Utilization of Radiation Therapy in Norway After the Implementation of The National Cancer Plan—A National, Population-Based Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Åsli, Linn M.; Kvaløy, Stein O.; Jetne, Vidar; Myklebust, Tor Å.; Levernes, Sverre G.; Tveit, Kjell M.; Green, Tor O.; Johannesen, Tom B.

2014-01-01

Purpose: To estimate actual utilization rates of radiation therapy (RT) in Norway, describe time trends (1997-2010), and compare these estimates with corresponding optimal RT rates. Methods and Materials: Data from the population-based Cancer Registry of Norway was used to identify all patients diagnosed with cancer and/or treated by RT for cancer in 1997-2010. Radiation therapy utilization rates (RURs) were calculated as (1) the proportion of incident cancer cases who received RT at least once within 1 year of diagnosis (RUR 1Y ); and (2) the proportion who received RT within 5 years of diagnosis (RUR 5Y ). The number of RT treatment courses per incident cancer case (TCI) was also calculated for all cancer sites combined. The actual RURs were compared with corresponding Australian and Canadian epidemiologic- and evidence-based model estimates and criterion-based benchmark estimates of optimal RURs. The TCIs were compared with TCI estimates from the 1997 Norwegian/National Cancer Plan (NCP). Joinpoint regression was used to identify changes in trends and to estimate annual percentage change (APC) in actual RUR 1Y and actual TCI. Results: The actual RUR 5Y (all sites) increased significantly to 29% in 2005 but still differed markedly from the Australian epidemiologic- and evidence-based model estimate of 48%. With the exception of RUR 5Y for breast cancer and RUR 1Y for lung cancers, all actual RURs were markedly lower than optimal RUR estimates. The actual TCI increased significantly during the study period, reaching 42.5% in 2010, but was still lower than the 54% recommended in the NCP. The trend for RUR 1Y (all sites) and TCI changed significantly, with the annual percentage change being largest during the first part of the study period. Conclusions: Utilization rates of RT in Norway increased after the NCP was implemented and RT capacity was increased, but they still seem to be lower than optimal levels

Municipalities in Western Norway concentrate on natural gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-01-01

Only one percent of the natural gas from the Norwegian gas fields is currently used in Norway and it is a national goal that 10 percent of the gas produced shall be used for domestic purposes. Western Norway should pioneer this development, as this is where the gas is brought on land. ''Vestlandsroeret AS'' is a project in which sixteen municipalities - including the city Bergen - and eleven companies plan to develop infrastructure which will provide for transport of the gas to customers and markets in Western Norway. The article also discusses environmental considerations, public opinion, the utilization of waste heat and extensive development of cod culture

Indoor Positioning using Wi-Fi

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjærgaard, Mikkel Baun; Krarup, Mads Vering; Stisen, Allan

The past decade has witnessed substantial research on methods for indoor Wi-Fi positioning. While much effort has gone into achieving high positioning accuracy and easing fingerprint collection, it is our contention that the general problem is not sufficiently well understood, thus preventing...... deployments and their usage by applications to become more widespread. Based on our own and published experiences on indoor Wi-Fi positioning deployments, we hypothesize the following: Current indoor Wi-Fi positioning systems and their utilization in applications are hampered by the lack of understanding...... of the requirements present in the real-world deployments. In this paper, we report findings from qualitatively studying organisational requirements for indoor Wi-Fi positioning. The studied cases and deployments cover both company and public-sector settings and the deployment and evaluation of several types...

Moulds and indoor air quality - a man-made problem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Langvad, Finn

2002-01-01

In the 1970s and 1980s, many house owners in Norway, in order to save energy, insulated their houses by injecting torn-up mineral wool into the entire cavity of the wall. This made the house warmer to live in, but it also created serious condensation problems followed by rot and mould. The extensive use of gypsum boards is also alarming. If gypsum becomes really wet because of a water leakage, it becomes a ticking bomb from the micro-biologic point of view as it provides growth conditions for some of the most dangerous indoor mould fungi known, the Stachybotrys chart arum. The article discusses the danger of this fungus and surveys some of the ways that mould affect human health. There is at present no definition of a normal number of fungus spores per unit volume of air. But the following principles can be taken as guidelines: (1) The concentration of spores indoor must be lower than outdoors. Otherwise extra spores have been generated in the house. (2) The species composition of the air must be approximately the same indoors and outdoors

Local inpatient units may increase patients' utilization of outpatient services: a comparative cohort-study in Nordland County, Norway

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Myklebust LH

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Lars Henrik Myklebust,1 Knut Sørgaard,1,2 Rolf Wynn21Psychiatric Research Centre of North Norway, Nordland Hospital Trust, Bodø, 2Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, NorwayObjectives: In the last few decades, there has been a restructuring of the psychiatric services in many countries. The complexity of these systems may represent a challenge to patients that suffer from serious psychiatric disorders. We examined whether local integration of inpatient and outpatient services in contrast to centralized institutions strengthened continuity of care.Methods: Two different service-systems were compared. Service-utilization over a 4-year period for 690 inpatients was extracted from the patient registries. The results were controlled for demographic variables, model of service-system, central inpatient admission or local inpatient admission, diagnoses, and duration of inpatient stays.Results: The majority of inpatients in the area with local integration of inpatient and outpatient services used both types of care. In the area that did not have beds locally, many patients that had been hospitalized did not receive outpatient follow-up. Predictors of inpatients' use of outpatient psychiatric care were: Model of service-system (centralized vs decentralized, a diagnosis of affective disorder, central inpatient admission only, and duration of inpatient stays.Conclusion: Psychiatric centers with local inpatient units may positively affect continuity of care for patients with severe psychiatric disorders, probably because of a high functional integration of inpatient and outpatient care.Keywords: psychiatry, hospitalization, decentralization, outpatients, continuity of care, health service research, affective

Utilization of Higher Education : A Review of Employment Challenges and Job Practice among Refugees in Norway

OpenAIRE

Boayue, Kou Glaymehn

2011-01-01

Master i flerkulturell og internasjonal utdanning Purpose of the study: If refugees from Africa and Asia are able to use their foreign higher education in the labor market of Norway is the main topic of this study. Thus, the study explores the impact of Norwegian language training, foreign higher education recognition, NAV job seeker courses, service/job provision by employers, further higher education in Norway, etc., on the labor market outcomes of 18 refugees who fled to Norway with ter...

Risky business: Behaviors associated with indoor tanning in US high school students.

Science.gov (United States)

Chapman, Stephanie; Ashack, Kurt; Bell, Eric; Sendelweck, Myra Ann; Dellavalle, Robert

2017-09-15

Understanding of associations between indoor tanning and risky health related behaviors such as sexual activity and substance abuse among high school students across the United States is incomplete. To identify risky health related behaviors among high school students utilizing indoor tanning and analyze differences between state specific data. Results from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) 2013 in 14 different states were analyzed. Participants were 90,414 high school students. Responses to questions assessing indoor tanning habits, sexual activity, and use of substances were analyzed. Sexual activity was associated with indoor tanning in 10 of 14 states, with Nebraska having the strongest association (adjusted odds ratio, 3.8; 95% CI, 2.4-6.2; p<0.001). Indoor tanning was also associated with use of alcohol, marijuana, ecstasy, cocaine, prescription medications, and cigarettes. Only 15 states asked students about their personal history of indoor tanning use, and Minnesota was excluded from our analysis as they administered a non-YRBS questionnaire. Additionally, our study only analyzed results from the 2013 YRBS. Lastly, our data was analyzed in 14 individual data sets, giving a high likelihood of Type 1 error. High school students utilizing indoor tanning are more likely to engage in sexual activity and substance abuse as compared to students who do not utilize indoor tanning.

A Foundation for Efficient Indoor Distance-Aware Query Processing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lu, Hua; Cao, Xin; Jensen, Christian Søndergaard

2012-01-01

model that integrates indoor distance seamlessly. To enable the use of the model as a foundation for query processing, we develop accompanying, efficient algorithms that compute indoor distances for different indoor entities like doors as well as locations. We also propose an indexing framework......Indoor spaces accommodate large numbers of spatial objects, e.g., points of interest (POIs), and moving populations. A variety of services, e.g., location-based services and security control, are relevant to indoor spaces. Such services can be improved substantially if they are capable of utilizing...... that accommodates indoor distances that are pre-computed using the proposed algorithms. On top of this foundation, we develop efficient algorithms for typical indoor, distance-aware queries. The results of an extensive experimental evaluation demonstrate the efficacy of the proposals....

Population doses from naturally occurring radiation in Norway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stranden, E.

The main purpose of this work was to study the radiological consequences of the introduction of building materials with high concentrations of radioactivity and to analyse the impact of a reduction of the ventilation rates in houses on the population dose from inhalation of natural airborne radioactivity. The general problems of radioactivity in building materials are discussed. Measurements of radioactivity in building materials from different parts of the country are reported, together with theoretical calculations of the gamma doses in houses. These calculations are compared with experimental results and earlier measurements of the indoor gamma radiation in Norway. Measurements of the outdoor gamma radiation in different parts of Norway are presented. These results are used together with earlier measurements of the gamma radiation inside houses to calculate the average, and variations of population dose from this radiation. An experimental study on the radon concentrations inside different types of dwellings, and a discussion of the respiratory dose received by the inhalation of radon daughters is presented. Some factors that may have influence upon the radon concentrations are also discussed. A method for measurement of radon and thoron daughters in air is discussed. The possible radiological effects of an increased radon concentration in houses are discussed. (Auth.)

Indoor radon concentration and outdoor/indoor pressure difference correlation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cechak, T.; Fronka, A.; Moucka, L.

2004-01-01

In the current approach to the radon issue, the radon risk for people living in a building is estimated based on the average indoor radon concentration. Short-term measurements as usually applied fail to reflect the wide range of radon variations arising from ventilation, radon supply and, in particular, human activities in the building. For this reason, efforts are made to find a new approach to the assessment of the quality of a building as a radon barrier, independent of the weather conditions and residential habits. A simple model of radon volume activity entering the building at a constant rate and simultaneously ventilated at a constant rate is applicable to this task. The rate of radon ingress can be regarded as a parameter making it possible to quantify the leakage of structures provided the barrier against the radon in a soil gas. The ventilation rate, on the other hand, characterizes the leakage of the whole building envelope at a given outdoor/indoor pressure difference. A unique measuring technique called the blower door exists whereby a defined pressure difference between the indoor and outdoor atmosphere can be established. Under such conditions both the ventilation rate and the rate of radon ingress can be measured and expressed as a function of the pressure difference. An analysis of the model of a room with a constant ventilation and constant radon supply is presented and the relationship between radon supply and ventilation rate can be assumed. Some experimental results show how the model can be utilized. The real indoor-outdoor air pressure differences, the indoor-soil air pressure differences, and some effects of different ventilation regimes are given. Other experiments, which have been done by using the blower door method, illustrate the possible effects and some restrictions for a routine application are discussed

Waste-based materials; capability, application and impact on indoor environment – literature review

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krejcirikova, Barbora; Rode, Carsten; Kolarik, Jakub

2014-01-01

This paper reviews and discusses various sustainable materials utilizing waste products with the focus on their properties having an impact on the indoor environmental conditions and indoor air quality (IAQ). Materials included in the review are selected considering the following aspects......: sustainability, cradle to cradle perspective, application, their impact on indoor environment and human well-being. The attempt of the paper is to cover a wide spectrum of information so to provide better understanding of waste utilization in construction industry....

Combining smart lighting and radio fingerprinting for improved indoor localization

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kanaris, Loizos; Kokkinis, Akis; Liotta, Antonio; Stavrou, Stavros

2017-01-01

This work proposes a hybrid indoor positioning system, which combines a minimal smart lighting deployment for Visible Light Positioning (VPL) purposes, with an IEEE 802.11 RSS Fingerprint-based Indoor Positioning System. Such a hybrid deployment improves the localization performance by utilizing the

Psychosocial dimensions of solving an indoor air problem.

Science.gov (United States)

Lahtinen, Marjaana; Huuhtanen, Pekka; Kähkönen, Erkki; Reijula, Kari

2002-03-01

This investigation focuses on the psychological and social dimensions of managing and solving indoor air problems. The data were collected in nine workplaces by interviews (n = 85) and questionnaires (n = 375). Indoor air problems in office environments have traditionally utilized industrial hygiene or technical expertise. However, indoor air problems at workplaces are often more complex issues to solve. Technical questions are inter-related with the dynamics of the work community, and the cooperation and interaction skills of the parties involved in the solving process are also put to the test. In the present study, the interviewees were very critical of the process of solving the indoor air problem. The responsibility for coordinating the problem-managing process was generally considered vague, as were the roles and functions of the various parties. Communication problems occurred and rumors about the indoor air problem circulated widely. Conflicts were common, complicating the process in several ways. The research focused on examining different ways of managing and resolving an indoor air problem. In addition, reference material on the causal factors of the indoor air problem was also acquired. The study supported the hypothesis that psychosocial factors play a significant role in indoor air problems.

Dynamic Gene-Resource Landscape Management of Norway Spruce: Combining Utilization and Conservation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milan Lstibůrek

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Traditional gene-resource management programs for forest trees are long-term endeavors requiring sustained organizational commitment covering extensive landscapes. While successful in maintaining adaptation, genetic diversity and capturing traditional growth attributes gains, these programs are dependent on rigid methods requiring elaborate mating schemes, thus making them slow in coping with climate change challenges. Here, we review the significance of Norway spruce in the boreal region and its current management practices. Next, we discuss opportunities offered by novel technologies and, with the use of computer simulations, we propose and evaluate a dynamic landscape gene-resource management in Norway. Our suggested long-term management approach capitalizes on: (1 existing afforestation activities, natural crosses, and DNA-based pedigree assembly to create structured pedigree for evaluation, thus traditional laborious control crosses are avoided and (2 landscape level genetic evaluation, rather than localized traditional progeny trials, allowing for screening of adapted individuals across multiple environmental gradients under changing climate. These advantages lead to greater genetic response to selection in adaptive traits without the traditional breeding and testing scheme, facilitating conservation of genetic resources within the breeding population of the most important forest tree species in Norway. The use of in situ selection from proven material exposed to realistic conditions over vast territories has not been conducted in forestry before. Our proposed approach is in contrast to worldwide current programs, where genetic evaluation is constrained by the range of environments where testing is conducted, which may be insufficient to capture the broad environmental variation necessary to tackle adaptation under changing climate.

Sampling strategy for a large scale indoor radiation survey - a pilot project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strand, T.; Stranden, E.

1986-01-01

Optimisation of a stratified random sampling strategy for large scale indoor radiation surveys is discussed. It is based on the results from a small scale pilot project where variances in dose rates within different categories of houses were assessed. By selecting a predetermined precision level for the mean dose rate in a given region, the number of measurements needed can be optimised. The results of a pilot project in Norway are presented together with the development of the final sampling strategy for a planned large scale survey. (author)

Air-Sense: indoor environment monitoring evaluation system based on ZigBee network

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Yang; Hu, Liang; Yang, Disheng; Liu, Hengchang

2017-08-01

In the modern life, people spend most of their time indoors. However, indoor environmental quality problems have always been affecting people’s social activities. In general, indoor environmental quality is also related to our indoor activities. Since most of the organic irritants and volatile gases are colorless, odorless and too tiny to be seen, because we have been unconsciously overlooked indoor environment quality. Consequently, our body suffer a great health problem. In this work, we propose Air-Sense system which utilizes the platform of ZigBee Network to collect and detect the real-time indoor environment quality. What’s more, Air-Sense system can also provide data analysis, and visualizing the results of the indoor environment to the user.

Distributed Monocular SLAM for Indoor Map Building

OpenAIRE

Ruwan Egodagamage; Mihran Tuceryan

2017-01-01

Utilization and generation of indoor maps are critical elements in accurate indoor tracking. Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) is one of the main techniques for such map generation. In SLAM an agent generates a map of an unknown environment while estimating its location in it. Ubiquitous cameras lead to monocular visual SLAM, where a camera is the only sensing device for the SLAM process. In modern applications, multiple mobile agents may be involved in the generation of such maps,...

Prognostic utility of vitamin D in acute coronary syndrome patients in coastal Norway.

Science.gov (United States)

Naesgaard, Patrycja A; Pönitz, Volker; Aarsetoey, Hildegunn; Brügger-Andersen, Trygve; Grundt, Heidi; Harris, William S; Staines, Harry; Nilsen, Dennis W T

2015-01-01

An inverse relationship between cardiovascular risk and levels of vitamin D and omega-3 index may exist. To evaluate the prognostic utility of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] in 871 patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and to assess the seasonal correlation between 25(OH)D and the omega-3 index in 456 ACS patients from southwestern Norway. In the univariate analysis the hazard ratio (HR) at 2-year follow-up for all-cause mortality in the highest as compared to the lowest quartile of 25(OH)D in the total population was 0.61 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.37-1.00), P = 0.050. At 7-year follow-up, the corresponding HR for all-cause mortality was 0.66 (95% CI, 0.49-0.90), P = 0.008, and for females alone 0.51 (95% CI, 0.32-0.83), P = 0.006. Quartile survival did not differ in the multivariable analysis, whereas 25(OH)D omega-3 index, were noted, and the two biomarkers were positively correlated, especially during winter-spring; Pearson's correlation coefficient was 0.358, P omega-3 index.

THE EXTRACTION OF INDOOR BUILDING INFORMATION FROM BIM TO OGC INDOORGML

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T.-A. Teo

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Indoor Spatial Data Infrastructure (indoor-SDI is an important SDI for geosptial analysis and location-based services. Building Information Model (BIM has high degree of details in geometric and semantic information for building. This study proposed direct conversion schemes to extract indoor building information from BIM to OGC IndoorGML. The major steps of the research include (1 topological conversion from building model into indoor network model; and (2 generation of IndoorGML. The topological conversion is a major process of generating and mapping nodes and edges from IFC to indoorGML. Node represents every space (e.g. IfcSpace and objects (e.g. IfcDoor in the building while edge shows the relationships between nodes. According to the definition of IndoorGML, the topological model in the dual space is also represented as a set of nodes and edges. These definitions of IndoorGML are the same as in the indoor network. Therefore, we can extract the necessary data in the indoor network and easily convert them into IndoorGML based on IndoorGML Schema. The experiment utilized a real BIM model to examine the proposed method. The experimental results indicated that the 3D indoor model (i.e. IndoorGML model can be automatically imported from IFC model by the proposed procedure. In addition, the geometric and attribute of building elements are completely and correctly converted from BIM to indoor-SDI.

Indoor localization using magnetic fields

Science.gov (United States)

Pathapati Subbu, Kalyan Sasidhar

hallways with different kinds of pillars, doors and elevators. All in all, this dissertation contributes the following: 1) provides a framework for understanding the presence of ambient magnetic fields indoors and utilizing them to solve the indoor localization problem; 2) develops an application that is independent of the user and the smart phones and 3) requires no other infrastructure since it is deployed on a device that encapsulates the sensing, computing and inferring functionalities, thereby making it a novel contribution to the mobile and pervasive computing domain.

Potential exposures associated with indoor marijuana growing operations.

Science.gov (United States)

Martyny, John W; Serrano, Kate A; Schaeffer, Joshua W; Van Dyke, Mike V

2013-01-01

We entered a total of 30 indoor marijuana grow operations (IMGO) with law enforcement investigators in order to determine potential exposures to first responders. Samples for airborne fungal spores, volatile organic compounds, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) were obtained as well as the identification of chemicals utilized in the IMGO. The chemicals utilized within the IMGOs were primarily pesticides and fertilizers with none showing high toxicity. Although several of the IMGOs had CO2 enrichment processes involving combustion, CO levels were not elevated. THC levels were identified on surfaces within the IMGOs and on the hands of the investigators. Surface levels ranged from indoor and outdoor samples with Cladosporium sp. the predominant outdoor species and Penicillium sp. the predominant indoor species. We concluded that the potential increase in fungal spore concentrations associated with the investigation and especially removal of the marijuana plants could potentially expose responders to levels of exposure consistent with those associated with mold remediation processes and that respiratory protection is advisable.

MFAM: Multiple Frequency Adaptive Model-Based Indoor Localization Method.

Science.gov (United States)

Tuta, Jure; Juric, Matjaz B

2018-03-24

This paper presents MFAM (Multiple Frequency Adaptive Model-based localization method), a novel model-based indoor localization method that is capable of using multiple wireless signal frequencies simultaneously. It utilizes indoor architectural model and physical properties of wireless signal propagation through objects and space. The motivation for developing multiple frequency localization method lies in the future Wi-Fi standards (e.g., 802.11ah) and the growing number of various wireless signals present in the buildings (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ZigBee, etc.). Current indoor localization methods mostly rely on a single wireless signal type and often require many devices to achieve the necessary accuracy. MFAM utilizes multiple wireless signal types and improves the localization accuracy over the usage of a single frequency. It continuously monitors signal propagation through space and adapts the model according to the changes indoors. Using multiple signal sources lowers the required number of access points for a specific signal type while utilizing signals, already present in the indoors. Due to the unavailability of the 802.11ah hardware, we have evaluated proposed method with similar signals; we have used 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and 868 MHz HomeMatic home automation signals. We have performed the evaluation in a modern two-bedroom apartment and measured mean localization error 2.0 to 2.3 m and median error of 2.0 to 2.2 m. Based on our evaluation results, using two different signals improves the localization accuracy by 18% in comparison to 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi-only approach. Additional signals would improve the accuracy even further. We have shown that MFAM provides better accuracy than competing methods, while having several advantages for real-world usage.

MFAM: Multiple Frequency Adaptive Model-Based Indoor Localization Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jure Tuta

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This paper presents MFAM (Multiple Frequency Adaptive Model-based localization method, a novel model-based indoor localization method that is capable of using multiple wireless signal frequencies simultaneously. It utilizes indoor architectural model and physical properties of wireless signal propagation through objects and space. The motivation for developing multiple frequency localization method lies in the future Wi-Fi standards (e.g., 802.11ah and the growing number of various wireless signals present in the buildings (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ZigBee, etc.. Current indoor localization methods mostly rely on a single wireless signal type and often require many devices to achieve the necessary accuracy. MFAM utilizes multiple wireless signal types and improves the localization accuracy over the usage of a single frequency. It continuously monitors signal propagation through space and adapts the model according to the changes indoors. Using multiple signal sources lowers the required number of access points for a specific signal type while utilizing signals, already present in the indoors. Due to the unavailability of the 802.11ah hardware, we have evaluated proposed method with similar signals; we have used 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and 868 MHz HomeMatic home automation signals. We have performed the evaluation in a modern two-bedroom apartment and measured mean localization error 2.0 to 2.3 m and median error of 2.0 to 2.2 m. Based on our evaluation results, using two different signals improves the localization accuracy by 18% in comparison to 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi-only approach. Additional signals would improve the accuracy even further. We have shown that MFAM provides better accuracy than competing methods, while having several advantages for real-world usage.

INDOOR SUBSPACING TO IMPLEMENT INDOORGML FOR INDOOR NAVIGATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Jung

2015-10-01

Full Text Available According to an increasing demand for indoor navigation, there are great attempts to develop applicable indoor network. Representation for a room as a node is not sufficient to apply complex and large buildings. As OGC established IndoorGML, subspacing to partition the space for constructing logical network is introduced. Concerning subspacing for indoor network, transition space like halls or corridors also have to be considered. This study presents the subspacing process for creating an indoor network in shopping mall. Furthermore, categorization of transition space is performed and subspacing of this space is considered. Hall and squares in mall is especially defined for subspacing. Finally, implementation of subspacing process for indoor network is presented.

Indoor Subspacing to Implement Indoorgml for Indoor Navigation

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, H.; Lee, J.

2015-10-01

According to an increasing demand for indoor navigation, there are great attempts to develop applicable indoor network. Representation for a room as a node is not sufficient to apply complex and large buildings. As OGC established IndoorGML, subspacing to partition the space for constructing logical network is introduced. Concerning subspacing for indoor network, transition space like halls or corridors also have to be considered. This study presents the subspacing process for creating an indoor network in shopping mall. Furthermore, categorization of transition space is performed and subspacing of this space is considered. Hall and squares in mall is especially defined for subspacing. Finally, implementation of subspacing process for indoor network is presented.

Development of a model for radon concentration in indoor air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jelle, Bjørn Petter

2012-01-01

A model is developed for calculation of the radon concentration in indoor air. The model takes into account various important parameters, e.g. radon concentration in ground, radon diffusion resistance of radon barrier, air permeance of ground, air pressure difference between outdoor ground and indoor at ground level, ventilation of the building ground and number of air changes per hour due to ventilation. Characteristic case studies are depicted in selected 2D and 3D graphical plots for easy visualization and interpretation. The radon transport into buildings might be dominated by diffusion, pressure driven flow or a mixture of both depending on the actual values of the various parameters. The results of our work indicate that with realistic or typical values of the parameters, most of the transport of radon from the building ground to the indoor air is due to air leakage driven by pressure differences through the construction. By incorporation of various and realistic values in the radon model, valuable information about the miscellaneous parameters influencing the indoor radon level is gained. Hence, the presented radon model may be utilized as a simple yet versatile and powerful tool for examining which preventive or remedial measures should be carried out to achieve an indoor radon level below the reference level as set by the authorities. - Highlights: ► Model development for calculation of radon concentration in indoor air. ► Radon model accounting for various important parameters. ► Characteristic case studies depicted in 2D and 3D graphical plots. ► May be utilized for examining radon preventive measures.

NORADAPT. Community Adaptation and Vulnerability in Norway; NORADAPT. Community Adaptation and Vulnerability in Norway. Sluttrapport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oort, Bob van; Hovelsrud, Grete K.; Dannevig, Halvor; Bybraaten, Stine

2012-10-15

In NORADAPT, researchers from CICERO Center for Climate Research, Western Norway Research Institute, Eastern Norway Research Institute and the Norwegian Meteorological Institute worked in close cooperation with 8 selected municipalities, with the aim to help municipalities assess their vulnerability to climate change and develop adaptation strategies in collaboration with the research group. This report presents climate scenarios for all project municipalities and interprets the expected changes from the figures produced for each municipality. The report refers to socioeconomic scenarios which were developed as part of the project, describes progress throughout the project period and summarizes the main findings of the project through a summary of the final conference at Losby Gods 24-25 October 2011. The project has shown that municipalities are able to put climate change on the agenda, utilize scientific knowledge and implement adaptation measures, but that this depends on several factors, such as capacity, knowledge and involvement in local government, access to relevant knowledge and policy measures, and clear guidance and supervision from regional and national authorities. (Author)

Geomagnetism-Aided Indoor Wi-Fi Radio-Map Construction via Smartphone Crowdsourcing.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wen; Wei, Dongyan; Lai, Qifeng; Li, Xianghong; Yuan, Hong

2018-05-08

Wi-Fi radio-map construction is an important phase in indoor fingerprint localization systems. Traditional methods for Wi-Fi radio-map construction have the problems of being time-consuming and labor-intensive. In this paper, an indoor Wi-Fi radio-map construction method is proposed which utilizes crowdsourcing data contributed by smartphone users. We draw indoor pathway map and construct Wi-Fi radio-map without requiring manual site survey, exact floor layout and extra infrastructure support. The key novelty is that it recognizes road segments from crowdsourcing traces by a cluster based on magnetism sequence similarity and constructs an indoor pathway map with Wi-Fi signal strengths annotated on. Through experiments in real world indoor areas, the method is proved to have good performance on magnetism similarity calculation, road segment clustering and pathway map construction. The Wi-Fi radio maps constructed by crowdsourcing data are validated to provide competitive indoor localization accuracy.

Geomagnetism-Aided Indoor Wi-Fi Radio-Map Construction via Smartphone Crowdsourcing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wen Li

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Wi-Fi radio-map construction is an important phase in indoor fingerprint localization systems. Traditional methods for Wi-Fi radio-map construction have the problems of being time-consuming and labor-intensive. In this paper, an indoor Wi-Fi radio-map construction method is proposed which utilizes crowdsourcing data contributed by smartphone users. We draw indoor pathway map and construct Wi-Fi radio-map without requiring manual site survey, exact floor layout and extra infrastructure support. The key novelty is that it recognizes road segments from crowdsourcing traces by a cluster based on magnetism sequence similarity and constructs an indoor pathway map with Wi-Fi signal strengths annotated on. Through experiments in real world indoor areas, the method is proved to have good performance on magnetism similarity calculation, road segment clustering and pathway map construction. The Wi-Fi radio maps constructed by crowdsourcing data are validated to provide competitive indoor localization accuracy.

Glazed yard climate in the Kredittkassen office block in Middelthunsgt. 17. [Oslo, Norway]. Glassgaardsklima i Kredittkassens kontorbygg i Middelthunsgt. 17

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Novakovic, V; Harsem, T T

1986-09-01

The report deals with the glazed yard climate in the Kredittkassen head office block in Oslo (Norway). The climate has been simulated by means of the computer program Royal-DEBAK. Considered in particular are the summery and bright sunny day conditions together with the annual power required and energy consumption. The use of insulating glasses, indoor curtains, ventilation systems in the narrow zone of the glass roof, and cooling systems in the floor are important parts of the concept. 9 drawings.

Indoor Radon and Its Decay Products: Concentrations, Causes, and Control Strategies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nero, A.V.; Gadgil, A.J.; Nazaroff, W.W.; Revzan, K.L.

1990-01-01

This report is an introduction to the behavior of radon 222 and its decay products in indoor air. This includes review of basic characteristics of radon and its decay products and of features of the indoor environment itself, all of which factors affect behavior in indoor air. The experimental and theoretical evidence on behavior of radon and its decay products is examined, providing a basis for understanding the influence of geological, structural, and meteorological factors on indoor concentrations, as well as the effectiveness of control techniques. We go on to examine three important issues concerning indoor radon. We thus include (1) an appraisal of the concentration distribution in homes, (2) an examination of the utility and limitations of popular monitoring techniques and protocols, and (3) an assessment of the key elements of strategies for controlling radon levels in homes.

A glimpse into 30 years of struggle against prostitution by the women's liberation movement in Norway.

Science.gov (United States)

Strøm, Agnete

2009-11-01

The Women's Front of Norway has worked against prostitution for 30 years. In 2008 a law criminalizing the purchase of a sexual act was passed in Norway. This article describes the struggle and the main actors in lobbying for the law. In the 1980s, we raised awareness of prostitution and trafficking in women in a study of the pornography industry, and targeted sex tourist agencies organizing trips to the Philippines and Thailand. In the 1990s, our members in trade unions got their unions to take a stand against prostitution and against legalizing prostitution as "work". In 2006, the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions Congress supported a law criminalizing the buyer of a sexual act; this had a strong impact on the centre-left coalition Government. We invited leaders of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women to Norway to meet parliamentarians and trade unionists, and kept up the pressure. From the start, the focus was on ensuring that the situation for women in prostitution was ameliorated. Our demands have been for better social services and job training. Street prostitution, especially in Oslo, has been curbed, and a growth in the indoor market has not been reported. Our next task is participating in the awareness campaign "Buying Sex is not a Sport" in connection with the Soccer World Cup, South Africa, 2010.

The carbon footprint of indoor Cannabis production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mills, Evan

2012-01-01

The emergent industry of indoor Cannabis production – legal in some jurisdictions and illicit in others – utilizes highly energy intensive processes to control environmental conditions during cultivation. This article estimates the energy consumption for this practice in the United States at 1% of national electricity use, or $6 billion each year. One average kilogram of final product is associated with 4600 kg of carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere, or that of 3 million average U.S. cars when aggregated across all national production. The practice of indoor cultivation is driven by criminalization, pursuit of security, pest and disease management, and the desire for greater process control and yields. Energy analysts and policymakers have not previously addressed this use of energy. The unchecked growth of electricity demand in this sector confounds energy forecasts and obscures savings from energy efficiency programs and policies. While criminalization has contributed to the substantial energy intensity, legalization would not change the situation materially without ancillary efforts to manage energy use, provide consumer information via labeling, and other measures. Were product prices to fall as a result of legalization, indoor production using current practices could rapidly become non-viable. - Highlights: ► The emergent industry of indoor Cannabis production utilizes highly energy intensive processes and is highly inefficient. ► In the United States, this represents an annual energy expenditure of $6 billion. ► One kg of final product is associated with emissions of 4600 kg of CO 2 emissions to the atmosphere. ► Aggregate U.S. emissions are equivalent those of 3 million cars. ► Energy analysts and policymakers have not previously addressed this use of energy.

Indoor air pollution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qureshi, I.H.

2001-01-01

Indoor air pollution is a potential risk to human health. Prolonged exposure to indoor pollutants may cause various infectious, allergic and other diseases. Indoor pollutants can emanate from a broad array of internal and external sources. Internal sources include building and furnishing materials, consumer and commercial products, office equipment, micro-organisms, pesticides and human occupants activities. External sources include soil, water supplies and outside makeup air. The main indoor air pollutants of concern are inorganic gases, formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds, pesticides, radon and its daughters, particulates and microbes. The magnitude of human exposure to indoor pollutants can be estimated or predicted with the help of mathematical models which have been developed using the data from source emission testing and field monitoring of pollutants. In order to minimize human exposure to indoor pollutants, many countries have formulated guidelines / standards for the maximum permissible levels of main pollutants. Acceptable indoor air quality can be achieved by controlling indoor pollution sources and by effective ventilation system for removal of indoor pollutants. (author)

Risky business: Behaviors associated with indoor tanning in US high school students

OpenAIRE

Chapman, Stephanie; Ashack, Kurt; Bell, Eric; Sendelweck, Myra Ann; Dellavalle, Robert

2017-01-01

Background: Understanding of associations between indoor tanning and risky health related behaviors such as sexual activity and substance abuse among high school students across the United States is incomplete. Objective: To identify risky health related behaviors among high school students utilizing indoor tanning and analyze differences between state specific data. Methods: Results from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) 2013 in...

Indoor Chemistry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Weschler, Charles J.; Carslaw, Nicola

2018-01-01

This review aims to encapsulate the importance, ubiquity, and complexity of indoor chemistry. We discuss the many sources of indoor air pollutants and summarize their chemical reactions in the air and on surfaces. We also summarize some of the known impacts of human occupants, who act as sources...... and sinks of indoor chemicals, and whose activities (e.g., cooking, cleaning, smoking) can lead to extremely high pollutant concentrations. As we begin to use increasingly sensitive and selective instrumentation indoors, we are learning more about chemistry in this relatively understudied environment....

Prognostic Utility of Vitamin D in Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients in Coastal Norway

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patrycja A. Naesgaard

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background. An inverse relationship between cardiovascular risk and levels of vitamin D and omega-3 index may exist. Objectives. To evaluate the prognostic utility of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OHD] in 871 patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS and to assess the seasonal correlation between 25(OHD and the omega-3 index in 456 ACS patients from southwestern Norway. Results. In the univariate analysis the hazard ratio (HR at 2-year follow-up for all-cause mortality in the highest as compared to the lowest quartile of 25(OHD in the total population was 0.61 (95% confidence interval (CI, 0.37–1.00, P=0.050. At 7-year follow-up, the corresponding HR for all-cause mortality was 0.66 (95% CI, 0.49–0.90, P=0.008, and for females alone 0.51 (95% CI, 0.32–0.83, P=0.006. Quartile survival did not differ in the multivariable analysis, whereas 25(OHD < 40 nM (<16 ng/mL was found to be independently related to mortality. Seasonal differences in 25(OHD, but not for the omega-3 index, were noted, and the two biomarkers were positively correlated, especially during winter-spring; Pearson’s correlation coefficient was 0.358, P<0.001. Conclusion. Vitamin D levels are related to survival, especially in females, and correlate with the omega-3 index.

Indoor Environment Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daisey, J.M.

1993-06-01

This paper reports progress during the year 1992 in the Indoor Environment Program in the Energy and Environment Division of Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. Studies in the following areas are reported: energy performance and ventilation in buildings; physical and chemical characterization of indoor air pollutants; indoor radon; indoor air quality; exposure to indoor air pollutants and risk analysis. Pollutants of particular interest include: radon; volatile, semi-volatile and particulate organic compounds; and combustion emissions including environmental tobacco smoke, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides

VeLoc: Finding Your Car in Indoor Parking Structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Ruipeng; He, Fangpu; Li, Teng

2018-05-02

While WiFi-based indoor localization is attractive, there are many indoor places without WiFi coverage with a strong demand for localization capability. This paper describes a system and associated algorithms to address the indoor vehicle localization problem without the installation of additional infrastructure. In this paper, we propose VeLoc, which utilizes the sensor data of smartphones in the vehicle together with the floor map of the parking structure to track the vehicle in real time. VeLoc simultaneously harnesses constraints imposed by the map and environment sensing. All these cues are codified into a novel augmented particle filtering framework to estimate the position of the vehicle. Experimental results show that VeLoc performs well when even the initial position and the initial heading direction of the vehicle are completely unknown.

Comparison of indoor air sampling and dust collection methods for fungal exposure assessment using quantitative PCR

Science.gov (United States)

Evaluating fungal contamination indoors is complicated because of the many different sampling methods utilized. In this study, fungal contamination was evaluated using five sampling methods and four matrices for results. The five sampling methods were a 48 hour indoor air sample ...

Utilization of hyperspectral image optical indices to assess the Norway spruce forest health status

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Mišurec, J.; Kopáčková, V.; Lhotáková, Z.; Hanuš, Jan; Weyermann, J.; Entcheva-Campbel, P.; Albrechtová, J.

2012-01-01

Roč. 6, JUN 2012 (2012), 63545-1-63545-25 ISSN 1931-3195 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA205/09/1989 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60870520 Keywords : chlorophyll * optical indices * Norway spruce * continuum removal * HyMap * actual physiological status * Sokolov basin * forest management Subject RIV: CE - Biochemistry Impact factor: 0.876, year: 2012

Agent-based modelling of heating system adoption in Norway

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sopha, Bertha Maya; Kloeckner, Christian A.; Hertwich, Edgar G.

2010-07-01

Full text: This paper introduces agent-based modelling as a methodological approach to understand the effect of decision making mechanism on the adoption of heating systems in Norway. The model is used as an experimental/learning tool to design possible interventions, not for prediction. The intended users of the model are therefore policy designers. Primary heating system adoptions of electric heating, heat pump and wood pellet heating were selected. Random topology was chosen to represent social network among households. Agents were households with certain location, number of peers, current adopted heating system, employed decision strategy, and degree of social influence in decision making. The overall framework of decision-making integrated theories from different disciplines; customer behavior theory, behavioral economics, theory of planned behavior, and diffusion of innovation, in order to capture possible decision making processes in households. A mail survey of 270 Norwegian households conducted in 2008 was designed specifically for acquiring data for the simulation. The model represents real geographic area of households and simulates the overall fraction of adopted heating system under study. The model was calibrated with historical data from Statistics Norway (SSB). Interventions with respects to total cost, norms, indoor air quality, reliability, supply security, required work, could be explored using the model. For instance, the model demonstrates that a considerable total cost (investment and operating cost) increase of electric heating and heat pump, rather than a reduction of wood pellet heating's total cost, are required to initiate and speed up wood pellet adoption. (Author)

Indoor Environment Program - 1996 Annual Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Indoor Environment Program

1996-11-01

The forty-five chemists, physicists, biologists, architects, engineers, staff, and students of the Indoor Environment Program are all working to solve the problems of indoor air quality, health, comfort, and energy use associated with the indoor environment. A common thread throughout this work is the importance of ventilation--both for its role in supporting human health and comfort as well as for its liability in requiring large amounts of energy to heat and cool it. The importance of understanding these interactions can be illustrated by two examples: the health and productivity of workers (Fisk and Rosenfeld, 1996) and the performance of sensitive equipment in clean room environments (Faulkner, et d., 1996). During the past year, we estimated the magnitudes of health and productivity gains that may be obtained by providing better indoor environments. The ratio of the potential financial benefits of improving indoor environments to the costs of the improvements ranges between 20 and 50. A second example is from our Clean Room Energy Efficiency Study: Clean rooms utilize large amounts of electricity to operate fans that recirculate air at very high flow rates through particle filters. Usually, the fans operate continuously at full speed, even when the clean room is unused. To reduce the energy use in a research clean room, the rate of air recirculation was controlled in response to real-time measurements of particle concentration. With this new control system, fan energy use decreased by 65% to 85% while maintaining particle concentrations below the allowable limits except during occasional one-minute periods. The estimated payback period for this technology is one to four years.

Healthy indoors : achieving healthy indoor environments in Canada : Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon

2002-01-01

A large proportion of the lives of Canadians is spent indoors, whether in vehicles, restaurants, shopping malls, offices or houses. The health of people working and living in those indoor settings might be damaged a a result, despite best efforts. Indoor pollution has been identified as one of the most serious risks to human health, according to numerous leading authorities, among them the American Lung Association, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). A large number of cancer deaths are attributed to indoor pollution each year in the United States, as well as respiratory health problems. A causal link between certain indoor exposures and the development and provocation of asthma was established recently in a report on asthma and indoor air quality published by the National Academy of Sciences/Institute of Medicine. Exposure to indoor pollutants has also resulted in thousands of children experiencing elevated blood lead levels. Not enough attention is paid in Canada to pollution in buildings by government agencies, corporations and other non-governmental organizations and citizens. Not much seems to have changed in the past thirty years. An ambitious strategy by Pollution Probe was described in this document, listing the initial goals and measures required to achieve those goals. The creation of Healthy Indoors Partnership (HIP) was proposed to regroup all the stakeholders under the same umbrella. refs., tabs

The chiropractic profession in Norway 2011

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kvammen, O. C.; Leboeuf-Yde, C.

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: The chiropractic profession in Norway has increased five-fold in the last two decades. As there is no academic graduate program in Norway, all chiropractors have been trained outside of Norway, in either Europe, America or Australia. This might have given Norwegian chiropractors heter...

VeLoc: Finding Your Car in Indoor Parking Structures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruipeng Gao

2018-05-01

Full Text Available While WiFi-based indoor localization is attractive, there are many indoor places without WiFi coverage with a strong demand for localization capability. This paper describes a system and associated algorithms to address the indoor vehicle localization problem without the installation of additional infrastructure. In this paper, we propose VeLoc, which utilizes the sensor data of smartphones in the vehicle together with the floor map of the parking structure to track the vehicle in real time. VeLoc simultaneously harnesses constraints imposed by the map and environment sensing. All these cues are codified into a novel augmented particle filtering framework to estimate the position of the vehicle. Experimental results show that VeLoc performs well when even the initial position and the initial heading direction of the vehicle are completely unknown.

Physico-Chemical Characterization of Indoor/Outdoor Particulate Matter in Two Residential Houses in Oslo, Norway: Measurements Overview and Physical Properties – URBAN-AEROSOL Project

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Lazaridis, M.; Aleksandropoulou, V.; Smolík, Jiří; Hansen, J.E.; Glytsos, T.; Kalogerakis, N.; Dahlin, E.

2006-01-01

Roč. 16, č. 4 (2006), s. 282-295 ISSN 0905-6947 Grant - others:ENVK4(XE) CT/2000/00018 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40720504 Keywords : indoor air quality * ventilation rate * indoor sources Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 2.057, year: 2006

Norway; Selected Issues

OpenAIRE

International Monetary Fund

2005-01-01

This Selected Issues paper analyzes inflation in Norway with a view to shedding light on this surprising development and the possible near-term course of inflation, using statistical and econometric analyses. The paper reviews recent developments of monetary policy and inflation in Norway, applies statistical and econometric tools to identify factors influencing inflation, and describes the implications of the analysis for policymaking. Using data for six advanced small open economies explici...

Indoor air quality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Trine Susanne; Recevska, Ieva

 The objective of the 35th specific agreement is to provide support to the EEA activities in Environment and Health (E&H) on the topic of indoor air quality. The specific objectives have been to provide an overview of indoor air related projects in EU and indoor air related policies as well...... as idenfiying "good practices" to reduce health impact of indoor air exposure and suggest areas for future improvements....

Numerical simulation of thermal behaviors of a clothed human body with evaluation of indoor solar radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mao, Aihua; Luo, Jie; Li, Yi

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Solar radiation evaluation is integrated with the thermal transfer in clothed humans. • Thermal models are developed for clothed humans exposed in indoor solar radiation. • The effect of indoor solar radiation on humans can be predicted in different situations in living. • The green solar energy can be efficiently utilized in the building development. - Abstract: Solar radiation is a valuable green energy, which is important in achieving a successful building design for thermal comfort in indoor environment. This paper considers solar radiation indoors into the transient thermal transfer models of a clothed human body and offers a new numerical method to analyze the dynamic thermal status of a clothed human body under different solar radiation incidences. The evaluation model of solar radiation indoors and a group of coupled thermal models of the clothed human body are developed and integrated. The simulation capacities of these integrated models are validated through a comparison between the predicted results and the experimental data in reference. After that, simulation cases are also conducted to show the influence of solar radiation on the thermal status of individual clothed body segments when the human body is staying indoors in different seasons. This numerical simulation method provides a useful tool to analyze the thermal status of clothed human body under different solar radiation incidences indoors and thus enables the architect to efficiently utilize the green solar energy in building development.

Utilization of old meadow by reindeer in spring in northern Norway

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Svein M. Eilertsen

1999-04-01

Full Text Available Utilization of abandoned coastal meadows in northern Norway by reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus were investigated for 25 days in spring 1996 (« = 12, 40-57 kg body mass (BM and 24 days in 1997 (» = 12, 39-61 kg BM. Grass production on grazed and ungrazed meadow was measured both years. Faecal dry matter (DM production and ruminai in vitro DM digestibility (IVDMD of selected plants were measured in the reindeer 15-22 days after the grazing experiment started each year. During the grazing period mean, standard deviation (s, temperature was 8.7, s = 2.8, °C in 1996 and 11.0, s = 3.0, °C in 1997, while temperature the first week was significantly higher in 1997 (P < 0.05. Mean herbage mass, on ungrazed meadow (control, after one week of plant growth in 1996 (408, J" = 166, kg DM ha"1 was significantly different (P < 0.05 from 1997 (576, s = 110, kg DM ha'. We believe the low temperature the first week in 1996 affected the plant production, and was the main reason for the significant (P < 0.05 difference in mean daily plant DM production on the grazed meadow between 1996 (57, s = 16, kg DM ha' and 1997 (81, s = 16, kg DM ha"1. Mean ruminai IVDMD of a mixture of meadow plants, differed (P<0.05 between 1996 (72.4, s = 1.0, % and 1997 (83.9, s = 1.3, %, and mean daily food intake in 1996 (82, s = 13.5, g DM/kg0 75 was significantly lower than the intake in 1997 (131, s = 15.8, g DM/kg0 75. Daily digestible energy intake in reindeer was estimated to 0.96 Ml/kg07"5 X d 1 in 1996 and 1.85 Ml/kg""5 X d"1 in 1997, which was 1.3 and 2.5 times the resting metabolic rate in reindeer, respectively. We therefore assume the difference in food intake could be due to the initial difference in herbage mass.

Indoor multipath mitigation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dragünas, Kostas; Borre, Kai

2010-01-01

There are many applications that require continuous positioning in combined outdoor urban and indoor environments. GNSS has been used for a long time in outdoor environments, while indoor positioning is still a challenging task. One of the major degradations that GNSS receivers experience indoors...

Performance Characterization of Dye-Sensitized Photovoltaics under Indoor Lighting.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chia-Yuan; Jian, Zih-Hong; Huang, Shih-Han; Lee, Kun-Mu; Kao, Ming-Hsuan; Shen, Chang-Hong; Shieh, Jia-Min; Wang, Chin-Li; Chang, Chiung-Wen; Lin, Bo-Zhi; Lin, Ching-Yao; Chang, Ting-Kuang; Chi, Yun; Chi, Cheng-Yu; Wang, Wei-Ting; Tai, Yian; Lu, Ming-De; Tung, Yung-Liang; Chou, Po-Ting; Wu, Wen-Ti; Chow, Tahsin J; Chen, Peter; Luo, Xiang-Hao; Lee, Yuh-Lang; Wu, Chih-Chung; Chen, Chih-Ming; Yeh, Chen-Yu; Fan, Miao-Syuan; Peng, Jia-De; Ho, Kuo-Chuan; Liu, Yu-Nan; Lee, Hsiao-Yi; Chen, Chien-Yu; Lin, Hao-Wu; Yen, Chia-Te; Huang, Yu-Ching; Tsao, Cheng-Si; Ting, Yu-Chien; Wei, Tzu-Chien; Wu, Chun-Guey

2017-04-20

Indoor utilization of emerging photovoltaics is promising; however, efficiency characterization under room lighting is challenging. We report the first round-robin interlaboratory study of performance measurement for dye-sensitized photovoltaics (cells and mini-modules) and one silicon solar cell under a fluorescent dim light. Among 15 research groups, the relative deviation in power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the samples reaches an unprecedented 152%. On the basis of the comprehensive results, the gap between photometry and radiometry measurements and the response of devices to the dim illumination are identified as critical obstacles to the correct PCE. Therefore, we use an illuminometer as a prime standard with a spectroradiometer to quantify the intensity of indoor lighting and adopt the reverse-biased current-voltage (I-V) characteristics as an indicator to qualify the I-V sampling time for dye-sensitized photovoltaics. The recommendations can brighten the prospects of emerging photovoltaics for indoor applications.

Indoor air pollution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spengler, J.D.

1985-01-01

Although official efforts to control air pollution have traditionally focused on outdoor air, it is now apparent that elevated contaminant concentrations are common inside some private and public buildings. Concerns about potential public health problems due to indoor air pollution are based on evidence that urban residents typically spend more than 90 percent of their time indoors, concentrations of some contaminants are higher indoors than outdoors, and for some pollutants personal exposures are not characterized adequately by outdoor measurements. Among the more important indoor contaminants associated with health or irritation effects are passive tobacco smoke, radon decay products, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde, asbestos fibers, microorganisms and aeroallergens. Efforts to assess health risks associated with indoor air pollution are limited by insufficient information about the number of people exposed, the pattern and severity of exposures, and the health consequences of exposures. An overall strategy should be developed to investigate indoor exposures, health effects, control options, and public policy alternatives

Optimization of heat pump system in indoor swimming pool using particle swarm algorithm

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Wen-Shing; Kung, Chung-Kuan [Department of Energy and Refrigerating Air-Conditioning Engineering, National Taipei University of Technology, 1, Section 3, Chung-Hsiao East Road, Taipei (China)

2008-09-15

When it comes to indoor swimming pool facilities, a large amount of energy is required to heat up low-temperature outdoor air before it is being introduced indoors to maintain indoor humidity. Since water is evaporated from the pool surface, the exhausted air contains more water and specific enthalpy. In response to this indoor air, heat pump is generally used in heat recovery for indoor swimming pools. To reduce the cost in energy consumption, this paper utilizes particle swarm algorithm to optimize the design of heat pump system. The optimized parameters include continuous parameters and discrete parameters. The former consists of outdoor air mass flow and heat conductance of heat exchangers; the latter comprises compressor type and boiler type. In a case study, life cycle energy cost is considered as an objective function. In this regard, the optimized outdoor air flow and the optimized design for heating system can be deduced by using particle swarm algorithm. (author)

Privacy vs. Reward in Indoor Location-Based Services

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fawaz Kassem

2016-10-01

Full Text Available With the advance of indoor localization technology, indoor location-based services (ILBS are gaining popularity. They, however, accompany privacy concerns. ILBS providers track the users’ mobility to learn more about their behavior, and then provide them with improved and personalized services. Our survey of 200 individuals highlighted their concerns about this tracking for potential leakage of their personal/private traits, but also showed their willingness to accept reduced tracking for improved service. In this paper, we propose PR-LBS (Privacy vs. Reward for Location-Based Service, a system that addresses these seemingly conflicting requirements by balancing the users’ privacy concerns and the benefits of sharing location information in indoor location tracking environments. PR-LBS relies on a novel location-privacy criterion to quantify the privacy risks pertaining to sharing indoor location information. It also employs a repeated play model to ensure that the received service is proportionate to the privacy risk. We implement and evaluate PR-LBS extensively with various real-world user mobility traces. Results show that PR-LBS has low overhead, protects the users’ privacy, and makes a good tradeoff between the quality of service for the users and the utility of shared location data for service providers.

A View Indoors, Indoor Environment Division's e-Article Series

Science.gov (United States)

The Indoor Environments Division has created partnership with public and private sector entities to help encourage the public to take action to minimize their risk and mitigate indoor air quality problems.

Automatic Indoor Building Reconstruction from Mobile Laser Scanning Data

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, L.; Wang, R.

2017-09-01

Indoor reconstruction from point clouds is a hot topic in photogrammetry, computer vision and computer graphics. Reconstructing indoor scene from point clouds is challenging due to complex room floorplan and line-of-sight occlusions. Most of existing methods deal with stationary terrestrial laser scanning point clouds or RGB-D point clouds. In this paper, we propose an automatic method for reconstructing indoor 3D building models from mobile laser scanning point clouds. The method includes 2D floorplan generation, 3D building modeling, door detection and room segmentation. The main idea behind our approach is to separate wall structure into two different types as the inner wall and the outer wall based on the observation of point distribution. Then we utilize a graph cut based optimization method to solve the labeling problem and generate the 2D floorplan based on the optimization result. Subsequently, we leverage an ?-shape based method to detect the doors on the 2D projected point clouds and utilize the floorplan to segment the individual room. The experiments show that this door detection method can achieve a recognition rate at 97% and the room segmentation method can attain the correct segmentation results. We also evaluate the reconstruction accuracy on the synthetic data, which indicates the accuracy of our method is comparable to the state-of-the art.

Annex 1: 1998 review of energy efficiency policy in EU countries and Norway

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-07-01

This document makes a status for the year 1998 of the energy efficiency policies implemented in the European Union member states and Norway (residential, transport and industrial sectors, institutional changes, measures and programmes, budget, utilities, pricing, efficiency standards, voluntary agreements, investment subsidies, taxation and tax exemptions). (J.S.)

Sustainable Development Discourse in Norway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruud, Audun

2009-01-01

Norway represents the case of an early-mover transforming into a recalcitrant average player. There is currently no active public SD debate, and if any, the environmental dimension remains the most prevalent. Climate change is the core issue. In spite of this political focus and new, ambitious objectives (i.e. that Norway is to be carbon neutral by 2030), and despite the fact that Norway has huge potentials for renewable energy production and export to Europe, there are few indications of any more substantial policy changes at a sectoral level

An RFID Indoor Positioning Algorithm Based on Bayesian Probability and K-Nearest Neighbor.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, He; Ding, Ye; Li, Peng; Wang, Ruchuan; Li, Yizhu

2017-08-05

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is widely used in outdoor environmental positioning. However, GPS cannot support indoor positioning because there is no signal for positioning in an indoor environment. Nowadays, there are many situations which require indoor positioning, such as searching for a book in a library, looking for luggage in an airport, emergence navigation for fire alarms, robot location, etc. Many technologies, such as ultrasonic, sensors, Bluetooth, WiFi, magnetic field, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), etc., are used to perform indoor positioning. Compared with other technologies, RFID used in indoor positioning is more cost and energy efficient. The Traditional RFID indoor positioning algorithm LANDMARC utilizes a Received Signal Strength (RSS) indicator to track objects. However, the RSS value is easily affected by environmental noise and other interference. In this paper, our purpose is to reduce the location fluctuation and error caused by multipath and environmental interference in LANDMARC. We propose a novel indoor positioning algorithm based on Bayesian probability and K -Nearest Neighbor (BKNN). The experimental results show that the Gaussian filter can filter some abnormal RSS values. The proposed BKNN algorithm has the smallest location error compared with the Gaussian-based algorithm, LANDMARC and an improved KNN algorithm. The average error in location estimation is about 15 cm using our method.

A sequential model for the structure of health care utilization.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Herrmann, W.J.; Haarmann, A.; Baerheim, A.

2017-01-01

Traditional measurement models of health care utilization are not able to represent the complex structure of health care utilization. In this qualitative study, we, therefore, developed a new model to represent the health care utilization structure. In Norway and Germany, we conducted episodic

Coping with Indoor Air Pollution

Science.gov (United States)

... Pollution > Coping with Indoor Air Pollution Font: Outdoor Pollution Indoor Air Pollution Asthma Triggers For Kids and Teachers Coping with Indoor Air Pollution Indoor air pollution is irritating to everyone: But people who ...

Indoor Tanning

Science.gov (United States)

... proof that indoor tanning is safer than tanning outdoors. Indoor tanning systems give concentrated UV exposure regardless ... For example, it’s essential for promoting good bone health. While UV ... a tan to get that benefit. According to the Surgeon General, fair and light- ...

Location Fingerprint Extraction for Magnetic Field Magnitude Based Indoor Positioning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenhua Shao

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Smartphone based indoor positioning has greatly helped people in finding their positions in complex and unfamiliar buildings. One popular positioning method is by utilizing indoor magnetic field, because this feature is stable and infrastructure-free. In this method, the magnetometer embedded on the smartphone measures indoor magnetic field and queries its position. However, the environments of the magnetometer are rather harsh. This harshness mainly consists of coarse-grained hard/soft-iron calibrations and sensor electronic noise. The two kinds of interferences decrease the position distinguishability of the magnetic field. Therefore, it is important to extract location features from magnetic fields to reduce these interferences. This paper analyzes the main interference sources of the magnetometer embedded on the smartphone. In addition, we present a feature distinguishability measurement technique to evaluate the performance of different feature extraction methods. Experiments revealed that selected fingerprints will improve position distinguishability.

Evaluation of Research in Engineering Science in Norway

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Van Brussel, Hendrik Van Brussel; Lindberg, Bengt; Cederwall, Klas

This report presents the conclusions of Panel 1: Construction engineering, Production and Operation. The Research Council of Norway (NFR) appointed three expert panels to evaluate Research in Engineering Science in Norway .......This report presents the conclusions of Panel 1: Construction engineering, Production and Operation. The Research Council of Norway (NFR) appointed three expert panels to evaluate Research in Engineering Science in Norway ....

Enabling Indoor Location-Based Services

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Radaelli, Laura

Indoor spaces have always attracted interest from different scientific disciplines. Relatively recent interest in indoor settings by computer scientists is driven in part by the increasing use of smartphones, which serve as a platform for service delivery and can generate extensive volumes...... of trajectory data that can be used to study how people actually use indoor spaces. In this dissertation, we contribute partial solutions that address challenges in indoor positioning and indoor trajectory management and analysis. The key enabler of indoor location-based services and indoor movement analysis...... is a well-functioning positioning system that can be easily deployed in most public places. Different technologies are able to provide indoor positioning with different accuracy and coverage, but it is difficult to find a technology that by itself can provide good positioning in the many different layouts...

Natural gas in Norway - Possibilities and limitations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bjoerstad, H.; Eldegard, T.; Reve, T.; Sunnevaag, K.; Aarrestad, J.

1995-06-01

Norway is rich in gas resources. In recent years, gas sales from the Norwegian continental shelf have been in the order of 25 to 30 billion Sm 3 /yr and are expected to increase strongly the next 10 to 15 years. However, a scattered population, a difficult topography, long distances between large potential consumers and where the gas is brought ashore, make it difficult to utilize the gas commercially in this country. Moreover, the gas will have to compete with a highly developed hydro-electric network. This report evaluates possibilities and hindrances in the establishment of a home market for natural gas in Norway. The low population density implies that using gas for preheating of water, heating of rooms etc will not become important except, perhaps, locally, where gas may be available for other reasons. As a source of energy and raw material in many industrial processes, natural gas can become important in some coastal areas and in central parts of eastern Norway. Discussions are in progress on gas power stations for electricity production. This has aroused some controversy because of environmental problems, and for political acceptance gas power will have to replace coal power. As a fuel, gas may be of interest for domestic ferries and for busses. A lack of capital under financial risk and gas prices limit the market development. Although tax policy is presently favourable to gas power, the risk taken by private investors in converting to natural gas is increased by their not knowing for how long the gas will be exempt from environmental tax. 74 refs., 8 figs., 27 tabs

An RFID Indoor Positioning Algorithm Based on Bayesian Probability and K-Nearest Neighbor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

He Xu

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The Global Positioning System (GPS is widely used in outdoor environmental positioning. However, GPS cannot support indoor positioning because there is no signal for positioning in an indoor environment. Nowadays, there are many situations which require indoor positioning, such as searching for a book in a library, looking for luggage in an airport, emergence navigation for fire alarms, robot location, etc. Many technologies, such as ultrasonic, sensors, Bluetooth, WiFi, magnetic field, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID, etc., are used to perform indoor positioning. Compared with other technologies, RFID used in indoor positioning is more cost and energy efficient. The Traditional RFID indoor positioning algorithm LANDMARC utilizes a Received Signal Strength (RSS indicator to track objects. However, the RSS value is easily affected by environmental noise and other interference. In this paper, our purpose is to reduce the location fluctuation and error caused by multipath and environmental interference in LANDMARC. We propose a novel indoor positioning algorithm based on Bayesian probability and K-Nearest Neighbor (BKNN. The experimental results show that the Gaussian filter can filter some abnormal RSS values. The proposed BKNN algorithm has the smallest location error compared with the Gaussian-based algorithm, LANDMARC and an improved KNN algorithm. The average error in location estimation is about 15 cm using our method.

Indoor Climate Quality Assessment -

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ansaldi, Roberta; Asadi, Ehsan; Costa, José Joaquim

This Guidebook gives building professionals useful support in the practical measurements and monitoring of the indoor climate in buildings. It is evident that energy consumption in a building is directly influenced by required and maintained indoor comfort level. Wireless technologies for measure...... for measurement and monitoring have allowed a significantly increased number of possible applications, especially in existing buildings. The Guidebook illustrates several cases with the instrumentation of the monitoring and assessment of indoor climate.......This Guidebook gives building professionals useful support in the practical measurements and monitoring of the indoor climate in buildings. It is evident that energy consumption in a building is directly influenced by required and maintained indoor comfort level. Wireless technologies...

Towards Mobile Information Systems for Indoor Space

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaoxiang Zhang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available With the rapid development of Internet of things (IOT and indoor positioning technologies such as Wi-Fi and RFID, indoor mobile information systems have become a new research hotspot. Based on the unique features of indoor space and urgent needs on indoor mobile applications, in this paper we analyze some key issues in indoor mobile information systems, including positioning technologies in indoor environments, representation models for indoor spaces, query processing techniques for indoor moving objects, and index structures for indoor mobile applications. Then, we present an indoor mobile information management system named IndoorDB. Finally, we give some future research topics about indoor mobile information systems.

Fast Fingerprint Database Maintenance for Indoor Positioning Based on UGV SLAM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jian Tang

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Indoor positioning technology has become more and more important in the last two decades. Utilizing Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI fingerprints of Signals of OPportunity (SOP is a promising alternative navigation solution. However, as the RSSIs vary during operation due to their physical nature and are easily affected by the environmental change, one challenge of the indoor fingerprinting method is maintaining the RSSI fingerprint database in a timely and effective manner. In this paper, a solution for rapidly updating the fingerprint database is presented, based on a self-developed Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV platform NAVIS. Several SOP sensors were installed on NAVIS for collecting indoor fingerprint information, including a digital compass collecting magnetic field intensity, a light sensor collecting light intensity, and a smartphone which collects the access point number and RSSIs of the pre-installed WiFi network. The NAVIS platform generates a map of the indoor environment and collects the SOPs during processing of the mapping, and then the SOP fingerprint database is interpolated and updated in real time. Field tests were carried out to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method. The results showed that the fingerprint databases can be quickly created and updated with a higher sampling frequency (5Hz and denser reference points compared with traditional methods, and the indoor map can be generated without prior information. Moreover, environmental changes could also be detected quickly for fingerprint indoor positioning.

Evolution of the indoor biome.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Laura J; Adams, Rachel I; Bateman, Ashley; Bik, Holly M; Hawks, John; Hird, Sarah M; Hughes, David; Kembel, Steven W; Kinney, Kerry; Kolokotronis, Sergios-Orestis; Levy, Gabriel; McClain, Craig; Meadow, James F; Medina, Raul F; Mhuireach, Gwynne; Moreau, Corrie S; Munshi-South, Jason; Nichols, Lauren M; Palmer, Clare; Popova, Laura; Schal, Coby; Täubel, Martin; Trautwein, Michelle; Ugalde, Juan A; Dunn, Robert R

2015-04-01

Few biologists have studied the evolutionary processes at work in indoor environments. Yet indoor environments comprise approximately 0.5% of ice-free land area--an area as large as the subtropical coniferous forest biome. Here we review the emerging subfield of 'indoor biome' studies. After defining the indoor biome and tracing its deep history, we discuss some of its evolutionary dimensions. We restrict our examples to the species found in human houses--a subset of the environments constituting the indoor biome--and offer preliminary hypotheses to advance the study of indoor evolution. Studies of the indoor biome are situated at the intersection of evolutionary ecology, anthropology, architecture, and human ecology and are well suited for citizen science projects, public outreach, and large-scale international collaborations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Indoor air: Reference bibliography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campbell, D.; Staves, D.; McDonald, S.

1989-07-01

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency initially established the indoor air Reference Bibliography in 1987 as an appendix to the Indoor Air Quality Implementation Plan. The document was submitted to Congress as required under Title IV--Radon Gas and Indoor Air Quality Research of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986. The Reference Bibliography is an extensive bibliography of reference materials on indoor air pollution. The Bibliography contains over 4500 citations and continues to increase as new articles appear

Indoor climate design for a monumental building with incidental high indoor moisture loads

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schijndel, van A.W.M.

2005-01-01

The paper presents a study of the indoor climate of a monumental building with periodic high indoor moisture loads. Several scenarios of the past performance and new control classes are simulated and evaluated. The results include the influence of hygric inertia on the indoor climate and

Exploring the association of dental care utilization with oral impacts on daily performances (OIDP) - a prospective study of ageing people in Norway and Sweden.

Science.gov (United States)

Gülcan, Ferda; Ekbäck, Gunnar; Ordell, Sven; Klock, Kristin S; Lie, Stein Atle; Åstrøm, Anne Nordrehaug

2018-01-01

To explore the association of dental health care utilization with oral impacts on daily performances (OIDP) across time focusing ageing Norwegian and Swedish adults adjusting for predisposing, enabling, and need related-factors as defined by Andersen's model. Data were based on Norwegian and Swedish 1942 birth-cohorts conducted in 2007 (age 65) and 2012 (age 70). In Norway, the response rates ranged from 54% to 58%. Corresponding figures in Sweden were from 72% to 73%. Self-administered questionnaires assessed OIDP, dental care utilization and predisposing, enabling and need related factors. Logistic regression with robust variance estimation was used to adjust for clustering in repeated data. Significant covariates of OIDP were satisfaction with dental services, dental care avoidance due to financial constraints, frightening experience with dental care during childhood and patient initiated dental visiting. Frequency and regularity of dental attendance were associated with OIDP in the Swedish cohort, only. In spite of country differences in the public co-financing of dental care, dental care utilization indicators were associated with OIDP across time in both cohorts. Encouraging regular and dentist initiated visiting patterns and strengthening beliefs in keeping own teeth could be useful in attempts to reduce poor oral health related quality of life in ageing people.

Corporatism in Denmark and Norway

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Simonsen, Mikkel Mailand

2009-01-01

The literature of corporatism tends to bypass most Scandinavian countries and ignore state-social partner relations not related to wage bargaining and income policy. This contribution attempts to overcome both these shortcomings. It concludes that corporatism is alive in Denmark and Norway......, in Norway ‘peak-level' corporatism on wage setting remains stronger than in Denmark, whereas ‘meso-level' corporatism (corporatism in specific policy area) is stronger in Denmark than in Norway........ The social partners have, as general rule, been involved in formulating and implementing changes in welfare state policies, and corporatist arrangements are also seen in relation to some industrial relations issues. The two countries share a number of contextual features important for corporatism. However...

Severe human Babesia divergens infection in Norway

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Mørch

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Human babesiosis is a rare but potentially life-threatening parasitic disease transmitted by ixodid ticks, and has not previously been reported in Norway. We report a case of severe babesiosis that occurred in Norway in 2007. The patient had previously undergone a splenectomy. He was frequently exposed to tick bites in an area endemic for bovine babesiosis in the west of Norway. The patient presented with severe haemolysis and multiorgan failure. Giemsa-stained blood smears revealed 30% parasitaemia with Babesia spp. He was treated with quinine in combination with clindamycin, apheresis, and supportive treatment with ventilatory support and haemofiltration, and made a complete recovery. This is the first case reported in Norway; however Babesia divergens seroprevalence in cattle in Norway is high, as is the risk of Ixodes ricinus tick bite in the general population. Babesiosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of unexplained febrile haemolytic disease.

Immigrant entrepreneurship in Norway

OpenAIRE

Vinogradov, Evgueni

2008-01-01

Doctoral thesis (Ph.D.) – Bodø Graduate School of Business, 2008 The purpose of this doctoral thesis is to add to the knowledge about immigrant entrepreneurship in Norway and to test the existing theories relating to immigrant entrepreneurship. In this work, an immigrant entrepreneur is defined as a business owner born outside Norway with both parents born abroad who is involved into the activities characterised by economic innovation, organisation creation, and profit-seeking in the marke...

A comparative analysis of Indoor WiFi Positioning at a large building complex

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mathisen, Andreas; Krogh, Søren; Stisen, Allan

2016-01-01

Indoor Positioning based on WiFi has received extensive focus from research communities, owing its promises of ubiquitous positioning indoors for a variety of applications. The majority of the existing research on WiFi positioning centers around the improvement of positioning accuracy. However...... are in daily use. The positioning methods covered utilizes received signal strength from existing WiFi infrastructure to ease deployment and maintenance. We identify meaningful key metrics which describe different aspects of the methods’ performance. Using these metrics, we furthermore report on experiences...

Symbols or results?. Norway`s contribution to global climate policy; Symboler eller resultater. Norges bidrag til global klimapolitikk

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haugland, Torleif; Lunde, Leiv; Vraalstad, Knut; Roland, Kjell

1997-12-31

The report is part of an evaluation of political climate challenges faced by Norway. The aim to stabilize CO{sub 2} emissions before the year 2000 is unrealistic. This is because (1) almost all electricity produced in Norway is hydropower, (2) more than half of the expected CO{sub 2} emissions up to 2020 comes from increased activities on the large and profitable petroleum deposits in the North Sea; these activities are hard to slow down, (3) substantial emission reductions in the process industry are expensive or impossible because of a lack of raw material without carbon, (4) reductions in the transport sector are impossible because of dispersed settlement, (5) strong economic growth and low unemployment imply increased energy consumption. All together this means that stabilizing the emissions in Norway costs more than in most of the OECD countries. The supposed gain in climate quality from measures in one country may ``leak`` out in the sense that the activities whose reduction caused the gain are moved a country that does not have an active climate policy and thus the global consequences may even be negative. Four examples are given: (1) Unlike most countries, Norway uses high-quality hydropower for heating. If Norway had instead used efficient petroleum fuels for heating and exported this electric energy to countries that generate electricity from inefficient carbon, then these countries would reduce the emission of CO{sub 2} by more than Norway would increase it. (2) Much of the emissions from the activities in the North Sea comes from electricity production in low-efficiency gas turbines. This emission could be eliminated by electricity supplied from land. But with today`s power balance in Norway, such electricity would be Danish carbon-generated. (3) CO{sub 2} tax on the energy intensive but efficient Norwegian process industry could move production to a country with more polluting production. (4) Reducing Norwegian gas export to Europe would decrease

Severe human Babesia divergens infection in Norway.

Science.gov (United States)

Mørch, K; Holmaas, G; Frolander, P S; Kristoffersen, E K

2015-04-01

Human babesiosis is a rare but potentially life-threatening parasitic disease transmitted by ixodid ticks, and has not previously been reported in Norway. We report a case of severe babesiosis that occurred in Norway in 2007. The patient had previously undergone a splenectomy. He was frequently exposed to tick bites in an area endemic for bovine babesiosis in the west of Norway. The patient presented with severe haemolysis and multiorgan failure. Giemsa-stained blood smears revealed 30% parasitaemia with Babesia spp. He was treated with quinine in combination with clindamycin, apheresis, and supportive treatment with ventilatory support and haemofiltration, and made a complete recovery. This is the first case reported in Norway; however Babesia divergens seroprevalence in cattle in Norway is high, as is the risk of Ixodes ricinus tick bite in the general population. Babesiosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of unexplained febrile haemolytic disease. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

A Method of Generating Indoor Map Spatial Data Automatically from Architectural Plans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

SUN Weixin

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Taking architectural plans as data source, we proposed a method which can automatically generate indoor map spatial data. Firstly, referring to the spatial data demands of indoor map, we analyzed the basic characteristics of architectural plans, and introduced concepts of wall segment, adjoining node and adjoining wall segment, based on which basic flow of indoor map spatial data automatic generation was further established. Then, according to the adjoining relation between wall lines at the intersection with column, we constructed a repair method for wall connectivity in relation to the column. Utilizing the method of gradual expansibility and graphic reasoning to judge wall symbol local feature type at both sides of door or window, through update the enclosing rectangle of door or window, we developed a repair method for wall connectivity in relation to the door or window and a method for transform door or window into indoor map point feature. Finally, on the basis of geometric relation between adjoining wall segment median lines, a wall center-line extraction algorithm was presented. Taking one exhibition hall's architectural plan as example, we performed experiment and results show that the proposed methods have preferable applicability to deal with various complex situations, and realized indoor map spatial data automatic extraction effectively.

Limitations of ambient air quality standards in evaluating indoor environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peterson, J.E.

1992-01-01

Analysis of the kinds of data used for the derivation of ambient air quality standards (AAQSs) for carbon monoxide and ozone shows that these values are based on the toxicology of the materials and thus are suitable for evaluating potential health effects of indoor environments, especially on the very young, the aged, and the infirm. A similar analysis shows that the AAQSs for suspended particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide are strictly empirical and that they should not be used for any but their first, intended purpose. The AAQSs for non-methane hydrocarbons are based on photochemical smog production, not injury of any kind, and have no utility for indoor environment evaluation

Current Indoor Air Quality in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Jinno, Hideto

2016-01-01

People spend more than two thirds of their daily time indoors. Hence, maintaining a healthy indoor environment is indispensable for the prevention of building related illness. In Japan, guidelines for indoor air quality have been established for 13 volatile/semi-volatile organic compounds (VOCs/SVOCs). These guidelines are now under revision by the Committee on Sick House Syndrome: Indoor Air Pollution. In order to gain information on the current indoor air pollutants and their levels, we carried out a nation-wide survey of VOCs and aldehydes in indoor residential air during 2012-2013. In this review, I concisely summarized the current indoor air quality of Japan.

Indoor air pollution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anwar, J.; Hussain, F.

2005-01-01

Indoor air pollution after being a neglected subject for a number of years, is attracting attention recently because it is a side effect of energy crisis. About 50% of world's 6 billion population, mostly in developing countries, depend on biomass and coal in the form of wood, dung and crop residues for domestic energy because of poverty. These materials are burnt in simple stoves with incomplete combustion and infants, children and women are exposed to high levels of indoor air pollution for a considerable period, approximately between 2-4 hours daily. Current worldwide trade in wood fuel is over US $7 billion and about 2 million people are employed full time in production and marketing it. One of the most annoying and common indoor pollutant in both, developing and developed countries, is cigarette smoke. Children in gas-equipped homes had higher incidences of respiratory disease. Babies' DNA can be damaged even before they are born if their mothers breathe polluted air. Exposure to indoor air pollution may be responsible for nearly 2 million excess deaths in developing countries and for 4% of the global burden of the disease. Only a few indoor pollutants have been studied in detail. Indoor air pollution is a major health threat on which further research is needed to define the extent of the problem more precisely and to determine solutions by the policy-makers instead of neglecting it because sufferers mostly belong to Third World countries. (author)

Indoor Semantic Modelling for Routing: The Two-Level Routing Approach for Indoor Navigation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liu Liu

2017-11-01

for the logical network can exclude unrelated spaces and then derive geometric paths more efficiently. In this thesis, two options are proposed for routing just on the logical network, three options are proposed for routing just on the geometric networks, and seven options for two-level routing. On the logical network, six routing criteria are proposed and three human wayfinding strategies are adopted to simulate human indoor behaviours. According to a specific criterion, space semantics of logical nodes is utilized to assign different weights to logical nodes and edges. Therefore, routing on the logical network can be accomplished by applying the Dijkstra algorithm. If multiple criteria are adopted, an order of criteria is applied for routing according to a specific user. In this way, logical paths can be computed as a sequence of indoor spaces with clear semantics. On geometric networks, this thesis proposes a new routing method to provide detailed paths avoiding indoor obstacles with respect to pedestrian sizes. This method allows geometric networks to be derived for individual users with different sizes for any specified spaces. To demonstrate the use of the two types of network, this thesis tests routing on one level (the logical or the geometric network. Four case studies about the logical network are presented in both simple and complex buildings. In the simple building, no multiple paths lie between spaces A and B, but in the complex buildings, multiple logical paths exist and the candidate paths can be reduced by applying these routing criteria in an order for a user. The relationships of these criteria to user profiles are assumed in this thesis. The proposed geometric routing regarding user sizes is tested with three case studies: 1 routing for pedestrians with two distinct sizes in one space; 2 routing for pedestrians with changed sizes in one space; and 3 a larger geometric network formed by the ones in a given sequence of spaces. The first case shows

Indoor Light Performance of Coil Type Cylindrical Dye Sensitized Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Kapil, Gaurav; Ogomi, Yuhei; Pandey, Shyam S; Ma, Tingli; Hayase, Shuzi

2016-04-01

A very good performance under low/diffused light intensities is one of the application areas in which dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) can be utilized effectively compared to their inorganic silicon solar cell counterparts. In this article, we have investigated the 1 SUN and low intensity fluorescent light performance of Titanium (Ti)-coil based cylindrical DSSC (C-DSSC) using ruthenium based N719 dye and organic dyes such as D205 and Y123. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopic results were analyzed for variable solar cell performances. Reflecting mirror with parabolic geometry as concentrator was also utilized to tap diffused light for indoor applications. Fluorescent light at relatively lower illumination intensities (0.2 mW/cm2 to 0.5 mW/cm2) were used for the investigation of TCO-less C-DSSC performance with and without reflector geometry. Furthermore, the DSSC performances were analyzed and compared with the commercially available amorphous silicon based solar cell for indoor applications.

Monogenic diabetes mellitus in Norway

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oddmund Søvika

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Here, we review data on monogenic diabetes mellitus in Norway based on the Norwegian MODY Registry at Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen. This registry comprises established or suspected cases of maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY referred to our laboratory for genetic testing. We also present data on neonatal diabetes, another group of monogenic diabetes. To date, we have genetically diagnosed nearly 500 MODY cases in Norway. Mutations in the HNF1A gene (MODY3 were detected in about 50% of families with clinical MODY. GCK-MODY (MODY2 was the second most prevalent type, but may be underreported. We have also found mutations in the monogenic genes ABCC8, CEL, HNF1B, HNF4A, INS, KCNJ11 and NEUROD1. Based on genetic screening in the Norwegian MODY Registry and HUNT2, we estimate the number of MODY cases in Norway to be at least 2500-5000. Founder effects may determine the geographical distribution of MODY mutations in Norway. The molecular genetic testing of MODY and neonatal diabetes is mandatory for correct diagnosis and prognosis as well as choice of therapy

Time trends and epidemiological patterns of perinatal lamb mortality in Norway.

Science.gov (United States)

Holmøy, Ingrid Hunter; Waage, Steinar

2015-09-30

proportion of lambs in triplet or larger litters; however, other factors apparently have contributed. Early neonatal mortality rate exhibited year-to-year variations, partly following temperature fluctuations, which is somewhat unexpected, considering that lambing mainly occurs indoors in Norway.

Indoor air quality: The hidden side of the indoor environment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oliveira Fernandes, E. de; Bluyssen, P.M.; Clausen, G.H.

1996-01-01

The physical environment can be defined and understood in manv different ways, both from its nature, e.g., thermal, accoustic, etc., or its dimension, e.g., global, local, urban, indoors. The indoor environment is much more than the space or the light effects; it is the result of a complex

Norway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Underdal, B.

1975-01-01

A short report is given of the activities of Norway in the field of food irradiation. Experiments were performed with a 60 Co γ-source of 30,000 Ci. The chemical changes induced by irradiation were studied in fish and spices. Radiation microbiology studies were dealing with the effect of γ-radiation on Salmonella Senftenberg in solutions and herring meal. (MG) [de

Tourists' perceptions and intention to revisit Norway

OpenAIRE

Lazar, Ana Florina; Komolikova-Blindheim, Galyna

2016-01-01

Purpose - The overall purpose of this study is to explore tourists' perceptions and their intention to revisit Norway. The aim is to find out what are the factors that drive the overall satisfaction, the willingness to recommend and the revisit intention of international tourists that spend their holiday in Norway. Design-Method-Approach - the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen 1991), is used as a framework to investigate tourists' intention and behavior towards Norway as destination. The o...

Sports Diplomacy of Norway

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kobierecki Michał Marcin

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Norway is perceived as a country with a clear international identity. The aim of the article is to investigate the sports diplomacy of Norway and to examine its influence on the international brand of this country. The author will define the term “sports diplomacy” and attempt to outline the strategy of Norway’s public diplomacy; an analysis of the methods used in Norwegian sports diplomacy will follow. The main hypothesis of this paper is that sports diplomacy only plays a subsidiary role in Norwegian nation branding.

Indoor and ambient air concentrations of respirable particles between two hospitals in Kashan (2014-2015

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahmoud Mohammadyan

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Background: The hospital environment requires special attention to provide healthful indoor air quality for protecting patients and healthcare workers against the occupational diseases. The aim of this study was to determine the concentrations of respirable particles indoor and ambient air of two hospitals in Kashan. Materials and Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted during 3 months (Marth 2014 to May 2015. Indoor and outdoor PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations were measured four times a week in the operating room, pediatric and ICU2 (Intensive Care Unit wards using a real time dust monitor at two hospitals. A total number of 480 samples (80 samples indoors and 40 outdoors from wards were collected. Results: The highest mean PM2.5 and PM10 for indoors were determined 57.61± 68.57 µg m-3 and 212.36±295.49 µg m-3, respectively. The results showed a significant relationship between PM2.5 and PM10 in the indoor and ambient air of two hospitals (P<0.05. PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations were different in all of the selected wards (P<0.05. Conclusion: The respirable particle concentrations in the indoor and ambient air in both hospitals were higher than the 24-hours WHO and US-EPA standards. Thence, utilizing sufficient and efficient air conditioning systems in hospitals can be useful in improving indoor air quality and reducing the respirable particle concentrations.

Polluted air--outdoors and indoors.

Science.gov (United States)

Myers, I; Maynard, R L

2005-09-01

Many air pollutants which are considered important in ambient (outdoor) air are also found, sometimes at higher levels, in indoor air. With demanding standards having been set for many of these pollutants, both in the workplace and ambient air, consideration of the problems posed by indoor pollution is gaining pace. Studies on exposure to pollutants found in the indoor domestic environment are increasing and are contributing to an already significant compilation of datasets. Improvement in monitoring techniques has helped this process. Documented reports of fatalities from carbon monoxide poisonings are still worrying. However, studies on health effects of non-fatal, long term, low dose, indoor exposure to carbon monoxide and other pollutants, are still inconclusive and too infrequently documented. Of particular concern are the levels of air pollutants found in the domestic indoor environment in developing countries, despite simple interventions such as vented stoves having shown their value. Exposure to biomass smoke is still a level that would be considered unacceptable on health grounds in developed countries. As in the occupational environment, steps need to be taken to control the risks from exposure to the harmful constituents of indoor air in the home. However, the difficulty regarding regulation of the domestic indoor environment is its inherent privacy. Monitoring levels of pollutants in the home and ensuring regulations are adhered to, would likely prove difficult, especially when individual behaviour patterns and activities have the greatest influence on pollutant levels in indoor air. To this end, the Department of Health is developing guidance on indoor air pollution to encourage the reduction of pollutant levels in indoor domestic air. The importance of the effects of domestic indoor air on health and its contribution to the health of the worker are increasingly appreciated. Occupational physicians, by training and interest, are well placed to extend

AUTOMATIC RECOGNITION OF INDOOR NAVIGATION ELEMENTS FROM KINECT POINT CLOUDS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Zeng

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This paper realizes automatically the navigating elements defined by indoorGML data standard – door, stairway and wall. The data used is indoor 3D point cloud collected by Kinect v2 launched in 2011 through the means of ORB-SLAM. By contrast, it is cheaper and more convenient than lidar, but the point clouds also have the problem of noise, registration error and large data volume. Hence, we adopt a shape descriptor – histogram of distances between two randomly chosen points, proposed by Osada and merges with other descriptor – in conjunction with random forest classifier to recognize the navigation elements (door, stairway and wall from Kinect point clouds. This research acquires navigation elements and their 3-d location information from each single data frame through segmentation of point clouds, boundary extraction, feature calculation and classification. Finally, this paper utilizes the acquired navigation elements and their information to generate the state data of the indoor navigation module automatically. The experimental results demonstrate a high recognition accuracy of the proposed method.

Automatic Recognition of Indoor Navigation Elements from Kinect Point Clouds

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, L.; Kang, Z.

2017-09-01

This paper realizes automatically the navigating elements defined by indoorGML data standard - door, stairway and wall. The data used is indoor 3D point cloud collected by Kinect v2 launched in 2011 through the means of ORB-SLAM. By contrast, it is cheaper and more convenient than lidar, but the point clouds also have the problem of noise, registration error and large data volume. Hence, we adopt a shape descriptor - histogram of distances between two randomly chosen points, proposed by Osada and merges with other descriptor - in conjunction with random forest classifier to recognize the navigation elements (door, stairway and wall) from Kinect point clouds. This research acquires navigation elements and their 3-d location information from each single data frame through segmentation of point clouds, boundary extraction, feature calculation and classification. Finally, this paper utilizes the acquired navigation elements and their information to generate the state data of the indoor navigation module automatically. The experimental results demonstrate a high recognition accuracy of the proposed method.

Indoor navigation by image recognition

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Io Teng; Leong, Chi Chong; Hong, Ka Wo; Pun, Chi-Man

2017-07-01

With the progress of smartphones hardware, it is simple on smartphone using image recognition technique such as face detection. In addition, indoor navigation system development is much slower than outdoor navigation system. Hence, this research proves a usage of image recognition technique for navigation in indoor environment. In this paper, we introduced an indoor navigation application that uses the indoor environment features to locate user's location and a route calculating algorithm to generate an appropriate path for user. The application is implemented on Android smartphone rather than iPhone. Yet, the application design can also be applied on iOS because the design is implemented without using special features only for Android. We found that digital navigation system provides better and clearer location information than paper map. Also, the indoor environment is ideal for Image recognition processing. Hence, the results motivate us to design an indoor navigation system using image recognition.

NORWAY: a nuclear demonstration project?

CERN Multimedia

Clery, Daniel

2007-01-01

"Egil Lillestøl is a man with a rather unusual mission: he wants his homeland of Norway to take the lead in developement of of a new form of nuclear power. Norway is Europe's largest petroleum exporter, from its North Sea oil and gas fields, and Lillestøl, a physicist at the University of Bergen, believes the country needs to do something about its carbon emissions.

Indoor air quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hollowell, C.D.

1981-06-01

Rising energy prices, among other factors, have generated an incentive to reduce ventilation rates and thereby reduce the cost of heating and cooling buildings. Reduced ventilation in buildings may significantly increase exposure to indoor air pollution and perhaps have adverse effects on occupant health and comfort. Preliminary findings suggest that reduced ventilation may adversely affect indoor air quality unless appropriate control strategies are undertaken. The strategies used to control indoor air pollution depend on the specific pollutant or class of pollutants encountered, and differ somewhat depending on whether the application is to an existing building or a new building under design and construction. Whenever possible, the first course of action is prevention or reduction of pollutant emissions at the source. In most buildings, control measures involve a combination of prevention, removal, and suppression. Common sources of indoor air pollution in buildings, the specific pollutants emitted by each source, the potential health effects, and possible control techniques are discussed

Is organic photovoltaics promising for indoor applications?

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Harrison K. H.; Li, Zhe; Durrant, James R.; Tsoi, Wing C.

2016-06-01

This work utilizes organic photovoltaics (OPV) for indoor applications, such as powering small electronic devices or wireless connected Internet of Things. Three representative polymer-based OPV systems, namely, poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl), poly[N-9'-heptadecanyl-2,7-carbazole-alt-5,5-(4',7'-di-2-thienyl-2',1',3'-benzothiadiazole)], and poly[[4,8-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene-2,6-diyl][3-fluoro-2-[(2-ethylhexyl)carbonyl]thieno[3,4-b]thiophenediyl

Sleipner mishap jolts booming Norway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1991-01-01

This paper reports on Norway's buoyant offshore industry that was stunned when the concrete substructure for Sleipner natural gas field's main production platform sank in the Grandsfjord off Stavanger late last month. The accident, a blow to Norway's gas sales program in Europe, came with offshore activity in the Norwegian North Sea moving into a new boom period. Currently, 10 oil and gas fields are under development, and several projects are on the drawing board. Aker Oil and Gas, a leading offshore firm, says the country's construction industry will be working at capacity for the next 4 years. Norwegian oil production has been hovering just below 2 million b/d since the beginning of this year, making Norway the North Sea's largest producer, a position formerly held by the U.K. Gas production averages about 3 bcfd. With European gas demand sharply increasing, Norway is under pressure to increase output from new fields in the mid to late 1990s. The Sleipner setback forces state owned Den norske stats oljeselskap AS (Statoil) to cast around for supplies. Sleipner was to have begun deliveries to a consortium of continental gas companies in October 1993. Statoil believes it can fill the gap from existing fields in Norwegian waters

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.

Spatial subdivision of complex indoor environments for 3D indoor navigation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Diakite, A.A.; Zlatanova, S.

2018-01-01

As we realize that we spend most of our time in increasingly complex indoor environments, applications to assist indoor activities (e.g. guidance) have gained a lot of attention in the recent years. The advances in ubiquitous computing made possible the development of several spatial models

Graph Model Based Indoor Tracking

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Christian Søndergaard; Lu, Hua; Yang, Bin

2009-01-01

The tracking of the locations of moving objects in large indoor spaces is important, as it enables a range of applications related to, e.g., security and indoor navigation and guidance. This paper presents a graph model based approach to indoor tracking that offers a uniform data management...

A miniature shoe-mounted orientation determination system for accurate indoor heading and trajectory tracking.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Shengzhi; Yu, Shuai; Liu, Chaojun; Liu, Sheng

2016-06-01

Tracking the position of pedestrian is urgently demanded when the most commonly used GPS (Global Position System) is unavailable. Benefited from the small size, low-power consumption, and relatively high reliability, micro-electro-mechanical system sensors are well suited for GPS-denied indoor pedestrian heading estimation. In this paper, a real-time miniature orientation determination system (MODS) was developed for indoor heading and trajectory tracking based on a novel dual-linear Kalman filter. The proposed filter precludes the impact of geomagnetic distortions on pitch and roll that the heading is subjected to. A robust calibration approach was designed to improve the accuracy of sensors measurements based on a unified sensor model. Online tests were performed on the MODS with an improved turntable. The results demonstrate that the average RMSE (root-mean-square error) of heading estimation is less than 1°. Indoor heading experiments were carried out with the MODS mounted on the shoe of pedestrian. Besides, we integrated the existing MODS into an indoor pedestrian dead reckoning application as an example of its utility in realistic actions. A human attitude-based walking model was developed to calculate the walking distance. Test results indicate that mean percentage error of indoor trajectory tracking achieves 2% of the total walking distance. This paper provides a feasible alternative for accurate indoor heading and trajectory tracking.

Direct maternal deaths in Norway 1976-1995

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersgaard, Alice Beate; Langhoff-Roos, J.; Oian, P.

2008-01-01

AIMS: To report direct maternal mortality ratio (MMR) in Norway between 1976 and 1995 including a description of the underlying complications in pregnancy, the causes of death and assessment of standard of care. METHODS: The maternal deaths were identified through the Cause of Death Registry......, Statistics Norway, and Medical Birth Registry of Norway. We requested copies of the hospital case records and the maternal death autopsies. The direct maternal deaths were classified on the basis underlying causes and assessed for substandard care according to the guidelines at the time of death...... and preventability provided optimal conditions and up to date guidelines. RESULTS: In the period 1976-1995 we identified 61 direct maternal deaths in Norway. The direct MMR was 5.5/100,000 births. Sufficient information was available for analysis in 51 of these cases. Six deaths occurred in early pregnancy. Among...

Received Signal Strength Database Interpolation by Kriging for a Wi-Fi Indoor Positioning System.

Science.gov (United States)

Jan, Shau-Shiun; Yeh, Shuo-Ju; Liu, Ya-Wen

2015-08-28

The main approach for a Wi-Fi indoor positioning system is based on the received signal strength (RSS) measurements, and the fingerprinting method is utilized to determine the user position by matching the RSS values with the pre-surveyed RSS database. To build a RSS fingerprint database is essential for an RSS based indoor positioning system, and building such a RSS fingerprint database requires lots of time and effort. As the range of the indoor environment becomes larger, labor is increased. To provide better indoor positioning services and to reduce the labor required for the establishment of the positioning system at the same time, an indoor positioning system with an appropriate spatial interpolation method is needed. In addition, the advantage of the RSS approach is that the signal strength decays as the transmission distance increases, and this signal propagation characteristic is applied to an interpolated database with the Kriging algorithm in this paper. Using the distribution of reference points (RPs) at measured points, the signal propagation model of the Wi-Fi access point (AP) in the building can be built and expressed as a function. The function, as the spatial structure of the environment, can create the RSS database quickly in different indoor environments. Thus, in this paper, a Wi-Fi indoor positioning system based on the Kriging fingerprinting method is developed. As shown in the experiment results, with a 72.2% probability, the error of the extended RSS database with Kriging is less than 3 dBm compared to the surveyed RSS database. Importantly, the positioning error of the developed Wi-Fi indoor positioning system with Kriging is reduced by 17.9% in average than that without Kriging.

Norway’s Challenges In the High North

Science.gov (United States)

2016-02-16

North an important area. Norway has jurisdiction over about one million square miles at sea, seven times larger than the mainland territory; therefore...creates an enormous expanse of territorial waters and a vast economic zone. Norway has jurisdiction over about one million square miles at sea, seven...islands, like the Russian mining community situated in Barentsburg. In turn, Norway exercises authority in the Fishery Protection Zone around Svalbard

Variation of indoor radon concentration and ambient dose equivalent rate in different outdoor and indoor environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stojanovska, Zdenka; Janevik, Emilija; Taleski, Vaso [Goce Delcev University, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Stip (Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of); Boev, Blazo [Goce Delcev University, Faculty of Natural and Technical Sciences, Stip (Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of); Zunic, Zora S. [University of Belgrade, Institute of Nuclear Sciences ' ' Vinca' ' , Belgrade (Serbia); Ivanova, Kremena; Tsenova, Martina [National Center of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection, Sofia (Bulgaria); Ristova, Mimoza [University in Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematic, Institute of Physics, Skopje (Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of); Ajka, Sorsa [Croatian Geological Survey, Zagreb (Croatia); Bossew, Peter [German Federal Office for Radiation Protection, Berlin (Germany)

2016-05-15

Subject of this study is an investigation of the variations of indoor radon concentration and ambient dose equivalent rate in outdoor and indoor environments of 40 dwellings, 31 elementary schools and five kindergartens. The buildings are located in three municipalities of two, geologically different, areas of the Republic of Macedonia. Indoor radon concentrations were measured by nuclear track detectors, deployed in the most occupied room of the building, between June 2013 and May 2014. During the deploying campaign, indoor and outdoor ambient dose equivalent rates were measured simultaneously at the same location. It appeared that the measured values varied from 22 to 990 Bq/m{sup 3} for indoor radon concentrations, from 50 to 195 nSv/h for outdoor ambient dose equivalent rates, and from 38 to 184 nSv/h for indoor ambient dose equivalent rates. The geometric mean value of indoor to outdoor ambient dose equivalent rates was found to be 0.88, i.e. the outdoor ambient dose equivalent rates were on average higher than the indoor ambient dose equivalent rates. All measured can reasonably well be described by log-normal distributions. A detailed statistical analysis of factors which influence the measured quantities is reported. (orig.)

Indoor microclimate in a South African school: impact of indoor environmental factors

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Essah, EA

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Demand for good indoor air quality is increasing as people recorgnise the risks to their health and productivity from indoor pollutants. There is a tendency to reduce ventilation rates to ensure energy conservation in buildings; in this instance...

Effectiveness of Indoor Plant to Reduce CO2 in Indoor Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suhaimi Mohd Mahathir

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Modern country strongly emphasizes on indoor air quality (IAQ because it can effect on human health and productivity. Numerous efforts were performed to make sure that sustainability of IAQ is guaranteed. In the last 4th decade, researchers discover that indoor plants have abilities to reduce indoor air pollution. Generally, plants, carbon dioxide (CO2, light, and temperature involve in the photosynthesis process. This paper intends to study the effectiveness of seven indoor plants (Anthurium, Dumb Cane, Golden Pothos, Kadaka Fern, Prayer Plant, Spider Plant, and Syngonium to reduce CO2 with different light level. This study was conducted in one cubic meter of chamber, and each plant was put into the chamber individually with CO2 concentration in the chamber is set at 1000±50ppm, and light intensities is set at 300 and 700 lux, while temperature were fixed at 25±1°C. Based on the results, only the Spider Plant was not able to absorb CO2 during the test at 300 lux of light intensity. Meanwhile, Prayer Plant performed well when tested at 300 or 700 lux of light intensity compare to other investigates plants. This study can conclude that light intensity play an important role for the plant to absorb CO2 effectively. All the indoor plants absorbed more CO2, when the light intensity is increased.

Associations between indoor tanning and risky health-related behaviors among high school students in the United States

OpenAIRE

Chapman, Stephanie; Ashack, Kurt; Bell, Eric; Sendelweck, Myra Ann; Dellavalle, Robert

2016-01-01

Understanding of the associations between indoor tanning and risky health related behaviors such as sexual activity and substance abuse among adolescents across the United States is incomplete. The purpose of this study is to identify risky health related behaviors among high school students utilizing indoor tanning according to region. We analyzed the results from surveys of adolescents in 14 different states administered as part of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) 2013. D...

INDOOR AIR POLLUTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmet Soysal

2007-06-01

Full Text Available The existance of hazardious materials including biological, chemical, and physical agents such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, radon, volotile organic compounds, microorganisms in houses and the other non-industrilized buildings have been defined as “indoor air pollution”. Indoor air pollutants could possible arised from inside or outside environment and categorized into six subgroups. Almost 80% Turkish population have living in the urban areas and people in the cities have spending approximetely 90% of their time in the closed enviroments, health problems could increased due to indoor air pollution. Moreover, currently there is no specific regulation on this area. [TAF Prev Med Bull 2007; 6(3.000: 221-226

INDOOR AIR POLLUTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmet Soysal

2007-06-01

Full Text Available The existance of hazardious materials including biological, chemical, and physical agents such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, radon, volotile organic compounds, microorganisms in houses and the other non-industrilized buildings have been defined as “indoor air pollution”. Indoor air pollutants could possible arised from inside or outside environment and categorized into six subgroups. Almost 80% Turkish population have living in the urban areas and people in the cities have spending approximetely 90% of their time in the closed enviroments, health problems could increased due to indoor air pollution. Moreover, currently there is no specific regulation on this area. [TAF Prev Med Bull. 2007; 6(3: 221-226

Residential indoor air quality guideline : ozone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

Ozone (O 3 ) is a colourless gas that reacts rapidly on surfaces and with other constituents in the air. Sources of indoor O 3 include devices sold as home air cleaners, and some types of office equipment. Outdoor O 3 is also an important contributor to indoor levels of O 3 , depending on the air exchange rate with indoor environments. This residential indoor air quality guideline examined factors that affect the introduction, dispersion and removal of O 3 indoors. The health effects of prolonged exposure to O 3 were discussed, and studies conducted to evaluate the population health impacts of O 3 were reviewed. The studies demonstrated that there is a significant association between ambient O 3 and adverse health impacts. Exposure guidelines for residential indoor air quality were discussed. 14 refs.

Monogenic diabetes mellitus in Norway

OpenAIRE

Oddmund Søvika; Henrik Underthun Irgens; Janne Molnes; Jørn V. Sagena; Lise Bjørkhaug; Helge Ræder; Anders Molveng; Pål R. Njølstad

2013-01-01

Here, we review data on monogenic diabetes mellitus in Norway based on the Norwegian MODY Registry at Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen. This registry comprises established or suspected cases of maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) referred to our laboratory for genetic testing. We also present data on neonatal diabetes, another group of monogenic diabetes. To date, we have genetically diagnosed nearly 500 MODY cases in Norway. Mutations in the HNF1A gene (MODY3) were detected in a...

Characterization of indoor aerosol temporal variations for the real-time management of indoor air quality

Science.gov (United States)

Ciuzas, Darius; Prasauskas, Tadas; Krugly, Edvinas; Sidaraviciute, Ruta; Jurelionis, Andrius; Seduikyte, Lina; Kauneliene, Violeta; Wierzbicka, Aneta; Martuzevicius, Dainius

2015-10-01

The study presents the characterization of dynamic patterns of indoor particulate matter (PM) during various pollution episodes for real-time IAQ management. The variation of PM concentrations was assessed for 20 indoor activities, including cooking related sources, other thermal sources, personal care and household products. The pollution episodes were modelled in full-scale test chamber representing a standard usual living room with the forced ventilation of 0.5 h-1. In most of the pollution episodes, the maximum concentration of particles in exhaust air was reached within a few minutes. The most rapid increase in particle concentration was during thermal source episodes such as candle, cigarette, incense stick burning and cooking related sources, while the slowest decay of concentrations was associated with sources, emitting ultrafine particle precursors, such as furniture polisher spraying, floor wet mopping with detergent etc. Placement of the particle sensors in the ventilation exhaust vs. in the centre of the ceiling yielded comparable results for both measured maximum concentrations and temporal variations, indicating that both locations were suitable for the placement of sensors for the management of IAQ. The obtained data provides information that may be utilized considering measurements of aerosol particles as indicators for the real-time management of IAQ.

Reconstruction of national distribution of indoor radon concentration in Russia using results of regional indoor radon measurement programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yarmoshenko, I.; Malinovsky, G.; Vasilyev, A.; Zhukovsky, M.

2015-01-01

The aim of the paper is a reconstruction of the national distribution and estimation of the arithmetic average indoor radon concentration in Russia using the data of official annual 4-DOZ reports. Annual 4-DOZ reports summarize results of radiation measurements in 83 regions of Russian Federation. Information on more than 400 000 indoor radon measurements includes the average indoor radon isotopes equilibrium equivalent concentration (EEC) and number of measurements by regions and by three main types of houses: wooden, one-storey non-wooden, and multi-storey non-wooden houses. To reconstruct the national distribution, all-Russian model sample was generated by integration of sub-samples created using the results of each annual regional program of indoor radon measurements in each type of buildings. According to indoor radon concentration distribution reconstruction, all-Russian average indoor radon concentration is 48 Bq/m"3. Average indoor radon concentration by region ranges from 12 to 207 Bq/m"3. The 95-th percentile of the distribution is reached at indoor radon concentration 160 Bq/m"3. - Highlights: • Reconstruction of indoor radon concentration distribution in Russia was carried out. • Data of official annual 4-DOZ reports were used. • All-Russian average indoor radon concentration is 48 Bq/m"3. • The 95-th percentile is 160 Bq/m"3.

Slovak Republic, indoor measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vicanova, M.; Daniel, S.

2006-01-01

In this report the annual average effective doses from indoor radon exposure were calculated for each district of Slovakia. The population-weighted arithmetic mean of indoor radon concentration was calculated for every district considering different types of houses.

Indoor Tanning Dependence in Young Adult Women.

Science.gov (United States)

Mays, Darren; Atkins, Michael B; Ahn, Jaeil; Tercyak, Kenneth P

2017-11-01

Background: There is mounting evidence that young people can develop a dependence on indoor tanning, but research on factors associated with indoor tanning dependence remains limited. Methods: This cross-sectional study investigated factors associated with indoor tanning dependence in a community sample of 389 non-Hispanic white young adult women ages 18 to 30 who had indoor tanned ≥1 time in the past year. Participants completed measures of indoor tanning dependence, including the modified CAGE and modified Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders-IV psychiatric screening assessments, indoor tanning behavior and beliefs, and behavioral and psychiatric comorbidity. Results: Overall, 22.6% of the sample screened positive for indoor tanning dependence. In multivariable analyses, indoor tanning dependence was associated with younger age of indoor tanning initiation [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.79; P = 0.017], indoor tanning ≥20 times in the past year (aOR = 3.03; P = 0.015), stronger beliefs about the benefits of tanning (aOR = 2.15; P = 0.004), greater perceived susceptibility to indoor tanning risks (aOR = 2.72; P tanning dependence among young, non-Hispanic white women is associated with behaviors that increase the risk of skin cancer, beliefs favoring the perceived benefits of tanning, and comorbid risks such as stronger beliefs about physical appearance and depressed mood. Impact: Comprehensive skin cancer prevention efforts should address indoor tanning dependence among young women and its leading risk factors. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(11); 1636-43. ©2017 AACR . ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.

Indoor air quality – buildings design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juhásová Šenitková Ingrid

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Growing attention is being paid to indoor air quality as one of the main health and well-being factors. The indoor research is concerned mostly to indoor air chemicals within indoor engineering related to building design. The providing good indoor air quality can be achieved effectively by avoiding or reducing indoor air pollution sources and by selecting low-polluting building materials, both being low-cost and energyefficient solutions. On the base of the last large experimental monitoring results, it was possible to know the level of selected indoor chemicals occurrence, rank them as well as to predict the tendencies of occurrence and establish the priorities for the future. There has been very limited attention to rigorous analysis of buildings actual environmental impacts to date. Healthy/green/sustainable building practices are typically applied in unsystematic and inconsistent ways often without resolution of inherent conflicts between and among such practices. Designers, products manufacturers, constructors, and owners declare their buildings and the applied technologies to be beneficial to the environment without validating those claims.

State Indoor Tanning Laws and Prevalence of Indoor Tanning Among US High School Students, 2009-2015.

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Jin; Holman, Dawn M; Jones, Sherry Everett; Berkowitz, Zahava; Guy, Gery P

2018-07-01

To examine the association between state indoor tanning laws and indoor tanning behavior using nationally representative samples of US high school students younger than 18 years. We combined data from the 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2015 national Youth Risk Behavior Surveys (n = 41 313) to analyze the association between 2 types of state indoor tanning laws (age restriction and parental permission) and the prevalence of indoor tanning during the 12 months before the survey, adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, and survey year, and stratified by gender. Age restriction laws were associated with a 47% (P tanning prevalence among female high school students. Parental permission laws were not found to be associated with indoor tanning prevalence among either female or male high school students. Age restriction laws could contribute to less indoor tanning, particularly among female high school students. Such reductions may reduce the health and economic burden of skin cancer.

Workshop on indoor air quality research needs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1980-01-01

Workshop participants report on indoor air quality research needs including the monitoring of indoor air quality, report of the instrumentation subgroup of indoor air quality, health effects, and the report of the control technology session. Risk analysis studies addressing indoor environments were also summarized. (DLS)

Workshop on indoor air quality research needs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-01-01

Workshop participants report on indoor air quality research needs including the monitoring of indoor air quality, report of the instrumentation subgroup of indoor air quality, health effects, and the report of the control technology session. Risk analysis studies addressing indoor environments were also summarized

Air filtration and indoor air quality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bekö, Gabriel

2006-01-01

Demands for better indoor air quality are increasing, since we spend most of our time indoors and we are more and more aware of indoor air pollution. Field studies in different parts of the world have documented that high percentage of occupants in many offices and buildings find the indoor air...... decent ventilation and air cleaning/air filtration, high indoor air quality cannot be accomplished. The need for effective air filtration has increased with increasing evidence on the hazardous effects of fine particles. Moreover, the air contains gaseous pollutants, removal of which requires various air...... cleaning techniques. Supply air filter is one of the key components in the ventilation system. Studies have shown that used ventilation filters themselves can be a significant source of indoor air pollution with consequent impact on perceived air quality, sick building syndrome symptoms and performance...

Accurate estimation of indoor travel times

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Prentow, Thor Siiger; Blunck, Henrik; Stisen, Allan

2014-01-01

The ability to accurately estimate indoor travel times is crucial for enabling improvements within application areas such as indoor navigation, logistics for mobile workers, and facility management. In this paper, we study the challenges inherent in indoor travel time estimation, and we propose...... the InTraTime method for accurately estimating indoor travel times via mining of historical and real-time indoor position traces. The method learns during operation both travel routes, travel times and their respective likelihood---both for routes traveled as well as for sub-routes thereof. InTraTime...... allows to specify temporal and other query parameters, such as time-of-day, day-of-week or the identity of the traveling individual. As input the method is designed to take generic position traces and is thus interoperable with a variety of indoor positioning systems. The method's advantages include...

Indoor ionizing radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ericson, S.O.; Lindvall, T.; Maansson, L-G.

1986-01-01

Radiation in indoor air is discussed in the perspective of the effective dose equivalents from other sources of radiation. Estimates of effective doses equivalents from indoor radon and its contribution to lung cancer incidence are reviewed. Swedish experiences with cost effective remedial actions are presented. The authors present optimal strategies for screening measurements and remedial actions in cost-benefit perspective. (author.)

Indoor air quality in Brazilian universities.

Science.gov (United States)

Jurado, Sonia R; Bankoff, Antônia D P; Sanchez, Andrea

2014-07-11

This study evaluated the indoor air quality in Brazilian universities by comparing thirty air-conditioned (AC) (n = 15) and naturally ventilated (NV) (n = 15) classrooms. The parameters of interest were indoor carbon dioxide (CO2), temperature, relative humidity (RH), wind speed, viable mold, and airborne dust levels. The NV rooms had larger concentration of mold than the AC rooms (1001.30 ± 125.16 and 367.00 ± 88.13 cfu/m3, respectively). The average indoor airborne dust concentration exceeded the Brazilian standards (indoor air quality in Brazilian university classrooms affects the health of students. Therefore, indoor air pollution needs to be considered as an important public health problem.

Nuclear emergency planning in Norway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baarli, J.

1986-01-01

The nuclear emergency planning in Norway is forming a part of the Search and Rescue Service of the country. Due to the fact that Norway do not have any nucleat power reactor, the nuclear emergency planning has not been given high priority. The problems however are a part of the activity of the National Institute of Radiation Hygiene, and the emergency preparedness is at the present time to a large extent based on the availability of professional health physicists and their knowledge, rather than established practices

Is organic photovoltaics promising for indoor applications?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Harrison K. H.; Li, Zhe; Tsoi, Wing C., E-mail: w.c.tsoi@swansea.ac.uk [SPECIFIC, College of Engineering, Bay Campus, Swansea University, SA1 8EN Swansea (United Kingdom); Durrant, James R. [SPECIFIC, College of Engineering, Bay Campus, Swansea University, SA1 8EN Swansea (United Kingdom); Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ London (United Kingdom)

2016-06-20

This work utilizes organic photovoltaics (OPV) for indoor applications, such as powering small electronic devices or wireless connected Internet of Things. Three representative polymer-based OPV systems, namely, poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl), poly[N-9′-heptadecanyl-2,7-carbazole-alt-5,5-(4′,7′-di-2-thienyl-2′, 1′,3′-benzothiadiazole)], and poly[[4,8-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene-2,6-diyl] [3-fluoro-2-[(2-ethylhexyl)carbonyl]thieno[3,4-b]thiophenediyl

Is organic photovoltaics promising for indoor applications?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Harrison K. H.; Li, Zhe; Tsoi, Wing C.; Durrant, James R.

2016-01-01

This work utilizes organic photovoltaics (OPV) for indoor applications, such as powering small electronic devices or wireless connected Internet of Things. Three representative polymer-based OPV systems, namely, poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl), poly[N-9′-heptadecanyl-2,7-carbazole-alt-5,5-(4′,7′-di-2-thienyl-2′, 1′,3′-benzothiadiazole)], and poly[[4,8-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene-2,6-diyl] [3-fluoro-2-[(2-ethylhexyl)carbonyl]thieno[3,4-b]thiophenediyl

Investigations on indoor radon in Austria, Part 1: Seasonality of indoor radon concentration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bossew, Peter; Lettner, Herbert

2007-01-01

In general, indoor radon concentration is subject to seasonal variability. The reasons are to be found (1) in meteorological influence on the transport properties of soil, e.g. through temperature, frozen soil layers and soil water saturation; and (2) in living habits, e.g. the tendency to open windows in summer and keep them closed in winter, which in general leads to higher accumulation of geogenic Rn in closed rooms in winter. If one wants to standardize indoor Rn measurements originally performed at different times of the year, e.g. in order to make them comparable, some correction transform as a function of measurement time which accounts for these effects must be estimated. In this paper, the seasonality of indoor Rn concentration measured in Austria is investigated as a function of other factors that influence indoor Rn. Indoor radon concentration is clearly shown to have seasonal variability, with higher Rn levels in winter. However, it is complicated to quantify the effect because, as a consequence of the history of an Rn survey, the measurement season maybe correlated to geological regions, which may introduce a bias in the estimate of the seasonality amplitude

Internet-Based Indoor Navigation Services

OpenAIRE

Zeinalipour-Yazti, Demetrios; Laoudias, Christos; Georgiou, Kyriakos

2017-01-01

Smartphone advances are leading to a class of Internet-based Indoor Navigation services. IIN services rely on geolocation databases that store indoor models, comprising floor maps and points of interest, along with wireless, light, and magnetic signals for localizing users. Developing IIN services creates new information management challenges - such as crowdsourcing indoor models, acquiring and fusing big data velocity signals, localization algorithms, and custodians' location privacy. Here, ...

Cesium fallout in Norway after the Chernobyl accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Backe, S.; Bjerke, H.; Rudjord, A.L.; Ugletveit, F.

1986-01-01

Results of country-wide measurements of 137 Cs and 134 Cs in soil samples in Norway after the Chernobyl accident are reported. The results clearly demonstrates that municipalities in the central part of southern Norway, Troendelag and the southern part of Nordland, have been rather heavily contaminated. The total fallout of 137 Cs and 134 Cs from the Chernobyl accident in Norway is estimated to 2300 TBq and 1200 TBq, respectively. This is approximately 6% of the cesium activity released from the reactor

Estimation of the variations of ventilation rate and indoor radon concentration using the observed wind velocity and indoor-outdoor temperature difference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagano, Katsuhiro; Inose, Yuichi; Kojima, Hiroshi

2006-01-01

The indoor radon concentration in the building depends on the ventilation rate. Measurement results of indoor-outdoor pressure difference showed the ventilation rate correlated closely with the indoor-outdoor pressure difference. The observation results showed that one of factor of indoor-outdoor pressure difference was the wind velocity. When the wind velocity is small, the ventilation rate is affected by the indoor-outdoor temperature difference and the effect depends on the wind velocity. The temporal variation of indoor radon concentration was predicted by the time depending indoor radon balance model and the ventilation rate estimated from the wind velocity and the indoor-outdoor temperature difference. The temporal variations of predicted radon concentration gave good agreement with the experimental values. The measurement method, indoor radon concentration and ventilation rate, factors of temporal variation of ventilation rate, and prediction of indoor radon concentration are reported. (S.Y.)

The Isprs Benchmark on Indoor Modelling

Science.gov (United States)

Khoshelham, K.; Díaz Vilariño, L.; Peter, M.; Kang, Z.; Acharya, D.

2017-09-01

Automated generation of 3D indoor models from point cloud data has been a topic of intensive research in recent years. While results on various datasets have been reported in literature, a comparison of the performance of different methods has not been possible due to the lack of benchmark datasets and a common evaluation framework. The ISPRS benchmark on indoor modelling aims to address this issue by providing a public benchmark dataset and an evaluation framework for performance comparison of indoor modelling methods. In this paper, we present the benchmark dataset comprising several point clouds of indoor environments captured by different sensors. We also discuss the evaluation and comparison of indoor modelling methods based on manually created reference models and appropriate quality evaluation criteria. The benchmark dataset is available for download at: html"target="_blank">http://www2.isprs.org/commissions/comm4/wg5/benchmark-on-indoor-modelling.html.

Nursing education in Norway.

Science.gov (United States)

Kyrkjebø, Jane Mikkelsen; Mekki, Tone Elin; Hanestad, Berit Rokne

2002-05-01

The aim of this paper is to describe nursing education in Norway and some essential questions and challenges regarding the undergraduate and newly graduated nurses' competencies and functionally preparedness. The first formal training of nurses in Norway started in Oslo in 1886. Since then the education has changed considerably. As long as society is changing, and nurses are going to meet and adapt to societies needs, the education of nurses will also have to change continuously. The present general plan of nursing education has gone through a long process. The discussions have concerned the content of medical and natural science subjects, the practical part of the training and the relation between theory and practice. There are challenges in nursing education in Norway today. We have seen that recruitment has decreased, and that nurses seek jobs where they are better paid. To increase the accessibility distance and part-time education has been established. The theory-practice gap will always exist. Therefore we should aim to prepare the students to minimize this gap in a way that they can combine training of nursing with training in improvement. The demand of a masters degree to be a nursing teacher has reduced the teachers' ability to keep up their practical skills. The government pays nursing teachers who want to practice as nurses for several months to maintain their salary level during that period. There are many possibilities to improve nursing education in Norway. We are on our way with highly qualified teachers and students, and we still have enough good applicants. The new general plan and new law for universities and university colleges offer great opportunities. However, the shortage of nurses is a great challenge for further quality improvement both in clinical practice and in education.

Controlling Indoor Air Pollution from Moxibustion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chung-Yen Lu

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Indoor air quality (IAQ control of hospitals plays a critical role in protecting both hospital staffs and patients, particularly those who are highly susceptible to the adverse effects of indoor noxious hazards. However, moxibustion in outpatient departments (OPDs of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM may be a source of indoor air pollution in hospitals. Some studies have investigated indoor air pollution during moxibustion in Chinese medicine clinics (CMCs and moxibustion rooms, demonstrating elevated air pollutants that pose a threat to the health of medical staff and patients. Our study investigated the indoor air pollutants of indoor carbon dioxide (CO2, carbon monoxide (CO, formaldehyde (HCHO, total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs, airborne particulate matter with a diameter of ≤10 µm (PM10 and ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5 during moxibustion in an acupuncture and moxibustion room of the OPD in a hospital in Taipei. To evaluate the different control strategies for indoor air pollution from moxibution, a comparison of air pollutants during moxibution among the methods of using alternative old moxa wools, local exhaust ventilation and an air cleaner was conducted. In this study, burning alternative old moxa wools for moxibustion obviously reduced all gaseous pollutants except for aerosols comparing burning fresh moxa wools. Using local exhaust ventilation reduced most of the aerosols after burning moxa. We also found that using an air cleaner was inefficient for controlling indoor air pollutants, particularly gaseous pollutants. Therefore, combining replacing alternative old moxa wools and local exhaust ventilation could be a suitable design for controlling indoor air pollution during moxibustion therapy.

Multi-dimensional indoor location information model

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Xiong, Q.; Zhu, Q.; Zlatanova, S.; Huang, L.; Zhou, Y.; Du, Z.

2013-01-01

Aiming at the increasing requirements of seamless indoor and outdoor navigation and location service, a Chinese standard of Multidimensional Indoor Location Information Model is being developed, which defines ontology of indoor location. The model is complementary to 3D concepts like CityGML and

Psychotropic substances in indoor environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Cecinato, Angelo; Romagnoli, Paola; Perilli, Mattia; Patriarca, Claudia; Balducci, Catia

2014-10-01

The presence of drugs in outdoor air has been established, but few investigations have been conducted indoors. This study focused on psychotropic substances (PSs) at three schools, four homes and one office in Rome, Italy. The indoor drug concentrations and the relationships with the outdoor atmosphere were investigated. The optimised monitoring procedure allowed for the determination of cocaine, cannabinoids and particulate fractions of nicotine and caffeine. In-field experiments were performed during the winter, spring and summer seasons. Psychotropic substances were observed in all indoor locations. The indoor concentrations often exceeded those recorded both outdoors at the same sites and at the atmospheric pollution control network stations, indicating that the drugs were released into the air at the inside sites or were more persistent. During winter, the relative concentrations of cannabinol, cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabinol depended on site and indoor/outdoor location at the site. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mammography activity in Norway 1983 to 2008

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lynge, Elsebeth; Braaten, Tonje; Njor, Sisse H

2011-01-01

In Norway, an organized screening mammography program, the Norwegian Breast Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) started in four counties in 1996 and became nationwide in 2004. We collected data on pre-program screening activity, and in view of this activity we evaluated the potential impact...... of the program on breast cancer mortality in Norway....

NFC Internal: An Indoor Navigation System

Science.gov (United States)

Ozdenizci, Busra; Coskun, Vedat; Ok, Kerem

2015-01-01

Indoor navigation systems have recently become a popular research field due to the lack of GPS signals indoors. Several indoors navigation systems have already been proposed in order to eliminate deficiencies; however each of them has several technical and usability limitations. In this study, we propose NFC Internal, a Near Field Communication (NFC)-based indoor navigation system, which enables users to navigate through a building or a complex by enabling a simple location update, simply by touching NFC tags those are spread around and orient users to the destination. In this paper, we initially present the system requirements, give the design details and study the viability of NFC Internal with a prototype application and a case study. Moreover, we evaluate the performance of the system and compare it with existing indoor navigation systems. It is seen that NFC Internal has considerable advantages and significant contributions to existing indoor navigation systems in terms of security and privacy, cost, performance, robustness, complexity, user preference and commercial availability. PMID:25825976

Introduction to Indoor Air Quality

Science.gov (United States)

... Offices Regional Offices Labs and Research Centers Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Contact Us Share Introduction to Indoor Air Quality Health Effects Primary Causes Identifying Problems Improving IAQ ...

INEMO: Distributed RF-Based Indoor Location Determination with Confidence Indicator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Youxian Sun

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Using radio signal strength (RSS in sensor networks localization is an attractive method since it is a cost-efficient method to provide range indication. In this paper, we present a two-tier distributed approach for RF-based indoor location determination. Our approach, namely, INEMO, provides positioning accuracy of room granularity and office cube granularity. A target can first give a room granularity request and the background anchor nodes cooperate to accomplish the positioning process. Anchors in the same room can give cube granularity if the target requires further accuracy. Fixed anchor nodes keep monitoring status of nearby anchors and local reference matching is used to support room separation. Furthermore, we utilize the RSS difference to infer the positioning confidence. The simulation results demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed RF-based indoor location determination.

Indoor Air Quality in Schools

Science.gov (United States)

This web site will educate the public about indoor environmental issues specific to educational facilities and the importance of developing and sustaining comprehensive indoor air quality management programs.

9 CFR 3.102 - Facilities, indoor.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Facilities, indoor. 3.102 Section 3... Marine Mammals Facilities and Operating Standards § 3.102 Facilities, indoor. (a) Ambient temperature. The air and water temperatures in indoor facilities shall be sufficiently regulated by heating or...

INDOOR AIR POLLUTION

OpenAIRE

Ahmet Soysal; Yucel Demiral

2007-01-01

The existance of hazardious materials including biological, chemical, and physical agents such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, radon, volotile organic compounds, microorganisms in houses and the other non-industrilized buildings have been defined as “indoor air pollution”. Indoor air pollutants could possible arised from inside or outside environment and categorized into six subgroups. Almost 80% Turkish population have living in the urban areas...

Indoor Multi-Dimensional Location GML and Its Application for Ubiquitous Indoor Location Services

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zhu, Qing; Li, Yun; Xiong, Qing; Zlatanova, S.; Ding, Yulin; Zhang, Yeting; Zhou, Yan

2016-01-01

The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Geography Markup Language (GML) standard provides basic types and a framework for defining geo-informational data models such as CityGML and IndoorGML, which provide standard information models for 3D city modelling and lightweight indoor network navigation.

Capturing Hotspots For Constrained Indoor Movement

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ahmed, Tanvir; Pedersen, Torben Bach; Lu, Hua

2013-01-01

Finding the hotspots in large indoor spaces is very important for getting overloaded locations, security, crowd management, indoor navigation and guidance. The tracking data coming from indoor tracking are huge in volume and not readily available for finding hotspots. This paper presents a graph......-based model for constrained indoor movement that can map the tracking records into mapping records which represent the entry and exit times of an object in a particular location. Then it discusses the hotspots extraction technique from the mapping records....

77 FR 10772 - Fresh and Chilled Atlantic Salmon From Norway

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-23

... and Chilled Atlantic Salmon From Norway Determination On the basis of the record \\1\\ developed in the... countervailing duty order and antidumping duty order on fresh and chilled Atlantic salmon from Norway would not... and Chilled Atlantic Salmon from Norway: Investigation Nos. 701-TA-302 and 731-TA-454 (Third Review...

Ventilation influence upon indoor air radon level

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tian Deyuan

1995-01-01

Levels of indoor radon in air are studied by a continuous electrostatic radon monitor under normal living conditions to evaluate the influence of air conditioned ventilation on indoor air radon level. Results show that the indoor air radon concentrations are not much more than those without household conditioner living condition, although using household conditioner requires a sealed room which should lead to a higher radon level. Turning on air conditioner helps lower indoor radon level. Therefore, the total indoor air Rn levels are normal > ventilation > exhaust or in-draft > exhaust plus in-draft

Managing Indoor Air Quality in Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Woolums, Jennifer

This publication examines the causes and effects of poor indoor air quality and provides information for reducing exposure to indoor contaminants in schools. It discusses the various indoor pollutants found in schools, including dust, chemical agents, gases, and volatile organic compounds; where they are found in schools; and their health effects…

Indoor climate design for a monumental building with periodic high indoor moisture loads

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schijndel, van A.W.M.; Lony, R.J.M.; Schellen, H.L.

2008-01-01

The paper presents a case study on the performance based design for the indoor climate of a monumental building with periodic high indoor moisture loads. Several scenarios of the past performance and new control classes are simulated and evaluated. The results include the influence of hygric inertia

Indoor air quality: a UK perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wadge, A.

1995-01-01

Outdoor air quality has generally improved in the UK over the last 2 decades but during this period changing conditions within the home have tended to reduce ventilation and increase the opportunity for accumulation of undesirable levels of indoor air pollutants. Information obtained from laboratory and epidemiological studies suggest that indoor air pollutants are an important cause of avoidable morbidity and mortality in the UK. This paper reviews the major indoor air pollutants of concern in the UK and considers some of the special issues relevant to indoor environment. (author) 3 figs., 37 refs

An indoor chemical cocktail

Science.gov (United States)

Gligorovski, Sasho; Abbatt, Jonathan P. D.

2018-02-01

In the past 50 years, many of the contaminants and chemical transformations that occur in outdoor waters, soils, and air have been elucidated. However, the chemistry of the indoor environment in which we live most of the time—up to 90% in some societies—is not nearly as well studied. Recent work has highlighted the wealth of chemical transformations that occur indoors. This chemistry is associated with 3 of the top 10 risk factors for negative health outcomes globally: household air pollution from solid fuels, tobacco smoking, and ambient particulate matter pollution (1). Assessments of human exposure to indoor pollutants must take these reactive processes into consideration.

Indoor Radon Concentration Related to Different Radon Areas and Indoor Radon Prediction

Science.gov (United States)

Juhásová Šenitková, Ingrid; Šál, Jiří

2017-12-01

Indoor radon has been observed in the buildings at areas with different radon risk potential. Preventive measures are based on control of main potential radon sources (soil gas, building material and supplied water) to avoid building of new houses above recommended indoor radon level 200 Bq/m3. Radon risk (index) estimation of individual building site bedrock in case of new house siting and building protection according technical building code are obligatory. Remedial actions in buildings built at high radon risk areas were carried out principally by unforced ventilation and anti-radon insulation. Significant differences were found in the level of radon concentration between rooms where radon reduction techniques were designed and those where it was not designed. The mathematical model based on radon exhalation from soil has been developed to describe the physical processes determining indoor radon concentration. The model is focused on combined radon diffusion through the slab and advection through the gap from sub-slab soil. In this model, radon emanated from building materials is considered not having a significant contribution to indoor radon concentration. Dimensional analysis and Gauss-Newton nonlinear least squares parametric regression were used to simplify the problem, identify essential input variables and find parameter values. The presented verification case study is introduced for real buildings with respect to various underground construction types. Presented paper gives picture of possible mathematical approach to indoor radon concentration prediction.

Reducing indoor residential exposures to outdoor pollutants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sherman, Max H.; Matson, Nance E.

2003-07-01

The basic strategy for providing indoor air quality in residences is to dilute indoor sources with outdoor air. This strategy assumes that the outdoor air does not have pollutants at harmful levels or that the outdoor air is, at least, less polluted than the indoor air. When this is not the case, different strategies need to be employed to ensure adequate air quality in the indoor environment. These strategies include ventilation systems, filtration and other measures. These strategies can be used for several types of outdoor pollution, including smog, particulates and toxic air pollutants. This report reviews the impacts that typical outdoor air pollutants can have on the indoor environment and provides design and operational guidance for mitigating them. Poor quality air cannot be used for diluting indoor contaminants, but more generally it can become an indoor contaminant itself. This paper discusses strategies that use the building as protection against potentially hazardous outdoor pollutants, including widespread pollutants, accidental events, and potential attacks.

The Gothenburg Protocol: NOx emissions problematic for Norway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lind, Oddvar

2000-01-01

The Gothenburg Protocol concerns long-range air pollution and is a continuation of earlier protocols and agreements. Its recommendations are based on calculations of where the greatest possible health- and environmental impact is obtained per dollar invested. European countries have done much to reduce the emission of sulphur dioxide. Norway and most other countries, however, have difficulties reducing their emissions of nitrogen oxides. In Norway, the emission of sulphur dioxide must also be substantially reduced, as the tolerance limit for SO2 in nature is low. It is socio-economically profitable for Norway to conform to the Gothenburg Protocol. One of the largest environmental problems in Norway is acid rain and death of fish. Although it is difficult to calculate the exact values of fishing-lakes and of reduced health injuries when the emissions of harmful waste gases are reduced, the profit is very high. 90% of the SO2 pollution in Norway is long-range transported from abroad. Yet Norway must reduce the domestic emissions from 30 000 to 22 000 tonnes the next 10 years. Most of the present emission of SO2 in Norway comes from the production of metals. The reduction goal can be achieved by a combination of improving industrial processes, SO2 cleaning, and reducing the sulphur content of oil. In many European countries, the greatest problem is the increasing emission of NOx and formation of ozone at the ground, which is largely due to the rapidly increasing motor traffic. In Norway, most of the NOx emission comes from the coastal traffic and the fishing fleet, followed by the motor traffic, the petroleum industry and the processing industry. The most cost-effective NOx reductions can be obtained in the North Sea by installing low-NOx gas turbines. In ships, catalytic cleaning of NOx and engine improvements will contribute. On land, the goods traffic can be made more efficient. Most of the emission of ammonia comes from agriculture, where special measures are

[Health evaluation of fine particulate matter in indoor air].

Science.gov (United States)

2008-11-01

When evaluating the health effects of indoor air fine particulate matter, the indoor dynamics as well as the physical, chemical and biological properties of fine particles have to be considered. The indoor air fraction PM2.5 largely stems from outdoor air. Accordingly, the German Working Group on Indoor Guideline Values of the Federal Environmental Agency and the States' Health Authorities also recommends WHO's (2006) 24-hour mean guideline value of 25 microg PM2,5 per cubic meter for indoor air evaluation. In contrast to PM2.5, coarse particles (PM10) in schools, kindergartens and dwellings show much higher indoor air concentrations. Additional sources indoors have to be assumed. Because of the different composition of indoor air compared to outdoor air and due to the lack of dose-response relationships of coarse particles in indoor air, the health effects of indoor air PM10 can not be evaluated yet. Sufficient and consistent ventilation is an indispensable basis to reduce PM concentrations in indoor spaces. Furthermore, known sources of PM indoors should be detected consequently and subsequently minimized.

STRATEGY WATER-BASED CONDENSER : An Experimental Scale Model for Hybrid Passive Cooling Systems to Improve Indoor Temperature and Hot Water Utilities in Surabaya-Indonesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danny Santoso Mintorogo

2003-01-01

Full Text Available This paper makes a case of energy saving research, to system water-based condenser for the use of energy efficient with involvement of forced fluid hybrid passive cooling and water heating in building systems. Our argument is based on the fact that series of water copper pipes are to be cooled enough by nocturnal radiant cooling of the night cool air to lower the indoor air temperature at the daytime. We describe the model of working to which we use and to which we believe that series of cool water copper pipes as evaporator allows effectively reducing the energy used for indoor cooling and for water heating utilization. We then measure the model indoor temperature, and water temperature inside the series of copper pipes. Kinds of water coolant used for cooling are an essential factor. Finally, we will discuss some of the achieving of the effective cooled water, setting up the pipes water-based condenser hybrid system on the top of the outside roof as well as setting up the evaporator coils at ceiling. Abstract in Bahasa Indonesia : Penulisan ini merupakan suatu penelitian pada golongan sistem penghematan energi yang berupakan kondensor dengan bahan media air dengan bantuan tenaga gerak pompa atau tanpa tenaga pompa air. Pipa-pipa yang berisi air yang diletakkan diatas atap terbuka untuk mendapatkan air yang dingin melalui proses konduksi, konveksi, dan radiasi dari udara alami sepanjang malam, dimana media air yang telah dingin tersebut untuk dimanfaatkan sebagai media pendingin ruangan dengan melalukan ke pipa-pipa dalam ruangan--diatas plafon, sebagai evapurator. Selain media air akan diteliti air pendingin radiator (water coolent apakah akan mendapatkan efek pendinginan yang melebihi media air. Juga akan diteliti cara proses mendapatkan media air dingin, yaitu proses dengan air tenang (still water dan air bergerak (forced fluid, sistim mana yang lebih efektif dalam mendapatkan media air dingin dan percepatan mendapatkan air dingin. Kata

Norway between tradition and opening

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mer, J.

1996-01-01

This book is a general presentation of Norway: natural and human framework, history, institutions and political life, economy, economic policy and means, foreign relations, and social life. In the chapter devoted to Norway's economy, the energy sources and policies of the country are described: hydro-power, coal, hydrocarbons (petroleum, natural gas and condensates, proven, discovered and undiscovered resources). The production, imports, exports, retail prices and national consumption are given for each energy sources and each economic sector. The chapter focusses on the deterministic role of energy in the Swedish economy: investments, contract management, balance of trade, public finances, employment etc.. (N.K.)

NFC Internal: An Indoor Navigation System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Busra Ozdenizci

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Indoor navigation systems have recently become a popular research field due to the lack of GPS signals indoors. Several indoors navigation systems have already been proposed in order to eliminate deficiencies; however each of them has several technical and usability limitations. In this study, we propose NFC Internal, a Near Field Communication (NFC-based indoor navigation system, which enables users to navigate through a building or a complex by enabling a simple location update, simply by touching NFC tags those are spread around and orient users to the destination. In this paper, we initially present the system requirements, give the design details and study the viability of NFC Internal with a prototype application and a case study. Moreover, we evaluate the performance of the system and compare it with existing indoor navigation systems. It is seen that NFC Internal has considerable advantages and significant contributions to existing indoor navigation systems in terms of security and privacy, cost, performance, robustness, complexity, user preference and commercial availability.

Indoor Heating Drives Water Bacterial Growth and Community Metabolic Profile Changes in Building Tap Pipes during the Winter Season.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hai-Han; Chen, Sheng-Nan; Huang, Ting-Lin; Shang, Pan-Lu; Yang, Xiao; Ma, Wei-Xing

2015-10-27

The growth of the bacterial community harbored in indoor drinking water taps is regulated by external environmental factors, such as indoor temperature. However, the effect of indoor heating on bacterial regrowth associated with indoor drinking water taps is poorly understood. In the present work, flow cytometry and community-level sole-carbon-source utilization techniques were combined to explore the effects of indoor heating on water bacterial cell concentrations and community carbon metabolic profiles in building tap pipes during the winter season. The results showed that the temperature of water stagnated overnight ("before") in the indoor water pipes was 15-17 °C, and the water temperature decreased to 4-6 °C after flushing for 10 min ("flushed"). The highest bacterial cell number was observed in water stagnated overnight, and was 5-11 times higher than that of flushed water. Meanwhile, a significantly higher bacterial community metabolic activity (AWCD590nm) was also found in overnight stagnation water samples. The significant "flushed" and "taps" values indicated that the AWCD590nm, and bacterial cell number varied among the taps within the flushed group (p heating periods.

Drug-related problems and changes in drug utilization after medication reviews in nursing homes in Oslo, Norway.

Science.gov (United States)

Fog, Amura Francesca; Kvalvaag, Gunnar; Engedal, Knut; Straand, Jørund

2017-12-01

We describe the drug-related problems (DRPs) identified during medication reviews (MRs) and the changes in drug utilization after MRs at nursing homes in Oslo, Norway. We explored predictors for the observed changes. Observational before-after study. Forty-one nursing homes. MRs performed by multidisciplinary teams during November 2011 to February 2014. In all, 2465 long-term care patients. DRPs identified by explicit criteria (STOPP/START and NORGEP) and drug-drug interaction database; interventions to resolve DRPs; drug use changes after MR. A total of 6158 DRPs were identified, an average of 2.6 DRPs/patient, 2.0 for regular and 0.6 for pro re nata (prn) drugs. Of these patients, 17.3% had no DRPs. The remaining 82.7% of the patients had on average 3.0 DRPs/patient. Use of unnecessary drugs (43.5%), excess dosing (12.5%) and lack of monitoring of the drug use (11%) were the most frequent DRPs. Opioids and psychotropic drugs were involved in 34.4% of all DRPs. The mean number of drugs decreased after the MR from 6.8 to 6.3 for regular drugs and from 3.0 to 2.6 for prn drugs. Patients with DRPs experienced a decrease of 1.1 drugs after MR (0.5 for regular and 0.6 for prn drugs). The reduction was most pronounced for the regular use of antipsychotics, antidepressants, hypnotics/sedatives, diuretics, antithrombotic agents, antacid drugs; and for prn use of anxiolytics, opioids, hypnotics/sedatives, metoclopramide and NSAIDs. The medication review resulted in less drug use, especially opioids and psychotropic drugs.

Assessment of external dose indoors in Lithuania

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pilkyte, L.; Butkus, D.; Morkunas, G.

2006-01-01

The aim of this paper was an assessment of external exposure indoors and its dependence on construction materials and indoor radon concentrations in Lithuanian living houses. Relationship of absorbed dose rate in air indoors and activity indexes of the most commonly used construction materials (wood, concrete and bricks) have been studied using results received in measurements done in >4700 rooms in 1995-2005. Possible connections of dose rate indoors with indoor radon concentrations are also discussed. Findings of this study helped to make an assessment of the mean value of effective dose of Lithuanian population due to external exposure indoors which is equal to 0.58 mSv y -1 . The received data might also be used in improvement of quality of personal dosimetric measurements done in premises constructed of different construction materials. (authors)

Residential indoor air quality guideline : carbon monoxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a tasteless, odourless, and colourless gas that can be produced by both natural and anthropogenic processes, but is most often formed during the incomplete combustion of organic materials. In the indoor environment, CO occurs directly as a result of emissions from indoor sources or as a result of infiltration from outdoor air containing CO. Studies have shown that the use of specific sources can lead to increased concentrations of CO indoors. This residential indoor air quality guideline examined the factors influencing the introduction, dispersion and removal of CO indoors. The health effects of exposure to low and higher concentrations of CO were discussed. Residential maximum exposure limits for CO were presented. Sources and concentrations in indoor environments were also examined. 17 refs., 2 tabs.

An Indoor Monitoring System for Ambient Assisted Living Based on Internet of Things Architecture

Science.gov (United States)

Marques, Gonçalo; Pitarma, Rui

2016-01-01

The study of systems and architectures for ambient assisted living (AAL) is undoubtedly a topic of great relevance given the aging of the world population. The AAL technologies are designed to meet the needs of the aging population in order to maintain their independence as long as possible. As people typically spend more than 90% of their time in indoor environments, indoor air quality (iAQ) is perceived as an imperative variable to be controlled for the inhabitants’ wellbeing and comfort. Advances in networking, sensors, and embedded devices have made it possible to monitor and provide assistance to people in their homes. The continuous technological advancements make it possible to build smart objects with great capabilities for sensing and connecting several possible advancements in ambient assisted living systems architectures. Indoor environments are characterized by several pollutant sources. Most of the monitoring frameworks instantly accessible are exceptionally costly and only permit the gathering of arbitrary examples. iAQ is an indoor air quality system based on an Internet of Things paradigm that incorporates in its construction Arduino, ESP8266, and XBee technologies for processing and data transmission and micro sensors for data acquisition. It also allows access to data collected through web access and through a mobile application in real time, and this data can be accessed by doctors in order to support medical diagnostics. Five smaller scale sensors of natural parameters (air temperature, moistness, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and glow) were utilized. Different sensors can be included to check for particular contamination. The results reveal that the system can give a viable indoor air quality appraisal in order to anticipate technical interventions for improving indoor air quality. Indeed indoor air quality might be distinctively contrasted with what is normal for a quality living environment. PMID:27869682

An Indoor Monitoring System for Ambient Assisted Living Based on Internet of Things Architecture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gonçalo Marques

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The study of systems and architectures for ambient assisted living (AAL is undoubtedly a topic of great relevance given the aging of the world population. The AAL technologies are designed to meet the needs of the aging population in order to maintain their independence as long as possible. As people typically spend more than 90% of their time in indoor environments, indoor air quality (iAQ is perceived as an imperative variable to be controlled for the inhabitants’ wellbeing and comfort. Advances in networking, sensors, and embedded devices have made it possible to monitor and provide assistance to people in their homes. The continuous technological advancements make it possible to build smart objects with great capabilities for sensing and connecting several possible advancements in ambient assisted living systems architectures. Indoor environments are characterized by several pollutant sources. Most of the monitoring frameworks instantly accessible are exceptionally costly and only permit the gathering of arbitrary examples. iAQ is an indoor air quality system based on an Internet of Things paradigm that incorporates in its construction Arduino, ESP8266, and XBee technologies for processing and data transmission and micro sensors for data acquisition. It also allows access to data collected through web access and through a mobile application in real time, and this data can be accessed by doctors in order to support medical diagnostics. Five smaller scale sensors of natural parameters (air temperature, moistness, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and glow were utilized. Different sensors can be included to check for particular contamination. The results reveal that the system can give a viable indoor air quality appraisal in order to anticipate technical interventions for improving indoor air quality. Indeed indoor air quality might be distinctively contrasted with what is normal for a quality living environment.

An Indoor Monitoring System for Ambient Assisted Living Based on Internet of Things Architecture.

Science.gov (United States)

Marques, Gonçalo; Pitarma, Rui

2016-11-17

The study of systems and architectures for ambient assisted living (AAL) is undoubtedly a topic of great relevance given the aging of the world population. The AAL technologies are designed to meet the needs of the aging population in order to maintain their independence as long as possible. As people typically spend more than 90% of their time in indoor environments, indoor air quality (iAQ) is perceived as an imperative variable to be controlled for the inhabitants' wellbeing and comfort. Advances in networking, sensors, and embedded devices have made it possible to monitor and provide assistance to people in their homes. The continuous technological advancements make it possible to build smart objects with great capabilities for sensing and connecting several possible advancements in ambient assisted living systems architectures. Indoor environments are characterized by several pollutant sources. Most of the monitoring frameworks instantly accessible are exceptionally costly and only permit the gathering of arbitrary examples. iAQ is an indoor air quality system based on an Internet of Things paradigm that incorporates in its construction Arduino, ESP8266, and XBee technologies for processing and data transmission and micro sensors for data acquisition. It also allows access to data collected through web access and through a mobile application in real time, and this data can be accessed by doctors in order to support medical diagnostics. Five smaller scale sensors of natural parameters (air temperature, moistness, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and glow) were utilized. Different sensors can be included to check for particular contamination. The results reveal that the system can give a viable indoor air quality appraisal in order to anticipate technical interventions for improving indoor air quality. Indeed indoor air quality might be distinctively contrasted with what is normal for a quality living environment.

Indoor Thermal Comfort: The Behavioral Component

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jack Barkenbus

2013-04-01

Full Text Available This is a study of how indoor temperature settings have changed over time in the United States based on data from the Energy Information Administration’s, Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS. It is shown that Americans have moderately raised indoor temperature settings during the heating season over the past thirty years. It is also shown that most Americans keep their homes relatively cool in the summertime and are generally averse to implementing temperature setbacks. It is revealed that occupants in lower-income homes tend to set their thermostats higher in winter than other income groups, but that the most intense cooling tends to take place in both low-income and high-income homes. As expected, renters tend to heat and cool more intensively than homeowners. Getting Americans to change their temperature settings in order to save energy is not easy even though it comes with the promise of financial savings. The use of programmable thermostats thus far has proved unsuccessful. Greater utilization of social marketing to achieve energy savings is suggested, as well as a renewed effort on the part of electricity suppliers to work more closely with homeowners as part of the rollout of the “smart grid”.

Semivolatile organic compounds in indoor environments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Weschler, Charles J.; Nazaroff, W.W.

2008-01-01

Semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) are ubiquitous in indoor environments, redistributing from their original sources to all indoor surfaces. Exposures resulting from their indoor presence contribute to detectable body burdens of diverse SVOCs, including pesticides, plasticizers, and flame ret...... remarkably well with levels measured in dermal hand wipes for SVOCs possessing a wide range of octanol-air partition coefficients....

Energy consumption: energy consumption in mainland Norway

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Magnussen, Inger Helene; Killingland, Magnus; Spilde, Dag

2012-07-25

The purpose of this report is to describe trends in energy consumption in mainland Norway, with an emphasis on key trends within the largest consumer groups. We also explain common terms and concepts in the field of energy consumption. Finally, we look at forecasts for future energy consumption, produced by bodies outside NVE. Total final energy consumption in mainland Norway in 2009 was 207 TWh. The most important end-user groups are households, service industries, manufacturing industry and transport. In addition, the energy sector in mainland Norway consumed 15 TWh. Energy consumed in the energy sector is not considered as final consumption, as the energy is used to produce new energy products. The long-term trend in energy consumption in mainland Norway is that fuel in the transport sector and electricity for the energy sector increases, while energy consumption in other sectors flattens out. The main reason for an increased use of fuel in the transport sector is the rise in the number of motorised machinery and vehicles in mainland Norway. This has caused a rise in gasoline and diesel consumption of 75 per cent since 1976. The petroleum sector is the largest consumer of energy within the energy sector in mainland Norway, and electricity from onshore to platforms in the North Sea and to new shore side installations has led to a rise in electricity consumption from 1 TWh in 1995 to 5 TWh in 2009. The energy consumption in households showed flat trend from 1996 to 2009, after many years of growth. The main reasons are a warmer climate, higher energy prices, the use of heats pumps and more energy-efficient buildings. In the service industries, the growth in energy consumptions has slightly decreased since the late 1990s, for much the same reasons as for households. In manufacturing industries the energy consumption have flatten out mainly due to the closure of energy-intensive businesses and the establishment of new more energy-efficient businesses. Electricity is

A Semantic-Based Indexing for Indoor Moving Objects

OpenAIRE

Tingting Ben; Xiaolin Qin; Ning Wang

2014-01-01

The increasing availability of indoor positioning, driven by techniques like RFID, Bluetooth, and smart phones, enables a variety of indoor location-based services (LBSs). Efficient queries based on semantic-constraint in indoor spaces play an important role in supporting and boosting LBSs. However, the existing indoor index techniques cannot support these semantic constraints-based queries. To solve this problem, this paper addresses the challenge of indexing moving objects in indoor spaces,...

Indoor Air Pollution (Environmental Health Student Portal)

Science.gov (United States)

... Students to Environmental Health Information Menu Home Air Pollution Air Pollution Home Indoor Air Pollution Outdoor Air Pollution ... Pollution Indoor Air Pollution Print this Page Air Pollution Air Pollution Home Indoor Air Pollution Outdoor Air Pollution ...

Distributed Monocular SLAM for Indoor Map Building

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruwan Egodagamage

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Utilization and generation of indoor maps are critical elements in accurate indoor tracking. Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM is one of the main techniques for such map generation. In SLAM an agent generates a map of an unknown environment while estimating its location in it. Ubiquitous cameras lead to monocular visual SLAM, where a camera is the only sensing device for the SLAM process. In modern applications, multiple mobile agents may be involved in the generation of such maps, thus requiring a distributed computational framework. Each agent can generate its own local map, which can then be combined into a map covering a larger area. By doing so, they can cover a given environment faster than a single agent. Furthermore, they can interact with each other in the same environment, making this framework more practical, especially for collaborative applications such as augmented reality. One of the main challenges of distributed SLAM is identifying overlapping maps, especially when relative starting positions of agents are unknown. In this paper, we are proposing a system having multiple monocular agents, with unknown relative starting positions, which generates a semidense global map of the environment.

Indoor Air Quality Manual.

Science.gov (United States)

Baldwin Union Free School District, NY.

This manual identifies ways to improve a school's indoor air quality (IAQ) and discusses practical actions that can be carried out by school staff in managing air quality. The manual includes discussions of the many sources contributing to school indoor air pollution and the preventive planning for each including renovation and repair work,…

Indoor Climate of Large Glazed Spaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hendriksen, Ole Juhl; Madsen, Christina E.; Heiselberg, Per

In recent years large glazed spaces has found increased use both in connection with renovation of buildings and as part of new buildings. One of the objectives is to add an architectural element, which combines indoor- and outdoor climate. In order to obtain a satisfying indoor climate it is crui...... it is cruicial at the design stage to be able to predict the performance regarding thermal comfort and energy consumption. This paper focus on the practical implementation of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and the relation to other simulation tools regarding indoor climate.......In recent years large glazed spaces has found increased use both in connection with renovation of buildings and as part of new buildings. One of the objectives is to add an architectural element, which combines indoor- and outdoor climate. In order to obtain a satisfying indoor climate...

Predicting residential indoor concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, fine particulate matter, and elemental carbon using questionnaire and geographic information system based data

Science.gov (United States)

Baxter, Lisa K.; Clougherty, Jane E.; Paciorek, Christopher J.; Wright, Rosalind J.; Levy, Jonathan I.

Previous studies have identified associations between traffic-related air pollution and adverse health effects. Most have used measurements from a few central ambient monitors and/or some measure of traffic as indicators of exposure, disregarding spatial variability and factors influencing personal exposure-ambient concentration relationships. This study seeks to utilize publicly available data (i.e., central site monitors, geographic information system, and property assessment data) and questionnaire responses to predict residential indoor concentrations of traffic-related air pollutants for lower socioeconomic status (SES) urban households. As part of a prospective birth cohort study in urban Boston, we collected indoor and outdoor 3-4 day samples of nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) and fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) in 43 low SES residences across multiple seasons from 2003 to 2005. Elemental carbon (EC) concentrations were determined via reflectance analysis. Multiple traffic indicators were derived using Massachusetts Highway Department data and traffic counts collected outside sampling homes. Home characteristics and occupant behaviors were collected via a standardized questionnaire. Additional housing information was collected through property tax records, and ambient concentrations were collected from a centrally located ambient monitor. The contributions of ambient concentrations, local traffic and indoor sources to indoor concentrations were quantified with regression analyses. PM 2.5 was influenced less by local traffic but had significant indoor sources, while EC was associated with traffic and NO 2 with both traffic and indoor sources. Comparing models based on covariate selection using p-values or a Bayesian approach yielded similar results, with traffic density within a 50 m buffer of a home and distance from a truck route as important contributors to indoor levels of NO 2 and EC, respectively. The Bayesian approach also highlighted the uncertanity in the

Ataxia with Vitamin E Deficiency in Norway

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Areej Elkamil

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Objective Ataxia with vitamin E deficiency (AVED is a rare autosomal recessive neurological disorder which usually starts in childhood. The clinical presentation is very similar to Friedreich ataxia, most patients have progressive truncal and extremity ataxia, areflexia, positive Babinski sign, dysarthria and sensory neuropathy. Methods We made an inquiry to our colleagues in Norway, we included information from a prevalence study published southern Norway and added data from our own known case. Results A newly published prevalence study of hereditary ataxias (total of 171 subjects found only one subject with AVED in Southeast Norway. We describe two more patients, one from the Central part and one from the Northern part of Norway. All 3 cases had age of onset in early childhood (age of 4–5 years and all experienced gait ataxia and dysarthria. The genetic testing confirmed that they had pathogenic mutations in the α-tocopherol transfer protein gene (TTPA. All were carriers of the non-sense c.400C > T mutation, one was homozygous for that mutation and the others were compound heterozygous, either with c.358G > A or c.513_514insTT. The homozygous carrier was by far the most severely affected case. Conclusions We estimate the occurrence of AVED in Norway to be at least 0.6 per million inhabitants. We emphasize that all patients who develop ataxia in childhood should be routinely tested for AVED to make an early diagnosis for initiating treatment with high dose vitamin E to avoid severe neurological deficits.

Future spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste infrastructure in Norway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soerlie, A.A.

2002-01-01

In Norway a Governmental Committee was appointed in 1991 to make an evaluation of the future steps that need to be taken in Norway to find a final solution for the spent nuclear fuel and for some other radioactive waste for which a disposal option does not exist today. The report from the Committee is now undergoing a formal hearing process. Based on the Committees recommendation and comments during the hearing the responsible Ministry will take a decision on future infrastructure in Norway for the spent nuclear fuel. This will be decisive for the future management of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste in Norway. (author)

Indoor Positioning Using GPS Revisited

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjærgaard, Mikkel Baun; Blunck, Henrik; Godsk, Torben

2010-01-01

It has been considered a fact that GPS performs too poorly inside buildings to provide usable indoor positioning. We analyze results of a measurement campaign to improve on the understanding of indoor GPS reception characteristics. The results show that using state-of-the-art receivers GPS...... low signal-to-noise ratios, multipath phenomena or bad satellite constellation geometry. We have also measured the indoor performance of embedded GPS receivers in mobile phones which provided lower availability and accuracy than state-of-the-art ones. Finally, we consider how the GPS performance...

A Hybrid 3D Indoor Space Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Jamali

2016-10-01

Full Text Available GIS integrates spatial information and spatial analysis. An important example of such integration is for emergency response which requires route planning inside and outside of a building. Route planning requires detailed information related to indoor and outdoor environment. Indoor navigation network models including Geometric Network Model (GNM, Navigable Space Model, sub-division model and regular-grid model lack indoor data sources and abstraction methods. In this paper, a hybrid indoor space model is proposed. In the proposed method, 3D modeling of indoor navigation network is based on surveying control points and it is less dependent on the 3D geometrical building model. This research proposes a method of indoor space modeling for the buildings which do not have proper 2D/3D geometrical models or they lack semantic or topological information. The proposed hybrid model consists of topological, geometrical and semantical space.

Surveying perceptions of landslide risk management in Norway

Science.gov (United States)

Chiu, Jessica Ka Yi; Eidsvig, Unni

2016-04-01

Enhanced precipitation due to climate change leads to increase in both frequency and intensity of landslides in Norway. A proactive approach to risk management is therefore required to significantly reduce the losses associated with landslides. Opinions and perceptions from practitioners on the performance of landslide risk management can provide insights on areas for improvement in the landslide risk management strategies in Norway. The Risk Management Index (RMI), proposed by Cardona et al. (2004), is a well-established method to measure perceptions of disaster management of selected actors holistically. The RMI is measured based on opinion questionnaires to technical staff, decision-makers, and stakeholders involved in all stages of risk reduction strategies. It is a composite index that considers a wide variety of strategies to manage risks, including structural and non-structural measures, acceptance strategies, disaster management, and risk transfer. The RMI method was modified to be implemented in landslide hazards and to fit with Norwegian conditions. An opinion survey was conducted in autumn 2015 to measure perceptions of landslide risk management in Norway. Perceptions were surveyed for two time periods: 2015 and 2050, and are based on national, county, and municipality levels. Based on the survey results, performance of landslide risk management at any administrative levels in Norway is perceived to improve from `significant' in 2015 to `significant' to `outstanding' in 2050. Knowledge and technology, climate, risk perceptions, and anthropogenic activities are mostly considered by respondents for their 2050 perceptions. Several aspects of landslide risk management in Norway can be improved. For example, landslide hazard evaluation and mapping should be prioritised in Norway. Upgrading, retrofitting, and reconstruction of assets may also be included in the landslide risk reduction strategies. In addition, there should be more focus on inter

A Report on the HEAD-Ache in Norway

Science.gov (United States)

Tjeldvoll, Arild; Welle-Strand, Anne

2009-01-01

The article examines different understandings of school leadership in Norway by reporting the findings of a HEAD Project (2004-8). The article discusses how school leadership training in Norway has responded to the government's educational policy aims and strategies in the context of globalization. using the concept of "education value…

Indoor Tanning Is Not Safe

Science.gov (United States)

... the sun is by using these tips for skin cancer prevention. Indoor tanning is not a safe way to get vitamin ... to previous findings on the association between indoor tanning and skin cancer. Only a small number of people reported ...

The European Gas and Oil Market: The Role of Norway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harbo, F.

2008-01-01

The research question of this paper is related to the role of Norway in the European gas and oil market. This study aims to give a presentation of the energy policy in Norway and Norwegian participation at the European level. The first chapter will introduce Norwegian relations with Europe. For the purpose of my research, I will focus mainly on Norwegian energy policy in the second chapter, presenting Norway's oil industry in chapter 2.1.; Norwegian gas production in chapter 2.2.; and the Norwegian electrical power system in chapter 2.3. The sub-chapter 2.4. will analyse in detail the activity of the largest Norwegian oil and gas company, StatoilHydro. The third chapter will be dedicated to Norway's green energy policy (wind, sun and water), etc. The fourth chapter looks at the European perspective and will examine the European strategic gas and oil market in a globalized world. The fifth chapter will present Norway's participation in the European gas and oil market. Such strategic research must also include a look at the European Union's (EU) energy market development between Russia and Norway, which will be presented in chapter six. And finally, Norway's contribution to the development of an EU energy policy in fighting climate change will be emphasised in chapter seven. This research will analyse the following central issues: - Norwegian oil industry, - Norwegian gas production, - Norwegian electrical power system, - Norwegian challenges in the European gas and oil market. (author)

Climate change consequences for the indoor environment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ariës, M.B.C.; Bluyssen, P.M.

2009-01-01

Scientists warn us about climate change and its effects on the outdoor environment. These effects can have significant consequences for the indoor environment, also in the Netherlands. Climate changes will affect different aspects of the indoor environment as well as the stakeholders of that indoor

Measurements of MIMO Indoor Channels at 1800 MHz with Multiple Indoor and Outdoor Base Stations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaldén Niklas

2007-01-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes several configurations for multiple base stations in indoor MIMO systems and compares their performance. The results are based on channel measurements realized with a MIMO testbed. The receiver was moved along several routes and floors on an office building. Both outdoor and indoor locations are considered for the transmitters or base stations, which allow the analysis of not only indoor but also outdoor-to-indoor environment. The use of 2 base stations with different system level combinations of the two is analyzed. We show that the configuration with base station selection provides almost as good performance as a full water-filling scheme when the 2 base stations are placed at different locations. Also the spatial correlation properties for the different configurations are analyzed and the importance of considering path loss when evaluating capacity is highlighted.

Indoor combustion and asthma.

Science.gov (United States)

Belanger, Kathleen; Triche, Elizabeth W

2008-08-01

Indoor combustion produces both gases (eg, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide) and particulate matter that may affect the development or exacerbation of asthma. Sources in the home include both heating devices (eg, fireplaces, woodstoves, kerosene heaters, flued [ie, vented] or nonflued gas heaters) and gas stoves for cooking. This article highlights the recent literature examining associations between exposure to indoor combustion and asthma development and severity. Since asthma is a chronic condition affecting both children and adults, both age groups are included in this article. Overall, there is some evidence of an association between exposure to indoor combustion and asthma, particularly asthma symptoms in children. Some sources of combustion such as coal stoves have been more consistently associated with these outcomes than other sources such as woodstoves.

Thorium as an energy source. Opportunities for Norway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

Final Recommendations of the Thorium Report Committee: 1) No technology should be idolized or demonized. All carbon-dioxide (Co2) emission-free energy production technologies should be considered. The potential contribution of nuclear energy to a sustainable energy future should be recognized. 2) An investigation into the resources in the Fen Complex and other sites in Norway should be performed. It is essential to assess whether thorium in Norwegian rocks can be defined as an economical asset for the benefit of future generations. Furthermore, the application of new technologies for the extraction of thorium from the available mineral sources should be studied. 3) Testing of thorium fuel in the Halden Reactor should be encouraged, taking benefit of the well recognized nuclear fuel competence in Halden. 4) Norway should strengthen its participation in international collaborations by joining the EURATOM fission program and the GIF program on Generation IV reactors suitable for the use of thorium. 5) The development of an Accelerator Driven System (ADS) using thorium is not within the capability of Norway working alone. Joining the European effort in this field should be considered. Norwegian research groups should be encouraged to participate in relevant international projects, although these are currently focused on waste management. 6) Norway should bring its competence in waste management up to an international standard and collaboration with Sweden and Finland could be beneficial. 7) Norway should bring its competence with respect to dose assessment related to the thorium cycle up to an international standard. 8) Since the proliferation resistance of uranium-233 depends on the reactor and reprocessing technologies, this aspect will be of key concern should any thorium reactor be built in Norway. 9) Any new nuclear activities in Norway, e.g. thorium fuel cycles, would need strong international pooling of human resources, and in the case of thorium, a strong long

Thorium as an energy source. Opportunities for Norway

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2008-01-15

Final Recommendations of the Thorium Report Committee: 1) No technology should be idolized or demonized. All carbon-dioxide (Co2) emission-free energy production technologies should be considered. The potential contribution of nuclear energy to a sustainable energy future should be recognized. 2) An investigation into the resources in the Fen Complex and other sites in Norway should be performed. It is essential to assess whether thorium in Norwegian rocks can be defined as an economical asset for the benefit of future generations. Furthermore, the application of new technologies for the extraction of thorium from the available mineral sources should be studied. 3) Testing of thorium fuel in the Halden Reactor should be encouraged, taking benefit of the well recognized nuclear fuel competence in Halden. 4) Norway should strengthen its participation in international collaborations by joining the EURATOM fission program and the GIF program on Generation IV reactors suitable for the use of thorium. 5) The development of an Accelerator Driven System (ADS) using thorium is not within the capability of Norway working alone. Joining the European effort in this field should be considered. Norwegian research groups should be encouraged to participate in relevant international projects, although these are currently focused on waste management. 6) Norway should bring its competence in waste management up to an international standard and collaboration with Sweden and Finland could be beneficial. 7) Norway should bring its competence with respect to dose assessment related to the thorium cycle up to an international standard. 8) Since the proliferation resistance of uranium-233 depends on the reactor and reprocessing technologies, this aspect will be of key concern should any thorium reactor be built in Norway. 9) Any new nuclear activities in Norway, e.g. thorium fuel cycles, would need strong international pooling of human resources, and in the case of thorium, a strong long

Plants for Sustainable Improvement of Indoor Air Quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Brilli, Federico; Fares, Silvano; Ghirardo, Andrea; de Visser, Pieter; Calatayud, Vicent; Muñoz, Amalia; Annesi-Maesano, Isabella; Sebastiani, Federico; Alivernini, Alessandro; Varriale, Vincenzo; Menghini, Flavio

2018-04-10

Indoor pollution poses a serious threat to human health. Plants represent a sustainable but underexploited solution to enhance indoor air quality. However, the current selection of plants suitable for indoors fails to consider the physiological processes and mechanisms involved in phytoremediation. Therefore, the capacity of plants to remove indoor air pollutants through stomatal uptake (absorption) and non-stomatal deposition (adsorption) remains largely unknown. Moreover, the effects of the indoor plant-associated microbiome still need to be fully analyzed. Here, we discuss how a combination of the enhanced phytoremediation capacity of plants together with cutting-edge air-cleaning and smart sensor technologies can improve indoor life while reducing energy consumption. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterizing the source of radon indoors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nero, A.V.; Nazaroff, W.W.

1983-09-01

Average indoor radon concentrations range over more than two orders of magnitude, largely because of variability in the rate at which radon enters from building materials, soil, and water supplies. Determining the indoor source magnitude requires knowledge of the generation of radon in source materials, its movement within materials by diffusion and convection, and the means of its entry into buildings. This paper reviews the state of understanding of indoor radon sources and transport. Our understanding of generation rates in and movement through building materials is relatively complete and indicates that, except for materials with unusually high radionuclide contents, these sources can account for observed indoor radon concentrations only at the low end of the range observed. Our understanding of how radon enters buildings from surrounding soil is poorer, however recent experimental and theoretical studies suggest that soil may be the predominant source in many cases where the indoor radon concentration is high. 73 references, 3 figures, 1 table

Indoor Air Quality in Brazilian Universities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sonia R. Jurado

2014-07-01

Full Text Available This study evaluated the indoor air quality in Brazilian universities by comparing thirty air-conditioned (AC (n = 15 and naturally ventilated (NV (n = 15 classrooms. The parameters of interest were indoor carbon dioxide (CO2, temperature, relative humidity (RH, wind speed, viable mold, and airborne dust levels. The NV rooms had larger concentration of mold than the AC rooms (1001.30 ± 125.16 and 367.00 ± 88.13 cfu/m3, respectively. The average indoor airborne dust concentration exceeded the Brazilian standards (<80 µg/m3 in both NV and AC classrooms. The levels of CO2 in the AC rooms were significantly different from the NV rooms (1433.62 ± 252.80 and 520.12 ± 37.25 ppm, respectively. The indoor air quality in Brazilian university classrooms affects the health of students. Therefore, indoor air pollution needs to be considered as an important public health problem.

Research review: Indoor air quality control techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fisk, W.J.

1986-10-01

Techniques for controlling the concentration of radon, formaldehyde, and combustion products in the indoor air are reviewed. The most effective techniques, which are generally based on limiting or reducing indoor pollutant source strengths, can decrease indoor pollutant concentrations by a factor of 3 to 10. Unless the initial ventilation rate is unusually low, it is difficult to reduce indoor pollutant concentrations more than approximately 50% by increasing the ventilation rate of an entire building. However, the efficiency of indoor pollutant control by ventilation can be enhanced through the use of local exhaust ventilation near concentrated sources of pollutants, by minimizing short circuiting of air from supply to exhaust when pollutant sources are dispersed and, in some situations, by promoting a displacement flow of air and pollutants toward the exhaust. Active air cleaning is also examined briefly. Filtration and electrostatic air cleaning for removal of particles from the indoor air are the most practical and effective currently available techniques of air cleaning. 49 refs., 7 figs

Indoor air pollution: a public health perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spengler, J.D.; Sexton, K.

1983-01-01

Although official efforts to control air pollution have traditionally focused on outdoor air, it is now apparent that elevated contaminant concentrations are common inside some private and public buildings. Concerns about potential public health problems due to indoor air pollution are based on evidence that urban residents typically spend more than 90 percent of their time indoors, concentrations of some contaminants are higher indoors than outdoors, and for some pollutants personal exposures are not characterized adequately by outdoor measurements. Among the more important indoor contaminants associated with health or irritation effects are passive tobacco smoke, radon decay products, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde, asbestos fibers, microorganisms, and aeroallergens. Efforts to assess health risks associated with indoor air pollution are limited by insufficient information about the number of people exposed, the pattern and severity of exposures, and the health consequences of exposures. An overall strategy should be developed to investigate indoor exposures, health effects, control options, and public policy alternatives

Location-Aware POI Recommendation for Indoor Space by Exploiting WiFi Logs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zengwei Zheng

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Indoor shopping trajectories provide us with a new approach to understanding user’s behaviour pattern in urban shopping mall, which can be derived from user-generated WiFi logs using indoor localization technology. In this paper, we propose a location-aware Point-of-Interest (POI recommendation service in urban shopping mall that offers a user a set of indoor POIs by considering both personal interest and location preference. The POI recommendation service cannot only improve user’s shopping experience but also help the store owner better understand user’s shopping preference and intent. Specifically, the proposed method consists of two phases: offline modelling and online recommendation. The offline modelling phase is designed to learn user preference by mining his/her historical shopping trajectories. The online recommendation phase automatically produces top-k recommended POIs based on the learnt preference. To demonstrate the utility of our proposed approach, we have performed a comprehensive experiment evaluation on a real-world dataset collected by 468 users over 33 days. The experimental results show that the proposed recommendation service achieves much better recommendation performance than several existing benchmark methods.

Marine Spatial Planning: Norway´s management plans

OpenAIRE

Hoel, Alf Håkon; Olsen, Erik

2010-01-01

Since the adoption of a government white paper on ocean governance in 2001, Norway has worked on the development and implementation of marine spatial planning in the format of regional management plans. Management plans for the Barents Sea and the oceans off northern Norway and the Norwegian Sea were adopted in 2006 and 2009, respect...

Indoor environment program. 1994 annual report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Daisey, J.M.

1995-04-01

Buildings use approximately one-third of the energy consumed in the United States. The potential energy savings derived from reduced infiltration and ventilation in buildings are substantial, since energy use associated with conditioning and distributing ventilation air is about 5.5 EJ per year. However, since ventilation is the dominant mechanism for removing pollutants from indoor sources, reduction of ventilation can have adverse effects on indoor air quality, and on the health, comfort, and productivity of building occupants. The Indoor Environment Program in LBL`s Energy and Environment Division was established in 1977 to conduct integrated research on ventilation, indoor air quality, and energy use and efficiency in buildings for the purpose of reducing energy liabilities associated with airflows into, within, and out of buildings while maintaining or improving occupant health and comfort. The Program is part of LBL`s Center for Building Science. Research is conducted on building energy use and efficiency, ventilation and infiltration, and thermal distribution systems; on the nature, sources, transport, transformation, and deposition of indoor air pollutants; and on exposure and health risks associated with indoor air pollutants. Pollutants of particular interest include radon; volatile, semivolatile, and particulate organic compounds; and combustion emissions, including environmental tobacco smoke, CO, and NO{sub x}.

Indoor environment program - 1995 annual report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Daisey, J.M.

1996-06-01

Buildings use approximately one-third of the energy consumed in the United States. The potential energy savings derived from reduced infiltration and ventilation in buildings are substantial, since energy use associated with conditioning and distributing ventilation air is about 5.5 EJ per year. However, since ventilation is the dominant mechanism for removing pollutants from indoor sources, reduction of ventilation can have adverse effects on indoor air quality, and on the health, comfort, and productivity of building occupants. The Indoor Environment Program in LBL`s Energy and Environment Division was established in 1977 to conduct integrated research on ventilation, indoor air quality, and energy use and efficiency in buildings for the purpose of reducing energy liabilities associated with airflows into, within, and out of buildings while maintaining or improving occupant health and comfort. The Program is part of LBL`s Center for Building Science. Research is conducted on building energy use and efficiency, ventilation and infiltration, and thermal distribution systems; on the nature, sources, transport, transformation, and deposition of indoor air pollutants; and on exposure and health risks associated with indoor air pollutants. Pollutants of particular interest include radon; volatile, semivolatile, and particulate organic compounds; and combustion emissions, including environmental tobacco smoke, CO, and NO{sub x}.

Sickness presenteeism in Norway and Sweden

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vegard Johansen

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Sickness presenteeism (SP refers to the practice of going to work despite illness. This article describes the distribution of SP in Norway and Sweden. It also discusses relations between SP and various work characteristics and personal factors in the two countries. Methods: More than 2500 Norwegian and Swedish workers between 20 and 60 years of age answered a postal questionnaire. The Norwegian and Swedish samples are weighed and representative with regard to both variables of regional background and demography, but the response rate was low. The distribution of SP is measured by frequency (episodes in the previous year and by length (total days of SP in the previous year. This study employed binary and multinomial logistic regression to detect which factors influence the frequency of SP. Results: Fifty-five per cent of the respondents in Norway and Sweden practised SP in the previous year. The frequency of SP episodes is similar in the two countries. Further, respondents with low/medium income, physical work, and managerial responsibilities report SP more often in both countries. Non-western immigrants, the less educated, and those employed by others are overrepresented with SP in Norway. Neither gender nor age had any particular influence. Discussion: In accordance with previous studies, this study among Norwegian and Swedish workers suggests that some SP during a working year may be more common than no SP. Our analyses of determinants of SP present some previously undocumented differences. Divisions between sedentary versus physical work and management versus non-management were important for SP in Norway and Sweden. Moreover, non-western immigrants are overrepresented with SP in Norway, but this pattern does not prevail in Sweden. Some possible causes for non-western immigrants to report more SP are suggested in the article, but we need more research to follow up on the missing correlation between ethnic background and SP in

The importance of Norway in the oil and natural gas markets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noreng, Oeystein

2006-01-01

The article presents an analysis of the global energy markets with emphasis on the Northern areas and the importance of Norway. The energy supplies and prices, the OPEC role, the role of Norway and Russia in the natural gas markets and energy policies are discussed. Various risk aspects particularly for Norway are mentioned. (tk)

INFORMATION SYSTEM SALES OF INDOOR AND OUTDOOR ORNAMENTAL PLANTS-BASED ONLINE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sutedi Sutedi

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Ornamental plants have fairly high commercial value and much sought after by various circles. The prospect is in the business of ornamental plants can be said very brilliant and profitable. Where is in the business of ornamental plants can bring about advantages not the least. The business struggled with ornamental plants can have very favorable prospects for the long term. There are an awful lot of various kinds of ornamental plants that we can choose to use as ornaments to beautify residential home. The ornamental plants can be used as indoor ornamental plants placed in homes or can also be used as outdoor ornamental plants grown in the garden. Ornamental plants while more popular community-wide information system for ornamental plant however is currently designed specifically and not many people who know the information on price and specs or type of indoor and outdoor ornamental plants so that the need for sales information system of indoor and outdoor ornamental plants-based online. With the sales information system of Indoor and Outdoor ornamental plants-based online is expected to facilitate the customers, business processes that occur in the company's units, unit – units that exist within the system a functioning production units as the unit working on/produce ornamental plants. With the utilization of the system marketing media, promoting, finding new customers, the sales process, recapitulation payment of ornamental plants, control the conditions of stock products, development and delivery of products to customers including convincing the product gets to the customer

Office of radiation and indoor air: Program description

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-06-01

The goal of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Radiation and Indoor Air is to protect the public and the environment from exposures to radiation and indoor air pollutants. The Office develops protection criteria, standards, and policies and works with other programs within EPA and other agencies to control radiation and indoor air pollution exposures; provides technical assistance to states through EPA's regional offices and other agencies having radiation and indoor air protection programs; directs an environmental radiation monitoring program; responds to radiological emergencies; and evaluates and assesses the overall risk and impact of radiation and indoor air pollution. The Office is EPA's lead office for intra- and interagency activities coordinated through the Committee for Indoor Air Quality. It coordinates with and assists the Office of Enforcement in enforcement activities where EPA has jurisdiction. The Office disseminates information and works with state and local governments, industry and professional groups, and citizens to promote actions to reduce exposures to harmful levels of radiation and indoor air pollutants

In-plane user positioning indoors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jovanovic, N.; Özçelebi, T.; Lukkien, J.J.; Skoric, B.; Ignatenko, T.

2014-01-01

Indoor positioning is a service required by many smart environment applications for various purposes, such as activity classification, indoor navigation and context awareness. In this paper, we present a novel approach to the user positioning problem based on in-plane detection enabled by a set of

Indoor Positioning System using Bluetooth

OpenAIRE

Sahil Puri

2015-01-01

This Paper on Bluetooth Indoor Positioning System is the intersection of Bluetooth Technology and Indoor Positioning Systems. Almost every smartphone today is Bluetooth enabled, making the use of the technology more flexible. We aim at using the RSSI value of Bluetooth signals to track the location of a device.

LADM and IndoorGML for Support of Indoor Space Identification

Science.gov (United States)

Zlatanova, S.; Van Oosterom, P. J. M.; Lee, J.; Li, K.-J.; Lemmen, C. H. J.

2016-10-01

Guidance and security in large public buildings such as airports, museums and shopping malls requires much more information that traditional 2D methods offer. Therefore 3D semantically-reach models have been actively investigated with the aim to gather knowledge about availability and accessibility of spaces. Spaces can be unavailable to specific users because of plenty of reasons: the 3D geometry of spaces (too low, too narrow), the properties of the objects to be guided to a specific part of the building (walking, driving, flying), the status of the indoor environment (e.g. crowded, limited light, under reconstruction), property regulations (private areas), security considerations and so on. However, such information is not explicitly avaible in the existing 3D semantically-reach models. IFC and CityGML are restricted to architectural building components and provide little to no means to describe such properties. IndoorGML has been designed to establish a generic approach for space identification allowing a space subdivision and automatic creation of a network for route computation. But currently it also represents only spaces as they are defined by the architectural layout of the building. The Land Administration Domain Model is currently the only available model to specify spaces on the basis of ownership and rights for use. In this paper we compare the principles of IndoorGML and LADM, investigate the approaches to define spaces and suggest options to the linking of the two types of spaces. We argue that LADM space subdivision on basis of properties and rights of use can be used to define to semantically and geometrically available and accessible spaces and therefore can enrich the IndoorGML concept.

Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Human Activities in Indoor Environments through Mobile Sensing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Prentow, Thor Siiger

with the intuition and personal experience of the planners. Lack of real-time information on task execution has made it difficult to adapt to changes in the schedules, such as delays or suddenly occurring urgent tasks. The recent advances in methods and devices for mobile sensing provides opportunities...... methods for spatio-temporal analysis of human activities in indoor environments based on mobile sensing. The methods aim to improve scheduling and facility utilization by providing information on the used route networks, transportation modes, travel times, and the flow of people through buildings....... The methods are based on large-scale real-time indoor positioning through the use of existing WiFi infrastructures, which allows for easy deployment even in very large building complexes. The methods are designed for real-time operation, which enables them to detect and adjust to changes as they occur...

Pilot study on indoor air quality: Managing indoor air-quality risks. Report on a meeting held in St. Michaels, Maryland on October 25-27, 1989

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-06-01

Included in this study are the following: quantifying future trends of indoor air quality as a basis for government policy plans; assessing indoor air quality risks of pesticides; formaldehyde emission standards in the Federal Republic of Germany; orientations and actions of the European Community in the assessment and prevention of indoor air pollution; EPA and indoor air quality; the non-regulatory approach to reducing risks from radon exposure; U.S. consumer product safety commission; a builders guide to healthy homes; WHO air quality guidelines for Europe; the approach to control indoor air quality in Italy; guidelines - ventilation classes; energy consequences of upgrading indoor air quality; Canada's guidelines for residential indoor air quality: rationale and scope; Canadian ventilation and venting standards; indoor air quality building surveys case studies; design of indoor air quality studies; summary findings of inter-ministerial committee on indoor air quality (Ontario); the Quebec approach; employee survey EPA headquarters; pollution in closed spaces and its consequences in conservation of works of art; and how Norwegian health authorities will handle indoor air quality problems

Recognition, evaluation, and control of indoor air pollution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chastain, B.

1993-01-01

Indoor air pollution is typically associated with terms sick building syndrome, tight building syndrome, building related illness, and problem building. Indoor air pollution is a relatively new public health concern (approximately 15 years old) although this issue is an age-old problem dating back to prehistoric times when humans came to live indoors. This presentation summarizes indoor air quality issues in order to provide you with usable information concerning the recognition and evaluation of indoor air quality (IAQ) problems and the subsequent control measures which can be used for maintaining or improving the indoor air environment for better occupant health and comfort control. Why has the subject become so vocalized in the last fifteen years? Why the sudden interest and awareness concerning indoor air quality issues? During the last half of the 1970's and all of the 1980's, buildings were built or remodeled to minimize air handling, heating, and cooling costs, often limiting the amount of outside air brought into the buildings to near minimums. Paralleling these developments, complaints related to modern buildings increased. The new terms tight building syndrome, sick building syndrome, and indoor air quality became widely used by health and safety professionals and subsequently by newspaper columnist and the general public

Providing better indoor environmental quality brings economicbenefits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fisk, William; Seppanen, Olli

2007-06-01

This paper summarizes the current scientific evidence that improved indoor environmental quality can improve work performance and health. The review indicates that work and school work performance is affected by indoor temperature and ventilation rate. Pollutant source removal can sometimes improve work performance. Based on formal statistical analyses of existing research results, quantitative relationships are provided for the linkages of work performance with indoor temperature and outdoor air ventilation rate. The review also indicates that improved health and related financial savings are obtainable from reduced indoor tobacco smoking, prevention and remediation of building dampness, and increased ventilation. Example cost-benefit analyses indicate that many measures to improve indoor temperature control and increase ventilation rates will be highly cost effective, with benefit-cost ratios as high as 80 and annual economic benefits as high as $700 per person.

Indoor air quality environmental information handbook: Combustion sources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1990-06-01

This environmental information handbook was prepared to assist both the non-technical reader (i.e., homeowner) and technical persons (such as researchers, policy analysts, and builders/designers) in understanding the current state of knowledge regarding combustion sources of indoor air pollution. Quantitative and descriptive data addressing the emissions, indoor concentrations, factors influencing indoor concentrations, and health effects of combustion-generated pollutants are provided. In addition, a review of the models, controls, and standards applicable to indoor air pollution from combustion sources is presented. The emphasis is on the residential environment. The data presented here have been compiled from government and privately-funded research results, conference proceedings, technical journals, and recent publications. It is intended to provide the technical reader with a comprehensive overview and reference source on the major indoor air quality aspects relating to indoor combustion activities, including tobacco smoking. In addition, techniques for determining potential concentrations of pollutants in residential settings are presented. This is an update of a 1985 study documenting the state of knowledge of combustion-generated pollutants in the indoor environment. 191 refs., 51 figs., 71 tabs.

Vitamin K requirement in Danish anticoagulant-resistant Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Markussen, Mette D.; Heiberg, Ann-Charlotte; Nielsen, Robert

2003-01-01

Norway rats, Rattus norvegicus, Denmark, anticoagulant rodenticide resistance, vitamin K requirement......Norway rats, Rattus norvegicus, Denmark, anticoagulant rodenticide resistance, vitamin K requirement...

Fungal pollution of indoor environments and its management.

Science.gov (United States)

Haleem Khan, A A; Mohan Karuppayil, S

2012-10-01

Indoor environments play important roles in human health. The health hazards posed by polluted indoor environments include allergy, infections and toxicity. Life style changes have resulted in a shift from open air environments to air tight, energy efficient, environments, in which people spend a substantial portion of their time. Most indoor air pollution comes from the hazardous non biological agents and biological agents. Fungi are ubiquitous in distribution and are a serious threat to public health in indoor environments. In this communication, we have reviewed the current status on biotic indoor air pollution, role of fungi as biological contaminants and their impact on human health.

Air Quality and Indoor Environmental Exposures: Clinical ...

Science.gov (United States)

Indoor air quality (IAQ) is a term which refers to the air quality within and around buildings and homes as it relates to the health and comfort of the occupants. Many ambient (outdoor) air pollutants readily permeate indoor spaces. Because indoor air can be considerably more polluted than ambient air, the USEPA lists poor IAQ as a major environmental concern. In the sections that follow, health effects associated with commonly encountered ambient air pollutants and indoor contaminants will be broken down by agent class. In some cases, exposure may be acute, with one or more pets (and owners) experiencing signs within a relatively short period. However, most exposures are episodic or chronic, making it difficult to definitively link poor IAQ to respiratory or other adverse health outcomes. Age or underlying immunologic, cardiac, or respiratory disease may further complicate the clinical picture, as those patients may be more sensitive to (and affected by) lower concentrations than prove problematic for healthy housemates. Because pets, like their owners, spend most of their lives indoors, we will discuss how certain home conditions can worsen indoor air quality and will briefly discuss measures to improve IAQ for owners and their pets. In this overview presentation, health effects associated with commonly encountered ambient air pollutants and indoor contaminants will be broken down by agent class. Because pets, like their owners, spend most of their lives indoo

More inclusive workplaces: fact or fiction? The case of Norway.

Science.gov (United States)

Olsen, T; Svendal, A; Amundsen, I

2005-10-01

Over the past years focus on different workfare programmes in Norway has increased in order to meet a number of identified problems in the labour market. The Tripartite Agreement on a More Inclusive Workplace of October 2001 is one of the measures introduced to create a more inclusive workplace, reduce the utilization of disability benefits and sick leave, and retain senior employees longer. Recommended methodology is improved employee-employer dialogue and increased focus on what the employee can do (workability). This paper is a critical review of why the Agreement has, so far, not lived up to the expectations. We also question whether the logic of the Tripartite Agreement is the solution to the problem.

Plants for Sustainable Improvement of Indoor Air Quality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brilli, Federico; Fares, Silvano; Ghirardo, Andrea; Visser, de Pieter; Calatayud, Vicent; Muñoz, Amalia; Annesi-Maesano, Isabella; Sebastiani, Federico; Alivernini, Alessandro; Varriale, Vincenzo; Menghini, Flavio

2018-01-01

Indoor pollution poses a serious threat to human health. Plants represent a sustainable but underexploited solution to enhance indoor air quality. However, the current selection of plants suitable for indoors fails to consider the physiological processes and mechanisms involved in phytoremediation.

Characterization of the dominant bacterial communities during storage of Norway lobster and Norway lobster tails (Nephrops norvegicus) based on 16S rDNA analysis by PCR-DGGE.

Science.gov (United States)

Bekaert, Karen; Devriese, Lisa; Maes, Sara; Robbens, Johan

2015-04-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the microbial quality of whole Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) and Norway lobster tails to optimize handling conditions. This was done by assessing the total viable count (TVC) and characterizing the dominant microbiota. The cultivable microorganisms were quantified via classical microbiological plating methods. To characterize as many bacterial species present as possible, we performed advanced molecular identification techniques (PCR-DGGE). The initial TVC of fresh Norway lobster meat was high (3.0 log cfu/g) as compared to fish. No significant difference between whole Norway lobster and Norway lobster tails could be found during the storage period. From day 6 of storage, a significant difference between Plate Count Agar (PCA) and Marine Agar (MA) was observed. The microbiota of Norway lobster was dominated by members of the Gram-negative genera such as Psychrobacter spp., Pseudoalteromonas spp., Pseudomonas spp., Luteimonas spp., and Aliivibrio spp. From these bacteria, mainly Psychrobacter spp. and Pseudomonas spp. remained present until the end of the storage period. These are known spoilage organisms in fishery products. Other known spoilage organisms of crustaceans such as Photobacterium spp. could not be identified. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Supporting Indoor Navigation Using Access Rights to Spaces Based on Combined Use of IndoorGML and LADM Models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdullah Alattas

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The aim of this research is to investigate the combined use of IndoorGML and the Land Administration Domain Model (LADM to define the accessibility of the indoor spaces based on the ownership and/or the functional right for use. The users of the indoor spaces create a relationship with the space depending on the type of the building and the function of the spaces. The indoor spaces of each building have different usage functions and associated users. By defining the user types of the indoor spaces, LADM makes it possible to establish a relationship between the indoor spaces and the users. LADM assigns rights, restrictions, and responsibilities to each indoor space, which indicates the accessible spaces for each type of user. The three-dimensional (3D geometry of the building will be impacted by assigning such functional rights, and will provide additional knowledge to path computation for an individual or a group of users. As a result, the navigation process will be more appropriate and simpler because the navigation path will avoid all of the non-accessible spaces based on the rights of the party. The combined use of IndoorGML and LADM covers a broad range of information classes: (indoor 3D cell spaces, connectivity, spatial units/boundaries, (access/use rights and restrictions, parties/persons/actors, and groups of them. The new specialized classes for individual students, individual staff members, groups of students, groups of staff members are able to represent cohorts of education programmes and the organizational structure (organogram: faculty, department, group. The model is capable to represent the access times to lecture rooms (based on education/teaching schedules, use rights of meeting rooms, opening hours of offices, etc. The two original standard models remain independent in our approach, we do not propose yet another model, but applications can fully benefit of the potential of the combined use, which is an important contribution

The political feasibility of Norway as the ‘green battery’ of Europe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gullberg, Anne Therese

2013-01-01

Norway has great potential for producing pumped-storage hydropower, and the European Union (EU) hope Norway can contribute to Europe's transition to a renewable energy system by serving as a ‘green battery’. This is certainly technically feasible. However, this paper asks whether the green battery idea is politically feasible. The paper analyses four scenarios, three of which Norway serves as a green battery and one domestic. It focuses on decision-makers' and interest groups' positions on new interconnectors from Norway to continental Europe and the United Kingdom (UK), pumped-storage hydropower, and new renewable energy production in Norway. The paper argues that the present policy is characterised by incremental change—decisions about new interconnectors are made on an individual basis. Moreover the paper argues there is little reason to believe that this status quo policy will change based on any of the green battery scenarios in the near term. Still, decision-makers and interest groups are positive, in principle, towards new interconnectors and pumped-storage hydropower. Hence, Norway might become a green battery in the longer term. In the short term, however, a politically feasible contribution from Norway is balancing power through already existing hydropower capacity. - Highlights: ► Norwegian status quo policy is characterised by incremental change. ► Status quo is no likely to be replaced by a green battery scenario in the short term. ► Norway might become the green battery of Europe in the longer term

Indoor Photography

OpenAIRE

Sagers, Stephen; Patterson, Ron

2011-01-01

Photography is the science of recording light in an artistic way to create a pleasing image. Indoor photography requires a photographer to become familiar with some of the built in functions of a camera.

Outdoor-indoor air pollution in urban environment: Challenges and opportunity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dennis Y.C. eLeung

2015-01-01

Full Text Available With the continual improvement in our quality of life, indoor air quality has become an important area of concern in the 21st century. Indoor air quality is affected by many factors including the type and running conditions of indoor pollution sources, ventilation conditions, as well as indoor activities. Studies revealed that the outdoor environment is also an important factor that cannot be neglected for indoor air quality studies. In this review, the indoor and outdoor air pollution relationships obtained from different studies are discussed in order to identify the key factors affecting the indoor air quality. As climate change is recognized as imposing impacts on the environment, how it affects the indoor air quality and the health impacts to the occupants will be evaluated in this paper. The major challenges and opportunities in indoor/outdoor air pollution studies will be highlighted.

Scopulariopsis and scopulariopsis-like species from indoor environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J.H.C. Woudenberg

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Scopulariopsis-like species are often reported from the indoor environment, as well as from clinical samples. The lack of type isolates and thorough phylogenetic studies in the Microascaceae hampered the correct identification of these isolates. Based on recent phylogenetic studies, which resulted in multiple name changes, the aim is to molecularly identify the Scopulariopsis and scopulariopsis-like species which occur in the indoor environment and give an overview of the current species in these genera and their habitats. Strains from the CBS culture collection were supplemented with almost 80 indoor strains of which the internal transcribed spacer 1 and 2 and intervening 5.8S nrDNA (ITS, beta-tubulin (tub2 and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1 gene regions were sequenced for phylogenetic inference. The multi-gene phylogenies recognise 33 Microascus species and 12 Scopulariopsis species and showed that the recently established genus Fuscoannellis, typified by Scopulariopsis carbonaria, should be synonymized with the genus Yunnania. Seven new Microascus species, four new Scopulariopsis species, and one new Yunnania species, are described, and a new name in Microascus and two new name combinations (one in Microascus, and one in Yunnania are proposed. In the indoor environment 14 Microascus species and three Scopulariopsis species were found. Scopulariopsis brevicaulis (22 indoor isolates and Microascus melanosporus (19 indoor isolates are the most common indoor species, in number of isolates, followed by M. paisii (8 indoor isolates and S. candida (7 indoor isolates. A genus phylogeny based on the ITS, tef1 and the large subunit 28S nrDNA (LSU of the type or representative isolates of all here recognised species is provided depicting all species habitats. No correlation between phylogenetic relationship and habitat preference could be observed. Ten species which are found indoor are also found in relation with human-derived samples. A

Evolution of Indoor Positioning Technologies: A Survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramon F. Brena

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Indoor positioning systems (IPS use sensors and communication technologies to locate objects in indoor environments. IPS are attracting scientific and enterprise interest because there is a big market opportunity for applying these technologies. There are many previous surveys on indoor positioning systems; however, most of them lack a solid classification scheme that would structurally map a wide field such as IPS, or omit several key technologies or have a limited perspective; finally, surveys rapidly become obsolete in an area as dynamic as IPS. The goal of this paper is to provide a technological perspective of indoor positioning systems, comprising a wide range of technologies and approaches. Further, we classify the existing approaches in a structure in order to guide the review and discussion of the different approaches. Finally, we present a comparison of indoor positioning approaches and present the evolution and trends that we foresee.

Young Christians in Norway, national socialism, and the German ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The German occupation of Norway during the Second World War caused unprecedented problems for the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Norway and other Christian denominations. The subordination of the church to the de facto Nazi state eventually led its bishops and most of its pastors to sever their ties to the ...

Preventing Skin Cancer Through Reduction of Indoor Tanning

Science.gov (United States)

Watson, Meg; Holman, Dawn M.; Fox, Kathleen A.; Guy, Gery P.; Seidenberg, Andrew B.; Sampson, Blake P.; Sinclair, Craig; Lazovich, DeAnn

2015-01-01

Exposure to ultraviolet radiation from indoor tanning devices (tanning beds, booths, and sun lamps) or from the sun contributes to the risk of skin cancer, including melanoma, which is the type of skin cancer responsible for most deaths. Indoor tanning is common among certain groups, especially among older adolescents and young adults, adolescent girls and young women, and non-Hispanic whites. Increased understanding of the health risks associated with indoor tanning has led to many efforts to reduce use. Most environmental and systems efforts in the U.S. (e.g., age limits or requiring parental consent/accompaniment) have occurred at the state level. At the national level, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission regulate indoor tanning devices and advertising, respectively. The current paper provides a brief review of (1) the evidence on indoor tanning as a risk factor for skin cancer; (2) factors that may influence use of indoor tanning devices at the population level; and (3) various environmental and systems options available for consideration when developing strategies to reduce indoor tanning. This information provides the context and background for the companion paper in this issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, which summarizes highlights from an informal expert meeting convened by the CDC in August 2012 to identify opportunities to prevent skin cancer by reducing use of indoor tanning devices. PMID:23683987

Design an Indoor Air Quality Controller Based on LPC2478

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shi Shuheng

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Indoor air quality is very important to our lives, because we spend most of our time indoor. In order to improve the air quality of indoor, this paper designs an indoor environment quality monitoring and controlling system based on ARM microcontroller LPC2478. It will do a real-time monitoring work for detecting the indoor environmental factors and comprehensively evaluate its air quality level. While the indoor air quality status is "poor", this intelligent system will automatically start the heat exchange ventilator for indoor environmental quality improvement. The results compared to traditional natural ventilation method show the better performance of proposed system.

Designing Indoor Climate. A Thesis on the Integration of Indoor Climate Analysis in Architectural Design

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Den Hartog, J.P.

2003-12-01

In contemporary architecture education, indoor climate and building installations suffer from a lack of popularity. Students of architecture, filled with great expectations and awe for the famous designers of the 20th century, find inspiration in examples such as Le Corbusier's Villa Savoy, Lloyd Wright's falling water or the Rietveld's Schroder house. Recognizable as this may be, great aesthetics constitute only a small part of creating architecture. The process of designing and constructing buildings comprises the involvement of a multitude of skills such as creating clear functional layouts, designing solid structures and taking care of healthy indoor climates. Most textbooks and magazines contemporary architecture do not cover the less attractive aspects of the indoor climate such as heating, ventilation and cooling unless these services form an important part of the buildings aesthetic identity. Recent examples regarding the integration of second skin facades and natural ventilation in indoor climate, sometimes fail to convince as a result of the lack of thorough evaluations and detailed information.

Migrants' decision-process shaping work destination choice: the case of long-term care work in the United Kingdom and Norway.

Science.gov (United States)

Christensen, Karen; Hussein, Shereen; Ismail, Mohamed

2017-09-01

Escalating demands for formal long-term care (LTC) result in the reliance on migrant workers in many developed countries. Within Europe, this is currently framed by progressive European immigration policies favouring inter-European mobility. Using the UK and Norway as case studies, this article has two main aims: (1) to document changes in the contribution of European Union (EU) migrants to the LTC sectors in Western Europe, and (2) to gain further understanding of migrants' decision-processes relating to destination and work choices. The UK and Norway provide examples of two European countries with different immigration histories, welfare regimes, labour market characteristics and cultural values, offering a rich comparison platform. The analysis utilizes national workforce datasets and data obtained from migrants working in the LTC sector in the UK and Norway ( n  = 248) and other stakeholders ( n  = 136). The analysis establishes a significant increase in the contribution of EU migrants (particularly from Eastern Europe) to the LTC sector in both the UK and Norway despite their different welfare regimes. The findings also highlight how migrant care workers develop rational decision-processes influenced by subjective perspectives of investments and returns within a context of wider structural migration barriers. The latter includes welfare and social care policies framing the conditions for migrants' individual actions.

Effects of Inhalation of Emissions from Cedar Timber on Psychological and Physiological Factors in an Indoor Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kenichi Azuma

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Components extracted from cedar timber have been reported to have stress-reducing effects in humans. If the positive effects of cedar timber in indoor environments are scientifically proven, an indoor environment that utilizes cedar timber may contribute to the improvement or promotion of well-being in humans. In this study, we evaluated the effects of inhaling emissions of volatile constituents from cedar timber (Cryptomeria japonica on the psychological and physiological factors in indoor environments. A case-control study with a crossover design was conducted with 10 subjects occupying two rooms that were controlled for interior materials, indoor climate, and room size. Cedrol and β-eudesmol were specifically detected in the case room. However, no significant differences were observed in psychological and physiological factors. There was a significant loss in vigor in the control group from the time before entering the room to the time after leaving the room; however, this loss in vigor was not seen in the case group. Temperature conditions were higher than the indoor environmental standard in Japan but similar in the two groups. Our results showed a minor positive change in vigor among participants exposed to cedar timber for a short term. Inhalation of emissions of volatile constituents from cedar timber may have positive effects in humans; however, further research on their efficacy is needed.

3D Indoor Building Environment Reconstruction using Least Square Adjustment, Polynomial Kernel, Interval Analysis and Homotopy Continuation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Jamali

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, municipalities intend to have 3D city models for facility management, disaster management and architectural planning. Indoor models can be reconstructed from construction plans but sometimes, they are not available or very often, they differ from ‘as-built’ plans. In this case, the buildings and their rooms must be surveyed. One of the most utilized methods of indoor surveying is laser scanning. The laser scanning method allows taking accurate and detailed measurements. However, Terrestrial Laser Scanner is costly and time consuming. In this paper, several techniques for indoor 3D building data acquisition have been investigated. For reducing the time and cost of indoor building data acquisition process, the Trimble LaserAce 1000 range finder is used. The proposed approache use relatively cheap equipment: a light Laser Rangefinder which appear to be feasible, but it needs to be tested to see if the observation accuracy is sufficient for the 3D building modelling. The accuracy of the rangefinder is evaluated and a simple spatial model is reconstructed from real data. This technique is rapid (it requires a shorter time as compared to others, but the results show inconsistencies in horizontal angles for short distances in indoor environments. The range finder horizontal angle sensor was calibrated using a least square adjustment algorithm, a polynomial kernel, interval analysis and homotopy continuation.

Influence of indoor formaldehyde pollution on respiratory system ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background The decoration of interior spaces can lead to dangerous levels of indoor formaldehyde pollution. Exposure to indoor air pollution may be responsible for nearly 2 million deaths per year in developing countries. Objectives To assess the prevalence of indoor formaldehyde pollution caused by decoration and ...

Air Quality and Indoor Environmental Exposures: Clinical Impacts

Science.gov (United States)

Indoor air quality (IAQ) is a term which refers to the air quality within and around buildings and homes as it relates to the health and comfort of the occupants. Many ambient (outdoor) air pollutants readily permeate indoor spaces. Because indoor air can be considerably more pol...

Educational Assessment in Norway

Science.gov (United States)

Tveit, Sverre

2014-01-01

Norway has seen major changes in the field of educational assessment over the past decade, following the 2001 '"PISA shock" that stimulated reform of the entire primary and secondary education systems: new outcome-based curricula with cross-disciplinary basic skills were accompanied by major revision of assessment regulations,…

Indoor air pollution produced by man (carbon dioxide, odors)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wanner, H U

1982-01-01

Man contributes to indoor air pollution by the release of heat, humidity, carbon dioxide, particles, micro-organisms and body odours. The rise in temperature and the concentrations of the different pollutants depend on the number of persons in a room, the utilization of the room and the activities of the persons. Current parameters for the evaluation of man-made pollution in indoor air are carbon monoxide and odours. Experiments have been carried out in a test chamber under controlled conditions in order to determine the relations between carbon monoxide and odours, since these are two current parameters for the evaluation of man-made pollution in indoor air. In these experiments the variables were the number of persons in the room, the activity of the persons and the ventilation rate. For the measurement of odours a special method has been developed in which the undiluted air is tested by a test panel and compared with air containing two different pyridine concentrations. A significant relationship has been observed between the odour intensity and the carbon dioxide content of the air, and the correlation did not depend on the number of persons and the ventilation rate. At ventilation rates of 12 to 15 m3 per person and hour the carbon dioxide concentration was below 0.15% and the odour intensity was characterized as being only little annoying. Higher ventilation rates are necessary during physical activity and in rooms with tobacco smoke. The minimum ventilation rates as deduced from the laboratory experiments are compared to known standards.

[Schools, office buildings, leisure settings: diversity of indoor air quality issues. Global review on indoor air quality in these settings].

Science.gov (United States)

Mandin, C; Derbez, M; Kirchner, S

2012-07-01

This review provides a global overview of indoor air quality issues in schools, office buildings and recreational settings. It presents the most recent scientific publications and the on-going work conducted in France in the frame of the indoor air quality Observatory. Monitoring campaigns on indoor air quality in schools have been carried out in the recent years in Europe. However, few studies have specifically addressed the role of exposure in these buildings on children's health. Indoor air quality in office buildings has been little studied so far. However, some specificities, such as emissions from electronic devices, frequent cleaning, impossibility to open windows in high-rise buildings, for example, should be examined and their role on the health and comfort studied. Finally, even if the time spent in recreational settings is short, the quality of indoor air should also be considered because of specific pollution. This is the case of indoor swimming pools (exposure to chlorination byproducts) and ice-rinks (exposure to exhaust from machines used to smooth the ice). Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Climate change and health: Indoor heat exposure in vulnerable populations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

White-Newsome, Jalonne L.; Sánchez, Brisa N.; Jolliet, Olivier; Zhang, Zhenzhen; Parker, Edith A.; Timothy Dvonch, J.; O'Neill, Marie S.

2012-01-01

Introduction: Climate change is increasing the frequency of heat waves and hot weather in many urban environments. Older people are more vulnerable to heat exposure but spend most of their time indoors. Few published studies have addressed indoor heat exposure in residences occupied by an elderly population. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between outdoor and indoor temperatures in homes occupied by the elderly and determine other predictors of indoor temperature. Materials and methods: We collected hourly indoor temperature measurements of 30 different homes; outdoor temperature, dewpoint temperature, and solar radiation data during summer 2009 in Detroit, MI. We used mixed linear regression to model indoor temperatures' responsiveness to weather, housing and environmental characteristics, and evaluated our ability to predict indoor heat exposures based on outdoor conditions. Results: Average maximum indoor temperature for all locations was 34.85 °C, 13.8 °C higher than average maximum outdoor temperature. Indoor temperatures of single family homes constructed of vinyl paneling or wood siding were more sensitive than brick homes to outdoor temperature changes and internal heat gains. Outdoor temperature, solar radiation, and dewpoint temperature predicted 38% of the variability of indoor temperatures. Conclusions: Indoor exposures to heat in Detroit exceed the comfort range among elderly occupants, and can be predicted using outdoor temperatures, characteristics of the housing stock and surroundings to improve heat exposure assessment for epidemiological investigations. Weatherizing homes and modifying home surroundings could mitigate indoor heat exposure among the elderly.

Usability analysis of indoor map application in a shopping centre

Science.gov (United States)

Dewi, R. S.; Hadi, R. K.

2018-04-01

Although indoor navigation is still new in Indonesia, its future development is very promising. Similar to the outdoor one, the indoor navigation technology provides several important functions to support route and landmark findings. Furthermore, there is also a need that indoor navigation can support the public safety especially during disaster evacuation process in a building. It is a common that the indoor navigation technologies are built as applications where users can access this technology using their smartphones, tablets, or personal computers. Therefore, a usability analysis is important to ensure the indoor navigation applications can be operated by users with highest functionality. Among several indoor map applications which were available in the market, this study chose to analyse indoor Google Maps due to its availability and popularity in Indonesia. The experiments to test indoor Google Maps was conducted in one of the biggest shopping centre building in Surabaya, Indonesia. The usability was measured by employing System Usability Scale (SUS) questionnaire. The result showed that the SUS score of indoor Google Maps was below the average score of other cellular applications to indicate the users still had high difficulty in operating and learning the features of indoor Google Maps.

An architectural framework for 5G indoor communications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chandra, Kishor; Prasad, R. Venkatesha; Niemegeers, Ignas

2015-01-01

In this paper, we emphasize on indoor networks in 5G era. We explore the possible technologies and architectural solutions for 5G indoor communications. Owing to the fact that requirements for indoor and outdoor communications will be quite different in the next generation networks, we try to define

The cost of multiple sclerosis in Norway.

Science.gov (United States)

Svendsen, B; Myhr, K-M; Nyland, H; Aarseth, J H

2012-02-01

Health economic aspects have been increasingly important during introduction of new treatments for multiple sclerosis. As a partial response for Norway, a cost-of-illness study was carried out to estimate the yearly cost of the illness to society and relate costs and patients' quality of life to illness severity. Estimated cost to society was Euro 439 million in 2002 exclusive of the cost of reduced quality of life. The cost per patient was close to Euro 65,000. Account taken of methodological differences, the results compare to results for Sweden, Norway's closest neighboring country. The illness reduced patients' quality of life with 0.26. More patients were early retired because of their MS in Norway than in any of nine other European countries comprised by a recent European study, illustrating a liberal practice in Norway. The Norwegian cost of unpaid assistance was almost identical to the Swedish cost that was the lowest found across the countries in the European study. When related to illness severity, the cost per patient increased, and the patients' experienced quality of life decreased with increasing EDSS levels in line with what has been found for other countries. Cost-of-MS studies have been carried out for a number of countries. Together they contribute to our understanding of the economic consequences of multiple sclerosis and, if their results are related to illness severity, also provide valuable information for further economic analyses of treatment and medication. Our study adds to this.

Parent's Guide to School Indoor Air Quality. Revised

Science.gov (United States)

Healthy Schools Network, Inc., 2012

2012-01-01

Air pollution is air pollution, indoors or out. Good indoor air quality (IAQ) contributes to a favorable learning environment for students, protects health, and supports the productivity of school personnel. In schools in poor repair, leaky roofs and crumbling walls have caused additional indoor air quality problems, including contamination with…

American Studies in Norway: Past and Present

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ole O. Moen

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Norwegian “studies” of America started really more than a thousand years ago, when Leif Ericsson landed in Vinland, his name for that part of New Foundland where his party made quarters around the year A.D. 1000. However, it was not until 1825 that modern mass emigration from Norway to America started in earnest, when a small sailing vessel, the sloop Restaurationen, left the little village of Tysvær on the west coast of Norway, near Stavanger, for New York, carrying a load of 52 Quaker emigr...

Correlation of wind and solar power in high-latitude arctic areas in Northern Norway and Svalbard

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Solbakken Kine

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper assesses the possibilities for combining wind and solar power in a household-scale hybrid renewable energy system in arctic high-latitude areas in the North of Norway. By combining two complementary renewable energy sources, the efficiency and reliability of the power output can be improved compared to a system utilizing wind or solar power independently. This paper assesses the correlation between wind and solar power on different timescales in four different locations in Northern Norway and Svalbard. For all locations complementary characteristics of wind and solar power are found, however, the strength of the correlation is highly variable for each location and for the different timescales. The best correlation for all places is found on a monthly timescale. HOMER is used to run simulations on hybrid renewable energy systems (HRES for each location. For three of the four locations the HRES produces more power than what is consumed in the household.

Norway's role in international collaboration towards rehabilitation of Andreeva Bay.

Science.gov (United States)

Dowdall, M; Sneve, M; Standring, W J F; Amundsen, I

2009-12-01

Andreeva Bay is one of the largest and most hazardous nuclear legacy sites in northwest Russia. The site is the location of large amounts of Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) and radioactive wastes and the risks associated with the site have precipitated an extensive international collaborative effort towards securing and rehabilitating the site. Given the location and proximity of the site, Norway has and continues to contribute in a number of ways towards this effort. Norway's activities in relation to rehabilitative efforts at Andreeva Bay are focused on both infrastructural and remediative initiatives as well as regulatory collaboration with Russia towards ensuring effective and safe operations during handling and removal of SNF and radioactive materials. This article describes Norway's role within international efforts in the context of the rehabilitation of Andreeva Bay and outlines previous activities and Norway's future direction with respect to the site.

Identifying Typical Movements Among Indoor Objects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Radaelli, Laura; Sabonis, Dovydas; Lu, Hua

2013-01-01

With the proliferation of mobile computing, positioning systems are becoming available that enable indoor location-based services. As a result, indoor tracking data is also becoming available. This paper puts focus on one use of such data, namely the identification of typical movement patterns...

Vitality of plants to live in the indoor environment

Science.gov (United States)

Shamsuri, Mohd Mahathir Suhaimi; Leman, A. M.; Hariri, Azian; Idris, Ahmad Fu'ad; Afandi, Azizi

2017-09-01

Indoor air quality (IAQ) is generally a public concern because 90% of people spend their time indoor. IAQ must be preserved wisely to guarantee the health of the building occupants. One of the ways to maintain the quality of air is by placing plants in the building. However, all plants come from the outdoor, and the environment is different compared to indoor. Environmental factors such as temperature and light will absolutely affect the growth of the plant. Light and temperature that are too bright or too deem can wither the plants. Nevertheless, certain plant is capable of adapting with different situation after assimilation process has been conducted. This study intends to analyze the capacity of seven selected plants (Anthurium, Dumb Cane, Golden Pothos, Kadaka Fern, Prayer Plant, Spider Plant, and Syngonium) to live in an indoor environment. The vitality of plants is based on photosynthetic level that is measured using leaf - chamber (LI-COR 6400). Two groups of plants were located in indoor and outdoor (indigenous location) setting, and were allowed to assimilate for two months before measurement were carried out. The results for the plant located indoor shows that only Spider Plant cannot perform photosynthesis under 300 lux, where the photosynthetic value remains negative. Meanwhile, other plants such as Anthurium, Dumb Cane, Golden Pothos, Kadaka Fern, Prayer Plant, and Syngonium that were left indoor showed similar 300 lux in which conform the ability of the plants to perform photosynthesis with the value of 0.3, 0.15, 0.35, 0.1, 0.15, and 0.1. In comparison, all of the plants that were stationed indoor and outdoor (except Spider Plant), the light compensation point (LCP) for indoor shows smaller value than the outdoor. This is because all the indoor plants had down - regulated their photosynthesis process by becoming more sensitive to light after their assimilation. From this study, it can be concluded that all plants except Spider Plant is able to live

Assessment of indoor environment of buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fan, Y.; Kovanen, K. [VTT Building Technology, Espoo (Finland). Indoor Environment and Systems

1995-12-31

The synthetical assessment of indoor environment has become world-wide topic in recent years. Many research evidences have shown that the quality of indoor air is a multi-factor influenced issue. Building Research Establishment (BRE) in United Kingdom has worked out a series of assessing methods for different kinds of buildings. Whereas, in Finland, National Building Code of Finland has been used for many years. The comparison between the two approaches in assessing indoor air quality will be addressed in this presentation. Each issue considered in the above two approaches is discussed by referring the recent research highlights. (author)

Assessment of indoor environment of buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fan, Y; Kovanen, K [VTT Building Technology, Espoo (Finland). Indoor Environment and Systems

1996-12-31

The synthetical assessment of indoor environment has become world-wide topic in recent years. Many research evidences have shown that the quality of indoor air is a multi-factor influenced issue. Building Research Establishment (BRE) in United Kingdom has worked out a series of assessing methods for different kinds of buildings. Whereas, in Finland, National Building Code of Finland has been used for many years. The comparison between the two approaches in assessing indoor air quality will be addressed in this presentation. Each issue considered in the above two approaches is discussed by referring the recent research highlights. (author)

Sampling strategies for indoor radon investigations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prichard, H.M.

1983-01-01

Recent investigations prompted by concern about the environmental effects of residential energy conservation have produced many accounts of indoor radon concentrations far above background levels. In many instances time-normalized annual exposures exceeded the 4 WLM per year standard currently used for uranium mining. Further investigations of indoor radon exposures are necessary to judge the extent of the problem and to estimate the practicality of health effects studies. A number of trends can be discerned as more indoor surveys are reported. It is becoming increasingly clear that local geological factors play a major, if not dominant role in determining the distribution of indoor radon concentrations in a given area. Within a giving locale, indoor radon concentrations tend to be log-normally distributed, and sample means differ markedly from one region to another. The appreciation of geological factors and the general log-normality of radon distributions will improve the accuracy of population dose estimates and facilitate the design of preliminary health effects studies. The relative merits of grab samples, short and long term integrated samples, and more complicated dose assessment strategies are discussed in the context of several types of epidemiological investigations. A new passive radon sampler with a 24 hour integration time is described and evaluated as a tool for pilot investigations

Indoor wayfinding and navigation

CERN Document Server

2015-01-01

Due to the widespread use of navigation systems for wayfinding and navigation in the outdoors, researchers have devoted their efforts in recent years to designing navigation systems that can be used indoors. This book is a comprehensive guide to designing and building indoor wayfinding and navigation systems. It covers all types of feasible sensors (for example, Wi-Fi, A-GPS), discussing the level of accuracy, the types of map data needed, the data sources, and the techniques for providing routes and directions within structures.

Indoor aerosols

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Morawska, L.; Afshari, Alireza; N. Bae, G.

2013-01-01

Motivated by growing considerations of the scale, severity, and risks associated with human exposure to indoor particulate matter, this work reviewed existing literature to: (i) identify state-of-the-art experimental techniques used for personal exposure assessment; (ii) compare exposure levels...

Fatigability in basic indoor mobility in nonagenarians

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mänty, Minna Regina; Ekmann, Anette; Thinggaard, Mikael

2012-01-01

To evaluate the prevalence and associated health factors of indoor mobility-related fatigability in nonagenarians.......To evaluate the prevalence and associated health factors of indoor mobility-related fatigability in nonagenarians....

Indoor Air Quality Science and Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Understand indoor air in homes, schools, and offices. Most of us spend much of our time indoors. The air that we breathe in our homes, in schools, and in offices can put us at risk for health problems. Some pollutants can be chemicals, gases, and living or

[Indoor volatile organic compounds: concentrations, sources, variation factors].

Science.gov (United States)

Palot, A; Charpin-Kadouch, C; Ercoli, J; Charpin, D

2008-06-01

Volatile organic compounds (V.O.C.) are part of urban air pollution and are also generated indoors from cleaning and maintenance products. VOC measurements are, on average, 10 times higher within homes than outside. Results of the national survey led by the Observatoire National de la Qualité de l'Air Intérieur demonstrated that up to 25% of French homes have very high or high concentrations of VOC. Indoor levels depend mainly on indoor sources. Aldehydes are included in many everyday life products. VOC originate from various household decorating and cleaning products. Some products are less detrimental to the environment and health and have special labelling. Indoor VOC levels also depend on the rate of air exchange and on household characteristics such as indoor temperature and humidity, age of the building, presence of smokers, and communication with a garage. The public may participate in maintaining good indoor air quality and the authorities should also improve regulations. VOC are part of everyday air pollution. Their sources and concentrations should be better monitored.

Enhancing indoor air quality -The air filter advantage.

Science.gov (United States)

Vijayan, Vannan Kandi; Paramesh, Haralappa; Salvi, Sundeep Santosh; Dalal, Alpa Anil Kumar

2015-01-01

Air pollution has become the world's single biggest environmental health risk, linked to around 7 million deaths in 2012 according to a recent World Health Organisation (WHO) report. The new data further reveals a stronger link between, indoor and outdoor air pollution exposure and cardiovascular diseases, such as strokes and ischemic heart disease, as well as between air pollution and cancer. The role of air pollution in the development of respiratory diseases, including acute respiratory infections and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, is well known. While both indoor and outdoor pollution affect health, recent statistics on the impact of household indoor pollutants (HAP) is alarming. The WHO factsheet on HAP and health states that 3.8 million premature deaths annually - including stroke, ischemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer are attributed to exposure to household air pollution. Use of air cleaners and filters are one of the suggested strategies to improve indoor air quality. This review discusses the impact of air pollutants with special focus on indoor air pollutants and the benefits of air filters in improving indoor air quality.

Indoor radon measurements in Mexico City

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Espinosa, G. [Instituto de Fisica, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Apartado Postal 20364, 01000 Mexico, D.F. (Mexico)], E-mail: espinosa@fisica.unam.mx; Golzarri, J.I. [Instituto de Fisica, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Apartado Postal 20364, 01000 Mexico, D.F. (Mexico); Bogard, J. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, PO Box 2008, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6480 (United States); Gaso, I. [Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Apartado Postal 18-1027, 11801 Mexico, D.F. (Mexico); Ponciano, G. [Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Mexico, D.F. (Mexico); Mena, M.; Segovia, N. [Instituto de Geofisica, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Mexico, D.F. (Mexico)

2008-08-15

Mexico City is one of the most populated cities in the world with almost 22 million inhabitants, located at an altitude of 2200 m. The old city was founded on an ancient lake and the zone is known by its high seismicity; indoor radon determination is an important public health issue. In this paper the data of indoor radon levels in Mexico City, measured independently by two research groups, both using Nuclear Track Detector systems but different methodologies, are correlated. The measurements were done during similar exposure periods of time, at family houses from the political administrative regions of the city. The results indicate a correlation coefficient between the two sets of data of R=0.886. Most of the differences between the two sets of data are inherent to houses having extreme (very high or very low indoor radon) included in the statistics of each group. The total average indoor radon found in Mexico City considering the two methods was 87Bqm{sup -3}.

Wind power policy in Norway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

The Norwegian government's ambition of developing 3 TWh wind power by 2010 seems hard to fulfill. Recently Norway's first wind park was officially opened on the island of Smoela, just off Kristiansund. The 20 large windmills are Danish-made and described in some detail in this article. Fulfillment of the government's ambition requires that 20 similar power stations are put into operation the coming eight years, and so far it has not been decided to build the next one. Statkraft have great ambitions for wind power. However, environmental considerations present difficulties. For instance, for Smoela, Statkraft spent an extra 4 million NOK on ground cables the last 1.5 km to land in order to minimize the disturbance of bird populations. Considerations for the white-tailed eagle may be a decisive factor in the development of wind power plants in Norway

Winter-to-winter variations in indoor radon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mose, D.G.; Mushrush, G.W.; Kline, S.W.

1989-01-01

Indoor radon concentrations in northern Virginia and central Maryland show a strong dependence on weather. Winter tends to be associated with higher than average indoor radon, and summer with lower than average. However, compared to the winter of 1986-1987, the winter of 1987-1988 was warmer and drier. Consequently, winter-to-winter indoor radon decreased by about 25%. This winter-to-winter decrease is unexpectedly large, and simulates winter-to-summer variations that have been reported

Cooperative Agreement Funding for Indoor Air Quality

Science.gov (United States)

The Indoor Environments Division has created partnership with public and private sector entities to help encourage the public to take action to minimize their risk and mitigate indoor air quality problems.

Power production and energy consumption in Norway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-03-01

The main electrical resource of Norway comes from its rivers: 99% of the electric power is produced by hydroelectric power plants. Other sources, like wind and natural gas, are envisaged for the enhancement of Norway's energy production capacity. In this document, the part devoted to power production presents the different electricity production sources and their impact on the Norwegian economy. The energy consumption is detailed in the third part with an historical review of its evolution and a description of the main sectors involved in this consumption. The forth part describes the main actors of the energy sector with their industrial structure, the research institutes and universities performing R and D in this domain, and the energy trades with surrounding countries. The fifth part stresses on the research projects, on the government promoting actions through the Norwegian Research Council, and gives some examples of todays research projects. The sixth part deals with international cooperation in the R and D domain with a particular attention given to the relations between Norway, France and Europe. (J.S.)

A novel particle filter approach for indoor positioning by fusing WiFi and inertial sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhu Nan

2015-12-01

Full Text Available WiFi fingerprinting is the method of recording WiFi signal strength from access points (AP along with the positions at which they were recorded, and later matching those to new measurements for indoor positioning. Inertial positioning utilizes the accelerometer and gyroscopes for pedestrian positioning. However, both methods have their limitations, such as the WiFi fluctuations and the accumulative error of inertial sensors. Usually, the filtering method is used for integrating the two approaches to achieve better location accuracy. In the real environments, especially in the indoor field, the APs could be sparse and short range. To overcome the limitations, a novel particle filter approach based on Rao Blackwellized particle filter (RBPF is presented in this paper. The indoor environment is divided into several local maps, which are assumed to be independent of each other. The local areas are estimated by the local particle filter, whereas the global areas are combined by the global particle filter. The algorithm has been investigated by real field trials using a WiFi tablet on hand with an inertial sensor on foot. It could be concluded that the proposed method reduces the complexity of the positioning algorithm obviously, as well as offers a significant improvement in position accuracy compared to other conventional algorithms, allowing indoor positioning error below 1.2 m.

Indoor radon II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1987-01-01

Because of the growing interest in and public concern about indoor radon, APCA, in April 1987, sponsored the Second International Specialty Conference on Indoor Radon. This book is the proceedings of this conference and includes discussions on: A current assessment of the nature of the problem; Issues related to health effects and risk assessment; The development of public and private sector initiatives; Research into methods of control and prevention; International perspectives; and Measurement methods and programs. The material is intended for the technically oriented and for those responsible for developing programs and initiatives to address this important public health issue. Contributors include federal, state, and provincial program officials and members of the academic and private sectors

Photocatalytic surface reactions on indoor wall paint.

Science.gov (United States)

Salthammer, T; Fuhrmann, F

2007-09-15

The reduction of indoor air pollutants by air cleaning systems has received considerable interest, and a number of techniques are now available. So far, the method of photocatalysis was mainly applied by use of titanium dioxide (TiO2) in flow reactors under UV light of high intensity. Nowadays, indoor wall paints are equipped with modified TiO2 to work as a catalyst under indoor daylight or artificial light. In chamber experiments carried out under indoor related conditions itwas shown thatthe method works for nitrogen dioxide with air exchange and for formaldehyde without air exchange at high concentrations. In further experiments with volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a small effect was found for terpenoids with high kOH rate constants. For other VOCs and carbon monoxide there was no degradation at all or the surface acted as a reversible sink. Secondary emissions from the reaction of paint constituents were observed on exposure to light. From the results it is concluded that recipes of photocatalytic wall paints need to be optimized for better efficiency under indoor conditions.

Reevaluation of time spent indoors used for exposure dose assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirose, Katsumi; Fujimoto, Kenzo

2016-01-01

A time spent indoors of sixteen hours per day (indoor occupancy factor: 0.67) has been used to assess the radiation dose of residents who spend daily life in the area contaminated due to the nuclear accident in Japan. However, much longer time is considered to be spent indoors for recent modern life. United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) has been used an indoor occupancy factor of 0.8 since 1977 and a few reports suggested much higher indoor occupancy factors. Therefore it is important to reevaluate the indoor occupancy factor using current available survey data in Japan, such as 'NHK 2010 National Time Use Survey' and 'Survey on Time Use and Leisure Activities' of Statistics Bureau with certain assumption of time spent indoors in each daily activity. The total time spent indoors in a day is calculated to be 20.2 hours and its indoor occupancy factor is 0.84. Much lower indoor occupancy factors were derived from the survey data by Statistics Bureau for 10 to 14 and 15 to 19 years old groups and farmers who spend most of their time outdoors although present estimated indoor occupancy factor of 0.84 is still lower than those found in some of the relevant reports. A rounded indoor occupancy factor of 0.80 might be the appropriate conservative reference value to be used for the dose estimation of people who live in radioactively contaminated areas and for other relevant purposes of exposure assessment, taken into consideration the present results and values reported in United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) and UNSCEAR. (author)

Design Criteria for Achieving Acceptable Indoor Radon Concentration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Torben Valdbjørn

2016-01-01

Design criteria for achieving an acceptable indoor radon concentration are presented in this paper. The paper suggests three design criteria. These criteria have to be considered at the early stage of the building design phase to meet the latest recommendations from the World Health Organization...... in most countries. The three design criteria are; first, establishing a radon barrier facing the ground; second, lowering the air pressure in the lower zone of the slab on ground facing downwards; third, diluting the indoor air with outdoor air. The first two criteria can prevent radon from infiltrating...... from the ground, and the third criteria can dilute the indoor air. By combining these three criteria, the indoor radon concentration can be lowered achieving an acceptable level. In addition, a cheap and reliable method for measuring the radon concentration in the indoor air is described. The provision...

GEOMETRIC CONTEXT AND ORIENTATION MAP COMBINATION FOR INDOOR CORRIDOR MODELING USING A SINGLE IMAGE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. B. Jahromi

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Since people spend most of their time indoors, their indoor activities and related issues in health, security and energy consumption have to be understood. Hence, gathering and representing spatial information of indoor spaces in form of 3D models become very important. Considering the available data gathering techniques with respect to the sensors cost and data processing time, single images proved to be one of the reliable sources. Many of the current single image based indoor space modeling methods are defining the scene as a single box primitive. This domain-specific knowledge is usually not applicable in various cases where multiple corridors are joined at one scene. Here, we addressed this issue by hypothesizing-verifying multiple box primitives which represents the indoor corridor layout. Middle-level perceptual organization is the foundation of the proposed method, which relies on finding corridor layout boundaries using both detected line segments and virtual rays created by orthogonal vanishing points. Due to the presence of objects, shadows and occlusions, a comprehensive interpretation of the edge relations is often concealed. This necessitates the utilization of virtual rays to create a physically valid layout hypothesis. Many of the former methods used Orientation Map or Geometric Context to evaluate their proposed layout hypotheses. Orientation map is a map that reveals the local belief of region orientations computed from line segments, and in a segmented image geometric context uses color, texture, edge, and vanishing point cues to estimate the likelihood of each possible label for all super-pixels. Here, the created layout hypotheses are evaluated by an objective function which considers the fusion of orientation map and geometric context with respect to the horizontal viewing angle at each image pixel. Finally, the best indoor corridor layout hypothesis which gets the highest score from the scoring function will be selected

Recovery of acidified mountain lakes in Norway as predicted by the MAGIC model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bernard J. COSBY

2004-02-01

Full Text Available As part of the EU project EMERGE the biogeochemical model MAGIC was used to reconstruct acidification history and predict future recovery for mountain lakes in two regions of Norway. Central Norway (19 lakes receives low levels of acid deposition, most of the lakes have undergone only minor amounts of acidification, and all are predicted to recover in the future. Central Norway thus represents a reference area for more polluted regions in southern Norway and elsewhere in Europe. Southern Norway (23 lakes, on the other hand, receives higher levels of acid deposition, nearly all the studied lakes were acidified and had lost fish populations, and although some recovery has occurred during the period 1980-2000 and additional recovery is predicted for the next decades, the model simulations indicated that the majority of the lakes will not achieve water quality sufficient to support trout populations. Uncertainties in these predictions include possible future N saturation and the exacerbating effects of climate change. The mountain lakes of southern Norway are among the most sensitive in Europe. For southern Norway additional measures such as stricter controls of emissions of air pollutants will be required to obtain satisfactory water quality in the future.

Publications and Resources About Indoor airPLUS

Science.gov (United States)

Presented are useful materials to help you build homes that meet Indoor airPLUS specifications and to promote Indoor airPLUS qualified homes. These materials are FREE of charge and are available in PDF.

Federal Interagency Committee on Indoor Air Quality

Science.gov (United States)

The Federal Interagency Committee on Indoor Air Quality (CIAQ), which meets three times a year, was established by Congress to coordinate the activities of the Federal Government on issues relating to Indoor Air Quality.

Radioactive fall-out in Norway after the Chernobyl accident

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Skjerve, Eystein [Dept. of Food Hygiene, Norwegian College of Veterinary Medicine (Norway)

1986-07-01

During the fall-out from the atmosphere during the fifties and sixties, a system of local control of radioactive contamination of food was built up. (LORACON - LOcal RAdioactivity COntrol). The different Meat and Food Inspection Services were equipped with Geiger Mueller instruments. The system was in operation until late seventies. From 1977 there was no testing and calibration of the instruments. The development towards a reduction of the state of readiness was accelerated when the Norwegian Parliament decided that Norway should not establish any nuclear power plants (1979). Only the universities and special institutions as the National Institute of Radiation Hygiene and the Institute for Energy Technique were still able to analyse on radioactive isotopes. The confusion about how much radioactive fall-out from the Chernobyl reactor accident Norway received lasted for some weeks in Norway. Partially, this was due to the lack of instruments, but also many experts rejected the idea that an accident so far away might cause these amounts of fall-out consisted of Iodine and Cesium. The fall-out followed a very irregular pattern both nationally and locally with the mountain areas in Middle Norway most affected.

Radioactive fall-out in Norway after the Chernobyl accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skjerve, Eystein

1986-01-01

During the fall-out from the atmosphere during the fifties and sixties, a system of local control of radioactive contamination of food was built up. (LORACON - LOcal RAdioactivity COntrol). The different Meat and Food Inspection Services were equipped with Geiger Mueller instruments. The system was in operation until late seventies. From 1977 there was no testing and calibration of the instruments. The development towards a reduction of the state of readiness was accelerated when the Norwegian Parliament decided that Norway should not establish any nuclear power plants (1979). Only the universities and special institutions as the National Institute of Radiation Hygiene and the Institute for Energy Technique were still able to analyse on radioactive isotopes. The confusion about how much radioactive fall-out from the Chernobyl reactor accident Norway received lasted for some weeks in Norway. Partially, this was due to the lack of instruments, but also many experts rejected the idea that an accident so far away might cause these amounts of fall-out consisted of Iodine and Cesium. The fall-out followed a very irregular pattern both nationally and locally with the mountain areas in Middle Norway most affected

Norway: the traps of the petroleum wealth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bastien, D.

2006-01-01

Thanks to petroleum, the Norwegian population is the richness in the world. The petroleum profits have been always carefully managed and stored in a special fund. However, this richness has now a disastrous impact on the Norwegian society which is progressively falling asleep in its comfort while the economy shows signs of overheating. Oil production has started its decline and will accelerate by 2010. The strategy of Norway is now to massively invest in gas exportation and to saturate the gas pipelines towards Europe. In the future Norway has planned to export LNG to the US and Spain. (J.S.)

Language Policy and Corporate Law in Norway

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sanden, Guro Refsum

to the Norwegian language version, 36.2 % of the companies presented their financial statements in Norwegian only, while 18.9 % of the companies had been granted dispensation from the Norwegian Directorate of Taxes to deviate from the language requirement of the Accounting Act and presented their financial...... of Norway (2005) the paper investigates how the 500 largest companies in Norway comply with the language requirement of the Norwegian Accounting Act for the financial year of 2015. The results show that 44.9 % of the companies presented their financial statements in one or more foreign language in addition...

IEA HPP Annex 29 - ground-source heat pumps overcoming technical and market barriers. Status report Norway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stene, Joern

2004-12-01

Norway is a member of Annex 29, 'Ground-Source Heat Pump Systems Overcoming Technical and Market Barriers' (2004-2006), organized under the umbrella of the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the IEA Heat Pump Programme (HPP). The 7 participating countries are Austria (Operating Agent), Canada, Japan, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the USA. The Norwegian participation is financed by ENOVA SF, and SINTEF Energy Research is responsible for planning and carrying out the Norwegian activities. This report provides a status for ground-source heat pump (GSHP) systems in Norway with regard to state-of-the-art technology, installation examples, geological data, costs and market opportunities. A Norwegian Internet home page for ground-source heat pump systems (www.energy.sintef.no/prosjekt/Annex29) is also presented. GSHP systems in Norway are classified as direct systems (groundwater and soil/ground) and indirect closed-loop systems (vertical-rock and horizontal-soil/ground). The vast majority of the installations are indirect closed-loop systems utilizing vertical boreholes in rock as a heat source, heat sink and thermal energy storage. GSHP systems are relatively capital intensive installations, but they achieve high energy efficiency due to the relatively high and stable heat source temperature and the fact that a considerable share of the cooling demand in non-residential buildings can be covered by means of free cooling. In order to obtain energy efficient and reliable GSHP installations, it is important to implement a total quality concept where focus is on quality and system integration during all stages of the project. A life cycle analysis (LCA) will be an important tool in such a concept, since both the investment costs as well as the lifetime operational and maintenance costs are included (author) (ml) Litt usikker pae tag 620- ikke en vanlig sintef rapportkode

Finding dense locations in indoor tracking data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ahmed, Tanvir; Pedersen, Torben Bach; Lu, Hua

2014-01-01

for semi-constrained indoor movement, and then uses this to map raw tracking records into mapping records representing object entry and exit times in particular locations. Then, an efficient indexing structure, the Dense Location Time Index (DLT-Index) is proposed for indexing the time intervals...... of the mapping table, along with associated construction, query processing, and pruning techniques. The DLT-Index supports very efficient aggregate point queries, interval queries, and dense location queries. A comprehensive experimental study with real data shows that the proposed techniques can efficiently......Finding the dense locations in large indoor spaces is very useful for getting overloaded locations, security, crowd management, indoor navigation, and guidance. Indoor tracking data can be very large and are not readily available for finding dense locations. This paper presents a graph-based model...

Natural gas in Norway - Possibilities and limitations; Naturgass i Norge - Muligheter og begrensninger

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bjoerstad, H.; Eldegard, T.; Reve, T.; Sunnevaag, K.; Aarrestad, J.

1995-06-01

Norway is rich in gas resources. In recent years, gas sales from the Norwegian continental shelf have been in the order of 25 to 30 billion Sm{sup 3}/yr and are expected to increase strongly the next 10 to 15 years. However, a scattered population, a difficult topography, long distances between large potential consumers and where the gas is brought ashore, make it difficult to utilize the gas commercially in this country. Moreover, the gas will have to compete with a highly developed hydro-electric network. This report evaluates possibilities and hindrances in the establishment of a home market for natural gas in Norway. The low population density implies that using gas for preheating of water, heating of rooms etc will not become important except, perhaps, locally, where gas may be available for other reasons. As a source of energy and raw material in many industrial processes, natural gas can become important in some coastal areas and in central parts of eastern Norway. Discussions are in progress on gas power stations for electricity production. This has aroused some controversy because of environmental problems, and for political acceptance gas power will have to replace coal power. As a fuel, gas may be of interest for domestic ferries and for busses. A lack of capital under financial risk and gas prices limit the market development. Although tax policy is presently favourable to gas power, the risk taken by private investors in converting to natural gas is increased by their not knowing for how long the gas will be exempt from environmental tax. 74 refs., 8 figs., 27 tabs.

Indoor Levels of Formaldehyde and Other Pollutants and Relationship to Air Exchange Rates and Human Activities

Science.gov (United States)

Huangfu, Y.; O'Keeffe, P.; Kirk, M.; Walden, V. P.; Lamb, B. K.; Jobson, B. T.

2017-12-01

This paper reports results on an indoor air quality study conducted on six homes in summer and winter, contrasting indoor and outdoor concentrations of O3, CO, CO2, NOx, PM2.5, and selected volatile organic hydrocarbons measured by PTR-MS. Data were collected as 1 minute averages. Air exchange rates of the homes were determined by CO2 tracer release. Smart home sensors, recording human activity level in various places in the home, and window and doors openings, were utilized to better understand the link between human activity and indoor air pollution. From our study, averaged air exchange rates of the homes ranged from 0.2 to 1.2 hour-1 and were greatly affected by the ventilation system type and window and door openings. In general, a negative correlation between air exchange rate and indoor VOCs levels was observed, with large variation of pollutant levels between the homes. For most of the VOCs measured in the house, including formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, summer levels were much higher than winter levels. In some homes formaldehyde levels displayed a time of day variation that was linked to changes in indoor temperature. During a wildfire period in the summer of 2015, outdoor levels of PM2.5, formaldehyde, and benzene dramatically increased, significantly impacting indoor levels due to infiltration. Human activities, such as cooking, can significantly change the levels of most of the compounds measured in the house and the levels can be significantly elevated for short periods of time, with peak levels can be several orders higher compared with typical levels. The data suggest that an outcome of state energy codes that require new homes to be energy efficient, and as a consequence built with lower air exchange rates, will be unacceptable levels of air toxics, notably formaldehyde.

Indoor randon concentration. Temperature and wind effects; Concentrazione di radon indoor. Effetto del vento e della temperatura

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sesana, L.; Benigni, S. [Milan Univ., Milan (Italy). Ist. di Fisica Generale Applicata

2000-12-01

The present study analyses and discusses the behaviour of the indoor radon concentration in a research house. Hourly measurements were carried out in the basement of the house from November 1998 up to June 1999. In many sequences of days radon concentration in the room under analysis shows strong variation all day long with accumulation in the evening and overnight and decrease in the morning and in the afternoon. Measurements of wind velocity, indoor and outdoor temperatures and outdoor-indoor pressure difference were performed and their trend is compared with the observed radon concentration. The exhalation of radon from walls, floor and ceiling and the pressure difference driven exhalation from the soil are discussed, particularly the relation with the temperature differences. The air exchange rates between the house and the outdoor air are studied. [Italian] Si analizza e si discute il comportamento della concentrazione di radon indoor nel seminterrato di una casa di ricerca. Misure orarie sono state effettuate da novembre 1998 a giugno 1999. In molte sequenze di giorni la concentrazione del radon nel locale in analisi presenta forti variazioni nel corso della giornata con un accumulo notturno e decrescita nelle ore diurne. Sono state eseguite misure della velocita' del vento, delle temperature outdoor e indoor e della differenza di pressione outdoor-indoor e il loro andamento e' stato confrontato con quello della concentrazione del radon. Vengono discusse l'esalazione del radon dalle pareti, dal pavimento e dal soffitto e l'esalazione pressure difference driven dal suolo. Il rateo dei ricambi d'aria tra il locale e l'aria outdoor e' studiato.

Behaviors of radon in indoor environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mochizuki, Sadamu; Shimo, Michikuni.

1987-01-01

The source of radon ( 222 Rn) in the atmosphere is radioactive nuclide, uranium ( 238 U), which exists fairly common throughout the earth's crust. Radium ( 226 Ra) descended from uranium produce radon ( 222 Rn) of noble gas by decay. After formation in the ground, radon diffuses into the atmosphere. Without exception radon decay products are heavy metals which soon become attached to natural aerosols. Therefore, radon and its daughters (decay products) appear also in indoor environment, and generally, their concentration levels become higher than that of outdoor air due to build-up effects in the closed indoor environments. With the progress of the study on the influence of radon and its daughers on human health, it has become clear that they act effectively as an exciting cause of lung cancer. So, the study on the risk evaluation of them in room air has become to be very important. Concequently, the behaviors of radon and its daughters in indoor environment, first of all, should be studied in detail for the accurate estimation of the risk caused by them. In this special edition, fundamental characteristics of radon and its daughters, some measuring methods, theoretical considerations and some observational evidences obtained from various circumstances of indoor environment are described inorder to grasp and understand the behaviors of radon and its daughters in the indoor environment. (author)

Assessments of activated carbon prepared from date stones in adsorption of indoor radon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abudaia, J.I.; Al-Ezzaby, Suliman M.; Dawad, E.; Alawar, A.; Al-Shreide, A.

2015-01-01

Radiochemical department (RCD) at Tajoura Nuclear Research Center (TNRC) in Tripoli city is one of the fewest workplaces which have experienced indoor level evaluation. In this present study, it is intended to investigate the efficiency of domestic activated carbons (AC) derived from most locally available agricultural by products date stones (DS) in the adsorption of indoor radon-222 (' 222 Rn) at different oriented sites of RCD. The average indoor radon concentration values in the study areas varied from (34±3.0) Bq/m 3 to (192.7±9.1) Bq/m 3 , while the values of the annual effective dose varied from (0.355) mSv/y to (0.974) mSv/y. All obtained values were within the recommended action levels of (200 - 300) Bq/m 3 and 2.4 mSv/y which are given by International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) in 1993 and 1987 respectively. A designed set up of portable ACDS canisters are proposed to be utilized in other different workplaces such as schools, where educational buildings are considered as locations of ventilation deficiency and high occupancy times for children and such naturally occurring radio-active radon is distinguished as a second leading cause of lung cancer worldwide.(author)

The Mesolithic of Western Norway : prevailing problems and possibilities

OpenAIRE

Bang-Andersen, Sveinung

1995-01-01

The landscape and settlement development in West Norway until c. 5200 y. b.p. is broadly outlined. An evaluation of the source material reveals lacunaes which delimit detailed information on topics such as daily life, mortuary practices and artistic skills. However, the Mesolithic of West Norway holds a rich potential for insight into cultural-historical problems of a superior order, in particular the process of colonization.

Health effects of indoor odorants.

Science.gov (United States)

Cone, J E; Shusterman, D

1991-11-01

People assess the quality of the air indoors primarily on the basis of its odors and on their perception of associated health risk. The major current contributors to indoor odorants are human occupant odors (body odor), environmental tobacco smoke, volatile building materials, bio-odorants (particularly mold and animal-derived materials), air fresheners, deodorants, and perfumes. These are most often present as complex mixtures, making measurement of the total odorant problem difficult. There is no current method of measuring human body odor, other than by human panel studies of expert judges of air quality. Human body odors have been quantitated in terms of the "olf" which is the amount of air pollution produced by the average person. Another quantitative unit of odorants is the "decipol," which is the perceived level of pollution produced by the average human ventilated by 10 L/sec of unpolluted air or its equivalent level of dissatisfaction from nonhuman air pollutants. The standard regulatory approach, focusing on individual constituents or chemicals, is not likely to be successful in adequately controlling odorants in indoor air. Besides the current approach of setting minimum ventilation standards to prevent health effects due to indoor air pollution, a standard based on the olf or decipol unit might be more efficacious as well as simpler to measure.

Health and economic benefits of building ventilation interventions for reducing indoor PM2.5 exposure from both indoor and outdoor origins in urban Beijing, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Ye; Luo, Zhiwen; Liu, Jing; Wang, Yaowu; Lin, Yaoyu

2018-06-01

China is confronted with serious PM 2.5 pollution, especially in the capital city of Beijing. Exposure to PM 2.5 could lead to various negative health impacts including premature mortality. As people spend most of their time indoors, the indoor exposure to PM 2.5 from both indoor and outdoor origins constitutes the majority of personal exposure to PM 2.5 pollution. Different building interventions have been introduced to mitigate indoor PM 2.5 exposure, but always at the cost of energy expenditure. In this study, the health and economic benefits of different ventilation intervention strategies for reducing indoor PM 2.5 exposure are modeled using a representative urban residence in Beijing, with consideration of different indoor PM 2.5 emission strengths and outdoor pollution. Our modeling results show that the increase of envelope air-tightness can achieve significant economic benefits when indoor PM 2.5 emissions are absent; however, if an indoor PM 2.5 source is present, the benefits only increase slightly in mechanically ventilated buildings, but may show negative benefit without mechanical ventilation. Installing mechanical ventilation in Beijing can achieve annual economic benefits ranging from 200yuan/capita to 800yuan/capita if indoor PM 2.5 sources exist. If there is no indoor emission, the annual benefits above 200yuan/capita can be achieved only when the PM 2.5 filtration efficiency is no urban Beijing will increase the indoor PM 2.5 exposure and result in excess costs to the residents. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

National report from Norway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haugset, K.

1995-01-01

Review of activities and objectives in the area of creating operator support systems in nuclear power plants in Norway is presented. Development of a computerised alarm system for HAMMLAB (CASH) is described. A measure of situation awareness for use in the evaluation of nuclear power plant control room systems providing information about the current process state is discussed

Indoor Air Quality: Maryland Public Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Maryland State Dept. of Education, College Park. Office of Administration and Finance.

Less than adequate indoor air quality in schools can lead to a higher risk of health problems, an increase in student and teacher absenteeism, diminished learning, and even hazardous conditions. An indoor air quality program that addresses the planning, design, maintenance, and operation of public school buildings should be implemented at the…

How to keep the profit from Norwegian gas export in Norway?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nese, Gjermund; Straume, Odd Rune

2005-01-01

The EU has set a goal of facilitating increased competition in the European gas market, and that this among other things shall lead to lower prices on natural gas. A substantial aspect for Norway, as a big supplier of natural gas to the EU, is weather this will lead to a larger part of the profits being moved down the value chain, thus benefiting the gas consuming countries. In light of this the Norwegian regulating authorities are reviewed and an analysis is provided of how strategic pricing of the natural gas transport from Norway to the EU market can ensure that as much as possible of the profit remains in Norway. The results are divided; increased competition in the EU's gas market may result in importing countries getting more of the profit in the natural gas value chain, but increased competition within Norwegian gas production may give a welfare profit for Norway while it affects the consuming countries in the EU negatively. Strategic pricing of the natural gas transport can in both cases be used to influence the distribution of profits between Norway and importing countries (ml)

Options for CO2-lean hydrogen export from Norway to Germany

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stiller, Christoph; Buenger, Ulrich; Svensson, Ann Mari; Moeller-Holst, Steffen; Espegren, Kari Aamodt; Holm, Oeystein Bindesboell; Tomasgaard, Asgeir

2008-01-01

Norway is a nation with an abundant supply of energy, both from fossil and renewable resources. Due to limited domestic demand, Norway is today exporting large amounts of petroleum products. For the future, various options for export of CO 2 -lean energy exist, both from Northern and Southern Norway, and both from fossil sources (including carbon capture and storage), and renewable energies (particularly wind power). Transport vectors are hydrogen pipelines, liquid hydrogen ships and HVDC cables, and a plausible customer is central Europe due to its proximity, high population density and lack of domestic energy resources. Within the framework of the ''NorWays'' project, various options to deliver energy for hydrogen-based transportation from Norway to Germany were studied. Eight CO 2 -lean well-to-wheel energy export chains were evaluated with respect to efficiency, GHG emissions and other environmental impacts, costs and utilisation of Norwegian R and D experience. In the chosen scenarios, energy export via hydrogen pipelines and ships appeared energetically and economically interesting against existing approaches as NG and electricity export. Furthermore, increased utilisation of Norwegian R and D experience and higher value creation is anticipated by the export of a higher refined product. (author)

About the Subdivision of Indoor Spaces in Indoorgml

Science.gov (United States)

Diakité, A. A.; Zlatanova, S.; Li, K.-J.

2017-10-01

Boosted by the dynamic urbanization of cities, indoor environments are getting more and more complex in order to be able to host people properly. While most of our time is spent inside buildings, the need of GIS tools to assist our daily activities that can become tedious, such as indoor navigation or facility management, became more and more urgent. In that perspective, the IndoorGML standard is aiming to address the gaps left by other standards regarding the spatial modelling for indoor navigation. It includes several concepts such as the organization of the spaces into cells along with their network representation and the possibility to represent multiple connected layers. However, being at its first stage, several concepts of the standard could be improved. One of these is the cell subspacing that is not enough discussed in the current version of the standard. In this paper, we explore all the aspects involved in the subdivision process, from the identification of the navigable and non-navigable space cells to the generation of a navigation graph. We propose several criteria on which the indoor sub-spacing can rely to be automatically performed and and illustrate them on a 3D indoor model.

Soil as a source of indoor 220Rn

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Y.; Schery, S.D.; Turk, B.

1992-01-01

Two suggestions for sources of indoor 220Rn (thoron) have appeared in the literature: (1) building materials and outside air, and (2) soil beneath the house. Due to the difficulty of 220Rn measurement and limited data, both suggestions lack sufficient supporting evidence. We have investigated sources of indoor 220Rn in seven occupied houses in northern New Mexico, U.S. A two-filter system was used to measure indoor 220Rn levels continuously, and 220Rn progeny were measured with single filters and specialized alpha-track detectors. The amount of 220Rn entry from soil was curtailed by cutting off soil gas flow to the indoor air with subfloor depressurization mitigation systems. Four of the houses showed significant reductions in 220Rn with mitigation systems on. The average effect for these houses was to reduce indoor 220Rn levels by 70%. The other three houses had no clear reductions but in one of these houses, the mitigation system was not effective for stopping soil gas flow. Our results provide some of the most clear evidence to date supporting soil as an important source of indoor 220Rn

Hourly indoor radon measurements in a research house.

Science.gov (United States)

Sesana, Lucia; Begnini, Stefania

2004-01-01

This paper reports and discusses the behaviour of radon concentration with time in an uninhabited dwelling. The relationship between variations in radon concentrations and indoor-outdoor temperatures and wind intensity has also been discussed. Radon concentration was measured hourly in a house located at a height of 800 m in the Lombard Prealps, at the top of the Valassina valley. The wind velocity and indoor-outdoor temperatures were measured by means of a meteorological station located on the terrace of the house. The data were analysed using the LBL model for indoor-outdoor air exchange and the models for the indoor accumulation of radon due to exhalation from building materials and pressure-driven infiltrations located underground. The role of wind and indoor-outdoor temperatures were analysed. The agreement of measurements with modelling clearly demonstrates the importance of the different sources of indoor radon. As the investigation was conducted in an uninhabited house, the measurements were not affected by the behaviour of people, e.g. opening and closing of windows. Measurements of the outdoor atmospheric concentrations of (222)Rn provide an index of the atmospheric stability, the formation of thermal inversions and convective turbulence.

Hourly indoor radon measurements in a research house

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sesana, L.; Begnini, S.

2004-01-01

This paper reports and discusses the behaviour of radon concentration with time in an uninhabited dwelling. The relationship between variations in radon concentrations and indoor-outdoor temperatures and wind intensity has also been discussed. Radon concentration was measured hourly in a house located at a height of 800 m in the Lombard Pre-alps, at the top of the Valassina valley. The wind velocity and indoor-outdoor temperatures were measured by means of a meteorological station located on the terrace of the house. The data were analysed using the LBL model for indoor-outdoor air exchange and the models for the indoor accumulation of radon due to exhalation from building materials and pressure-driven infiltrations located underground. The role of wind and indoor-outdoor temperatures were analysed. The agreement of measurements with modelling clearly demonstrates the importance of the different sources of indoor radon. As the investigation was conducted in an uninhabited house, the measurements were not affected by the behaviour of people, e.g. opening and closing of windows. Measurements of the outdoor atmospheric concentrations of 222 Rn provide an index of the atmospheric stability, the formation of thermal inversions and convective turbulence. (authors)

Immediate impact of smoke-free laws on indoor air quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Kiyoung; Hahn, Ellen J; Riker, Carol; Head, Sara; Seithers, Peggy

2007-09-01

Smoke-free laws significantly impact indoor air quality. However, the temporal effects of these laws on indoor air pollution have not been determined. This paper assesses the temporal impact of one smoke-free law on indoor air quality. This quasi-experimental study compared the indoor air quality of nine hospitality venues and one bingo hall in Georgetown, Kentucky, before and after implementation of a 100% smoke-free workplace law. We made real-time measurements of particulate matter with 2.5 microm aerodynamic diameter or smaller (PM2.5). Among the nine Georgetown hospitality venues, the average indoor PM2.5 concentration was 84 microg/m3 before the law took effect. The average indoor PM2.5 concentrations in nine compliant venues significantly decreased to 18 microg/m3 one week after the law took effect. Three venues having 82 microg/m3 before the law had significantly lower levels from the first day the law was implemented, and the low level was maintained. Compliance with the law is critical to achieving clean indoor air. Indoor air pollution in the bingo hall was not reduced until the establishment decided to comply with the law. The smoke-free law showed immediate impact on indoor air quality.

Study of the atmospheric chemistry of radon progeny in laboratory and real indoor atmospheres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hopke, P.K.

1992-07-01

This report describes studies on the chemical and physical behavior of the [sup 218]Po atom immediately following its formation by the alpha decay of radon. Because small changes in size for activity in the sub-10 nm size range result in large changes in the delivered dose per unit exposure, this behavior must be understood if the exposure to radon progeny and its dose to the cells in the respiratory tract are to be fully assessed. The specific tasks of the controlled laboratory studies are to determine the formation rates of [center dot]OH radicals formed by the radiolysis of air following radon decay, to examine the formation of particles by the radiolytic oxidation of substances like SO[sub 2] ethylene, and H[sub 2]S to lower vapor pressure compounds and determine the role of gas phase additives such as H[sub 2]O and NH[sub 3] in determining the particle size, to measure the rate of ion-induced nucleation using a thermal diffusion cloud chamber, and to measure the neutralization rate of [sup 218]Po[sub x][sup +] in O[sub 2] at low radon concentrations. Tasks of the exposure studies in occupied indoor spaces are to initiate measurements of the activity size distributions in actual homes with occupants present so that the variability of the indoor activity size distributions can be assessed with respect to indoor aerosol sources and general lifestyle variations of the occupants, to initiate a prospective study of the utility of measurement of deposited [sup 210]Pb embedded in glass surfaces as a measure of the long-term, integrated exposure of the population to radon, and to develop the methodology to determine the hygroscopicity of the indoor aerosol so that the changes in deposition efficiency of the radioactive indoor aerosol with hygroscopic growth in the respiratory tract can be assessed.

Towards an integrative approach of improving indoor air quality

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bluyssen, Philomena M. [TNO Built Environment and Geosciences, P.O. Box 49, 2600 AA Delft (Netherlands)

2009-09-15

There seems to be a discrepancy between current Indoor Air Quality standards and end-users wishes and demands. Indoor air quality can be approached from three points of view: the human, the indoor air of the space and the sources contributing to indoor air pollution. Standards currently in use mainly address the indoor air of the space. ''Other or additional'' recommendations and guidelines are required to improve indoor air quality. Even though we do not fully understand the mechanisms behind the physical, chemical, physiological and psychological processes, it is still possible to identify the different ways to be taken regulatory, politically-socially (awareness), technically (process and product) and scientifically. Besides the fact that there is an urgent need to involve medicine and neuro-psychology in research to investigate the mechanisms behind dose-response, health effects and interactions between and with the other factors and parameters of the indoor environment and the human body and mind, a holistic approach is required including the sources, the air and last but not least the human beings (occupants) themselves. This paper mainly focuses on the European situation. (author)

Dynamic behavior of semivolatile organic compounds in indoor air

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Loy, Michael David Van [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

1998-12-09

Exposures to a wide range of air pollutants are often dominated by those occurring in buildings because of three factors: 1) most people spend a large fraction of their time indoors, 2) many pollutants have strong indoor sources, and 3) the dilution volume in buildings is generally several orders of magnitude smaller than that of an urban airshed. Semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCS) are emitted by numerous indoor sources, including tobacco combustion, cooking, carpets, paints, resins, and glues, so indoor gasphase concentrations of these compounds are likely to be elevated relative to ambient levels. The rates of uptake and release of reversibly sorbing SVOCS by indoor materials directly affect both peak concentrations and persistence of the pollutants indoors after source elimination. Thus, accurate predictions of SVOC dynamics in indoor air require an understanding of contaminant sorption on surface materials such as carpet and wallboard. The dynamic behaviors of gas-phase nicotine and phenanthrene were investigated in a 20 ms stainless steel chamber containing carpet and painted wallboard. Each compound was studied independently, first in the empty chamber, then with each sorbent individually, and finally with both sorbents in the chamber.

Norway [and the closer relations with the European Community

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1991-01-01

Opinion in Norway seems to have settled on the idea that having a closer relation to the EC is inevitable, although opinion is divided as to whether this will be a good thing. The plain fact is that with Denmark already involved and the Swedes thinking about it, some Norwegian politicians are nervous about being left out in the cold. However, this feeling of inevitability does not mean that the EC can treat Norway's curious economy like an oyster, to be cracked open and eaten at a time of its own choosing. The Norweigians are, after all, sitting on Western Europe's largest and most secure hydrocarbon reserves for export, and they also have hydropower. The situation in which these resources place Norway are examined with respect to EC membership. (author)

Ice thickness measurements and volume estimates for glaciers in Norway

Science.gov (United States)

Andreassen, Liss M.; Huss, Matthias; Melvold, Kjetil; Elvehøy, Hallgeir; Winsvold, Solveig H.

2014-05-01

Whereas glacier areas in many mountain regions around the world now are well surveyed using optical satellite sensors and available in digital inventories, measurements of ice thickness are sparse in comparison and a global dataset does not exist. Since the 1980s ice thickness measurements have been carried out by ground penetrating radar on many glaciers in Norway, often as part of contract work for hydropower companies with the aim to calculate hydrological divides of ice caps. Measurements have been conducted on numerous glaciers, covering the largest ice caps as well as a few smaller mountain glaciers. However, so far no ice volume estimate for Norway has been derived from these measurements. Here, we give an overview of ice thickness measurements in Norway, and use a distributed model to interpolate and extrapolate the data to provide an ice volume estimate of all glaciers in Norway. We also compare the results to various volume-area/thickness-scaling approaches using values from the literature as well as scaling constants we obtained from ice thickness measurements in Norway. Glacier outlines from a Landsat-derived inventory from 1999-2006 together with a national digital elevation model were used as input data for the ice volume calculations. The inventory covers all glaciers in mainland Norway and consists of 2534 glaciers (3143 glacier units) covering an area of 2692 km2 ± 81 km2. To calculate the ice thickness distribution of glaciers in Norway we used a distributed model which estimates surface mass balance distribution, calculates the volumetric balance flux and converts it into thickness using the flow law for ice. We calibrated this model with ice thickness data for Norway, mainly by adjusting the mass balance gradient. Model results generally agree well with the measured values, however, larger deviations were found for some glaciers. The total ice volume of Norway was estimated to be 275 km3 ± 30 km3. From the ice thickness data set we selected

Improving Wi-Fi Based Indoor Positioning Using Bluetooth Add-Ons

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baniukevic, Artur; Sabonis, Dovydas; Jensen, Christian S.

2011-01-01

enabling indoor LBSs. Existing indoor positioning services typically use a single technology such as Wi-Fi, RFID or Bluetooth. Wi-Fi based indoor positioning is relatively easy to deploy, but does often not offer good positioning accuracy. In contrast, the use of RFID or Bluetooth for positioning requires...... considerable investments in equipment in order to ensure good positioning accuracy. Motivated by these observations, we propose a hybrid approach to indoor positioning. In particular, we introduce Bluetooth hotspots into an indoor space with an existing Wi-Fi infrastructure such that better positioning...

Exposure to unusually high indoor radon levels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rasheed, F.N.

1993-01-01

Unusually high indoor radon concentrations were reported in a small village in western Tyrol, Austria. The authors have measured the seasonal course of indoor radon concentrations in 390 houses of this village. 71% of houses in winter and 33% in summer, showed radon values on the ground floor above the Austrian action level of 400 Bq/cm 3 . This proportion results in an unusually high indoor radon exposure of the population. The radon source was an 8,700-year-old rock slide of granite gneiss, the largest of the alpine crystalline rocks. It has a strong emanating power because its rocks are heavily fractured and show a slightly increased uranium content. Previous reports show increased lung cancer mortality, myeloid leukemia, kidney cancer, melanoma, and prostate cancer resulting from indoor radon exposure. However, many studies fail to provide accurate information on indoor radon concentrations, classifying them merely as low, intermediate, and high, or they record only minor increases in indoor radon concentrations. Mortality data for 1970-91 were used to calculate age and sex standardized mortality rates (SMR) for 51 sites of carcinoma. The total population of Tyrol were controls. A significantly higher risk was recorded for lung cancer. The high SMR for lung cancer in female subjects is especially striking. Because the numbers were low for the other cancer sites, these were combined in one group to calculate the SMR. No significant increase in SMR was found for this group

An Innovative Gateway for Indoor Positioning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marias Giannis F

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Enabling the pervasive paradigm requires the incorporation of location information. Retrieving location data has been a field of ongoing research for both the outdoor and indoor wireless systems. The results in the cellular scenario are already mature and location architectures have been standardized. Recent research is ongoing for indoor-positioning mechanisms, resulting in implementations that vary. A platform that enables the deployment of location-based services in heterogeneous indoor and WLAN-based communication systems will address difficulties in cooperating with different positioning systems. For that purpose, we have designed a novel entity, called Gateway WLAN Location Center (GWLC, which hides the heterogeneous functions of the indoor positioning architectures, incorporating a unified framework for retrieving location data of users and objects. The GWLC platform has been designed to meet objectives such as modularity, scalability, as well as portability, and to facilitate open interfaces. In this contribution, we elaborate on the design principles and the functionality of GWLC. We also provide performance results, obtained through real experiments.

Indoor air quality in low-energy houses in the Netherlands: Does mechanical ventilation provide a healthy indoor environment?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Balvers, J.R.; Boxem, G.; Wit, de M.H.; Strøm-Tejsen, P; Olesen, B.W.; Wargocki, P; Zukowska, D; Toftum, J

2008-01-01

Increasing environmental awareness has led to new, energy-efficient building standards such as the German Passivhaus-standard. This study was designed to investigate the indoor air quality (IAQ) of four different Dutch low-energy houses built according to this standard. Air flow, indoor air

Monitoring Indoor Air Quality for Enhanced Occupational Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Pitarma, Rui; Marques, Gonçalo; Ferreira, Bárbara Roque

2017-02-01

Indoor environments are characterized by several pollutant sources. Because people spend more than 90% of their time in indoor environments, several studies have pointed out the impact of indoor air quality on the etiopathogenesis of a wide number of non-specific symptoms which characterizes the "Sick Building Syndrome", involving the skin, the upper and lower respiratory tract, the eyes and the nervous system, as well as many building related diseases. Thus, indoor air quality (IAQ) is recognized as an important factor to be controlled for the occupants' health and comfort. The majority of the monitoring systems presently available is very expensive and only allow to collect random samples. This work describes the system (iAQ), a low-cost indoor air quality monitoring wireless sensor network system, developed using Arduino, XBee modules and micro sensors, for storage and availability of monitoring data on a web portal in real time. Five micro sensors of environmental parameters (air temperature, humidity, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and luminosity) were used. Other sensors can be added for monitoring specific pollutants. The results reveal that the system can provide an effective indoor air quality assessment to prevent exposure risk. In fact, the indoor air quality may be extremely different compared to what is expected for a quality living environment. Systems like this would have benefit as public health interventions to reduce the burden of symptoms and diseases related to "sick buildings".

Dynamic metabolism modelling of urban water services--demonstrating effectiveness as a decision-support tool for Oslo, Norway.

Science.gov (United States)

Venkatesh, G; Sægrov, Sveinung; Brattebø, Helge

2014-09-15

Urban water services are challenged from many perspectives and different stakeholders demand performance improvements along economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainability. In response, urban water utilities systematically give more attention to criteria such as water safety, climate change adaptation and mitigation, environmental life cycle assessment (LCA), total cost efficiency, and on how to improve their operations within the water-energy-carbon nexus. The authors of this paper collaborated in the development of a 'Dynamic Metabolism Model' (DMM). The model is developed for generic use in the sustainability assessment of urban water services, and it has been initially tested for the city of Oslo, Norway. The purpose has been to adopt a holistic systemic perspective to the analysis of metabolism and environmental impacts of resource flows in urban water and wastewater systems, in order to offer a tool for the examination of future strategies and intervention options in such systems. This paper describes the model and its application to the city of Oslo for the analysis time period 2013-2040. The external factors impacting decision-making and interventions are introduced along with realistic scenarios developed for the testing, after consultation with officials at the Oslo Water and Wastewater Works (Norway). Possible interventions that the utility intends to set in motion are defined and numerically interpreted for incorporation into the model, and changes in the indicator values over the time period are determined. This paper aims to demonstrate the effectiveness and usefulness of the DMM, as a decision-support tool for water-wastewater utilities. The scenarios considered and interventions identified do not include all possible scenarios and interventions that can be relevant for water-wastewater utilities. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Monocular Vision SLAM for Indoor Aerial Vehicles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Koray Çelik

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a novel indoor navigation and ranging strategy via monocular camera. By exploiting the architectural orthogonality of the indoor environments, we introduce a new method to estimate range and vehicle states from a monocular camera for vision-based SLAM. The navigation strategy assumes an indoor or indoor-like manmade environment whose layout is previously unknown, GPS-denied, representable via energy based feature points, and straight architectural lines. We experimentally validate the proposed algorithms on a fully self-contained microaerial vehicle (MAV with sophisticated on-board image processing and SLAM capabilities. Building and enabling such a small aerial vehicle to fly in tight corridors is a significant technological challenge, especially in the absence of GPS signals and with limited sensing options. Experimental results show that the system is only limited by the capabilities of the camera and environmental entropy.

Normal and seasonally amplified indoor radon levels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gammage, R.B.; Dudney, C.S.; Wilson, D.L.; King, D.

1995-01-01

Winter and summer indoor radon measurements are reported for 121 houses in Freehold, New Jersey. When presented as winter:summer ratios of indoor radon, the data closely approximate a lognormal distribution. The geometric mean is 1.49. Freehold is located on the fairly flat coastal plain. The winter:summer ratios are believed to represent the norm for regions of the U.S. with cold winters and hot summers. The Freehold data set can be compared to corresponding data sets from other locations to suggest seasonal perturbations of indoor radon arising from unusual causes

Antimicrobial Treatments of Indoor Mold and Bacteria

Science.gov (United States)

Biological contaminants especially mold in buildings are known to act as sources of indoor air pollution, discomfort, asthma and pulmonary disease to building occupants. Sick buildings are evidence of extremely problematic indoor air quality (IAQ), often resulting from unacceptab...

Radiochemical analysis of fallout in Norway

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bergh, H; Finstad, G; Lund, L; Michelsen, O; Ottar, B

1957-01-01

Data are tabulated on the concentration of radioactive iodine and strontium in samples of milk, and radioactive strontium and cesium in samples of drinking water collected in Norway, January to May 1957.

Radiochemical analysis of fallout in Norway

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bergh, H; Finstad, G; Lund, L; Michelsen, O; Ottar, B

1957-01-01

Data are tabulated on the concentration of radioactive iodine, strontium, and cesium in samples of milk and radioactive strontium and cesium in samples of drinking water collected in Norway during June 1957.

NORPERM, the Norwegian Permafrost Database - a TSP NORWAY IPY legacy

Science.gov (United States)

Juliussen, H.; Christiansen, H. H.; Strand, G. S.; Iversen, S.; Midttømme, K.; Rønning, J. S.

2010-10-01

NORPERM, the Norwegian Permafrost Database, was developed at the Geological Survey of Norway during the International Polar Year (IPY) 2007-2009 as the main data legacy of the IPY research project Permafrost Observatory Project: A Contribution to the Thermal State of Permafrost in Norway and Svalbard (TSP NORWAY). Its structural and technical design is described in this paper along with the ground temperature data infrastructure in Norway and Svalbard, focussing on the TSP NORWAY permafrost observatory installations in the North Scandinavian Permafrost Observatory and Nordenskiöld Land Permafrost Observatory, being the primary data providers of NORPERM. Further developments of the database, possibly towards a regional database for the Nordic area, are also discussed. The purpose of NORPERM is to store ground temperature data safely and in a standard format for use in future research. The IPY data policy of open, free, full and timely release of IPY data is followed, and the borehole metadata description follows the Global Terrestrial Network for Permafrost (GTN-P) standard. NORPERM is purely a temperature database, and the data is stored in a relation database management system and made publically available online through a map-based graphical user interface. The datasets include temperature time series from various depths in boreholes and from the air, snow cover, ground-surface or upper ground layer recorded by miniature temperature data-loggers, and temperature profiles with depth in boreholes obtained by occasional manual logging. All the temperature data from the TSP NORWAY research project is included in the database, totalling 32 temperature time series from boreholes, 98 time series of micrometeorological temperature conditions, and 6 temperature depth profiles obtained by manual logging in boreholes. The database content will gradually increase as data from previous and future projects are added. Links to near real-time permafrost temperatures, obtained

Very volatile organic compounds: An understudied class of indoor air pollutants: Keynote: Indoor Air 2014

OpenAIRE

Salthammer, T.

2016-01-01

Very volatile organic compounds (VVOCs), as categorized by the WHO, are an important subgroup of indoor pollutants and cover a wide spectrum of chemical substances. Some VVOCs are components of products commonly used indoors, some result from chemical reactions and some are reactive precursors of secondary products. Nevertheless, there is still no clear and internationally accepted definition of VVOCs. Current approaches are based on the boiling point, and the saturation vapor pressure or ref...

Radioactive fallout in Norway from the Chernobyl accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strand, P.

1994-01-01

The Chernobyl accident had considerable consequences for Norway. Except for the areas in the former USSR, around Chernobyl some areas in Norway received fallout which gave the highest contamination levels. The natural and semi natural ecosystems will produce food products with high activity levels of radiocesium for several decennium. Cost-effective countermeasures were implemented, and they reduced the doses considerable, especially for critical groups. Doses received over the next 50 years will probably cause cancer in 500 persons. 63 refs., 5 figs., 6 tabs

Education of indoor enviromental engineering technology

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kic, P.; Zajíček, Milan

2011-01-01

Roč. 9, Spec. 1 (2011), s. 83-90 ISSN 1406-894X. [Biosystems Engineering 2011. Tartu, 12.05.2011-13.05.2011] Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506 Keywords : Biosystems engineering * indoor environment * study * programs Subject RIV: AM - Education http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2011/VS/zajicek-education of indoor enviromental engineering technology.pdf

Assessment of the impact of oxidation processes on indoor air pollution using the new time-resolved INCA-Indoor model

Science.gov (United States)

Mendez, Maxence; Blond, Nadège; Blondeau, Patrice; Schoemaecker, Coralie; Hauglustaine, Didier A.

2015-12-01

INCA-Indoor, a new indoor air quality (IAQ) model, has been developed to simulate the concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and oxidants considering indoor air specific processes such as: emission, ventilation, surface interactions (sorption, deposition, uptake). Based on the detailed version of SAPRC-07 chemical mechanism, INCA-Indoor is able to analyze the contribution of the production and loss pathways of key chemical species (VOCs, oxidants, radical species). The potential of this model has been tested through three complementary analyses: a comparison with the most detailed IAQ model found in the literature, focusing on oxidant species; realistic scenarios covering a large range of conditions, involving variable OH sources like HONO; and the investigation of alkenes ozonolysis under a large range of indoor conditions that can increase OH and HO2 concentrations. Simulations have been run changing nitrous acid (HONO) concentrations, NOx levels, photolysis rates and ventilation rates, showing that HONO can be the main source of indoor OH. Cleaning events using products containing D-limonene have been simulated at different periods of the day. These scenarios show that HOX concentrations can significantly increase in specific conditions. An assessment of the impact of indoor chemistry on the potential formation of secondary species such as formaldehyde (HCHO) and acetaldehyde (CH3CHO) has been carried out under various room configuration scenarios and a study of the HOx budget for different realistic scenarios has been performed. It has been shown that, under the simulation conditions, formaldehyde can be affected by oxidant concentrations via chemical production which can account for more than 10% of the total production, representing 6.5 ppb/h. On the other hand, acetaldehyde production is affected more by oxidation processes. When the photolysis rates are high, chemical processes are responsible for about 50% of the total production of

Indoor Chemistry: Materials, Ventilation Systems, and Occupant Activities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morrison, G.C.; Corsi, R.L.; Destaillats, H.; Nazaroff, W.W.; Wells, J.R.

2006-05-01

Chemical processes taking place in indoor environments can significantly alter the nature and concentrations of pollutants. Exposure to secondary contaminants generated in these reactions needs to be evaluated in association with many aspects of buildings to minimize their impact on occupant health and well-being. Focusing on indoor ozone chemistry, we describe alternatives for improving indoor air quality by controlling chemical changes related to building materials, ventilation systems, and occupant activities.

Allegheny County Clean Indoor Air Act Exemptions

Data.gov (United States)

Allegheny County / City of Pittsburgh / Western PA Regional Data Center — List and location of all the businesses and social clubs who have received an exemption from the Pennsylvania Clean Indoor Air Act. “The Clean Indoor Air Act, Act...

Evaluation of Spectrum Usage for GSM band in Indoor and Outdoor Scenario for Dynamic Spectrum Access

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Patil, Kishor P.; Barge, Snehal; Skouby, Knud Erik

2013-01-01

, and transmit power. Several measurements have shown that the current spectrum is inefficiently utilized. The inefficient utilization problem can be solved with the help of Dynamic Spectrum Access. This paper describes the GSM band measurement conducted at different locations. In this paper, we report detailed...... measurement results of GSM band including statistical as well as spectral occupancy details obtained from measurement campaign conducted in Pune, India for indoor and outdoor scenarios. The results can be further used as an input for spectrum regulator for considering Cognitive Radio (CR) operation in GSM...

Indoor Air Pollution

Science.gov (United States)

We usually think of air pollution as being outdoors, but the air in your house or office could also be polluted. Sources of indoor pollution include Mold and pollen Tobacco smoke Household products ...

King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway visit CERN

CERN Multimedia

Maximilien Brice

2006-01-01

Norway's King Harald V and Queen Sonja take a tour of the ATLAS detector with CERN's Director-General Robert Aymar in April 2006. During their visit the royal party met with members of CERN's Norwegian community. A group of about 40 students greeted the royal motorcade with a belting rendition of 'The King's Song', Norway's royal anthem.

ABOUT THE SUBDIVISION OF INDOOR SPACES IN INDOORGML

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. A. Diakité

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Boosted by the dynamic urbanization of cities, indoor environments are getting more and more complex in order to be able to host people properly. While most of our time is spent inside buildings, the need of GIS tools to assist our daily activities that can become tedious, such as indoor navigation or facility management, became more and more urgent. In that perspective, the IndoorGML standard is aiming to address the gaps left by other standards regarding the spatial modelling for indoor navigation. It includes several concepts such as the organization of the spaces into cells along with their network representation and the possibility to represent multiple connected layers. However, being at its first stage, several concepts of the standard could be improved. One of these is the cell subspacing that is not enough discussed in the current version of the standard. In this paper, we explore all the aspects involved in the subdivision process, from the identification of the navigable and non-navigable space cells to the generation of a navigation graph. We propose several criteria on which the indoor sub-spacing can rely to be automatically performed and and illustrate them on a 3D indoor model.

Health effects and sources of indoor air pollution. Part I

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samet, J.M.; Marbury, M.C.; Spengler, J.D.

1987-01-01

Since the early 1970s, the health effects of indoor air pollution have been investigated with increasing intensity. Consequently, a large body of literature is now available on diverse aspects of indoor air pollution: sources, concentrations, health effects, engineering, and policy. This review begins with a review of the principal pollutants found in indoor environments and their sources. Subsequently, exposure to indoor air pollutants and health effects are considered, with an emphasis on those indoor air quality problems of greatest concern at present: passive exposure to tobacco smoke, nitrogen dioxide from gas-fueled cooking stoves, formaldehyde exposure, radon daughter exposure, and the diverse health problems encountered by workers in newer sealed office buildings. The review concludes by briefly addressing assessment of indoor air quality, control technology, research needs, and clinical implications. 243 references

Microbiological assessment of indoor air of teaching hospital wards ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Thus, the objective of this study is to provide fundamental data related to the microbial quality of indoor air of Jimma University Specialized Hospital wards, to estimate the health hazard and to create standards for indoor air quality control. METHODS: The microbial quality of indoor air of seven wards of Jimma University ...

Characterization of indoor bioaerosols from a hospital ward in a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Characterization of indoor bioaerosols from a hospital ward in a tropical ... assessment of indoor air quality and determine pathogenic microorganisms due to particle fall-out. Key words: Indoor air, bioaerosols, hospital ward, tropical setting ...

A Study on Public Opinion Poll and Policy on Indoor Air Pollution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, K.S.; Lee, H.S.; Kong, S.Y.; Ku, H.J. [Korea Environment Institute, Seoul (Korea)

2001-12-01

The purpose of this study is to review previous studies on indoor air pollution and to propose national strategies and policy measures for protecting public health from indoor air pollution based on the results of public survey research. Indoor air has the potential to be polluted by hazardous materials that might lead to serious health problems. It is well known that the indoor spaces are more polluted than outdoor ones, which can be a major health problem for those that live in urban areas who spend most of their time indoors. In Korea, studies on indoor air pollution are usually conducted under the auspices of academic research, which only focus on particular types of indoor spaces and certain concepts of indoor air quality. Thus, at present, the studies on the policies or policy measures concerning indoor air quality management are difficult to find in the country. The governmental agencies that are presently involved in the management of indoor air quality include: the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Construction and Transportation, Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development, and Ministry of Environment. However, due to differing regulatory standards between the concerned agencies, the national management of indoor air quality has so far proven to be ineffective. Although the Ministry of Environment recently proposed a law to manage indoor air quality, it is only focuses on managing particular types of indoor spaces not regulated by other governmental bodies and is not effective in the effort towards a national managing system for indoor air pollution. According to a survey conducted by the Korea Environment Institute (KEI), the residents of the Seoul metropolitan area have been felt that environmental pollution negatively affects their health, and especially consider outdoor air pollution to be the most harmful type of pollution. Although these urban residents spend more than 20 hours a day indoors, the survey shows that they do not

Challenges for developing national climate services – Poland and Norway

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zbigniew W. Kundzewicz

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This contribution discusses the challenges for developing national climate services in two countries with high fossil fuel production – Poland (coal and Norway (oil and gas. Both countries, Poland and Norway, have highly developed weather services, but largely differ on climate services. Since empirical and dynamical downscaling of climate models started in Norway over 20 years ago and meteorological and hydrological institutions in Oslo and Bergen have been collaborating on tailoring and disseminating downscaled climate projections to the Norwegian society, climate services are now well developed in Norway. The Norwegian Centre for Climate Services (NCCS was established in 2011. In contrast, climate services in Poland, in the international understanding, do not exist. Actually, Poland is not an exception, as compared to other Central and Eastern European countries, many of which neither have their national climate services, nor are really interested in European climate services disseminated via common EU initiatives. It is worth posing a question – can Poland learn from Norway as regards climate services? This contribution is based on results of the CHASE-PL (Climate change impact assessment for selected sectors in Poland project, carried out in the framework of the Polish – Norwegian Research Programme. The information generated within the Polish-Norwegian CHASE-PL project that is being broadly disseminated in Poland can be considered as a substitute for information delivered in other countries by climate services.

HVAC design guidelines for effective indoor air quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bladykas, M.P.

1993-01-01

Building owners, designers and occupants need to consider all the design measures that contribute to high indoor air quality. Building occupants, furnishings, equipment, and ambient air pollution all contribute to surmounting indoor air quality concerns. However, these can be minimized by following HVAC design guidelines which promote high indoor air quality while maintaining reasonable energy-efficiency. The possible liabilities and loss of business productivity due to air quality problems are too great to ignore

An assessment of ecological and case-control methods for estimating lung cancer risk due to indoor radon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stidley, C.A.; Samet, J.M.

1992-01-01

Studies of underground miners indicate that indoor radon is an important cause of lung cancer. This finding has raised concern that exposure to radon also causes lung cancer in the general population. Epidemiological studies, including both case-control and ecological approaches, have directly addressed the risks of indoor residential radon; many more case-control studies are in progress. Ecological studies that associate lung-cancer rates with typical indoor radon levels in various geographic areas have not consistently shown positive associations. The results of purportedly negative ecological studies have been used as a basis for questioning the hazards of indoor radon exposure. Because of potentially serious methodologic flaws for testing hypotheses, we examined the ecological method as a tool for assessing lung-cancer risk from indoor radon exposure. We developed a simulation approach that utilizes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) radon survey data to assign exposures to individuals within counties. Using the computer-generated data, we compared risk estimates obtained by ecological regression methods with those obtained from other regression methods and with the open-quotes trueclose quotes risks used to generate the data. For many of these simulations, the ecological models, while fitting the summary data well, gave risk estimates that differed considerably from the true risks. For some models, the risk estimates were negatively correlated with exposure, although the assumed relationship was positive. Attempts to improve the ecological models by adding smoking variables, including interaction terms, did not always improve the estimates of risk, which are easily affected by model misspecification. Because exposure situations used in the simulations are realistic, our results show that ecological methods may not accurately estimate the lung-cancer risk associated with indoor radon exposure

Energy Efficiency in Norway 1990-2000

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosenberg, Eva

2003-06-01

This is the national report for Norway in the EU/SAVE project ''Indicators for Energy Efficiency Monitoring and Target setting (ODYSSEE)''. The report deals with energy use and energy efficiency in Norway 1990-2000 (2001 for overall energy use). Final energy use per Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was reduced by approximately 1.9% pr year in the period 1990 to 2001. The energy efficiency improvement has been calculated to 0.6% pr year, while the role of structural changes has been 1.3% pr year. A detailed sector analysis has been done, applying Laspeyres indices to attribute changes in energy use to activity, structure or intensity (efficiency). Aggregating sectors, we have found a total efficiency improvement of approximately 11 TWh from 1990 to 2000. (author)

Cumulative Risk of Bovine Mastitis Treatments in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden

OpenAIRE

Valde, JP; Lawson, LG; Lindberg, A; Agger, JF; Saloniemi, H; Østerås, O

2004-01-01

Data from the national dairy cow recording systems during 1997 were used to calculate lactation-specific cumulative risk of mastitis treatments and cumulative risk of removal from the herds in Denmark, Finland Norway and Sweden. Sweden had the lowest risk of recorded mastitis treatments during 305 days of lactation and Norway had the highest risk. The incidence risk of recorded mastitis treatments during 305 days of lactation in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden was 0.177, 0.139, 0.215 and...

ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN SEASONAL SLEEP CHANGE AND INDOOR TANNING1,2

OpenAIRE

CULNAN, ELIZABETH; KLOSS, JACQUELINE D.; DARLOW, SUSAN; HECKMAN, CAROLYN J.

2015-01-01

Identification of risk factors for indoor tanning may ultimately aid the development of better indoor tanning prevention strategies, which is pertinent given the association between indoor tanning and skin cancer. This study aimed to examine the relationship between seasonal sleep change and indoor tanning. Women tanners (N= 139) completed self-report measures including items relating to seasonal sleep changes, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), reasons for tanning, tanning during the winter ...

[Indoor air pollution in southeast Santiago, Chile].

Science.gov (United States)

Pino, P; Oyarzún, M; Walter, T; von Baer, D; Romieu, I

1998-04-01

Indoor air pollution could play an important role in the susceptibility to respiratory diseases of vulnerable individuals, such as elders and infants. To evaluate indoor air pollution in a low income population of South East Santiago. A domiciliary survey of contaminant sources was carried out in the bouses of a cohort of 522 children less than one year old. Using a case-control design, 121 children consulting for respiratory diseases were considered as cases and 131 healthy infants of the same age and sex were considered as controls. In the houses of both groups, active monitors for particulate matter (PM10) and passive monitors for NO2 were installed. Forty two percent of fathers and 30% of mothers were smokers, and in two thirds of the families there was at least one smoker. Eighty five percent used portable heaters in winter. Of these, 77% used kerosene as fuel. Only 27% had water heating appliances. The rest heated water on the kitchen store or on bonfires. Most kitchen stoves used liquid gas as fuel. Twenty four hour PM10 was 109 +/- 3.2 micrograms/m3. Mean indoor and outdoor NO2 in 24 h was 108 +/- 76.3 and 84 +/- 53.6 micrograms/m3 respectively. Indoor NO2 levels were related to the use of heating devices and smoking. No differences in PM10 and NO2 levels were observed between cases and controls. There is a clear relationship between indoor pollution and contaminating sources. Indoor NO2 levels are higher than outdoors.

Indoor climate optimization with limited resources

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Santos, A.; Gunnarsen, Lars Bo

This report presents experimental data and models for optimisation of the indoor climate parameters temperature, noise, draught and window opening. Results are based on experiments with human subjects performed in climate chambers at University of the Philippines. The report may assist building...... designers to balance attention and resources between the parameters of the indoor climate when resources are less than optimal....

Predicting Early Center Care Utilization in a Context of Universal Access

Science.gov (United States)

Zachrisson, Henrik Daae; Janson, Harald; Naerde, Ane

2013-01-01

This paper reports predictors for center care utilization prior to 18 months of age in Norway, a country with a welfare system providing up to one-year paid parental leave and universal access to subsidized and publicly regulated center care. A community sample of 1103 families was interviewed about demographics, family, and child characteristics…

A Breath of Fresh Air: Addressing Indoor Air Quality

Science.gov (United States)

Palliser, Janna

2011-01-01

Indoor air pollution refers to "chemical, biological, and physical contamination of indoor air," which may result in adverse health effects (OECD 2003). The causes, sources, and types of indoor air pollutants will be addressed in this article, as well as health effects and how to reduce exposure. Learning more about potential pollutants in home…

Safety assessment of indoor live fire range, May 1989

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1989-05-01

The following Safety Assessment (SA) pertains to the indoor live fire range (LFR) at EG&G Mound Applied Technology plant. The purpose of the indoor LFR is to conduct training with live ammunition for all designated personnel. The SA examines the risks that are attendant to the operation of an indoor LFR for this purpose.

Radon and aldehyde concentrations in the indoor environment. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moschandreas, D.J.; Rector, H.E.

1981-04-01

Findings regarding indoor air contaminants in the energy-efficient residence (EER) in Mt. Airy, Maryland are reported. The objectives of the study were to collect and analyze relevant air quality samples (specifically radon and aldehydes), characterize the indoor air quality with respect to radon and aldehydes, and develop relationships between air infiltration rates and contaminant levels. One-fifth of the measured formaldehyde concentrations were in the range that may cause health concerns. Although indoor temperature and relative humidity affect indoor HCHO concentration, the elevated formaldehyde concentrations were measured under very low air infiltration rates. The data show that ventilation of the indoor air space is somewhat effective in reducing high HCHO concentrations. The operation of the heat exchanger led to an increase of the air infiltration rate which in turn resulted in substantial reduction of formaldehyde concentrations. A considerable number of the collected samples of indoor air displayed radon concentrations at levels higher than 1.0 to 4.0 nCim -3 (assuming an equilibrium factor of 0.5, these radon levels would correspond to working levels above the health guidelines suggested by the US EPA for homes in Florida built on land reclaimed from phosphate mining). As in the case of indoor formaldehyde concentrations, elevated indoor concentrations are substantially reduced when the infiltration rate is increased. The data base shows that the use of the air to air heat exchanger leads to reduction of indoor radon concentration by increasing the residential ventilation rate

Towards Indoor Transportation Mode Detection using Mobile Sensing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Prentow, Thor Siiger; Blunck, Henrik; Kjærgaard, Mikkel Baun

2015-01-01

Transportation mode detection is a growing field of research, in which a variety of methods have been developed for detecting transportation modes foremost for outdoor travels. It has been employed in application areas such as public transportation, environmental footprint profiling, and context......-aware mobile assistants. For indoor travels the problem of transportation mode detection has received comparatively little attention, even though diverse transportation modes, such as biking, electric vehicles, and scooters, are used indoors, especially in large building complexes. The potential applications...... are diverse, may also extend beyond indoor variants of the above outdoor applications, and include, e.g., scheduling and progress tracking for mobile workers, management of vehicular resources, and navigation support. However, for indoor transportation mode detection, both the physical environment as well...

Factors influencing indoor concentrations of radon and daughter products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Hengde

1985-01-01

The correlation between indoor concentrations of 222 Rn and its daughters and some influencing factors is discussed and expressions of concentrations are derived with relation to radon exhalation rate from indoor surfaces, air exchange rate and daughter deposition velocities on indoor surfaces. Experimental methods for determining radon exhalation rate, air exchange rate and daughter deposition velocities are also mentioned

Current implications of past DDT indoor spraying in Oman.

Science.gov (United States)

Booij, Petra; Holoubek, Ivan; Klánová, Jana; Kohoutek, Jiří; Dvorská, Alice; Magulová, Katarína; Al-Zadjali, Said; Čupr, Pavel

2016-04-15

In Oman, DDT was sprayed indoors during an intensive malaria eradication program between 1976 and 1992. DDT can remain for years after spraying and is associated with potential health risk. This raises the concern for human exposure in areas where DDT was used for indoor spraying. Twelve houses in three regions with a different history of DDT indoor spraying were chosen for a sampling campaign in 2005 to determine p,p'-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (p,p'-DDT), p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE) and p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane (p,p'-DDD) levels in indoor air, dust, and outdoor soil. Although DDT was only sprayed indoor, p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDE and p,p'-DDD were also found in outdoor soil. The results indicate that release and exposure continue for years after cessation of spraying. The predicted cancer risk based on concentrations determined in 2005, indicate that there was still a significant cancer risk up to 13 to 16years after indoor DDT spraying. A novel approach, based on region-specific half-lives, was used to predict concentrations in 2015 and showed that more than 21years after spraying, cancer risk for exposure to indoor air, dust, and outdoor soil are acceptable in Oman for adults and young children. The model can be used for other locations and countries to predict prospective exposure of contaminants based on indoor experimental measurements and knowledge about the spraying time-schedule to extrapolate region-specific half-lives and predict effects on the human population years after spraying. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Indoor Air Quality and Asthma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert Golden

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Numerous contaminants in indoor air and their potential to cause or exacerbate asthma continue to be a subject of public health concern. Many agents are causally associated with or can exacerbate asthma, particularly in children. For formaldehyde, an established respiratory irritant based on numerous studies, the evidence for an association with asthma is still considered only limited or suggestive. However, there is no evidence that indicates increased sensitivity to sensory irritation to formaldehyde in people often regarded as susceptible such as asthmatics. Acrolein, but not formaldehyde, was significantly associated with asthma in a large cohort of children. This prompted an evaluation of this highly irritating chemical that had never previously been considered in the context of the indoor air/childhood asthma issue. Because acrolein is more potent than formaldehyde as a respiratory irritant and ubiquitous in indoor air, it is plausible that previous studies on potential risk factors and childhood asthma may be confounded by formaldehyde acting as an unrecognized proxy for acrolein.

EML indoor radon workshop, 1982

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

George, A.C.; Lowder, W.; Fisenne, I.; Knutson, E.O.; Hinchliffe, L.

1983-07-01

A workshop on indoor radon, held at the Environmental Measurements Laboratory (EML) on November 30 and December 1, 1982, covered recent developments in radon daughter research and development. Thirty papers were presented dealing with standardization and quality assurance measurement methods, surveys, measurements strategy, physical mechanisms of radon and radon daughter transport and development of guidance standards for indoor exposures. The workshop concluded with a planning session that identified the following needs: (1) national and international intercomparisons of techniques for measuring radon and radon daughter concentrations, working level and radon exhalation flux density; (2) development and refinement of practical measurement techniques for thoron and its daughter products; (3) quantitative definition of the sources of indoor radon and the mechanisms of transport into structures; (4) better knowledge of the physical properties of radon daughters; (5) more complete and accurate data on the population exposure to radon, which can only be met by broadly based surveys; and (6) more international cooperation and information exchange among countries with major research programs

The effects of vegetation on indoor thermal comfort

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pastore, Luisa; Corrao, Rossella; Heiselberg, Per Kvols

2017-01-01

Highlights •A multi-scale simulation methodology to assess the effects of vegetation on thermal comfort is used. •It application is shown on a case of urban and building retrofit intervention. •The effect of plants on the microclimate and indoor environment is assessed. •A decrease of up to 4.8 °C...... in indoor temperature is registered. •The final impact on the indoor thermal comfort based on the adaptive model is determined....

Light fidelity (LI-FI) based indoor communication system

OpenAIRE

Aftab, Farooq; khan, Muhammad Nafees Ulfat; Ali, Shahzad

2016-01-01

Indoor wireless communication is an essential part of next generation wireless communication system.For an indoor communication number of users and their device are increasing very rapidly so as a result capacity of frequency spectrum to accommodate further users in future is limited and also it would be difficult for service providers to provide more user reliable and high speed communication so this short come can be solve in future by using Li-Fi based indoor communication syst...

Polar Bears, Hot Coffee, Wireless Schools, and Much More: Teaching American Studies in Norway

Science.gov (United States)

Potter, Lee Ann

2010-01-01

In this article, the author shares her experience and her observations as a Roving Scholar of American Studies in Norway through the Norway Fulbright Foundation grant. The author visited upper secondary schools all over Norway, teaching lessons to both students and teachers on topics related to U.S. history, government, culture, and geography. She…

LNG imports from Norway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roland, K.

1989-01-01

This paper is organized as follows: The first section outlines Norway's petroleum reserves and relates reserves of natural gas to potential markets. Then the paper focuses on specific fields or areas that could be devoted partly or mainly to service the US natural gas market. Finally, some indications are given of costs involved in field development, liquefaction and transportation and some very preliminary conclusions are arrived upon

Evaluation of the Indoor Environment in the Comfort Houses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brunsgaard, Camilla; Heiselberg, Per; Knudstrup, Mary-Ann

2012-01-01

and in a process of doing so, it is important to maintain a good and healthy indoor environment and not on the expense of it. One way of saving energy is to build passive houses. This paper presents the result of a case study of some of the first certified passive houses in Denmark, called the Comfort Houses....... The paper evaluates the indoor environment through both quantitative measurements in the houses and qualitative interviews with the occupants about their experiences of the indoor environment. Two set of knowledge which together gives a more complete and holistic picture of the indoor environment. The study...

EVALUATION OF AIR PURIFICATION DEVICES FOR CONTROL OF INDOOR PM

Science.gov (United States)

Because people spend most of their time indoors (89%), the indoor environment is a primary determinant of particle exposure. The indoor environment is especially an important determinant for the very young, the very old, and those with underlying cardiopulmonary disease because...

["Look to Norway"--but for how long?].

Science.gov (United States)

Haug, Jon Birger; Raastad, Ragnhild; Berild, Dag

2010-08-12

Internationally, Norway receives positive attention mainly in the context of Winter Olympics or peace initiatives. However, an Associated Press article recently suggested that the Norwegian health care system had "found the Solution to Killer Superbug". Furthermore, Norway was proclaimed "The Most Infection Free Country in the World". What my be the reality behind such headlines, and how shall we as a nation maintain a favourable situation? Physicians in Scandinavian countries and the Netherlands have a long tradition for modest prescription of antibiotics, and are trained to use agents with a narrow antimicrobial spectre whenever possible. This is probably the main reason why these countries have had less antibiotic resistance than others. The number of antibiotics marketed in a country correlates positively with total drug consumption. Until 1992, Norwegian authorities could reject marketing of new compounds if national experts found no medical need for them. The foresight of senior colleagues has led to the number of marketed antibiotics in Norway, even today, being 10-fold lower than in some other European countries. The national surveillance programme, NORM, reports antimicrobial resistance in human pathogens on an annual basis. For example, national levels of MRSA and ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae are still very low whereas ampicillin and ciprofloxacin resistance in E coli and high- level gentamicin resistance in enterococci cause some concern. Norway has well-established epidemiological surveillance systems in the fields of microbiology and infectious diseases. Nevertheless, more knowledge is needed on how antibiotics are used in hospitals. Two national strategic plans (since 2003) have emphasized the explicit importance of antibiotic surveillance to counteract future antibiotic resistance problems. To fulfil national ambitions, there is an urgent need for economic grants to this field; the human resources are there and as eager to start as Olympic

Postpartum Depression Among Somali Women in Norway.

Science.gov (United States)

Løvlie, Astrid Louise; Madar, Ahmed Ali

2017-06-01

Postpartum depression (PPD) has been described as the most common complication experienced postpartum, affecting about 10-15 % of all new mothers. Factors like a history of mental illness, and experienced recent adverse life events has been associated with an increased risk for developing PPD. Immigrant women in Western countries have been found to have a marked higher prevalence of PPD compared to the general population. In Norway the prevalence of PPD in the general population has been found to be around 8-10 %, and among Pakistani immigrants a rate of 7.6 % was found. Somali people in Norway are the second largest immigrant group in Norway with a non-Western background. No study on PPD and associated factors among Somali women has been found in the literature. The aim of the study was to assess PPD and associated factors among Somali women in greater Oslo region, Norway. A cross-sectional survey was conducted; recruiting new mothers through all maternity wards in the Oslo region. Data was collected with interview-administrated questionnaires. PPD was assessed using Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), defining those scoring ≥10 to have a possible PPD. Of the 80 eligible women identified, 39 (49 %) consented to participate, and completed the study. Of the 39 respondents 3 (7.7 %) were assessed to have a possible PPD. Most important associated factors found were history of mental illness, having experienced technical assistance during delivery, self-rated health and experienced economical problems last 12 months. A low prevalence of PPD was found, and both the prevalence and its associated factors should be interpreted with caution. The associated factors do not have enough power to give any strength to the associations. However, some of the results can be used in develop new hypotheses with regard to PPD among Somali women as immigrants in a Western society.

CFD simulation research on residential indoor air quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Li; Ye, Miao; He, Bao-Jie

2014-02-15

Nowadays people are excessively depending on air conditioning to create a comfortable indoor environment, but it could cause some health problems in a long run. In this paper, wind velocity field, temperature field and air age field in a bedroom with wall-hanging air conditioning running in summer are analyzed by CFD numerical simulation technology. The results show that wall-hanging air conditioning system can undertake indoor heat load and conduct good indoor thermal comfort. In terms of wind velocity, air speed in activity area where people sit and stand is moderate, most of which cannot feel wind flow and meet the summer indoor wind comfort requirement. However, for air quality, there are local areas without ventilation and toxic gases not discharged in time. Therefore it is necessary to take effective measures to improve air quality. Compared with the traditional measurement method, CFD software has many advantages in simulating indoor environment, so it is hopeful for humans to create a more comfortable, healthy living environment by CFD in the future. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The right to healthy indoor air: Status by 2002

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mølhave, Lars; Krzyzanowski, M.

2003-01-01

. The discussions and statements are available as a WHO report. It informs the individuals and groups responsible for healthy indoor air about their rights and obligations, and empowers the general public by making people familiar with those rights. One year after their publication the statements have been adopted......One of the reasons for the inadequate quality of indoor air arises from the poor articulation, appreciation and understanding of basic principles underlying the policies and actions related to indoor air quality. A WHO Working Group derived nine statements on rights to healthy indoor air...... as the base for future regulation and guidance. The Board of Directors of the International Society of Indoor Air Quality (ISIAQ) and the participants of two international conferences endorse the use of the statements. No opposition to the statements have been registered. The statements have entered curricula...

Status of the indoor climate labelling scheme in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Witterseh, Thomas

2002-01-01

The impartial Indoor Climate Labelling, ICL, originally introduced in Denmark to reduce emissions from building materials and products used in the indoor environment, is still developing and consolidating its position. The ICL benefits from an expansion of the product areas covered and a still...... increasing number of labelled products. The product area of furniture is now included, making a total of ten different product areas. Approximately 100 different groups of products are included, which individually covers a number of specific products. An increasing number of manufacturers apply...... for the Indoor Climate Label, due to a growing concern about the indoor environment among architects, consulting and planning engineers and private consumers. This shows that the concept is now working as originally intended. A goal for the ICL is to develop a method for labelling of the overall indoor...

Norway; Staff Report for the 2001 Article IV Consultation

OpenAIRE

International Monetary Fund

2002-01-01

This 2001 Article IV Consultation highlights that the real mainland (non-oil) GDP of Norway is estimated to have grown well below potential in 2001, at 1¼ percent. Although high oil prices supported household confidence and domestic activity through most of the year, the global slowdown has recently begun to affect Norway. Labor market conditions remain tight in service sectors, but weakened in technology and traditional export industries. Despite high domestic cost increases, consumer price ...

Occurrence, dynamics and reactions of organic pollutants in the indoor environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Salthammer, Tunga [Material Analysis and Indoor Chemistry, Fraunhofer Wilhelm-Klauditz Institut (WKI), Braunschweig (Germany); Bahadir, Muefit [Institut fuer Oekologische Chemie und Abfallanalytik, Technische Universitaet Braunschweig, Braunschweig (Germany)

2009-06-15

The indoor environment is a multidisciplinary scientific field involving chemistry, physics, biology, health sciences, architecture, building sciences and civil engineering. The need for reliable assessment of human exposure to indoor pollutants is attracting increasing attention. This, however, requires a detailed understanding of the relevant compounds, their sources, physical and chemical properties, dynamics, reactions, their distribution among the gas phase, airborne particles and settled dust as well as the availability of modern measurement techniques. Building products, furnishings and other indoor materials often emit volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds. With respect to a healthy indoor environment, only low emitting products, which do not influence indoor air quality in a negative way, should be used in a building. Therefore, materials and products for indoor use need to be evaluated for their chemical emissions. This is routinely done in test chambers and cells. Many studies have shown that the types of sources in occupational and residential indoor environments, the spectrum of emitting compounds and the duration of emission cover a wide range. The demand for standardized test methods under laboratory conditions has resulted in several guidelines for determination of emission rates. Furthermore, it has now been recognized that both primary and secondary emissions may affect indoor air quality. The problem may become more dominant when components of different materials can react with each other or when catalytic materials are applied. Such products derived from indoor related reactions may have a negative impact on indoor air quality due to their low odor threshold, health related properties or the formation of ultrafine particles. Several factors can influence the emission characteristics and numerous investigations have shown that indoor chemistry is of particular importance for the indoor related characterization of building product emissions

Investigation on Moisture and Indoor Environment in Eight Danish Houses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Kasper Risgaard; Jensen, Rasmus Lund; Nørgaard, Jesper

2011-01-01

then need to be ventilated actively either by natural or mechanical ventilation. Increased focus on energy reduction together with requirements for e.g. thermal comfort indoors may lead to reduced indoor air quality and moisture problems which in turn may cause mould problems. This paper describes...... an investigation of the indoor air quality, relative humidity and air change rate in eight Danish houses. The houses were selected as they are all having recurrent problems with condensation on the windows. The houses were built between 1930 and 2007. Some of them have been only slightly renovated where others......, to indoor air quality in terms of CO2 concentration, and to the use of the house in terms of the level of the relative humidity and indoor moisture excess. Furthermore, the moisture production in the houses was estimated and compared to values provided in the literature. A better indoor air quality...

Economic consequences of the Chernobyl accident in Norway in 1986 and 1987

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tveten, U.

1988-01-01

In the accident consequence assessment (ACA) area there is extensive cooperation between the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden), performed within the Nordic Safety Program, and partially funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers, via the Nordic Liaison Committee for Atomic Energy. One of the 17 projects in the ACA-related program area is concerned with the economic consequences of the Chernobyl accident in Finland, Norway, and Sweden. This paper is limited to describing conditions in Norway. There are areas in Norway where the Chernobyl fallout is >100 kBq/m 2 , and the total amount of radiocesium deposited over Norway is estimated by the National Institute for Radiation Hygiene to be 6% of the radiocesium released from the reactor. The areas where ground concentrations are highest are mostly in sparsely populated mountain areas. These areas are, however, important in connection with several nutritional pathways, notably, sheep, goats, reindeer, and freshwater fish. The purpose of this paper is to summarize information on mitigating actions and economic consequences of the deposited radioactive materials to Norwegian agriculture in the 1986-87 and 1987-88 slaughtering periods

Indoor environmental health

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Parsons, S

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Indoor Environmental Health (IEH) is a comprehensive term that includes the effects of quantity of air, light and noise in a space and the physical, physiological and psychological aspects from colours, aesthetics, services, outdoor climate...

Indoor environmental health

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Parsons, SA

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Indoor Environmental Health (IEH) is a comprehensive term that includes the effects of quantity of air, light and noise in a space and the physical, physiological and psychological aspects from colours, aesthetics, services, outdoor climate...

Diversity and taxonomy of Chaetomium and chaetomium-like fungi from indoor environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

X.W. Wang

2016-06-01

Full Text Available During a study of indoor fungi, 145 isolates belonging to Chaetomiaceae were cultured from air, swab and dust samples from 19 countries. Based on the phylogenetic analyses of DNA-directed RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (rpb2, β-tubulin (tub2, ITS and 28S large subunit (LSU nrDNA sequences, together with morphological comparisons with related genera and species, 30 indoor taxa are recognised, of which 22 represent known species, seven are described as new, and one remains to be identified to species level. In our collection, 69 % of the indoor isolates with six species cluster with members of the Chaetomium globosum species complex, representing Chaetomium sensu stricto. The other indoor species fall into nine lineages that are separated from each other with several known chaetomiaceous genera occurring among them. No generic names are available for five of those lineages, and the following new genera are introduced here: Amesia with three indoor species, Arcopilus with one indoor species, Collariella with four indoor species, Dichotomopilus with seven indoor species and Ovatospora with two indoor species. The generic concept of Botryotrichum is expanded to include Emilmuelleria and the chaetomium-like species B. muromum (= Ch. murorum in which two indoor species are included. The generic concept of Subramaniula is expanded to include several chaetomium-like taxa as well as one indoor species. Humicola is recognised as a distinct genus including two indoor taxa. According to this study, Ch. globosum is the most abundant Chaetomiaceae indoor species (74/145, followed by Ch. cochliodes (17/145, Ch. elatum (6/145 and B. piluliferum (5/145. The morphological diversity of indoor Chaetomiaceae as well as the morphological characteristics of the new genera are described and illustrated. This taxonomic study redefines the generic concept of Chaetomium and provides new insight into the phylogenetic relationships among different genera within

Radiochemical analysis of fallout in Norway

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bergh, H; Finstad, G; Lund, L; Michelsen, O; Ottar, B

1957-01-01

Data are tabulated on the concentration of radioactive iodine, strontium, and cesium in samples of milk collected in Norway in September 1957. Data are included from experiments on the purification of water contaminated with radioactive strontium and cesium.

Radiochemical analysis of fallout in Norway

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bergh, H; Finstad, G; Lund, L; Michelsen, O; Ottar, B

1957-01-01

Data are tabulated on the concentration of radioactive iodine and strontium in samples of milk, radioactive strontium and cesium in samples of drinking water, and radioactive strontium in tea and coffee preparations collected in Norway during May 1957.

Bluetooth Indoor Positioning System using Fingerprinting

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frost, Christian; Jensen, Casper Svenning; Luckow, Kasper Søe

2011-01-01

Indoor Positioning has been an active research area in the last decade, but so far, commercial Indoor Positioning Systems (IPSs) have been sparse. The main obstacle towards widely available IPSs has been the lack of appropriate, low cost technologies, that enable indoor positioning. While Wi-Fi...... infrastructures are ubiquitous, consumer-oriented Wi-Fi enabled mobile phones have been missing. Conversely, while Bluetooth technology is present in the vast majority of consumer mobile phones, Bluetooth infrastructures have been missing. Bluetooth infrastructures have typically been installed as part...... of complete hardware/software IPSs that often incur a substantial hardware cost. Furthermore, Bluetooth has low power consumption compared to Wi-Fi devices, which promotes longer battery life-time on mobile phones. In this paper, we present a Bluetooth IPS based entirely on commodity-grade products...

Indoor radon levels in coastal Karnataka

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Narayana, Y.; Radhakrishna, A.P.; Somashekarappa, H.M.; Karunakara, N.; Balakrishna, K.M.; Siddappa, K.

1995-01-01

Indoor radon levels have been measured in selected dwellings of coastal Karnataka using LR-115 type II peelable films and it is found to vary from 28.4 to 45.6 Bq m -3 with a geometric mean value of 35.7 Bq m -3 . The annual effective dose equivalent to the population of the region due to inhalation of radon was estimated from the measured data on radon level and is found to be in the range 1.9 - 3.1 mSv y -1 with a mean value 2.4 mSv y -1 . The correlation between indoor radon level and radium content in the underlying soil were studied. No definite correlation was observed to exist between indoor radon level and radium content in soil. (author). 24 refs., 2 tabs

Indoor air quality at nine shopping malls in Hong Kong.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, W M; Lee, S C; Chan, L Y

2001-06-12

Hong Kong is one of the most attractive shopping paradises in the world. Many local people and international tourists favor to spend their time in shopping malls in Hong Kong. Good indoor air quality is, therefore, very essential to shoppers. In order to characterize the indoor air quality in shopping malls, nine shopping malls in Hong Kong were selected for this study. The indoor air pollutants included carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), total hydrocarbons (THC), formaldehyde (HCHO), respirable particulate matter (PM10) and total bacteria count (TBC). More than 40% of the shopping malls had 1-h average CO2 levels above the 1000 ppm of the ASHRAE standard on both weekdays and weekends. Also, they had average weekday PM10 concentrations that exceeded the Hong Kong Indoor Air Quality Objective (HKIAQO). The highest indoor PM10 level at a mall was 380 microg/m3. Of the malls surveyed, 30% had indoor airborne bacteria levels above 1000 cfu/m3 set by the HKIAQO. The elevated indoor CO2 and bacteria levels could result from high occupancy combined with insufficient ventilation. The increased PM10 levels could be probably attributed to illegal smoking inside these establishments. In comparison, the shopping malls that contained internal public transport drop-off areas, where vehicles were parked with idling engines and had major entry doors close to heavy traffic roads had higher CO and PM10 indoor levels. In addition, the extensive use of cooking stoves without adequate ventilation inside food courts could increase indoor CO2, CO and PM10 levels.

Concentrations of dissolved organic carbon along an altitudinal gradient from Norway spruce forest to the mountain birch/alpine ecotone in Norway

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clarke, N.; Roesberg, I.; Aamlid, D.

2005-07-01

Concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in soil water from the base of the soil organic layer were determined at three forest plots along an altitudinal gradient in eastern Norway. The lowest plot, at 830 m above sea level (a.s.l.), was in Norway spruce forest and there were additional plots at the ecotone between Norway spruce and mountain birch at 925 m a.s.l. and at the forest line (1000 m a.s.l.). DOC concentrations in soil water did not decrease uniformly with altitude although tree biomass, above-ground litterfall and the soil C pool all did so. Significant correlations between DOC and (H{sup +}) or electrical conductivity may reflect the contribution of DOC to solution acidity and the anionic charge, respectively. If mean temperature during the growing season increases, tree growth at any given altitude will tend to increase and the spruce-birch ecotone may move to a higher altitude than at present. Increased C inputs as litter to the soil might then lead to increasing DOC concentrations and fluxes in surface waters. (orig.)

Indoor Air Quality Building Education and Assessment Model

Science.gov (United States)

The Indoor Air Quality Building Education and Assessment Model (I-BEAM), released in 2002, is a guidance tool designed for use by building professionals and others interested in indoor air quality in commercial buildings.

Natural indoor gamma background in Coonoor environment of South India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sivakumar, R.; Selvasekarapandian, S.; Mugunthamanikand, N.; Raghunath, V.M.

2002-01-01

Indoor natural radiation dose existing in dwellings of Coonoor have been estimated using thermoluminescent dosimeters. TLDs are displayed in indoors and are replaced after three-month period. The seasonal averages of the dose rate and the annual effective dose equivalent are calculated from the measured results. Geographical and seasonal variations as well as the differences between indoor to outdoor dose rates have also been studied. Very good correlation exists between the indoor dose rates measured by LTD and environmental radiation dosimeter with correlation coefficient of 0.91. The annual effective dose equivalent to the Coonoor population due to indoor gamma radiation was estimated to be 970 μSv/y for the period of 1997-1998. (author)

Reducing health risks from indoor exposures in rapidly developing urban China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yinping; Mo, Jinhan; Weschler, Charles J

2013-07-01

Over the past two decades there has been a large migration of China's population from rural to urban regions. At the same time, residences in cities have changed in character from single-story or low-rise buildings to high-rise structures constructed and furnished with many synthetic materials. As a consequence, indoor exposures (to pollutants with outdoor and indoor sources) have changed significantly. We briefly discuss the inferred impact that urbanization and modernization have had on indoor exposures and public health in China. We argue that growing adverse health costs associated with these changes are not inevitable, and we present steps that could be taken to reduce indoor exposures to harmful pollutants. As documented by China's Ministry of Health, there have been significant increases in morbidity and mortality among urban residents over the past 20 years. Evidence suggests that the population's exposure to air pollutants has contributed to increases in lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, and birth defects. Whether a pollutant has an outdoor or an indoor source, most exposure to the pollutant occurs indoors. Going forward, indoor exposures can be reduced by limiting the ingress of outdoor pollutants (while providing adequate ventilation with clean air), minimizing indoor sources of pollutants, updating government policies related to indoor pollution, and addressing indoor air quality during a building's initial design. Taking the suggested steps could lead to significant reductions in morbidity and mortality, greatly reducing the societal costs associated with pollutant derived ill health.

Occupational radon daughter exposure in underground workplaces in Norway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strand, T.; Kolstad, A.K.

1991-01-01

Occupational doses from radon daughter exposure in different underground environments in Norway have been estimated. Monitoring programs have been undertaken in mines, hydroelectric power stations, defence installations and tunnels. Based on these measurements the average effective dose equivalent and the corresponding collective effective dose equivalent have been estimated. Hydroelectric power stations is the largest group. In 1984 and 1985 measurements were performed in about 130 of the appr. 150 facilities in Norway. The average radon concentration was about 270 Bq/m 3 , and the corresponding average annual effective dose equivalent between 2 and 2.5 mSv. In 1984 there were about 19 mines in operations in Norway. Based on the measurements, the average radon concentration in mines is 260 Bq/m 3 , and the corresponding average annual effective dose equivalent 3.4 mSv. However, at the time being there are only 10 mines in operation and the number of miners has been reduced from about 1400 in 1984 to about 900 in 1990. The measurements show that the average level of radon in defence installations and tunnels is less than in mines and hydroelectric power stations. The total collective effective dose equivalent for workers underground in Norway is estimated in this paper to be between 5 and 7 manSv. 9 refs., 3 tabs

Finding dense locations in symbolic indoor tracking data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ahmed, Tanvir; Pedersen, Torben Bach; Lu, Hua

2017-01-01

presents two graph-based models for constrained and semi-constrained indoor movement, respectively, and then uses the models to map raw tracking records into mapping records that represent object entry and exit times in particular locations. Subsequently, an efficient indexing structure called Hierarchical...... Dense Location Time Index (HDLT-Index) is proposed for indexing the time intervals of the mapping table, along with index construction, query processing, and pruning techniques. The HDLT-Index supports very efficient aggregate point, interval, and duration queries as well as dense location queries......Finding the dense locations in large indoor spaces is very useful for many applications such as overloaded area detection, security control, crowd management, indoor navigation, and so on. Indoor tracking data can be enormous and are not immediately ready for finding dense locations. This paper...

Indoor environmental health in schools

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Small, B.M. [Envirodesic Certification Program, Stouffville, ON (Canada)

1999-07-01

Indoor health is a concern today because unhealthy environments can cause adverse health effects, poor learning and teaching and increased costs. The holistic view of the environment and human health links sick kids, absenteeism, teacher illness, education costs and mouldy schools. An historical perspective is provided on the problem and its treatment referring to: 1962 and chemical susceptibility, 1975 and open systems theory, 1978 and high risk groups, 1985 and pollution and education in Toronto, 1987 and health environments for Canadians, 1995 and the National Education Association in the U.S., 1997 and a U.S. Executive Order, 1998 and the Texas Dept. of Health, 1998 and the U.S. EPS website 'IAQ Tools for Schools', and 1998 and 'The air children breathe.' It is known that pollutants adversely affect health, that children are highly susceptible, that the role in schools has being known for decades, and that information is now available worldwide through the Internet. The reasons why mould is a problem are listed, and the effects of an unhealthy indoor environment are referred to. The benefits of a healthy indoor environment are listed, and the various means of creating a healthy indoor environment are outlined. New developments are referred to including: fresh air, building envelope, building leakage, airtightness of buildings, tight envelope and air supply, low-emission materials, maintenance and cleaning, strategy and financing, collaboration, and the possibility of healthy schools.

Differences in primary health care use among sub-Saharan African immigrants in Norway: a register-based study.

Science.gov (United States)

Diaz, Esperanza; Mbanya, Vivian N; Gele, Abdi A; Kumar, Bernadette

2017-07-28

Immigrants' utilization of primary health care (PHC) services differs from that of the host populations. However, immigrants are often classified in broad groups by continent of origin, and the heterogeneity within the same continent may hide variation in use among immigrant groups at a national level. Differences in utilization of PHC between sub-Saharan African immigrants have not received much attention. Registry-based study using merged data from the National Population Register and the Norwegian Health Economics Administration. African immigrants and their descendants registered in Norway in 2008 (36,366 persons) where included in this study. Using χ 2 test and logistic regression models, we assessed the differences in the use of PHC, including general practitioner (GP) and emergency room (ER) services, and the distribution of morbidity burden for immigrants from Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Gambia. For the analyses, we used the number of visits and medical diagnoses from each consultation registered by the physician. Among the total studied population, 66.1% visited PHC within 1 year. The diagnoses registered were similar for all four immigrants groups, regardless of country of origin. Compared to immigrants from Somalia, the age and sex adjusted odds ratios (OR) for use of GP were significantly lower for Ethiopians (OR 0.91; 0.86-0.97), Eritreans (OR 0.85; 0.79-0.91), and Gambians (OR 0.88; 0.80-0.97). Similarly, we also observed lower use of ER among Ethiopians (OR 0.88; 0.81-0.95), Eritreans (OR 0.56; 0.51-0.62) and Gambians (OR 0.81; 0.71-0.92). However, immigrants from Somalia reduced their use of PHC with longer duration of stay in Norway. Differences between groups persisted after further adjustment for employment status. Despite the similarities in diagnoses among the sub-Saharan African immigrant groups in Norway, their use of PHC services differs by country of origin and length of stay. It is important to assess the reasons for the differences

Advanced metering policy development and influence structures: The case of Norway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inderberg, Tor Håkon

2015-01-01

Responding to a global trend of installing smart meters Norway has taken a route of full governmental and regulatory coordination. The article maps and analyses the main influences on the developments of Norwegian Advanced Metering policy. Based on 12 interviews and extensive document mapping the Norwegian policy developments are traced from about 1990 to 2014, divided into three phases: Before 2000, between 2000 and 2007, and after 2007. It finds that the main influence and push came from an increasingly united industry sector, fronted by the grid utilities with respective interest organizations. Policy change has been boosted by years of constrained supply, creating incentives for political action. Also developments at the EU level have been important for creating attention for smart meters, while consumer groups have been less influential. The national regulator NVE has adapted its policy process to include external expertise, in particular from the grid companies. The findings confirm that influence into policy processes is a matter of financial and organizational resources and expert knowledge. Of particular policy relevance is the weak organization of private consumer interests into these policy streams, which may be important for further policy development for distributed generation and regulation of private generation activities. -- Highlights: •Roll-out of smart meters is in Norway coordinated by national regulation. •Grid companies and related interest organizations has been most influential. •EU has provided informal pressure on smart meter policy. •Consumer interests have been less influential in the policy process

Online Risk Prediction for Indoor Moving Objects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ahmed, Tanvir; Pedersen, Torben Bach; Calders, Toon

2016-01-01

Technologies such as RFID and Bluetooth have received considerable attention for tracking indoor moving objects. In a time-critical indoor tracking scenario such as airport baggage handling, a bag has to move through a sequence of locations until it is loaded into the aircraft. Inefficiency or in...... reduce the operation cost....

Exploring the consequences of climate change for indoor air quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nazaroff, William W

2013-01-01

Climate change will affect the concentrations of air pollutants in buildings. The resulting shifts in human exposure may influence public health. Changes can be anticipated because of altered outdoor pollution and also owing to changes in buildings effected in response to changing climate. Three classes of factors govern indoor pollutant levels in occupied spaces: (a) properties of pollutants; (b) building factors, such as the ventilation rate; and (c) occupant behavior. Diversity of indoor conditions influences the public health significance of climate change. Potentially vulnerable subpopulations include not only the young and the infirm but also those who lack resources to respond effectively to changing conditions. Indoor air pollutant levels reflect the sum of contributions from indoor sources and from outdoor pollutants that enter with ventilation air. Pollutant classes with important indoor sources include the byproducts of combustion, radon, and volatile and semivolatile organic compounds. Outdoor pollutants of special concern include particulate matter and ozone. To ensure good indoor air quality it is important first to avoid high indoor emission rates for all pollutants and second to ensure adequate ventilation. A third factor is the use of air filtration or air cleaning to achieve further improvements where warranted. (letter)

Wind Movement Comparison Between Student Dormitory 2 and 3 ITERA and The Correlation Toward its Indoor Thermal Comfort

Science.gov (United States)

Perdana Khidmat, Rendy; Donny Koerniawan, M.; Suhendri

2018-05-01

Student dormitory is a semi-private building that designated to occupies large number of habitats. This type of building mostly designated in simple type of vertical housing. In the context of utilization, dormitory surely requires indoor thermal comfort yet in the same way it requires the energy efficiency as well. Building in a tropical climate country is expected to be adequate to adopt a potention from its surrounding in order to switch air conditioner and gain efficiency in energy consume. One of its key factors is wind. This paper tries to describe and investigate wind movement that works on two different type of student dormitory in Sumatera Institute of Technology. The distinct difference between two blocks is one of the tower block utilizes void meanwhile the other are not. This research is conducted by using Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) based software. This study is expected to provide an overview of the wind movement and its effect on air temperature and its correlation to the indoor thermal comfort in both buildings.

Standards for securing adequate indoor air quality across Europe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wargocki, Pawel; Carrer, P.; de Oliveira Fernandes, E.

2013-01-01

Background: Inadequate IAQ causes a loss of 2 million healthy life years annually in the EU. Europeans spend typically over 85–90% of their time indoors and the main factors that affect negatively the characteristics of the air they breathe are outdoor air used to ventilate indoor spaces and indoor...... effects of IAQ into different components: exposures to indoor and outdoor air pollutants, association with different morbidities and the way ventilation based approaches could minimise their impact. Disability adjusted life years (DALYs), a common metric to allow comparability of impacts on various types...... and is determined mainly considering the metabolic CO2 production. It is only applicable if all other pollutants meet WHO guidelines for ambient and indoor air quality. If they do not meet these guidelines after applying source control and when air used for ventilation is clean health-based ventilation rate should...

PRIMAL: Page Rank-Based Indoor Mapping and Localization Using Gene-Sequenced Unlabeled WLAN Received Signal Strength

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mu Zhou

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Due to the wide deployment of wireless local area networks (WLAN, received signal strength (RSS-based indoor WLAN localization has attracted considerable attention in both academia and industry. In this paper, we propose a novel page rank-based indoor mapping and localization (PRIMAL by using the gene-sequenced unlabeled WLAN RSS for simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM. Specifically, first of all, based on the observation of the motion patterns of the people in the target environment, we use the Allen logic to construct the mobility graph to characterize the connectivity among different areas of interest. Second, the concept of gene sequencing is utilized to assemble the sporadically-collected RSS sequences into a signal graph based on the transition relations among different RSS sequences. Third, we apply the graph drawing approach to exhibit both the mobility graph and signal graph in a more readable manner. Finally, the page rank (PR algorithm is proposed to construct the mapping from the signal graph into the mobility graph. The experimental results show that the proposed approach achieves satisfactory localization accuracy and meanwhile avoids the intensive time and labor cost involved in the conventional location fingerprinting-based indoor WLAN localization.

PRIMAL: Page Rank-Based Indoor Mapping and Localization Using Gene-Sequenced Unlabeled WLAN Received Signal Strength.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Mu; Zhang, Qiao; Xu, Kunjie; Tian, Zengshan; Wang, Yanmeng; He, Wei

2015-09-25

Due to the wide deployment of wireless local area networks (WLAN), received signal strength (RSS)-based indoor WLAN localization has attracted considerable attention in both academia and industry. In this paper, we propose a novel page rank-based indoor mapping and localization (PRIMAL) by using the gene-sequenced unlabeled WLAN RSS for simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM). Specifically, first of all, based on the observation of the motion patterns of the people in the target environment, we use the Allen logic to construct the mobility graph to characterize the connectivity among different areas of interest. Second, the concept of gene sequencing is utilized to assemble the sporadically-collected RSS sequences into a signal graph based on the transition relations among different RSS sequences. Third, we apply the graph drawing approach to exhibit both the mobility graph and signal graph in a more readable manner. Finally, the page rank (PR) algorithm is proposed to construct the mapping from the signal graph into the mobility graph. The experimental results show that the proposed approach achieves satisfactory localization accuracy and meanwhile avoids the intensive time and labor cost involved in the conventional location fingerprinting-based indoor WLAN localization.

On Calibrating the Sensor Errors of a PDR-Based Indoor Localization System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wen-Yuah Shih

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Many studies utilize the signal strength of short-range radio systems (such as WiFi, ultrasound and infrared to build a radio map for indoor localization, by deploying a large number of beacon nodes within a building. The drawback of such an infrastructure-based approach is that the deployment and calibration of the system are costly and labor-intensive. Some prior studies proposed the use of Pedestrian Dead Reckoning (PDR for indoor localization, which does not require the deployment of beacon nodes. In a PDR system, a small number of sensors are put on the pedestrian. These sensors (such as a G-sensor and gyroscope are used to estimate the distance and direction that a user travels. The effectiveness of a PDR system lies in its success in accurately estimating the user’s moving distance and direction. In this work, we propose a novel waist-mounted based PDR that can measure the user’s step lengths with a high accuracy. We utilize vertical acceleration of the body to calculate the user’s change in height during walking. Based on the Pythagorean Theorem, we can then estimate each step length using this data. Furthermore, we design a map matching algorithm to calibrate the direction errors from the gyro using building floor plans. The results of our experiment show that we can achieve about 98.26% accuracy in estimating the user’s walking distance, with an overall location error of about 0.48 m.

High-efficiency Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of Norway spruce (Picea abies) and loblolly pine (Pinus taeda)

Science.gov (United States)

Wenck, A. R.; Quinn, M.; Whetten, R. W.; Pullman, G.; Sederoff, R.; Brown, C. S. (Principal Investigator)

1999-01-01

Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer is the method of choice for many plant biotechnology laboratories; however, large-scale use of this organism in conifer transformation has been limited by difficult propagation of explant material, selection efficiencies and low transformation frequency. We have analyzed co-cultivation conditions and different disarmed strains of Agrobacterium to improve transformation. Additional copies of virulence genes were added to three common disarmed strains. These extra virulence genes included either a constitutively active virG or extra copies of virG and virB, both from pTiBo542. In experiments with Norway spruce, we increased transformation efficiencies 1000-fold from initial experiments where little or no transient expression was detected. Over 100 transformed lines expressing the marker gene beta-glucuronidase (GUS) were generated from rapidly dividing embryogenic suspension-cultured cells co-cultivated with Agrobacterium. GUS activity was used to monitor transient expression and to further test lines selected on kanamycin-containing medium. In loblolly pine, transient expression increased 10-fold utilizing modified Agrobacterium strains. Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer is a useful technique for large-scale generation of transgenic Norway spruce and may prove useful for other conifer species.

Heading Estimation for Indoor Pedestrian Navigation Using a Smartphone in the Pocket

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhi-An Deng

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Heading estimation is a central problem for indoor pedestrian navigation using the pervasively available smartphone. For smartphones placed in a pocket, one of the most popular device positions, the essential challenges in heading estimation are the changing device coordinate system and the severe indoor magnetic perturbations. To address these challenges, we propose a novel heading estimation approach based on a rotation matrix and principal component analysis (PCA. Firstly, through a related rotation matrix, we project the acceleration signals into a reference coordinate system (RCS, where a more accurate estimation of the horizontal plane of the acceleration signal is obtained. Then, we utilize PCA over the horizontal plane of acceleration signals for local walking direction extraction. Finally, in order to translate the local walking direction into the global one, we develop a calibration process without requiring noisy compass readings. Besides, a turn detection algorithm is proposed to improve the heading estimation accuracy. Experimental results show that our approach outperforms the traditional uDirect and PCA-based approaches in terms of accuracy and feasibility.

Radiochemical analysis of fallout in Norway

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bergh, H; Finstad, G; Lund, L; Michelsen, O; Ottar, B

1957-01-01

Data are tabulated on the concentration of radioactive iodine, strontium, and cesium in samples of milk, radioactive strontium and cesium in samples of rain water, and radiocesium in preparations of tea and coffee collected in Norway during July and August 1957.

Bicultural Childhood. A Case Study with Greek and Greek-Norwegian Families in Norway

OpenAIRE

Liland, Irene Midtskog

2015-01-01

This study aims to explore Greek and Greek–Norwegian children’s experiences of migration and bicultural childhood. The period of fieldwork took place in different cities in Norway during the autumn of 2014. The methods employed are questionnaires, worksheets, mind-mapping activities and semi-structured interviews. The participants in the study were children born in Norway with one Greek-born and one Norwegian-born parent, immigrant children from Greece who had been living in Norway between on...

Advanced airflow distribution methods for reduction of personal exposure to indoor pollutants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cao, Guangyu; Kosonen, Risto; Melikov, Arsen

2016-01-01

The main objective of this study is to recognize possible airflow distribution methods to protect the occupants from exposure to various indoor pollutants. The fact of the increasing exposure of occupants to various indoor pollutants shows that there is an urgent need to develop advanced airflow ...... distribution methods to reduce indoor exposure to various indoor pollutants. This article presents some of the latest development of advanced airflow distribution methods to reduce indoor exposure in various types of buildings.......The main objective of this study is to recognize possible airflow distribution methods to protect the occupants from exposure to various indoor pollutants. The fact of the increasing exposure of occupants to various indoor pollutants shows that there is an urgent need to develop advanced airflow...

Treatment and storage of radioactive wastes at Institute for Energy Technology, Kjeller, Norway and a short survey of non-radioactive hazardous wastes in Norway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lundby, J.E.

1988-08-01

The treatment and storage of low-level and intermediate-level radioactive wastes in Norway is described. A survey of non-radioactive hazardous wastes and planned processing methods for their treatment in Norway is given. It seems that processing methods developed for radioactive wastes to a greater extent could be adopted to hazardous wastes, and that an increased interdisciplinary waste cooperation could be a positive contribution to the solution of the hazardous waste problems

Indexing the Trajectories of Moving Objects in Symbolic Indoor Space

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Christian Søndergaard; Lu, Hua; Yang, Bin

2009-01-01

. This scenario calls for the indexing of indoor trajectories. Based on an appropriate notion of indoor trajectory and definitions of pertinent types of queries, the paper proposes two R-tree based structures for indexing object trajectories in symbolic indoor space. The RTR-tree represents a trajectory as a set......Indoor spaces accommodate large populations of individuals. With appropriate indoor positioning, e.g., Bluetooth and RFID, in place, large amounts of trajectory data result that may serve as a foundation for a wide variety of applications, e.g., space planning, way finding, and security...... for each index. An empirical performance study suggests that the two indexes are effective, efficient, and robust. The study also elicits the circumstances under which our proposals perform the best....

Indoor Temperatures in Low Cost Housing in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Naicker, Nisha; Teare, June; Balakrishna, Yusentha; Wright, Caradee Yael; Mathee, Angela

2017-11-18

Ambient and indoor temperature affects thermal comfort and human health. In a changing climate with a predicted change in temperature extremes, understanding indoor temperatures, both hot and cold, of different housing types is important. This study aimed to assess the hourly, daily and monthly variation in indoor temperatures in different housing types, namely formal houses, informal houses, flats, government-built low-cost houses and old, apartheid era low-cost housing, in five impoverished urban communities in Johannesburg, South Africa. During the cross-sectional survey of the Health, Environment and Development study data loggers were installed in 100 homes (20 per suburb) from February to May 2014. Indoor temperature and relative humidity were recorded on an hourly basis. Ambient outdoor temperatures were obtained from the nearest weather station. Indoor and outdoor temperature and relative humidity levels were compared; and an inter-comparison between the different housing types were also made. Apparent temperature was calculated to assess indoor thermal comfort. Data from 59 retrieved loggers showed a significant difference in monthly mean indoor temperature between the five different housing types ( p informal settlement houses had the greatest variation in temperature and experienced temperatures between 4 and 5 °C warmer than outdoor temperatures. Housing types occupied by poor communities experienced indoor temperature fluctuations often greater than that observed for ambient temperatures. Families living in government-built low-cost and informally-constructed homes are the most at risk for indoor temperature extremes. These types of housing should be prioritised for interventions aimed at assisting families to cope with extreme temperatures, gaining optimal thermal comfort and preventing temperature-related health effects.

Indoor Temperatures in Low Cost Housing in Johannesburg, South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nisha Naicker

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Ambient and indoor temperature affects thermal comfort and human health. In a changing climate with a predicted change in temperature extremes, understanding indoor temperatures, both hot and cold, of different housing types is important. This study aimed to assess the hourly, daily and monthly variation in indoor temperatures in different housing types, namely formal houses, informal houses, flats, government-built low-cost houses and old, apartheid era low-cost housing, in five impoverished urban communities in Johannesburg, South Africa. During the cross-sectional survey of the Health, Environment and Development study data loggers were installed in 100 homes (20 per suburb from February to May 2014. Indoor temperature and relative humidity were recorded on an hourly basis. Ambient outdoor temperatures were obtained from the nearest weather station. Indoor and outdoor temperature and relative humidity levels were compared; and an inter-comparison between the different housing types were also made. Apparent temperature was calculated to assess indoor thermal comfort. Data from 59 retrieved loggers showed a significant difference in monthly mean indoor temperature between the five different housing types (p < 0.0001. Low cost government-built houses and informal settlement houses had the greatest variation in temperature and experienced temperatures between 4 and 5 °C warmer than outdoor temperatures. Housing types occupied by poor communities experienced indoor temperature fluctuations often greater than that observed for ambient temperatures. Families living in government-built low-cost and informally-constructed homes are the most at risk for indoor temperature extremes. These types of housing should be prioritised for interventions aimed at assisting families to cope with extreme temperatures, gaining optimal thermal comfort and preventing temperature-related health effects.

Risk factors for indoor air pollution in rural households in Mauche ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Risk factors for indoor air pollution in rural households in Mauche division, Molo ... indoor air pollution, which has been associated with various diseases. Key words: biomass fuel, children, indoor pollution, respiratory infections, ventilation.

Source Apportionment and Influencing Factor Analysis of Residential Indoor PM2.5 in Beijing

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yibing; Liu, Liu; Xu, Chunyu; Li, Na; Liu, Zhe; Wang, Qin; Xu, Dongqun

2018-01-01

In order to identify the sources of indoor PM2.5 and to check which factors influence the concentration of indoor PM2.5 and chemical elements, indoor concentrations of PM2.5 and its related elements in residential houses in Beijing were explored. Indoor and outdoor PM2.5 samples that were monitored continuously for one week were collected. Indoor and outdoor concentrations of PM2.5 and 15 elements (Al, As, Ca, Cd, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Pb, Se, Tl, V, Zn) were calculated and compared. The median indoor concentration of PM2.5 was 57.64 μg/m3. For elements in indoor PM2.5, Cd and As may be sensitive to indoor smoking, Zn, Ca and Al may be related to indoor sources other than smoking, Pb, V and Se may mainly come from outdoor. Five factors were extracted for indoor PM2.5 by factor analysis, explained 76.8% of total variance, outdoor sources contributed more than indoor sources. Multiple linear regression analysis for indoor PM2.5, Cd and Pb was performed. Indoor PM2.5 was influenced by factors including outdoor PM2.5, smoking during sampling, outdoor temperature and time of air conditioner use. Indoor Cd was affected by factors including smoking during sampling, outdoor Cd and building age. Indoor Pb concentration was associated with factors including outdoor Pb and time of window open per day, building age and RH. In conclusion, indoor PM2.5 mainly comes from outdoor sources, and the contributions of indoor sources also cannot be ignored. Factors associated indoor and outdoor air exchange can influence the concentrations of indoor PM2.5 and its constituents. PMID:29621164

Environment and development of respiratory allergy. II. Indoors.

Science.gov (United States)

D'Amato, G; Liccardi, G; D'Amato, M

1994-12-01

Even if it is difficult to obtain correct epidemiological evidence, there is a body of evidence which suggests that the frequency of allergic respiratory diseases is increasing. The majority of atopic patients, in particular in childhood and adolescence, develop immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies with clinical symptoms to aeroallergens, such as those derived from house dust mites, pollens and pets. Since, in the economically-developed countries individuals spend most of their time indoors (home, school and workplace), indoor pollutants (tobacco smoke etc.) and allergens (house dust mite, cats, etc.) are the most important source of exposure. Indoor allergens are associated with a wide variety of particles in a broad size range, only some of which are microscopically identifiable, culturable, or detectable with existing immunoassay. Evaluation of indoor allergens requires both air and source sampling, and several different analytical techniques. It is likely that the increased prevalence of allergy and asthma may be caused in the indoor environment by the synergistic action of air pollution (in particular derived from tobacco smoking) with allergic sensitization. Passive smoking in infancy has also been involved in the airways allergic sensitization to common aeroallergens.

Health effects from indoor air pollution: case studies.

Science.gov (United States)

White, L E; Clarkson, J R; Chang, S N

1987-01-01

In recent years there has been a growing awareness of the health effects associated with the presence of contaminants in indoor air. Numerous agents can accumulate in public buildings, homes and automobiles as a result of ongoing activities that normally occur in these closed spaces. Ventilation is a major factor in the control of indoor air pollutants since proper movement of air can prevent or minimize the build up of compounds in buildings. The recent emphasis on energy conservation has lead to measures which economize on energy for heating and air conditioning, but which also trap pollutants within a building. Three cases of indoor air pollution were investigated. A typical investigation of indoor air pollutant problems includes the following: interviews with building occupants; history of the building with regard to maintenance, pesticide treatment, etc.; a survey of the building and ventilation; and when warranted, sampling and analysis of air. Each case presented is unique in that atypical situations caused agents to accumulate in a building or section of a building. The indoor air problems in these cases were solved by identifying and removing the source of the offending agent and/or improving the ventilation in the building.

The future of personal wealth and inheritance taxation in Norway

OpenAIRE

Pekala, Maciek

2013-01-01

Many countries have recently abandoned or experienced significant reduction in tax rates and revenues from personal wealth and inheritance taxation. Today, Norway remains one of the few countries that still tax annual wealth and intergenerational wealth transfers. Both taxes however face a substantial opposition and their future remains uncertain. In this paper, a dynamic microsimulation model MOSART developed by Statistics Norway is used to project and discuss future revenues and distributio...

Indoor environment and pupils' health in primary schools

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

van Dijken, F.; van Bronswijk, J.E.M.H.; Sundell, Jan

2006-01-01

the associations between indoor environmental quality in Dutch schools and pupils' health, also taking into account the children's home environment and personal factors. A cross-sectional study was performed in 11 classrooms in 11 different schools in the Netherlands. The study included exposure measurements......Dutch children are legally bound to spend 15% of their time in a school setting. The indoor environment in Dutch primary schools is known to be substandard. However, it is unclear to what extent the health of pupils is affected by the indoor school environment. The paper aims to assess......, building inspections, and a questionnaire survey on pupils' health and domestic exposure. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and non-parametric tests were performed to assess relationships. None of the schools complied with all indoor environmental quality standards. The importance of both the school...

Indoor Air Pollution in Non Ac Passenger Bus

Science.gov (United States)

El Husna, Iksiroh; Unzilatirrizqi, Rizal D. Yan El; Karyanto, Yudi; Sunoko, Henna R.

2018-02-01

Passenger buses have been one of favorite means of transportation in Indonesia due to its affordability and flexibility. Intensity of human activities during the trip in the buses have a potential of causing indoor air pollution (polusi udara dalam ruang; PUDR). The indoor air pollution has an impact of 1000-time bigger than outdoor air pollution (polusi udara luar ruang; PULR) on lung. This study aimed to find out indoor air pollution rate of non air conditioned buses using an approach to biological agent pollutant source. The study applied an analysis restricted to microorganisms persistence as one of the sources of the indoor air pollution. The media were placed in different parts of the non AC buses. This study revealed that fungs were found in the non AC buses. They became contaminants and developed pathogenic bacteria that caused air pollution.

Effects of Indoor Air Pollution on Human Health

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Berglund, B.; Brunekreef, B.; Knöppel, H.

1992-01-01

This article contains a summary discussion of human health effects linked to indoor air pollution (UP) in homes and other non-industrial environments. Rather than discussing the health effects of the many different pollutants which can be found in indoor air, the approach has been to group broad...... these are respiratory disease (particularly among children), allergy (particularly to house dust mites) and mucous membrane irritation (particularly due to formaldehyde). Large numbers of people have been, and are still being affected. Many chemicals encountered in indoor air are known or suspected to cause sensory...... irritation or stimulation. These, in turn, may give rise to a sense of discomfort and other symptums cummonly reported in so-called “sick” buildings. Camplex mixtures of organic chemicals in indoor air also have the potential to invoke subtle effects on the central and peripheral nervous system, leading...

Design Criteria for Achieving Low Radon Concentration Indoors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Torben Valdbjørn

2016-01-01

Design criteria for achieving low radon concentration indoors are presented in this paper. The paper suggests three design criteria. These criteria have to be considered at the early stage of the building design phase to meet the latest recommendations from the World Health Organization in most...... countries. The three design criteria are; first, establishing a radon barrier facing the ground; second, lowering the air pressure in the lower zone of the slab on ground facing downwards; third, diluting the indoor air with outdoor air. Three criteria when used can prevent radon infiltration and lower...... the radon concentration in the indoor air. In addition, a cheap and reliable method for measuring the radon concentration in the air indoors is described. The provision on radon in the Danish Building Regulations complies with the latest recommendations from the World Health Organization. Radon can cause...

Indoor Air Pollution in Non Ac Passenger Bus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

El Husna Iksiroh

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Passenger buses have been one of favorite means of transportation in Indonesia due to its affordability and flexibility. Intensity of human activities during the trip in the buses have a potential of causing indoor air pollution (polusi udara dalam ruang; PUDR. The indoor air pollution has an impact of 1000-time bigger than outdoor air pollution (polusi udara luar ruang; PULR on lung. This study aimed to find out indoor air pollution rate of non air conditioned buses using an approach to biological agent pollutant source. The study applied an analysis restricted to microorganisms persistence as one of the sources of the indoor air pollution. The media were placed in different parts of the non AC buses. This study revealed that fungs were found in the non AC buses. They became contaminants and developed pathogenic bacteria that caused air pollution.

Indoor air 1. Recent advances in the health science and technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berglund, B; Lindvall, T; Sundell, J [eds.

1984-01-01

Health problems and discomfort caused by a bed indoor environment is discussed. The key note adresses in the first part of this volume covers the following subjects: Future buildings and building hygiene; Sick building syndrome; Lung cancer from radon and passive smoking; Total exposure estimation; Health implications of indoor air humidity; Indoor odors; Indoor allergies; Effect of moderate thermal stress and education of thermal discomfort; Airborne infections and modern building technology, Free radicals and oxidizing agents in the indoor air; Air quality control strategies, Achievement of the superclean environment. The seecond part of this publication contains works on policy and regulatory issues.

Impact of indoor surface material on perceived air quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Senitkova, I

2014-03-01

The material combination impact on perceived indoor air quality for various surface interior materials is presented in this paper. The chemical analysis and sensory assessments identifies health adverse of indoor air pollutants (TVOCs). In this study, emissions and odors from different common indoor surface materials were investigated in glass test chamber under standardized conditions. Chemical measurements (TVOC concentration) and sensory assessments (odor intensity, air acceptability) were done after building materials exposure to standardized conditions. The results of the chemical and sensory assessment of individual materials and their combinations are compared and discussed within the paper. The using possibility of individual material surface sorption ability was investigated. The knowledge of targeted sorption effects can be used in the interior design phase. The results demonstrate the various sorption abilities of various indoor materials as well as the various sorption abilities of the same indoor material in various combinations. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Preventing skin cancer through reduction of indoor tanning: current evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Watson, Meg; Holman, Dawn M; Fox, Kathleen A; Guy, Gery P; Seidenberg, Andrew B; Sampson, Blake P; Sinclair, Craig; Lazovich, DeAnn

2013-06-01

Exposure to ultraviolet radiation from indoor tanning devices (tanning beds, booths, and sun lamps) or from the sun contributes to the risk of skin cancer, including melanoma, which is the type of skin cancer responsible for most deaths. Indoor tanning is common among certain groups, especially among older adolescents and young adults, adolescent girls and young women, and non-Hispanic whites. Increased understanding of the health risks associated with indoor tanning has led to many efforts to reduce use. Most environmental and systems efforts in the U.S. (e.g., age limits or requiring parental consent/accompaniment) have occurred at the state level. At the national level, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission regulate indoor tanning devices and advertising, respectively. The current paper provides a brief review of (1) the evidence on indoor tanning as a risk factor for skin cancer; (2) factors that may influence use of indoor tanning devices at the population level; and (3) various environmental and systems options available for consideration when developing strategies to reduce indoor tanning. This information provides the context and background for the companion paper in this issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, which summarizes highlights from an informal expert meeting convened by the CDC in August 2012 to identify opportunities to prevent skin cancer by reducing use of indoor tanning devices. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Indoor Air Quality: A Guide for Educators.

Science.gov (United States)

California State Dept. of Education, Sacramento.

Indoor air quality is a major concern for educators involved in the development of new school facilities, or the remodeling and maintenance of existing ones. This guide addresses the issue of air quality, the health concerns involved, and procedures for minimizing the impact of pollutants in the school environment. It defines common indoor air…

Radon in houses utilizing stone magazines for heat accumulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stranden, E.

1981-01-01

Measurements of 222 Rn and its daughters in three solar energy houses utilizing stone magazines for heat accumulation are reported. Theoretical calculations of the radon contribution from the stone magazines seem to be in good agreement with the measured values. The survey indicated that this method for heat accumulation could give a significant increase in the indoor radon concentration if the radium concentration of the stone material is high. The theoretical considerations suggest that a radium concentration of 1 pCi/g of the stone material could give an increment of the radon concentration in the indoor air of about 1 pCi/l. during the heating season in a house with air volume of 250 m 3 and a 10 5 -kg stone magazine. (author)

Indoor air quality environmental information handbook: Building system characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-01-01

This manual, the third in a series, focuses on residential building system characteristics and their effects on indoor air quality. The manual addresses: residential indoor air pollutants by source, indoor concentrations, health effects, source control and mitigation techniques, standards and guidelines; building system characteristics of air exchange, pollutant source strength, residence volume, site characteristics, structural design, construction, and operation, infiltration and ventilation system, building occupancy; and monitoring methods

Investigation of infiltration and indoor air quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-03-01

A multitask study was performed in the State of New York to provide information for guiding home energy conservation programs while maintaining acceptable indoor air quality. During the study, the statistical distribution of radon concentrations inside 2,400 homes was determined. The relationships among radon levels, house characteristics, and sources were also investigated. The direct impact that two specific air infiltration reduction measures--caulking and weatherstripping of windows and doors, and installation of storm windows and storm doors--have on house air leakage was investigated in 60 homes. The effect of house age on the impact of weatherization was also evaluated. Indoor and outdoor measurements of NO 2 , CO, SO 2 , and respirable suspended particulates (RSP) were made for 400 homes to determine the effect of combustion sources on indoor air quality and to characterize the statistical distribution of the concentrations. Finally, the combustion source data were combined with the information on air infiltration reduction measures to estimate the potential impact of these measures on indoor air quality

Acculturation and adaptation among Lithuanian workers in Norway (a case study)

OpenAIRE

Kmite, Liuda Jr

2011-01-01

Migration and intercultural relations In a new culture, migrants experience acculturation. Through acculturation migrants may choose which acculturation strategy to use. In 2010, emigration from Lithuania increased four times. Lithuanians account for several per cent of all migrants in Norway. The study aims to assess the acculturation strategies which Lithuanian workers in Rogaland area (Norway) adopt.

Indoor air. Seminar of Zentrale Informationsstelle, Umweltberatung Bayern. Vol. 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koller, U.; Haury, H.J.

1994-02-01

This seminar dealt with the subject of indoor air pollution and welcomed participants from environmental consultancy agencies and authorities and institutions related with environmental protection. Leading scientists from research and authorities presented the current state of knowledge abut the risks of indoorair pollution. The papers contained in these proceedings addressed: room climate and sick-building syndrome; allergens in indoor spaces; pollutants emitted by exemplary building materials; pollutant levels of organic compounds in indoor spaces; air quality in motor vehicle interiors; indoor air pollution - risk assessment and need for actions. (Uhe) [de

A proposed UAV for indoor patient care.

Science.gov (United States)

Todd, Catherine; Watfa, Mohamed; El Mouden, Yassine; Sahir, Sana; Ali, Afrah; Niavarani, Ali; Lutfi, Aoun; Copiaco, Abigail; Agarwal, Vaibhavi; Afsari, Kiyan; Johnathon, Chris; Okafor, Onyeka; Ayad, Marina

2015-09-10

Indoor flight, obstacle avoidance and client-server communication of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) raises several unique research challenges. This paper examines current methods and associated technologies adapted within the literature toward autonomous UAV flight, for consideration in a proposed system for indoor healthcare administration with a quadcopter. We introduce Healthbuddy, a unique research initiative towards overcoming challenges associated with indoor navigation, collision detection and avoidance, stability, wireless drone-server communications and automated decision support for patient care in a GPS-denied environment. To address the identified research deficits, a drone-based solution is presented. The solution is preliminary as we develop and refine the suggested algorithms and hardware system to achieve the research objectives.

Design and Development of a Nearable Wireless System to Control Indoor Air Quality and Indoor Lighting Quality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francesco Salamone

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The article describes the results of the project “open source smart lamp” aimed at designing and developing a smart object able to manage and control the indoor environmental quality (IEQ of the built environment. A first version of this smart object, built following a do-it-yourself (DIY approach using a microcontroller, an integrated temperature and relative humidity sensor, and techniques of additive manufacturing, allows the adjustment of the indoor thermal comfort quality (ICQ, by interacting directly with the air conditioner. As is well known, the IEQ is a holistic concept including indoor air quality (IAQ, indoor lighting quality (ILQ and acoustic comfort, besides thermal comfort. The upgrade of the smart lamp bridges the gap of the first version of the device providing the possibility of interaction with the air exchange unit and lighting system in order to get an overview of the potential of a nearable device in the management of the IEQ. The upgraded version was tested in a real office equipped with mechanical ventilation and an air conditioning system. This office was occupied by four workers. The experiment is compared with a baseline scenario and the results show how the application of the nearable device effectively optimizes both IAQ and ILQ.

Seasonal and Spatial Variations of Indoor Pollen in a Hospital

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Santiago Fernández-Rodríguez

2009-12-01

Full Text Available The airborne indoor pollen in a hospital of Badajoz (Spain was monitored over two years using a personal Burkard sampler. The air was sampled in four places indoors—one closed room and one open ward on each of the ground and the third floors—and one place outdoors at the entrance to the hospital. The results were compared with data from a continuous volumetric sampler. While 32 pollen types were identified, nearly 75% of the total counts were represented by just five of them. These were: Quercus, Cupressaceae, Poaceae, Olea, and Plantago. The average indoor concentration was 25.2 grains/m3, and the average indoor/outdoor ratio was 0.27. A strong seasonal pattern was found, with the highest levels in spring and winter, and the indoor concentrations were correlated with the outdoor one. Indoor air movement led to great homogeneity in the airborne pollen presence: the indoor results were not influenced by whether or not the room was isolated, the floor level, or the number of people in or transiting the site during sampling. The presence of ornamental vegetation in the area surrounding the building affected the indoor counts directly as sources of the pollen.

Core public health functions for BC : evidence review : air quality-indoor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Copes, R.; Ouellette, V.; Lee, K.S.; Brauer, M. [British Columbia Ministry of Health, Victoria, BC (Canada)

2006-04-15

Indoor sources of pollutants can have a major impact on the health of Canadians, as pollutant concentrations are often higher indoors than outdoors. This paper assessed data compiled by public health indoor air interventions. The aim of the study was to identify the current state of evidence on the impacts of indoor pollution in order to develop performance improvement plans for public health programs in British Columbia (BC). The literature review used several databases to review interventions involving humidity control; ventilation; particulate matter; indoor allergens; and environmental tobacco smoke. Results of the review showed that improving inadequate ventilation can significantly decrease the prevalence of sick building syndrome as well as other self-reported symptoms attributed to indoor air pollution. A review of the literature also demonstrated that many building ventilation systems are not functioning to design specifications. The poor quality of studies on the health impacts of particulate matter or dust made it difficult to fully assess the benefits of particle filtration on human health. Studies investigating the impacts of controlling indoor allergens suggested that the avoidance of dust mites may benefit people with allergies. Evidence gained from studies on environmental tobacco smoke showed that banning or restricting smoking will reduce the burden of illness from pollutants in indoor air. 20 refs., 3 tabs.

Core public health functions for BC : evidence review : air quality-indoor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Copes, R.; Ouellette, V.; Lee, K.S.; Brauer, M.

2006-04-01

Indoor sources of pollutants can have a major impact on the health of Canadians, as pollutant concentrations are often higher indoors than outdoors. This paper assessed data compiled by public health indoor air interventions. The aim of the study was to identify the current state of evidence on the impacts of indoor pollution in order to develop performance improvement plans for public health programs in British Columbia (BC). The literature review used several databases to review interventions involving humidity control; ventilation; particulate matter; indoor allergens; and environmental tobacco smoke. Results of the review showed that improving inadequate ventilation can significantly decrease the prevalence of sick building syndrome as well as other self-reported symptoms attributed to indoor air pollution. A review of the literature also demonstrated that many building ventilation systems are not functioning to design specifications. The poor quality of studies on the health impacts of particulate matter or dust made it difficult to fully assess the benefits of particle filtration on human health. Studies investigating the impacts of controlling indoor allergens suggested that the avoidance of dust mites may benefit people with allergies. Evidence gained from studies on environmental tobacco smoke showed that banning or restricting smoking will reduce the burden of illness from pollutants in indoor air. 20 refs., 3 tabs

Reply to "Can the levels of Can f 1 in indoor environments be evaluated without considering passive transport of allergen indoors?"

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Krop, E.J.M.; Vredegoor, D.W.; Chapman, M.D.; Willemse, A.; Heederik, D.J.J.

2013-01-01

Response to Liccardi G, Salzillo A, Piccolo A, D’Amato M, D’Amato G. Can the levels of Can f 1 in indoor environments be evaluated without considering passive transport of allergen indoors? J Allergy Clin Immunol 2013;131:1258-9.

Future Manufacturing Systems in Norway – Strategy, Architecture and Framework

OpenAIRE

Kolla, Sri Sudha Vijay Keshav

2016-01-01

This study investigates the suitability of Cyber Physical Systems (CPS) in Norwegian manufacturing industries and its implementation. This study explores the research and innovation needs in Norway which will be given as inputs to Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) 2030 of European Commission to share future manufacturing strategies in Norway. The objectives of the research are to identifying the opportunities and challenges of CPS, developing a feasible reference architecture of CPS which benef...

Effect of home construction on indoor radon in Virginia and Maryland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mushrush, G.W.; Mose, D.G.

1988-01-01

The levels of indoor radon in approximately 500 homes located in two contiguous counties of northern Virginia and southern Maryland have been measured during four consecutive, three month seasonal intervals using alpha-track detectors. These two counties represent an area of about 700 square miles. Results from the winter period show that the indoor radon levels were about twice as high as anticipated. In some areas, more than 50% of the homes had winter indoor radon levels above 4 pCi/liter, the EPA's recommended action level. For the spring and fall periods, indoor radon levels showed a considerable drop with approximately 35% of the homes above 4 pCi/L. Summer values were even lower with approximately 25% of the homes above 4 pCi/L.Indoor radon can be related to the weather, but home construction demonstrably determines indoor radon levels

Perceptions of indoor vs. outdoor tanning risks among melanoma patients who have a history of indoor UV tanning: an international internet survey

OpenAIRE

Nergard, Jennifer; Caldwell, Chauncey; Barr, Morgan; Dellavalle, Robert P; Solomon, James A

2016-01-01

IntroductionA new U.S. FDA regulation categorizes tanning beds as category II¹, and similar global regulatory action require informing users of the “risk of skin cancer” as methods to reverse the growing trend of indoor tanning. However, little is known from the patient’s perspective on whether or not knowledge of risk of cancer is a deterrent to indoor tanning. Also, there is conflicting literature on the relationship between frequency of indoor tanning, age of onset and characteristics of p...

Disturbed security in Norway and Sweden

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wojciech Lieder

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The content of the article is an attempt to determine the course and consequences of terrorist attacks that took place in 2010 in Sweden and 2011 in Norway. A Comparative Study includes responses of societies and political elites of both countries.

Indoor Positioning with Smartphones:The State-of-the-art and the Challenges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

CHEN Ruizhi

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Indoor positioning is one of the core technologies of artificial intelligence (AI in the future and will play a pivotal role in the upcoming era of AI. Currently, indoor positioning is one of the hot research topics in academic and industrial society. Google, as one of the leading information technology (IT companies, has listed visual positioning service (VPS as one of the core technologies. Apple has endeavored to prompt iBeacon, the low energy Bluetooth technology for indoor positioning. In cooperation with a Finnish company, IndoorAltas, Baidu launched an indoor positioning program with a magnetic matching approach. All these initiatives and new technologies have shown the significance and necessaries of indoor positioning. However, affected by the complexity of the indoor spaces, it is still challenging to achieve accurate, effective, full coverage and real-time positioning solution indoors. With the popularity of smart phones and the rapid development of MEMS sensors in recent years, many methods have been proposed to use the smartphone built-in sensors and RF radios for indoor positioning. In this paper, we focus on indoor positioning technologies for smartphones and classify the different technologies into two categories, namely the radio frequency (RF technologies and the sensors technologies. The state-of-the-art of the technologies has been reviewed. The pros and cons of the technologies have been commented in the context of different application scenarios. Moreover, the challenges of indoor positioning have also been pointed out and the directions of the future development of this area have been discussed.

Education versus regulation: The case for regulating the indoor tanning industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Benet, Suzeanne; Kraft, Frederic

2016-05-01

We examine marketing strategies for indoor tanning services that often target young adult females. Evidence of the addictive nature of indoor tanning suggests that young adults may be vulnerable to the promotion of indoor tanning and as a result deserve greater protection from the marketing of these services. As public awareness of the rising numbers of skin cancers linked to indoor tanning grows, we believe that the public will support increased regulation of this industry.

Indoor Climate and Air Quality Problems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Valbjørn, O.; Hagen, H.; Kukkonen, E.

This report presents a stepwise method for the investigation of and remedial actions for indoor climate and air quality problems. The report gives the basis for evaluation of the prevalence and causes of building related symptoms like mucosal irritation and headache. The report adresses members...... of occupational health and safety organisations, consulting engineers and architects, and also the people responsible for the operation of buildings and installations which is essential for the indoor climate and air quality....

Indoor unit for electric heat pump

Science.gov (United States)

Draper, R.; Lackey, R.S.; Fagan, T.J. Jr.; Veyo, S.E.; Humphrey, J.R.

1984-05-22

An indoor unit for an electric heat pump is provided in modular form including a refrigeration module, an air mover module, and a resistance heat package module, the refrigeration module including all of the indoor refrigerant circuit components including the compressor in a space adjacent the heat exchanger, the modules being adapted to be connected to air flow communication in several different ways as shown to accommodate placement of the unit in various orientations. 9 figs.

Indoor radon pollution: update. Bibliographic series

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Richard, S.A.

1988-12-01

This bibliography focuses on indoor radon pollution problems and is organized according to the following major topic areas: I-Overview (covering general areas such as law and policy, popular press, communication and education, indoor air and books); II-Health Effects (epidemiology, risk estimates, and dosimetry); III-Exposure (house construction, geology, source, physical properties, and radon in water); IV-Surveys (national and international case studies); V-Mitigation; and VI-Measurement Techniques. Section VIII-Appendix, lists State Contacts

Indoor Tanning Among High School Students in the United States, 2009 and 2011

Science.gov (United States)

Guy, Gery P.; Berkowitz, Zahava; Tai, Eric; Holman, Dawn M.; Jones, Sherry Everett; Richardson, Lisa C.

2015-01-01

IMPORTANCE Indoor tanning is associated with an increased risk of skin cancer, including melanoma, and is particularly dangerous for younger and more frequent indoor tanners. OBJECTIVE To examine the prevalence of indoor tanning and frequent indoor tanning (≥10 times during the 12 months before each survey) and their association with health-related behaviors. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A cross-sectional study examined data from the 2009 and 2011 national Youth Risk Behavior Surveys, which used nationally representative samples of US high school students representing approximately 15.5 million students each survey year. The study included 25 861 students who answered the indoor tanning question. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The prevalence of indoor tanning and frequent indoor tanning were examined as well as their association with demographic characteristics and health-related behaviors using multivariable logistic regression modeling. RESULTS The prevalence of indoor tanning was greater among female, older, and non-Hispanic white students. Indoor tanning was highest among female students aged 18 years or older, with 31.5% engaging in indoor tanning in 2011, and among non-Hispanic white female students, with 29.3% engaging in indoor tanning in 2011. Among female students, the adjusted prevalence of indoor tanning decreased from 26.4% in 2009 to 20.7% in 2011. Among female and male students, indoor tanning was associated with other risk-taking behaviors, such as binge drinking (P < .001 and P = .006, respectively), unhealthy weight control practices (P < .001, for both), and having sexual intercourse (P < .001, for both). Additionally, indoor tanning among female students was associated with using illegal drugs (P < .001) and having sexual intercourse with 4 or more persons (P = .03); use among male students was associated with taking steroids without a physician’s prescription (P < .001), smoking cigarettes daily (P = .03), and attempting suicide (P = .006

Thermal Effectiveness of Wall Indoor Fountain in Warm Humid Climate

Science.gov (United States)

Seputra, J. A. P.

2018-03-01

Nowadays, many buildings wield indoor water features such as waterfalls, fountains, and water curtains to improve their aesthetical value. Despite the provision of air cooling due to water evaporation, this feature also has adverse effect if applied in warm humid climate since evaporation might increase air humidity beyond the comfort level. Yet, there are no specific researches intended to measure water feature’s effect upon its thermal condition. In response, this research examines the influence of evaporative cooling on indoor wall fountain toward occupant’s thermal comfort in warm humid climate. To achieve this goal, case study is established in Waroeng Steak Restaurant’s dining room in Surakarta-Indonesia. In addition, SNI 03-6572-2001 with comfort range of 20.5–27.1°C and 40-60% of relative humidity is utilized as thermal criterion. Furthermore, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is employed to process the data and derive conclusions. Research variables are; feature’s height, obstructions, and fan types. As results, Two Bumps Model (ToB) is appropriate when employs natural ventilation. However, if the room is mechanically ventilated, Three Bumps Model (TeB) becomes the best choice. Moreover, application of adaptive ventilation is required to maintain thermal balance.

High indoor radon concentrations in some Swedish waterworks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aakerblom, G.; Hagberg, N.; Mjoenes, L.; Heiberg, A.

2002-01-01

High indoor radon concentrations in buildings used for water treatment are not uncommon. When raw water is processed in an open system radon escapes from the water to the indoor air of the premises. It is not unusual that the staff of the waterworks have their offices in the building where the water is processed. If large volumes of water are processed and the evaporated radon can reach the workplaces the indoor radon concentration can be very high even if the radon concentration of the raw water is moderate. Groundwaters from aquifers in bedrock and soil and surface water that has been infiltrated through deposits of sand or gravel have the potential to cause high indoor radon levels. In surface water emanating directly from a lake or a river the radon concentrations are normally too low to cause problems. Three waterworks in central Sweden have been studied, Ludvika, Fredriksberg and Kolbaeck. The radon concentrations in the raw water of these waterworks are from 85 Bq/l to 300 Bq/l. Average indoor radon concentrations exceeding 17,000 Bq/m 3 have been measured in Ludvika with peaks of almost 37,000 Bq/m 3 . In Kolbaeck radon concentrations up to 56,000 Bq/m 3 have been measured. It is quite possible that employees of waterworks can receive doses exceeding 20 mSv per year (calculated according to ICRP:s dose conversion convention). Measurements of radon and gamma radiation from the waterworks are reported and methods to lower the indoor radon concentrations are discussed. (author)

A Novel Mirror-Aided Non-imaging Receiver for Indoor 2x2 MIMO Visible Light Communication Systems

KAUST Repository

Park, Kihong

2017-06-07

Indoor visible light communication (VLC) systems are now possible because of advances in light emitting diode and laser diode technologies. These lighting technologies provide the foundation for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) data transmission through visible light. However, the channel matrix can be strongly correlated in indoor MIMO-VLC systems, preventing parallel data streams from being decoded. Here, in $2\\\\times 2$ MIMO-VLC systems, we describe a mirror diversity receiver (MDR) design that reduces the channel correlation by both blocking the reception of light from one specific direction and improving the channel gain from light from another direction by utilizing a double-sided mirror deployed between the receiver\\'s photodetectors. We report on the channel capacity of the MDR system and the optimal height of its mirrors in terms of maximum channel capacity. We also derived analytic results on the effect of rotation on MDR\\'s performance. Based on numerical and experimental results, we show that the double-sided mirror has both constructive and destructive effects on the channel matrix. Our design can be used with previously described non-imaging systems to improve the performance of indoor VLC systems.

Exposure to indoor tanning without burning and melanoma risk by sunburn history.

Science.gov (United States)

Vogel, Rachel Isaksson; Ahmed, Rehana L; Nelson, Heather H; Berwick, Marianne; Weinstock, Martin A; Lazovich, DeAnn

2014-06-01

Indoor tanning is carcinogenic to humans. Individuals report that they tan indoors before planning to be in the sun to prevent sunburns, but whether skin cancer is subsequently reduced is unknown. Using a population-based case-control study, we calculated the association between melanoma and indoor tanning after excluding exposed participants reporting indoor tanning-related burns, stratified by their number of lifetime sunburns (0, 1-2, 3-5, >5). Confounding was addressed using propensity score analysis methods. All statistical tests were two-sided. We observed increased risk of melanoma across all sunburn categories for participants who had tanned indoors without burning compared with those who never tanned indoors, including those who reported zero lifetime sunburns (odds ratio = 3.87; 95% confidence interval = 1.68 to 8.91; P = .002). These data provide evidence that indoor tanning is a risk factor for melanoma even among persons who reported never experiencing burns from indoor tanning or outdoor sun exposure. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Forecast of useful energy for the TIMES-Norway model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosenberg, Eva

2012-01-01

A regional forecast of useful energy demand in seven Norwegian regions is calculated based on an earlier work with a national forecast. This forecast will be input to the energy system model TIMES-Norway and analyses will result in forecasts of energy use of different energy carriers with varying external conditions (not included in this report). The forecast presented here describes the methodology used and the resulting forecast of useful energy. lt is based on information of the long-term development of the economy by the Ministry of Finance, projections of population growths from Statistics Norway and several other studies. The definition of a forecast of useful energy demand is not absolute, but depends on the purpose. One has to be careful not to include parts that are a part of the energy system model, such as energy efficiency measures. In the forecast presented here the influence of new building regulations and the prohibition of production of incandescent light bulbs in EU etc. are included. Other energy efficiency measures such as energy management, heat pumps, tightening of leaks etc. are modelled as technologies to invest in and are included in the TIMES-Norway model. The elasticity between different energy carriers are handled by the TIMES-Norway model and some elasticity is also included as the possibility to invest in energy efficiency measures. The forecast results in an increase of the total useful energy from 2006 to 2050 by 18 o/o. The growth is expected to be highest in the regions South and East. The industry remains at a constant level in the base case and increased or reduced energy demand is analysed as different scenarios with the TIMES-Norway model. The most important driver is the population growth. Together with the assumptions made it results in increased useful energy demand in the household and service sectors of 25 o/o and 57 % respectively.(au)

Forecast of useful energy for the TIMES-Norway model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosenberg, Eva

2012-07-25

A regional forecast of useful energy demand in seven Norwegian regions is calculated based on an earlier work with a national forecast. This forecast will be input to the energy system model TIMES-Norway and analyses will result in forecasts of energy use of different energy carriers with varying external conditions (not included in this report). The forecast presented here describes the methodology used and the resulting forecast of useful energy. lt is based on information of the long-term development of the economy by the Ministry of Finance, projections of population growths from Statistics Norway and several other studies. The definition of a forecast of useful energy demand is not absolute, but depends on the purpose. One has to be careful not to include parts that are a part of the energy system model, such as energy efficiency measures. In the forecast presented here the influence of new building regulations and the prohibition of production of incandescent light bulbs in EU etc. are included. Other energy efficiency measures such as energy management, heat pumps, tightening of leaks etc. are modelled as technologies to invest in and are included in the TIMES-Norway model. The elasticity between different energy carriers are handled by the TIMES-Norway model and some elasticity is also included as the possibility to invest in energy efficiency measures. The forecast results in an increase of the total useful energy from 2006 to 2050 by 18 o/o. The growth is expected to be highest in the regions South and East. The industry remains at a constant level in the base case and increased or reduced energy demand is analysed as different scenarios with the TIMES-Norway model. The most important driver is the population growth. Together with the assumptions made it results in increased useful energy demand in the household and service sectors of 25 o/o and 57 % respectively.(au)

Indoor environmental quality in Hellenic hospital operating rooms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dascalaki, Elena G.; Gaglia, Athina G.; Balaras, Constantinos A. [Group Energy Conservation, Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens, I. Metaxa and Vas. Pavlou, GR 152 36 P. Penteli (Greece); Lagoudi, Argyro [Terra Nova Ltd., Environmental Engineering Consultancy, Athens, Kaisareias 39, GR 115 27 Athens (Greece)

2009-05-15

Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in hospital operating rooms (ORs) constitutes a major challenge for the proper design and operation of an energy efficient hospital. A subjective assessment of the indoor environment along with a short monitoring campaign was performed during the audits of 18 ORs at nine major Hellenic hospitals. A total of 557 medical personnel participated in an occupational survey, providing data for a subjective assessment of IEQ in the audited ORs. The OR personnel reported work related health symptoms and an assessment of indoor conditions (thermal, visual and acoustical comfort, and air quality). Overall, personnel reported an average of 2.24 work-related symptoms each, and 67.2% of respondents reported at least one. Women suffer more health symptoms than men. Special dispositions, such as smoking and allergies, increase the number of reported symptoms for male and female personnel. Personnel that perceive satisfactory indoor comfort conditions (temperature, humidity, ventilation, light, and noise) average 1.18 symptoms per person, while for satisfactory indoor air quality the average complaints are 0.99. The perception of satisfactory IEQ (satisfactory comfort conditions and air quality) reduces the average number of health complaints to 0.64 symptoms per person and improves working conditions, even in a demanding OR environment. (author)

Indoor Thermal Environment in Tropical Climate Residential Building

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jamaludin Nazhatulzalkis

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Indoor thermal environment is one of the criteria in sustainable building. This criterion is important in ensuring a healthy indoor environment for the occupants. The consideration of environmental concerns at the early design stage would effectively integrate the sustainability of the building environment. Global climate changes such as global warming do affect human comfort since people spend most of their time and activities in the building. The increasing of urban population required additional housing for households, as well as places to shop, office and other facilities. Occupants are now more conscious the importance of sustainability for a better quality of life. Good thermal environment is essential for human wellness and comfort. A residential environment will influence residents’ health and safety. The global warming increase the earth’s temperature and greenhouse emission to the atmosphere cause adverse effects to the outdoor environment. Residential developments modify the materials, structure and energy balance in urban climate effects of human economic activities. As an indoor environment is influenced by the outdoor condition, the factors affecting indoor thermal environment are crucial in improving a comfortable and healthy environment in residential building. The microclimatic of a site such as temperature and relative humidity, and wind movement led to the variation of indoor thermal environment in the building.

An investigation of factors influencing indoor radon concentrations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Majborn, B.; Soerensen, A.; Nielsen, S.P.; Boetter-Jensen, L.

1988-05-01

Variations in indoor radon concentrations and some influencing factors have been studied during a two-year period (1986-1987) in 16 almost identical single-family houses.The annual average radon concentration in the houses varied from about 50 to about 400 Bq/m 3 . Variations in soil characteristics and radon concentration in soil gas could not be directly related to the variations of the average indoor radon concentrations. Most of the houses showed a ''normal'' seasonal variation of the radon concentration with a maximum in the winter and minimum in the summer. A deviating seasonal variation was found in three of the houses. Hourly data obtained in one unoccupied house during a period of 2-1/2 months showed no or only weak correlations between the indoor radon concentration and meteorological factors. However, for most of the houses, the seasonal variation of the indoor radon concentration was well correlated with the average indoor-outdoor temperature difference on a 2-month basis. It was demonstrated that the radon concentration can be strongly reduced in the Risoe houses if a district-heating duct, which is connected to all the houses, is ventilated, so that a slightly lowered pressure is maintained in the duct. 5 taps., 24 ill. (author)

Spatial models for context-aware indoor navigation systems: A survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Imad Afyouni

2012-06-01

Full Text Available This paper surveys indoor spatial models developed for research fields ranging from mobile robot mapping, to indoor location-based services (LBS, and most recently to context-aware navigation services applied to indoor environments. Over the past few years, several studies have evaluated the potential of spatial models for robot navigation and ubiquitous computing. In this paper we take a slightly different perspective, considering not only the underlying properties of those spatial models, but also to which degree the notion of context can be taken into account when delivering services in indoor environments. Some preliminary recommendations for the development of indoor spatial models are introduced from a context-aware perspective. A taxonomy of models is then presented and assessed with the aim of providing a flexible spatial data model for navigation purposes, and by taking into account the context dimensions.

Indoor Air Quality Building Education and Assessment Model Forms

Science.gov (United States)

The Indoor Air Quality Building Education and Assessment Model (I-BEAM) is a guidance tool designed for use by building professionals and others interested in indoor air quality in commercial buildings.

Indoor Location Technologies

CERN Document Server

Goswami, Subrata

2013-01-01

Focusing on the special challenges posed by accurately pinpointing a location indoors, this volume reflects the distance we have come in the handful of decades since the germination of GPS technology. Not only can we locate a signal to within a meter’s accuracy, but we now have this technology in the most basic mobile phone. Tracing recent practical developments in positioning technology and in the market it supplies, the author examines the contributions of the varied research—in silicon, signal and image processing, radio communications and software—to a fast-evolving field. The book looks forward to a time when, in addition to directing your road journey, positioning systems can peer indoors and guide you to an available photocopier in your office building. Featuring standalone chapters each dealing with a specific aspect of the subject, including treatments of systems such as Zebra, Awarepoint, Aeroscout, IEEE 802.11, etc. This study has all the detail needed to get up to speed on a key modern techn...

Indoor visible light communication with smart lighting technology

Science.gov (United States)

Das Barman, Abhirup; Halder, Alak

2017-02-01

An indoor visible-light communication performance is investigated utilizing energy efficient white light by 2D LED arrays. Enabled by recent advances in LED technology, IEEE 802.15.7 standardizes high-data-rate visible light communication and advocates for colour shift keying (CSK) modulation to overcome flicker and to support dimming. Voronoi segmentation is employed for decoding N-CSK constellation which has superior performance compared to other existing decoding methods. The two chief performance degrading effects of inter-symbol interference and LED nonlinearity is jointly mitigated using LMS post equalization at the receiver which improves the symbol error rate performance and increases field of view of the receiver. It is found that LMS post equalization symbol at 250MHz offers 7dB SNR improvement at SER10-6

Method for Improving Indoor Positioning Accuracy Using Extended Kalman Filter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seoung-Hyeon Lee

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Beacons using bluetooth low-energy (BLE technology have emerged as a new paradigm of indoor positioning service (IPS because of their advantages such as low power consumption, miniaturization, wide signal range, and low cost. However, the beacon performance is poor in terms of the indoor positioning accuracy because of noise, motion, and fading, all of which are characteristics of a bluetooth signal and depend on the installation location. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the accuracy of beacon-based indoor positioning technology by fusing it with existing indoor positioning technology, which uses Wi-Fi, ZigBee, and so forth. This study proposes a beacon-based indoor positioning method using an extended Kalman filter that recursively processes input data including noise. After defining the movement of a smartphone on a flat two-dimensional surface, it was assumed that the beacon signal is nonlinear. Then, the standard deviation and properties of the beacon signal were analyzed. According to the analysis results, an extended Kalman filter was designed and the accuracy of the smartphone’s indoor position was analyzed through simulations and tests. The proposed technique achieved good indoor positioning accuracy, with errors of 0.26 m and 0.28 m from the average x- and y-coordinates, respectively, based solely on the beacon signal.

INOPS Survey data report for Norway

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lindholst, Andrej Christian; Holt, Steffen

This data report provides statistics on the organization, management and performance of different ways of providing maintenance services within the municipal park and road sector(s) in Norway. The statistics relies on data collected in the period from April 2015 to October 2015 through an online...

D Modelling of AN Indoor Space Using a Rotating Stereo Frame Camera System

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, J.; Lee, I.

2016-06-01

Sophisticated indoor design and growing development in urban architecture make indoor spaces more complex. And the indoor spaces are easily connected to public transportations such as subway and train stations. These phenomena allow to transfer outdoor activities to the indoor spaces. Constant development of technology has a significant impact on people knowledge about services such as location awareness services in the indoor spaces. Thus, it is required to develop the low-cost system to create the 3D model of the indoor spaces for services based on the indoor models. In this paper, we thus introduce the rotating stereo frame camera system that has two cameras and generate the indoor 3D model using the system. First, select a test site and acquired images eight times during one day with different positions and heights of the system. Measurements were complemented by object control points obtained from a total station. As the data were obtained from the different positions and heights of the system, it was possible to make various combinations of data and choose several suitable combinations for input data. Next, we generated the 3D model of the test site using commercial software with previously chosen input data. The last part of the processes will be to evaluate the accuracy of the generated indoor model from selected input data. In summary, this paper introduces the low-cost system to acquire indoor spatial data and generate the 3D model using images acquired by the system. Through this experiments, we ensure that the introduced system is suitable for generating indoor spatial information. The proposed low-cost system will be applied to indoor services based on the indoor spatial information.

Active Ageing in the Labour Market. Country Report – Norway

OpenAIRE

Helgøy, Ingrid

2004-01-01

The paper analyse active aging policy in the labour market in Norway. First, a statistical analysis of the changes in labour market is presented. Even though European countries are more challenged than Norway, demographic ageing puts some pressure on the labour force and the ability of the welfare state to meet the needs of increased retirees in the future. The statistical analysis deals with labour market participation, unemployment, part-time employment, education, early exit and w...

International Student Migration to Norway. Who stays and who leaves?

OpenAIRE

Tran, Lea Nga Thanh

2014-01-01

International student migration to Norway has markedly increased during the past 20 years. This inflow has caused the Norwegian authorities to shed light on the topic. Until 2001, it was expected from the Norwegian authorities that international students return home after graduation. After the 21th century several policy changes occurred to attract more international students to Norway, and making it easier for international students to obtain a work permit after their studies. This thesis an...

Feasible Indoor Air-related measures against Avian Influenza

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Franchimon, F.; Pernot, C.E.E.; Bronswijk, van J.E.M.H.; Olesen, BW; Wargocki, P; Strøm-Tejsen, P; Zukowska, D; Toftum, J

2008-01-01

The threat of a new pandemic has forced the WHO to publish preparedness plans. Although WHO recognized the effect of airborne transmission of the causative agent, they did not attempt to include feasible measures for indoor environmental control as yet. The efficacy of indoor humidity control

Handling of quarry waste from schist production at Oppdal, Norway

Science.gov (United States)

Willy Danielsen, Svein; Alnæs, Lisbeth; Azrague, Kamal; Suleng, Jon

2017-04-01

Handling of quarry waste from schist production at Oppdal, Norway Svein Willy Danielsen1), Lisbeth Alnæs2), Kamal Azrague2), Jon Suleng3) 1) Geomaterials Consultant, Trondheim Norway, 2) SINTEF, Trondheim, Norway, 3) AF Gruppen AS, Oppdal, Norway A significant amount of aggregate research in Norway has been focused on the recovery and use of surplus sizes from hard rock aggregate quarries. The use of sand sized quarry waste (QW) from crushing/processing has been motivated by the rapid depletion of traditional sand/gravel resources, increasing land-use conflicts, and the need to minimise QW deposits which for some quarries are becoming a critical factor for economy as well as for environmental reasons. With an annual aggregate production of 77 million tons, out of which approximately 83 % comes from hard rock, the annual volume of size market, the economic - and also environmental - potential will be considerable. Understanding the geological conditions and petrographic properties of the rock is vital. This is a quartz-feldspar rich metamorphic rock - a meta-arkose - containing rhythmically distributed planar lamina (less than 2 mm thick) or scattered occurrence of mica, separated by layers composed predominately of quartz and feldspar. The rock can be split along the lamina to slabs varying from 0.5 cm to more than 10 cm in thickness, and the microstructure can be characterized as being granoblastic to gneissic. . This makes it possible by well designed crushing process and careful selection of the in-going rock particles, to obtain well shaped aggregates up to at least 20 mm. The on-going project will also study the total cost situation depending on the QW utilisation, discuss the environmental and sustainability issues with a societal perspective, and also consider the market opportunities.

Great Indoors Awards 2007

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

2007-01-01

Hollandis Maastrichtis jagati 17. XI esimest korda rahvusvahelist auhinda The Great Indoors Award. Aasta sisekujundusfirmaks valiti Masamichi Katayama asutatud Wonderwall. Auhinna said veel Zaha Hadid, Heatherwick Studio, Ryui Nakamura Architects ja Item Idem

Optimal training sequences for indoor wireless optical communications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Jun-Bo; Jiao, Yuan; Song, Xiaoyu; Chen, Ming

2012-01-01

Since indoor wireless optical communication (WOC) systems can offer several potential advantages over their radio frequency counterparts, there has been a growing interest in indoor WOC systems. Influenced by the complicated optical propagation environment, there exist multipath propagation phenomena. In order to eliminate the effect of multipath propagation, much attention should be concentrated on the channel estimation in indoor WOC systems. This paper investigates optimal training sequences (TSs) for estimating a channel impulse response in indoor WOC systems. Based on the Cramer–Rao bound (CRB) theorem, an explicit form of search criterion is found. Optimum TSs are obtained and tabulated by computer search for different channel responses and TS lengths. Measured by mean square error (MSE) performance, channel estimation errors are also investigated. Simulation results show that the MSE of the channel estimator at the receiver can be reduced significantly by using the optimized TS set. Moreover, the longer the TS, the better the MSE performance that can be obtained when the channel order is fixed. (paper)

Perceptions of tanning risk among melanoma patients with a history of indoor tanning.

Science.gov (United States)

Nergard-Martin, Jennifer; Caldwell, Chauncey; Barr, Morgan; Dellavalle, Robert P; Solomon, James A

2018-01-01

A new US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation classified tanning beds as class II, requiring indoor tanning facilities to inform users of the risk of skin cancer in efforts to reverse the growing trend in indoor tanning. However, little is known from the patient's perspective on whether knowledge of the risk of skin cancer development is a deterrent to indoor tanning. There also is conflicting literature regarding the relationship among frequency of indoor tanning, age at onset of melanoma diagnosis, and characteristics of diagnosis in melanoma patients with a history of indoor tanning. An international survey was conducted in patients 18 years and older who self-reported being diagnosed with melanoma after indoor tanning. The purpose of this study was to investigate the patients' perspective on indoor-tanning behaviors as associated with the severity of their melanomas and the time frame in which they were diagnosed as well as their perceived views on the safety of indoor tanning and the frequency in which they continue to tan indoors.

Source specific risk assessment of indoor aerosol particles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koivisto, A.J.

2013-05-15

In the urban environment, atmospheric aerosols consist mainly of pollutants from anthropogenic sources. The majority of these originate from traffic and other combustion processes. A fraction of these pollutants will penetrate indoors via ventilation. However, indoor air concentrations are usually predominated by indoor sources due to the small amount of dilution air. In modern societies, people spend most of their time indoors. Thus, their exposure is controlled mainly by indoor concentrations from indoor sources. During the last decades, engineering of nanosized structures has created a new field of material science. Some of these materials have been shown to be potentially toxic to human health. The greatest potential for exposure to engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) occurs in the workplace during production and handling of ENMs. In an exposure assessment, both gaseous and particulate matter pollutants need to be considered. The toxicities of the particles usually depend on the source and age. With time, particle morphology and composition changes due to their tendency to undergo coagulation, condensation and evaporation. The PM exposure risk is related to source specific emissions, and thus, in risk assessment one needs to define source specific exposures. This thesis describes methods for source specific risk assessment of airborne particulate matter. It consists of studies related to workers' ENM exposures during the synthesis of nanoparticles, packing of agglomerated TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles, and handling of nanodiamonds. Background particles were distinguished from the ENM concentrations by using different measurement techniques and indoor aerosol modelings. Risk characterization was performed by using a source specific exposure and calculated dose levels in units of particle number and mass. The exposure risk was estimated by using non-health based occupational exposure limits for ENMs. For the nanosized TiO{sub 2}, the risk was also assessed from dose

Indoor Air Quality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Selman, Ayser Dawod; Heiselberg, Per

Overall purpose of the research is to provide an overview of the relevance and importance of various defined Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) parameters in a European perspective. Based on the report it should be possible to prioritize which countries to target for further activities as well as it should...

Research on Integration of Indoor and Outdoor Positioning in Professional Athletic Training

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yongqing Liu

2018-02-01

Full Text Available GNSS is widely used in professional athletic training as an outdoor location based services, and the indoor positioning technology has gradually flourished in the gymnasium. To keep up with the demand for athletic training in indoor and outdoor environment, integration of indoor and outdoor positioning technology can achieve a seamless indoor/outdoor position solution. The proposed method uses GPS/BEIDOU with IMU-MEMS technology for outdoor positioning and UWB with IMU-MEMS technology for indoor positioning to provide high precision positioning services. The experimental results show that the proposed method can achieve meter level position accuracy in outdoor environment and centimeter level position accuracy in indoor environment, it can provide precise and real-time positioning service for effective athletic training aid.

Evaluating Wi-Fi indoor positioning approaches in a real world environment

OpenAIRE

Hantoush, Raafat

2016-01-01

Global positioning system(GPS) does not provide generally a good positioning performance in an indoor location because of many reasons (Henniges, 2012). On the other hand, other alternatives such as the WI-FI technology has become recently in a popular use to provide indoor localization. And that is due to many reasons, such as the wide spread of WI-FI infrastructure in the indoor environments and the low cost of this technology. This study attempts to evaluate different WI-FI indoor position...

Defining indoor heat thresholds for health in the UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Mindy; Carmichael, Catriona; Murray, Virginia; Dengel, Andy; Swainson, Michael

2013-05-01

It has been recognised that as outdoor ambient temperatures increase past a particular threshold, so do mortality/morbidity rates. However, similar thresholds for indoor temperatures have not yet been identified. Due to a warming climate, the non-sustainability of air conditioning as a solution, and the desire for more energy-efficient airtight homes, thresholds for indoor temperature should be defined as a public health issue. The aim of this paper is to outline the need for indoor heat thresholds and to establish if they can be identified. Our objectives include: describing how indoor temperature is measured; highlighting threshold measurements and indices; describing adaptation to heat; summary of the risk of susceptible groups to heat; reviewing the current evidence on the link between sleep, heat and health; exploring current heat and health warning systems and thresholds; exploring the built environment and the risk of overheating; and identifying the gaps in current knowledge and research. A global literature search of key databases was conducted using a pre-defined set of keywords to retrieve peer-reviewed and grey literature. The paper will apply the findings to the context of the UK. A summary of 96 articles, reports, government documents and textbooks were analysed and a gap analysis was conducted. Evidence on the effects of indoor heat on health implies that buildings are modifiers of the effect of climate on health outcomes. Personal exposure and place-based heat studies showed the most significant correlations between indoor heat and health outcomes. However, the data are sparse and inconclusive in terms of identifying evidence-based definitions for thresholds. Further research needs to be conducted in order to provide an evidence base for threshold determination. Indoor and outdoor heat are related but are different in terms of language and measurement. Future collaboration between the health and building sectors is needed to develop a common

Improving Indoor Air Quality

Science.gov (United States)

Usually the most effective way to improve indoor air quality is to eliminate individual sources of pollution or to reduce their emissions. Some sources, like those that contain asbestos, can be sealed or enclosed.

Modeling and evaluation tools for the indoor climate

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schijndel, van A.W.M.

2005-01-01

The appendix contains the paper presented at the 26TthAIVC Conference Brussels, 21-23 September 2005. The paper provides a study of the indoor climate of a monumental building with periodic high indoor moisture loads. Several scenarios of the past performance and new control classes are simulated

Indoor house pollution: appliance emissions and indoor ambient concentrations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Caceres, T [Univ. of Santiago, Chile; Soto, H; Lissi, E; Cisternas, R

1983-01-01

Emissions rates for CO, NO, NO/sub 2/ adn CH/sub 2/O from several unvented gas and kerosene heaters frequently employed in domestic heating have been measured. The indoor concentrations generated by these emissions are evaluated and compared to those determined in typical houses. It is found that both the predicted and measured values exceed the short term air quality standards accepted in most countries.

Impact of operating wood-burning stoves on indoor air quality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Afshari, Alireza; Jensen, Ole Michael; Bergsøe, Niels Christian

2011-01-01

A field study on the impact of operating and reloading wood-burning stoves on the indoor air quality was carried out during two consecutive winters. In contrast to the majority of recent studies, which focussed on the ambient air quality and the penetration of particles to the indoor air......, this study aims to understand to what extent the operation of a stove contributes to the generation of concentration of ultrafine particles in the indoor air. Therefore, different stoves were ignited in one session by the owner of the stove and in a subsequent session by an expert on wood-burning stoves....... The study was conducted in seven typical Danish detached houses without other indoor activities taking place. In each house the average air change rate during one week was measured (using passive tracer gas technique) and the indoor and outdoor temperature and relative humidity were recorded continuously...

Geologic controls on indoor radon in the Pacific Northwest

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Otton, J.K.; Duval, J.S.