of the corneal deformation is measured by optic systems such as a combination of laser- and photodiodes. In this study, a micro reflected air pressure sensor was designed, fabricated, and tested in order to measure the magnitude of corneal deformation without optic systems. In an experimental study, artificial eyes with different internal pressures were fabricated and these pressures were measured by the aforementioned system. (paper)

Wireless Distributed Environmental Sensor Networks for Air Pollution Measurement-The Promise and the Current Reality.

Science.gov (United States)

Broday, David M

2017-10-02

The evaluation of the effects of air pollution on public health and human-wellbeing requires reliable data. Standard air quality monitoring stations provide accurate measurements of airborne pollutant levels, but, due to their sparse distribution, they cannot capture accurately the spatial variability of air pollutant concentrations within cities. Dedicated in-depth field campaigns have dense spatial coverage of the measurements but are held for relatively short time periods. Hence, their representativeness is limited. Moreover, the oftentimes integrated measurements represent time-averaged records. Recent advances in communication and sensor technologies enable the deployment of dense grids of Wireless Distributed Environmental Sensor Networks for air quality monitoring, yet their capability to capture urban-scale spatiotemporal pollutant patterns has not been thoroughly examined to date. Here, we summarize our studies on the practicalities of using data streams from sensor nodes for air quality measurement and the required methods to tune the results to different stakeholders and applications. We summarize the results from eight cities across Europe, five sensor technologies-three stationary (with one tested also while moving) and two personal sensor platforms, and eight ambient pollutants. Overall, few sensors showed an exceptional and consistent performance, which can shed light on the fine spatiotemporal urban variability of pollutant concentrations. Stationary sensor nodes were more reliable than personal nodes. In general, the sensor measurements tend to suffer from the interference of various environmental factors and require frequent calibrations. This calls for the development of suitable field calibration procedures, and several such in situ field calibrations are presented.

Spectrally resolved measurements of the terahertz beam profile generated from a two-color air plasma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Pernille Klarskov; Zalkovskij, Maksim; Strikwerda, Andrew

2014-01-01

Using a THz camera and THz bandpass filters, we measure the frequency - resolved beam profile emitted from a two - color air plasma. We observe a frequency - independent emission angle from the plasma .......Using a THz camera and THz bandpass filters, we measure the frequency - resolved beam profile emitted from a two - color air plasma. We observe a frequency - independent emission angle from the plasma ....

First airborne water vapor lidar measurements in the tropical upper troposphere and mid-latitudes lower stratosphere: accuracy evaluation and intercomparisons with other instruments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Schiller

2008-09-01

Full Text Available In the tropics, deep convection is the major source of uncertainty in water vapor transport to the upper troposphere and into the stratosphere. Although accurate measurements in this region would be of first order importance to better understand the processes that govern stratospheric water vapor concentrations and trends in the context of a changing climate, they are sparse because of instrumental shortcomings and observational challenges. Therefore, the Falcon research aircraft of the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR flew a zenith-viewing water vapor differential absorption lidar (DIAL during the Tropical Convection, Cirrus and Nitrogen Oxides Experiment (TROCCINOX in 2004 and 2005 in Brazil. The measurements were performed alternatively on three water vapor absorption lines of different strength around 940 nm. These are the first aircraft DIAL measurements in the tropical upper troposphere and in the mid-latitudes lower stratosphere. Sensitivity analyses reveal an accuracy of 5% between altitudes of 8 and 16 km. This is confirmed by intercomparisons with the Fast In-situ Stratospheric Hygrometer (FISH and the Fluorescent Advanced Stratospheric Hygrometer (FLASH onboard the Russian M-55 Geophysica research aircraft during five coordinated flights. The average relative differences between FISH and DIAL amount to −3%±8% and between FLASH and DIAL to −8%±14%, negative meaning DIAL is more humid. The average distance between the probed air masses was 129 km. The DIAL is found to have no altitude- or latitude-dependent bias. A comparison with the balloon ascent of a laser absorption spectrometer gives an average difference of 0%±19% at a distance of 75 km. Six tropical DIAL under-flights of the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS on board ENVISAT reveal a mean difference of −8%±49% at an average distance of 315 km. While the comparison with MIPAS is somewhat less significant due to poorer

Distribution of air pollutants in the Inn Valley atmosphere during high concentration events in winter 2006

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schnitzhofer, R.; Norman, M; Dunkl, J.; Wistaler, A.; Hansel, A.; Neininger, B.; Gohm, A.

2006-01-01

Full text: The goal of the INNOX field campaign, which took place during January and February 2006 near the town of Schwaz, was to obtain a three-dimensional picture of the spatial distribution of air pollutants in the Inn Valley during wintertime. For this purpose continuous ground based measurements and, on six chosen days, vertical profiles within the lowest 200 m above ground level (AGL) of the valley atmosphere of certain VOCs (benzene, toluene, etc.) and CO were performed using a proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry instrument (PTR-MS). For the soundings a 200-m long teflon line was fixed on a tethered balloon through which the air was sucked to the PTR-MS instrument and to a CO analyser. Next to the inlet on the tethered balloon meteorological data, such as air temperature, pressure, wind, were measured as well. Above the lowest 200 m AGL a research aircraft from MetAir AG (Switzerland), equipped with various instruments for in-situ measurements of air pollutants and meteorological data, was operated. A typical flight pattern consisted of five vertical cross sections between about 150 to 2500 m AGL and lasted about three hours. Altogether 25 hours of aircraft measurements were carried out on six different days. The combination of low-level balloon measurements and upper-level aircraft observations yields vertical profiles of various parameters which cover the whole valley atmosphere. Preliminary results which show strong vertical but also horizontal gradients of air pollutant concentrations will be presented. (author)

Measuring the muon content of air showers with IceTop

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalez, Javier G.

2015-08-01

IceTop, the surface component of the IceCube detector, has been used to measure the energy spectrum of cosmic ray primaries in the range between 1.58 PeV and 1.26 EeV. It can also be used to study the low energy muons in air showers by looking at large distances (> 300 m) from the shower axis. We will show the muon lateral distribution function at large lateral distances as measured with IceTop and discuss the implications of this measurement. We will also discuss the prospects for low energy muon studies with IceTop.

Measurement of HOx· production rate due to radon decay in air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ding, Huiling.

1993-08-01

Radon in indoor air may cause the exposure of the public to excessive radioactivity. Radiolysis of water vapor in indoor air due to radon decay could produce (·OH and HO 2 ·) that may convert atmospheric constituents to compounds of lower vapor pressure. These lower vapor pressure compounds might then nucleate to form new particles in the indoor atmosphere. Chemical amplification was used to determine HO x · production rate in indoor air caused by radon decay. Average HO x · production rate was found to be (4.31±0.07) x 10 5 HO x · per Rn decay per second (Bq) 3.4 to 55.0% at 22C. This work provided G (HO x ·) -value, 7.86±0.13 No./100 eV in air by directly measuring [HO x ·] formed from the radiolysis procedure. This G value implies that HO x · produced by radon decay in air might be formed by multiple processes and may be result of positive ion-molecule reactions, primary radiolysis, and radical reactions. There is no obvious relation between HO x · production rate and relative humidity. A laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) system has been used for ·OH production rate measurement; it consists of an excimer laser, a dye laser, a frequency doubler, a gaseous fluorescence chamber, and other optical and electronic parts. This system needs to be improved to eliminate the interferences of light scattering and artificial ·OH produced from the photolysis of O 3 /H 2 O

Measurement of polyurethane foam - air partition coefficients for semivolatile organic compounds as a function of temperature: Application to passive air sampler monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

Francisco, Ana Paula; Harner, Tom; Eng, Anita

2017-05-01

Polyurethane foam - air partition coefficients (K PUF-air ) for 9 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 10 alkyl-substituted PAHs, 4 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and dibenzothiophene were measured as a function of temperature over the range 5 °C-35 °C, using a generator column approach. Enthalpies of PUF-to-air transfer (ΔH PUF-air , kJ/mol) were determined from the slopes of log K PUF-air versus 1000/T (K), and have an average value of 81.2 ± 7.03 kJ/mol. The log K PUF-air values at 22 °C ranged from 4.99 to 7.25. A relationship for log K PUF-air versus log K OA was shown to agree with a previous relationship based on only polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and derived from long-term indoor uptake study experiments. The results also confirm that the existing K OA -based model for predicting log K PUF-air values is accurate. This new information is important in the derivation of uptake profiles and effective air sampling volumes for PUF disk samplers so that results can be reported in units of concentration in air. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mexico City air quality research initiative. Volume IV. Characterization and measurement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mauzy, A. [ed.

1994-04-01

This volume describes the methods and the data gathered in an attempt to measure and characterize the meteorological factors and the concentration of different pollutants in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area. The main objective of this document was to provide input for the simulation models and to obtain information that could be used to test and improve the models` performance. Four field campaigns were conducted, as well as routine monitoring, in order to obtain a database of atmospheric dynamics and air pollution characteristics. Sections include Airborne measurements, Remote sensing measurements, and Traditional (in situ) measurements.

Pressure Measurement and Flowfield Characterization of a Two-Dimensional Ideally Expanded, Constant Area, Air/air Ejector.

Science.gov (United States)

Benjamin, Michael Anthony

A detailed experimental investigation of a two -dimensional, Mach 1.8 air-primary, Mach 0.3 air-secondary ejector at high Reynolds number has been performed, from which a nonintrusive method for whole-field visualization using turbulent wall-pressure has been developed. The experiments were conducted using mean and time-accurate wall pressure measurements, impact-pressure measurements using a traversing probe, and Schlieren and shadowgraph visualization techniques. The time-accurate pressure measurements were recorded using a sealed Kulite miniature pressure transducer with a 0.7 mm diameter sensing diaphragm. For all except the optical methods, measurements were taken from the initial flow interface to about 13 hydraulic tube-diameters downstream in the constant-area mixing section. From the mean measurements, values of stagnation pressure, density, velocity, static pressure, Mach number, and dynamic pressure were developed and are presented. Using the time-accurate pressure measurements, a color contour plot of the rms pressure was developed that definitively shows the regions of the flow in agreement with the other measurements. Additionally, probability density functions, skewness, and kurtosis were calculated. Peak values of skewness (S) and kurtosis (K) on the centerline at about 2.5 hydraulic diameters are S = 1.85 and K = 11.5. The inlet rms pressure values, normalized by freestream dynamic pressure for the primary (~0.001), were found to be in fair agreement with previous experimental values; however, those in the secondary were much higher (~0.2), apparently due to the acoustic radiation from the primary. Fourier analysis of the time-accurate pressure measurements show that the autospectra contain k ^{-1}, k^{-7/3}, and k^{-11/3} pressure spectrum functions as predicted by prevailing theory for the overlap layer, turbulence-turbulence interaction, and turbulence-mean-shear interaction, respectively. It is believed that this is the first experiment in

Direct measurements of air layer profiles under impacting droplets using high-speed color interferometry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Veen, Roeland; Tran, Tuan; Lohse, Detlef; Sun, Chao

2012-01-01

A drop impacting on a solid surface deforms before the liquid makes contact with the surface. We directly measure the time evolution of the air layer profile under the droplet using high-speed color interferometry, obtaining the air layer thickness before and during the wetting process. Based on the

Upper Critical Field and de Haas-van Alphen Oscillations in KOs2O6 Measured in a Hybrid Magnet

Science.gov (United States)

Taichi Terashima,; Nobuyuki Kurita,; Atsushi Harada,; Kota Kodama,; Jun-ichi Yamaura,; Zenji Hiroi,; Hisatomo Harima,; Shinya Uji,

2010-08-01

Magnetic torque measurements have been performed on a KOs2O6 single crystal in magnetic fields up to 35.3 T and at temperatures down to 0.6 K. The upper critical field is determined to be ˜30 T. De Haas-van Alphen oscillations are observed. A large mass enhancement of (1+λ) = m* / mband = 7.6 is found. It is suggested that, for the large upper critical field to be reconciled with Pauli paramagnetic limiting, the observed mass enhancement must be of electron-phonon origin, including electron-rattling-mode interactions, for the most part.

Feasibility of Measuring Tobacco Smoke Air Pollution in Homes: Report from a Pilot Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura Rosen

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Tobacco smoke air pollution (TSAP measurement may persuade parents to adopt smoke-free homes and thereby reduce harm to children from tobacco smoke in the home. In a pilot study involving 29 smoking families, a Sidepak was used to continuously monitor home PM2.5 during an 8-h period, Sidepak and/or Dylos monitors provided real-time feedback, and passive nicotine monitors were used to measure home air nicotine for one week. Feedback was provided to participants in the context of motivational interviews. Home PM2.5 levels recorded by continuous monitoring were not well-accepted by participants because of the noise level. Also, graphs from continuous monitoring showed unexplained peaks, often associated with sources unrelated to indoor smoking, such as cooking, construction, or outdoor sources. This hampered delivery of a persuasive message about the relationship between home smoking and TSAP. By contrast, immediate real-time PM2.5 feedback (with Sidepak or Dylos monitor was feasible and provided unambiguous information; the Dylos had the additional advantages of being more economical and quieter. Air nicotine sampling was complicated by the time-lag for feedback and questions regarding shelf-life. Improvement in the science of TSAP measurement in the home environment is needed to encourage and help maintain smoke-free homes and protect vulnerable children. Recent advances in the use of mobile devices for real-time feedback are promising and warrant further development, as do accurate methods for real-time air nicotine air monitoring.

PWR upper/lower internals shield

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Homyk, W.A. [Indian Point Station, Buchanan, NY (United States)

1995-03-01

During refueling of a nuclear power plant, the reactor upper internals must be removed from the reactor vessel to permit transfer of the fuel. The upper internals are stored in the flooded reactor cavity. Refueling personnel working in containment at a number of nuclear stations typically receive radiation exposure from a portion of the highly contaminated upper intervals package which extends above the normal water level of the refueling pool. This same issue exists with reactor lower internals withdrawn for inservice inspection activities. One solution to this problem is to provide adequate shielding of the unimmersed portion. The use of lead sheets or blankets for shielding of the protruding components would be time consuming and require more effort for installation since the shielding mass would need to be transported to a support structure over the refueling pool. A preferable approach is to use the existing shielding mass of the refueling pool water. A method of shielding was devised which would use a vacuum pump to draw refueling pool water into an inverted canister suspended over the upper internals to provide shielding from the normally exposed components. During the Spring 1993 refueling of Indian Point 2 (IP2), a prototype shield device was demonstrated. This shield consists of a cylindrical tank open at the bottom that is suspended over the refueling pool with I-beams. The lower lip of the tank is two feet below normal pool level. After installation, the air width of the natural shielding provided by the existing pool water. This paper describes the design, development, testing and demonstration of the prototype device.

Radial nerve measurements in nonsymptomatic upper extremities of Filipinos: A cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalez-Suarez, Consuelo B; Dones, Valentin C; Grimmer, Karen; Thoirs, Kerry; Milanese, Steven; Atlas, Alvin

2015-10-01

Despite reports on the association of radial nerve (RN) size and lateral epicondylalgia (LE), Filipino normative values on RN size in healthy elbows are not established. An association with upper extremity anthropometric measurements is likewise not reported. Musculoskeletal ultrasound measurements of the RN at the level of the lateral epicondyle (RN-LE), posterior interosseous nerve at the level of the radial head and supinator (PIN-RH and PIN-sup), and superficial RN (SRN) in the elbows of healthy Filipinos were made in Manila from January-September 2011. A total of 198 elbows of 99 healthy participants aged 43 years (range, 33-48 years) [median(IQR)] were investigated. Men have larger PIN-RH, PIN-sup, and SRN compared with women. Arm length was associated with PIN-RH, PIN-sup, and SRN (P values can now be used for comparison in elbows with LE. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Leak-Based Method for the Measurement of Air Permeability of Papers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Colard Stéphane

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The air permeability of cigarette paper is currently assessed according to the international standard ISO 2965 by applying a constant pressure difference of 1 kPa between the two faces of a sample and by measuring the corresponding airflow.

Field measurements of perceived air quality and concentration of volatile organic compounds in four offices of the university building

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kolarik, Jakub; Toftum, Jørn; Kabrhel, M.

2015-01-01

Field measurements of perceived air quality were conducted in four refurbished offices at the Czech Technical University in Prague. The offices were refurbished as part of the research project Clear-up to serve as a field test facility. The present paper describes measurements conducted...... according to CEN Report CR 1752. The acceptability of the air quality was worst in unoccupied offices ventilated with minimum air change rate (0.4 h-1). Application of DCV decreased the CO2 concentration, but did not result in statistically significant improvement of perceived air quality....... to investigate the perceived air quality, sensory pollution load and concentration of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in the offices. As the refurbishment comprised also installation of demand controlled ventilation (DCV), its influence on the perceived air quality was also tested. Measurements comprised...

Transfusion strategy for acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

Science.gov (United States)

Handel, James; Lang, Eddy

2015-09-01

Clinical question Does a hemoglobin transfusion threshold of 70 g/L yield better patient outcomes than a threshold of 90 g/L in patients with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding? Article chosen Villanueva C, Colomo A, Bosch A, et al. Transfusion strategies for acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding. N Engl J Med 2013;368(1):11-21. Study objectives The authors of this study measured mortality, from any cause, within the first 45 days, in patients with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding, who were managed with a hemoglobin threshold for red cell transfusion of either 70 g/L or 90 g/L. The secondary outcome measures included rate of further bleeding and rate of adverse events.

Aerosol particle measurements at three stationary sites in the megacity of Paris during summer 2009: meteorology and air mass origin dominate aerosol particle composition and size distribution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Freutel

2013-01-01

inferred from these measurements: Volume mixing ratios of 1–14 ppb of NO_x, and upper limits for mass concentrations of about 1.5 μg m⁻³ of black carbon and of about 3 μg m⁻³ of hydrocarbon-like organic aerosol can be deduced which originate from both, local emissions and the overall Paris emission plume. The secondary aerosol particle phase species were found to be not significantly influenced by the Paris megacity, indicating their regional origin. The submicron aerosol mass concentrations of particulate sulphate, nitrate, and ammonium measured during time periods when air masses were advected from eastern central Europe were found to be similar to what has been found from other measurement campaigns in Paris and south-central France for this type of air mass origin, indicating that the results presented here are also more generally valid.

Air Quality Measurements And Characterization - A Resource For Sustainable Development In Nigeria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ugwuanyi, J. U

2002-01-01

My assignment in this paper is to present an overview of a proposed research work on air quality measurements and characterization in Nigeria, using Niger Delta region and Benue State as a case study. A preliminary study indicates that ambient air quality in the country far exceeds the international Ambient Air Quality Standards (AAQS). And, there is a strong indication that concentration levels of particle mass, elements, and organic compounds, et alia. are being elevated and that daily respiratory-related emergency visits could be correlated with the ambient and aerosol concentrations. Indeed, the environmental impact matrices of tile patients versus airborne diseases in Benue State indicate that the inferno is already affecting the quality of life and productivity of the people. Observations also show that the Niger Delta's main environmental challenges result from gas flaring, oil spills and deforestation. Although the monetary losses due to air pollution in Nigeria is yet to be quantified, Nigeria loses about $ 2.5 billion per annum due to gas flaring alone. The paper presents background to the problem, program of work/methodology, Physics of air pollutants, energy conservation (material balances), air pollutants and associated diseases, anticipated benefits of the proposed research and its relevance to the nation building

Chapter 22: Compressed Air Evaluation Protocol. The Uniform Methods Project: Methods for Determining Energy Efficiency Savings for Specific Measures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kurnik, Charles W [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Benton, Nathanael [Nexant, Inc., San Francisco, CA (United States); Burns, Patrick [Nexant, Inc., San Francisco, CA (United States)

2017-10-18

Compressed-air systems are used widely throughout industry for many operations, including pneumatic tools, packaging and automation equipment, conveyors, and other industrial process operations. Compressed-air systems are defined as a group of subsystems composed of air compressors, air treatment equipment, controls, piping, pneumatic tools, pneumatically powered machinery, and process applications using compressed air. A compressed-air system has three primary functional subsystems: supply, distribution, and demand. Air compressors are the primary energy consumers in a compressed-air system and are the primary focus of this protocol. The two compressed-air energy efficiency measures specifically addressed in this protocol are: High-efficiency/variable speed drive (VSD) compressor replacing modulating, load/unload, or constant-speed compressor; and Compressed-air leak survey and repairs. This protocol provides direction on how to reliably verify savings from these two measures using a consistent approach for each.

Portable upper extremity robotics is as efficacious as upper extremity rehabilitative therapy: a randomized controlled pilot trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Page, Stephen J; Hill, Valerie; White, Susan

2013-06-01

To compare the efficacy of a repetitive task-specific practice regimen integrating a portable, electromyography-controlled brace called the 'Myomo' versus usual care repetitive task-specific practice in subjects with chronic, moderate upper extremity impairment. Sixteen subjects (7 males; mean age 57.0 ± 11.02 years; mean time post stroke 75.0 ± 87.63 months; 5 left-sided strokes) exhibiting chronic, stable, moderate upper extremity impairment. Subjects were administered repetitive task-specific practice in which they participated in valued, functional tasks using their paretic upper extremities. Both groups were supervised by a therapist and were administered therapy targeting their paretic upper extremities that was 30 minutes in duration, occurring 3 days/week for eight weeks. One group participated in repetitive task-specific practice entirely while wearing the portable robotic, while the other performed the same activity regimen manually. The upper extremity Fugl-Meyer, Canadian Occupational Performance Measure and Stroke Impact Scale were administered on two occasions before intervention and once after intervention. After intervention, groups exhibited nearly identical Fugl-Meyer score increases of ≈2.1 points; the group using robotics exhibited larger score changes on all but one of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure and Stroke Impact Scale subscales, including a 12.5-point increase on the Stroke Impact Scale recovery subscale. Findings suggest that therapist-supervised repetitive task-specific practice integrating robotics is as efficacious as manual practice in subjects with moderate upper extremity impairment.

The Reproducibility of Indoor Air Pollution (IAP Measurement: A Test Case for the Measurement of Key Air Pollutants from the Pan Frying of Fish Samples

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ki-Hyun Kim

2014-01-01

Full Text Available To assess the robustness of various indoor air quality (IAQ indices, we explored the possible role of reproducibility-induced variability in the measurements of different pollutants under similar sampling and emissions conditions. Polluted indoor conditions were generated by pan frying fish samples in a closed room. A total of 11 experiments were carried out to measure a list of key variables commonly used to represent indoor air pollution (IAP indicators such as particulate matter (PM: PM1, PM2.5, PM10, and TSP and a set of individual volatile organic compounds (VOCs with some odor markers. The cooking activity conducted as part of our experiments was successful to consistently generate significant pollution levels (mean PM10: 7110 μg m−3 and mean total VOC (TVOC: 1400 μg m−3, resp.. Then, relative standard error (RSE was computed to assess the reproducibility between different IAP paramters measured across the repeated experiments. If the results were evaluated by an arbitrary criterion of 10%, the patterns were divided into two data groups (e.g., 10% for the remainders. Most noticeably, TVOC had the most repeatable results with a reproducibility (RSE value of 3.2% (n=11.

Upper cervical and upper thoracic thrust manipulation versus nonthrust mobilization in patients with mechanical neck pain: a multicenter randomized clinical trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunning, James R; Cleland, Joshua A; Waldrop, Mark A; Arnot, Cathy F; Young, Ian A; Turner, Michael; Sigurdsson, Gisli

2012-01-01

Randomized clinical trial. To compare the short-term effects of upper cervical and upper thoracic high-velocity low-amplitude (HVLA) thrust manipulation to nonthrust mobilization in patients with neck pain. Although upper cervical and upper thoracic HVLA thrust manipulation and nonthrust mobilization are common interventions for the management of neck pain, no studies have directly compared the effects of both upper cervical and upper thoracic HVLA thrust manipulation to nonthrust mobilization in patients with neck pain. Patients completed the Neck Disability Index, the numeric pain rating scale, the flexion-rotation test for measurement of C1-2 passive rotation range of motion, and the craniocervical flexion test for measurement of deep cervical flexor motor performance. Following the baseline evaluation, patients were randomized to receive either HVLA thrust manipulation or nonthrust mobilization to the upper cervical (C1-2) and upper thoracic (T1-2) spines. Patients were reexamined 48-hours after the initial examination and again completed the outcome measures. The effects of treatment on disability, pain, C1-2 passive rotation range of motion, and motor performance of the deep cervical flexors were examined with a 2-by-2 mixed-model analysis of variance (ANOVA). One hundred seven patients satisfied the eligibility criteria, agreed to participate, and were randomized into the HVLA thrust manipulation (n = 56) and nonthrust mobilization (n = 51) groups. The 2-by-2 ANOVA demonstrated that patients with mechanical neck pain who received the combination of upper cervical and upper thoracic HVLA thrust manipulation experienced significantly (Ppain (58.5%) than those of the nonthrust mobilization group (12.8% and 12.6%, respectively) following treatment. In addition, the HVLA thrust manipulation group had significantly (Pcervical flexor muscles as compared to the group that received nonthrust mobilization. The number needed to treat to avoid an unsuccessful outcome

Reuter Centrifugal Air Sampler: Measurement of Effective Airflow Rate and Collection Efficiency

OpenAIRE

Macher, J. M.; First, M. W.

1983-01-01

Incorrect calculation of effective air sampling rate and disregard of differences in collection efficiency among samplers can lead to false conclusions about the usefulness of samplers for measuring concentrations of airborne microorganisms.

Comparison of air-charged and water-filled urodynamic pressure measurement catheters.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, M A; Fletter, P C; Zaszczurynski, P J; Damaser, M S

2011-03-01

Catheter systems are utilized to measure pressure for diagnosis of voiding dysfunction. In a clinical setting, patient movement and urodynamic pumps introduce hydrostatic and motion artifacts into measurements. Therefore, complete characterization of a catheter system includes its response to artifacts as well its frequency response. The objective of this study was to compare the response of two disposable clinical catheter systems: water-filled and air-charged, to controlled pressure signals to assess their similarities and differences in pressure transduction. We characterized frequency response using a transient step test, which exposed the catheters to a sudden change in pressure; and a sinusoidal frequency sweep test, which exposed the catheters to a sinusoidal pressure wave from 1 to 30 Hz. The response of the catheters to motion artifacts was tested using a vortex and the response to hydrostatic pressure changes was tested by moving the catheter tips to calibrated heights. Water-filled catheters acted as an underdamped system, resonating at 10.13 ± 1.03 Hz and attenuating signals at frequencies higher than 19 Hz. They demonstrated significant motion and hydrostatic artifacts. Air-charged catheters acted as an overdamped system and attenuated signals at frequencies higher than 3.02 ± 0.13 Hz. They demonstrated significantly less motion and hydrostatic artifacts than water-filled catheters. The transient step and frequency sweep tests gave comparable results. Air-charged and water-filled catheters respond to pressure changes in dramatically different ways. Knowledge of the characteristics of the pressure-measuring system is essential to finding the best match for a specific application. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Canyon air flow measurement utilizing ASME standard pitot tube arrays