The Great London Smog of 1952.

Science.gov (United States)

Polivka, Barbara J

2018-04-01

: The Great London Smog of December 1952 lasted five days and killed up to 12,000 people. The smog developed primarily because of extensive burning of high-sulfur coal. The health effects were both immediate and long lasting, with a recent study revealing an increased likelihood of childhood asthma development in those exposed to the Great Smog while in utero or during their first year of life. Subsequent pollution legislation-including the U.S. Clean Air Act and its amendments-have demonstrably reduced air pollution and positively impacted health outcomes. With poor air quality events like the Great Smog continuing to occur today, nurses need to be aware of the impact such environmental disasters can have on human health.

Talking about a Crisis - Italian Bloggers' Perceptions of Alitalia's Crisis Responses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Valentini, Chiara; Romenti, Stefania

In this study we intend to examine the way in which bloggers and blog readers framed a company performance during a crisis, but looking at the most discussed crisis's themes, at the sources of their statements and at their evaluations. To facilitate that, we focused on a specific crisis case......, the Alitalia's one, as this case shows some specificities that have influenced the contents of the communicative discourses among bloggers and blog readers on the organization's response to its crisis....

How Smog Awareness Influences Public Acceptance of Congestion Charge Policies

OpenAIRE

Lingyi Zhou; Yixin Dai

2017-01-01

Although various studies have investigated public acceptance of congestion charge policies, most of them have focused on behavioral and policy-related factors, and did not consider the moderating influence that individual concern about smog and perceived smog risk may have on public acceptance. This paper takes the congestion charge policy in China, targeted at smog and traffic control, and checks how smog awareness—including smog concerns and perceived smog risks, besides behavioral and poli...

How Smog Awareness Influences Public Acceptance of Congestion Charge Policies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lingyi Zhou

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Although various studies have investigated public acceptance of congestion charge policies, most of them have focused on behavioral and policy-related factors, and did not consider the moderating influence that individual concern about smog and perceived smog risk may have on public acceptance. This paper takes the congestion charge policy in China, targeted at smog and traffic control, and checks how smog awareness—including smog concerns and perceived smog risks, besides behavioral and policy-related factors—might influence public acceptance of the policy. In this paper, we found both a direct and moderating causal relationship between smog awareness and public acceptance. Based on a sample of 574 valid questionnaires in Beijing and Shanghai in 2016, an ordered logistic regression modeling approach was used to delineate the causality between smog awareness and public acceptance. We found that both smog concerns, such as perceived smog risk, and willingness to pay (WTP were both directly and indirectly positively correlated with public acceptance. These findings imply that policymakers should increase policy fairness with environmental-oriented policy design and should express potential policy effectiveness of the smog controlling policy to citizens to increase their acceptance level.

The effects of atmospheric processes on tehran smog forming.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammadi, H; Cohen, D; Babazadeh, M; Rokni, L

2012-01-01

Air pollution is one of the most important problems in urban areas that always threaten citizen's health. Photochemical smog is one of the main factors of air pollution in large cities like Tehran. Usually smog is not only a part of nature, but is being analyzed as an independent matter, which highly affects on the nature. It has been used as relationship between atmospheric elements such as temperature, pressure, relative humidity, wind speed with inversion in the time of smog forming and weather map in 500 Hpa level during 9 years descriptive static by using correlation coefficient in this analyze. Results show that there is a meaningful correlation between atmospheric elements and smog forming. This relation is seen between monthly average of these elements and monthly average of smog forming. However, when temperature decreases, corresponding pressure will increase and result of this will be smog forming. Usually smog increases in cold months of year due to enter cold high pressure air masses in Iran during December and January that is simultaneous with decreasing temperature and air pressure increases and inversion height distance decreases from the earth surface which cause to integrate air pollution under its surface, will cause to form smog in Tehran. It shows a meaningful and strong relation, based on resultant relations by correlation coefficient from inversion height and smog forming, so that obtained figure is more than 60% .

Self-disclosure through weblogs and perceptions of online and "real-life" friendships among female bloggers.

Science.gov (United States)

Bane, Cynthia M H; Cornish, Marilyn; Erspamer, Nicole; Kampman, Lia

2010-04-01

The current study examined female bloggers' perceptions of online and "real-life" same-sex friendships and examined relationships between self-disclosure through blogs and perceptions of the two types of friendships. Three hundred seven female bloggers (M age = 34.56 years) completed an online survey regarding friendship satisfaction and perceptions of intimacy-promoting interaction patterns in friendships. One hundred respondents' weblogs were analyzed for self-disclosure. Self-reported self-disclosure was positively correlated with number of online friendships and satisfaction with online friendships. Although participants reported having close online friends, they perceived real-life friendships as more likely than online friendships to possess intimacy-promoting interaction patterns. These perceptions did not differ as a function of self-disclosure through blogging, although bloggers who were categorized as higher in disclosure were more satisfied with online friendships than were bloggers who were categorized as lower in disclosure. These results suggest a relationship between self-disclosure through blogging and online relationship satisfaction among women in middle adulthood but that these women perceive real-life friendships as more likely to offer interaction patterns that foster intimacy.

Interim Report 'Winter smog and traffic'.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bloemen, H.; Blom, T.; Bogaard, van den C.; Boluyt, N.; Bree, van L.; Brunekreef, B.; Hoek, G.; Zee, van der S.

1994-01-01

This report presents a halfway score of the research project "Winter smog and Traffic", one of the themes of the research programme "Air Pollution and Health". A state of the art is presented of the health effects associated with exposure to winter smog and of the toxicological effects caused by the

The identity management practices of beauty-bloggers: a multimodal approach to the deprofessionalization’s analysis

OpenAIRE

Martyanova Natalia Alexandrovna; Rubtcova Maria Vladimirovna

2015-01-01

The article analyses the identity management practices of beauty-bloggers who on YouTube. The authors relies on the theory of deprofessionalization and show how bloggers gain the symbolic power and authority, which professionals previously had. Exploring the forms and methods of Internet communication the authors reveal the latent common identity management practices questioning the authority of professionals, and creating new managed space.

The identity management practices of beauty-bloggers: a multimodal approach to the deprofessionalization’s analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martyanova Natalia Alexandrovna

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The article analyses the identity management practices of beauty-bloggers who on YouTube. The authors relies on the theory of deprofessionalization and show how bloggers gain the symbolic power and authority, which professionals previously had. Exploring the forms and methods of Internet communication the authors reveal the latent common identity management practices questioning the authority of professionals, and creating new managed space.

Surviving With Smog and Smoke: Precision Interventions?

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Hua; Wang, Chen

2017-11-01

Despite continuous efforts of regional governmental agencies, air pollution remains a major threat to public health worldwide. In January 2017, a severe episode of smog similar to the Great Smog of 1952 occurred in London. The longest episode of Chinese haze also developed in Beijing, during which levels of particulate matter smog and Chinese haze are associated with large numbers of premature deaths each year, at 400,000 and 1.2 million, respectively, primarily from respiratory diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, and ischemic heart diseases. In addition to air pollution, some are exposed to other harmful environmental factors, such as secondhand smoke. For countries with large populations of smokers, such as China, India, the United States, and Russia, surviving both smog and smoke is a serious problem. With novel genomic and epigenomic studies revealing air pollution- and smoking-induced mutational signatures and epigenetic editing in diseases such as lung cancer, it has become feasible to develop precision strategies for early intervention in the disease-causing pathways driven by the specific mutations or epigenetic regulations, or both. New therapies guided by gene-drug interactions and genomic biomarkers may also be developed. We discuss both perspectives regarding the urgent need to manage the toxic effects of smog and smoke for the benefit of global health and the novel concept of precision intervention to protect the exposed individuals when exposure to smog and secondhand smoke cannot be voluntarily avoided or easily modified. Copyright © 2017 American College of Chest Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Smog induces oxidative stress and microbiota disruption.

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Tit-Yee

2017-04-01

Smog is created through the interactions between pollutants in the air, fog, and sunlight. Air pollutants, such as carbon monoxide, heavy metals, nitrogen oxides, ozone, sulfur dioxide, volatile organic vapors, and particulate matters, can induce oxidative stress in human directly or indirectly through the formation of reactive oxygen species. The outermost boundary of human skin and mucous layers are covered by a complex network of human-associated microbes. The relation between these microbial communities and their human host are mostly mutualistic. These microbes not only provide nutrients, vitamins, and protection against other pathogens, they also influence human's physical, immunological, nutritional, and mental developments. Elements in smog can induce oxidative stress to these microbes, leading to community collapse. Disruption of these mutualistic microbiota may introduce unexpected health risks, especially among the newborns and young children. Besides reducing the burning of fossil fuels as the ultimate solution of smog formation, advanced methods by using various physical, chemical, and biological means to reduce sulfur and nitrogen contains in fossil fuels could lower smog formation. Additionally, information on microbiota disruption, based on functional genomics, culturomics, and general ecological principles, should be included in the risk assessment of prolonged smog exposure to the health of human populations. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

ProBlogger Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income

CERN Document Server

Rowse, Darren

2012-01-01

An update of one of the bestselling blogging books, written by two of the world's most successful bloggers There's a reason why the first two editions of this book have sold thousands of copies worldwide. Written by two of the world's most successful bloggers, it's one of the clearest books out there on how to earn an income from your blog. This new edition gets you up to date on the very latest changes that affect the blogging-for-business landscape. Featuring new material on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn; plus new ways and tools to grow your audience and expand your business beyond your bl

Beauty bloggers' influence on Vietnamese young consumers

OpenAIRE

Tran, Duyen

2016-01-01

The objective of this thesis was to examine the effect of beauty bloggers towards Vietnamese consumers. The theoretical framework was built up by collecting data from academic books, online articles and newspapers as well as precedent research. The consumer decision process model of P. Kotler was emphasized and related factors were presented respectively. Information for empirical data was gathered by both qualitative and quantitative research, mostly through the web-based survey and topic...

Law status of journalists and bloggers in the newest information legislation of Russian Federation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kapustina Anna Georgievna

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The author carries out a comparative analysis of Russian national rights and responsibilities of journalists and bloggers, distinguishes fundamental differences in the legal status of the subject of information relations, determines the trend of development of the Russian legislation activity regulation of participants of information relations in the Russian segment of the Internet. On August 1, 2014 the Law on bloggers entered into force that, on the one hand fixed the differences between journalism as a profession and the blogosphere as a kind of social activity. On the other hand, at the legislative level it has solved the problem of the responsible attitude to bloggers - often influential and popular sources of information - to the broadcasting of messages. It is obvious that in Russian Federation it is being actively formed a system of legal regulation of information relations on the Internet, existed for many years legal gaps in this area are gradually disappearing.

Public perception of smog: A case study in Ningbo City, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Shuncheng; Shi, Longyu

2017-02-01

Smog has become a public environmental crisis in most areas of China, and in response, research efforts have mainly focused on the chemical properties of smog and its impact on human health. However, in-depth research on the public's perception of smog has not yet been conducted. A survey of residents living around eight state-controlled atmospheric environmental monitoring sites in Ningbo City was conducted using stratified sampling. The data was statistically analyzed to investigate people's views and behavioral tendencies in smog weather, the influence of different media reports on public outlook, and public opinions on the local atmosphere and pollution management in different areas. The results showed that people's perception of smog differs greatly from actual conditions, indicating that the public opinion tends to deviate when faced with a public crisis. Mainstream media (TV, newspaper, etc.), accounting for 67% of all media sources, are the main source for dissemination of smog information. The main sources of pollution, in order of decreasing contribution, according to residents of Ningbo City are as follows: motor vehicle exhaust, industrial coal combustion, large-scale construction, biomass burning, and kitchen fumes. Since 2011, most areas of China have been affected by frequent smog. Most research on smog has been concentrated on its causes, alert systems, and prevention measures, whereas in-depth research on the public perception of smog has not yet been conducted. When a risky environmental event such as smog occurs, consequences may be more serious than the event itself will cause if people take irrational measures because of lacking relevant knowledge. Therefore, investigating people's attitude and response to smog is both theoretically and practically significant.

Steering smog prediction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

R. van Liere (Robert); J.J. van Wijk (Jack)

1997-01-01

textabstractThe use of computational steering for smog prediction is described. This application is representative for many underlying issues found in steering high performance applications: high computing times, large data sets, and many different input parameters. After a short description of the

Menace of smog

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kemmerer, J B

1959-01-01

In addition to the loss of human and animal lives, smog causes extensive damage to plant life. With the increasing industrialization of the Los Angeles Basin, air pollution is increasing and causing serious damage to lawns, flowering plants, arable and horticultural crops.

“Having it All” on Social Media: Entrepreneurial Femininity and Self-Branding Among Fashion Bloggers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brooke Erin Duffy

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Against the backdrop of the widespread individualization of the creative workforce, various genres of social media production have emerged from the traditionally feminine domains of fashion, beauty, domesticity, and craft. Fashion blogging, in particular, is considered one of the most commercially successful and publicly visible forms of digital cultural production. To explore how fashion bloggers represent their branded personae as enterprising feminine subjects, we conducted a qualitative analysis of the textual ( n  = 38 author narratives and visual ( n  = 760 Instagram images content published by leading fashion bloggers; we supplement this with in-depth interviews with eight full-time fashion/beauty bloggers. Through this data, we show how top-ranked bloggers depict the ideal of “having it all” through three interrelated tropes: the destiny of passionate work, staging the glam life, and carefully curated social sharing. Together, these tropes articulate a form of entrepreneurial femininity that draws upon post-feminist sensibilities and the contemporary logic of self-branding. We argue, however, that this socially mediated version of self-enterprise obscures the labor, discipline, and capital necessary to emulate these standards, while deploying the unshakable myth that women should work through and for consumption. We conclude by addressing how these findings are symptomatic of a digital media economy marked by the persistence of social inequalities of gender, race, class, and more.

Comparative Toxicity of Simulated Smog Atmospheres in ...

Science.gov (United States)

Effects of complex regional multipollutant mixtures on disease expression in susceptible populations are dependent on multiple exposure and susceptibility factors. Differing profiles of ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and particulate matter (PM), which are key components of smog, and other hazardous pollutants may develop as a result of regional-specific geographic and urban environment characteristics. We investigated the pulmonary effects of two smog mixtures with different compositions in a mouse model of allergic airway disease to determine which source profile had the greatest impact on pulmonary endpoints. A hydrocarbon mixture was combined with NO gas in the presence of UV light in a controlled setting. Simulated smog atmosphere 1 (SSA-1) consisted of concentrations of 1070 µg/m3 secondary organic aerosol (SOA), 0.104 ppm O3, and 0.252 ppm NO2. SSA-2 consisted of a starting concentration of 53 µg/m3 SOA, 0.376 ppm O3, and 0.617 ppm NO2. An increased aerosol concentration was noted in the exposure chamber. Healthy and house dust mite (HDM)-sensitized (allergic) female BALB/cJ mice were exposed 4 hr/day for 1 or 5 days to either smog mixture or clean air. Two days after HDM challenge, airway mechanics were tested in anesthetized ventilated mice. Following methacholine aerosol challenge, increased airway resistance and elastance and a decrease in lung compliance were consistently observed in air- and smog-exposed HDM-allergic groups compared with non-a

Smog exposure and host resistance to respiratory pathogens

Science.gov (United States)

The US EPA is evaluating the health effects of photochemical smog on respiratory, cardiovascular and metabolic health (https://www.epa.gov/air-research/secondary-organic-aerosol-soas-research). Smog exposure has been associated with an increased risk of allergy and decreased res...

Estimated emission reductions from California's enhanced Smog Check program.

Science.gov (United States)

Singer, Brett C; Wenzel, Thomas P

2003-06-01

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires that states evaluate the effectiveness of their vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance (I/M) programs. This study demonstrates an evaluation approach that estimates mass emission reductions over time and includes the effect of I/M on vehicle deterioration. It includes a quantitative assessment of benefits from pre-inspection maintenance and repairs and accounts for the selection bias effect that occurs when intermittent high emitters are tested. We report estimates of one-cycle emission benefits of California's Enhanced Smog Check program, ca. 1999. Program benefits equivalent to metric tons per day of prevented emissions were calculated with a "bottom-up" approach that combined average per vehicle reductions in mass emission rates (g/gal) with average per vehicle activity, resolved by model year. Accelerated simulation mode test data from the statewide vehicle information database (VID) and from roadside Smog Check testing were used to determine 2-yr emission profiles of vehicles passing through Smog Check and infer emission profiles that would occur without Smog Check. The number of vehicles participating in Smog Check was also determined from the VID. We estimate that in 1999 Smog Check reduced tailpipe emissions of HC, CO, and NO(x) by 97, 1690, and 81 t/d, respectively. These correspond to 26, 34, and 14% of the HC, CO, and NO(x) that would have been emitted by vehicles in the absence of Smog Check. These estimates are highly sensitive to assumptions about vehicle deterioration in the absence of Smog Check. Considering the estimated uncertainty in these assumptions yields a range for calculated benefits: 46-128 t/d of HC, 860-2200 t/d of CO, and 60-91 t/d of NO(x). Repair of vehicles that failed an initial, official Smog Check appears to be the most important mechanism of emission reductions, but pre-inspection maintenance and repair also contributed substantially. Benefits from removal of nonpassing

Radiation smog

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spurny, Z.

1988-01-01

The principle is described of the production of radiation smog resulting from radioactive emisions. The differences are discussed in the contamination over the territory of Czechoslovakia following the Chernobyl accident. The higher surface contamination of industrial areas recorded after the accident can be explained by electroprecipitation of industrial impurities with the radicals and ions of the radioactive cloud. (E.S.). 3 figs., 16 refs

In vitro study of injury on human bronchial epithelial cells caused by gunpowder smog.

Science.gov (United States)

Lan, Xiaomei; Feng, Liang; Liu, Yifan; Zhou, Ying; Shao, Lingli; Pang, Wei; Lan, Yating; Wang, Chengbin

2013-02-01

Smog inhalation is associated with acute respiratory symptoms in exposed victims. However, despite the evidence from cell injury caused by smog, a stable and practical apparatus used to treat cells with smog is necessary. The aim of this study is to develop a cell research platform of smoke inhalation injury. In the smog-generation device, a wireless electromagnetic heater was used to ignite gunpowder and generate smog. The quality of black powder was checked by the black powder burn rate, and experimental smog was indirectly checked by the amount of cell damage. The temperature and humidity were set at 37 °C ± 1 °C and ≥95% in the smog-cells reaction chamber, respectively. Factors including gunpowder dosages, smog-exposure time, the cell density, modes of exposure, volumes of smog, test durations, volumes of the cell culture medium and combustion velocity were measured. Coefficient variation of different batches of gunpowder and smog were less than 4% and 9%, respectively. With larger gunpowder dosage and longer exposure time, cell injury appeared to increase. When cells were cultured in 4 × 10(4)/well density in culture medium (1 mL/well), exposed to more than 10 L smog with filter screens above plates, detected after 24 h culture in cell incubator and gunpowder burned out within 5 s, smog had the best effect on cell injury. In conclusion, the experimental device can produce test smog stably and safely. The apparatus treating cells with smog can induce cell injury effectively, and the injury is positively correlated with smog concentration and exposure time.

Toronto Smog Summit Report Card

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-01-01

This 'report card' provides a summary of actions taken, and progress achieved by the federal government, the provincial government and the City of Toronto, respectively, in response to various previous commitments regarding air quality, sustainable transportation, climate and atmospheric research, investing in green infrastructure (federal government), environmental assessment regulations, transboundary air pollution, improved monitoring and reporting regulations. Ratings also cover efforts in imposing emissions caps on the electric industry, emissions reduction trading system, toll-free public air pollution hotline, regulation of ozone depleting substances (provincial government), public education campaign on smog reduction, energy efficiency initiatives, corporate smog alert response plan, and a number of other environmental issues (City of Toronto)

Relationship between mortality and fine particles during Asian dust, smog-Asian dust, and smog days in Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hyun-Sun; Kim, Dong-Sik; Kim, Ho; Yi, Seung-Muk

2012-01-01

This study examined the association between all-cause/cardiovascular mortality and PM(2.5) as related to Asian dust (AD), smog-AD, smog, and nonevent days and evaluated the differential risks according to specific events for mortality. The daily records of all-cause/cardiovascular mortality and PM(2.5) from March to May 2003-2006 in Seoul, Korea, were used as independent and dependent variables. Differences in the event effects were assessed using a time-series analysis. Both all-cause and cardiovascular mortalities were significantly associated with PM(2.5) during smog-AD and AD days only. Differences in chemical composition emerging during long-range transport to Korea may explain these observations, especially as regards secondary aerosol, metal-sulfate/or nitrate, and metallic components. These results suggest that exposure to PM(2.5) during specific events is differentially associated with human mortality and that changes in the chemical composition of PM(2.5), occurring during long-range transport, represent important factors in such differential effects on health.

Psychopathological Symptoms under Smog: The Role of Emotion Regulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Shuquan; Kong, Jiayang; Yu, Feng; Peng, Kaiping

2017-01-01

Over the past decade, major cities in China have suffered from severe air pollution, which is also known as smog. Despite lay considerations that smog might pose risks for psychopathology, it remains unknown whether it is only linked to affective psychopathology or to a broader range of symptomologies. Moreover, whether individual differences in emotion regulation, a transdiagnostic risk factor for psychopathology, would influence the magnitude of pollution-induced symptoms is not well understood. Using a longitudinal design, the current study measured trait emotion regulation and psychopathological symptoms in a sample of university students at Time 1 (without smog, N = 120) and then reassessed for psychopathology at Time 2 (after acute exposure to smog for 1 week, N = 102). The results showed that participants had higher levels of positive symptom distress, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, and psychoticism at Time 2. Moreover, reappraisal is negatively associated with smog-induced elevations in psychopathological symptoms only when participants rely heavily on suppression. We discuss the implications of this investigation for both intervention efforts and future work on the contextual factors surrounding the deployment of emotion regulation strategies.

Psychopathological Symptoms under Smog: The Role of Emotion Regulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuquan Chen

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Over the past decade, major cities in China have suffered from severe air pollution, which is also known as smog. Despite lay considerations that smog might pose risks for psychopathology, it remains unknown whether it is only linked to affective psychopathology or to a broader range of symptomologies. Moreover, whether individual differences in emotion regulation, a transdiagnostic risk factor for psychopathology, would influence the magnitude of pollution-induced symptoms is not well understood. Using a longitudinal design, the current study measured trait emotion regulation and psychopathological symptoms in a sample of university students at Time 1 (without smog, N = 120 and then reassessed for psychopathology at Time 2 (after acute exposure to smog for 1 week, N = 102. The results showed that participants had higher levels of positive symptom distress, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, and psychoticism at Time 2. Moreover, reappraisal is negatively associated with smog-induced elevations in psychopathological symptoms only when participants rely heavily on suppression. We discuss the implications of this investigation for both intervention efforts and future work on the contextual factors surrounding the deployment of emotion regulation strategies.

La comunicazione dei wine bloggers: autoctono vs globale / The communication of wine bloggers: native vs global

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Federica Cavallo

2016-06-01

The work steps provided by methodology are: 1 identifi cation of the top 100 international wine blogs; 2 text mining on the blog articles in the homepage of each wine blog, in order to identify the most widely-mentioned “global” wine; 3 selection of the articles related to the two types of wines in exam, in order to deepen investigate them through the text mining analysis; 4 evaluation of the gap in the web communication of wine bloggers, through a model designed and tested in earlier work for such purpose. The analysis enables the search for information, which aims to identify similarities/differences or peculiarities in the web communication of the two different wines.

Smog episodes, fine particulate pollution and mortality in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Maigeng; He, Guojun; Fan, Maoyong; Wang, Zhaoxi; Liu, Yang; Ma, Jing; Ma, Zongwei; Liu, Jiangmei; Liu, Yunning; Wang, Linhong; Liu, Yuanli

2015-01-01

Starting from early January 2013, northern China was hit by multiple prolonged and severe smog events which were characterized by extremely high-level concentrations of ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) with hourly peaks of PM2.5 over 800 µg/m(3). However, the consequences of this severe air pollution are largely unknown. This study investigates the acute effect of the smog episodes and PM2.5 on mortality for both urban and rural areas in northern China. We collected PM2.5, mortality, and meteorological data for 5 urban city districts and 2 rural counties in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province of China from January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2013. We employed the generalized additive models to estimate the associations between smog episodes or PM2.5 and daily mortality for each district/county. Without any meteorological control, the smog episodes are positively and statistically significantly associated with mortality in 5 out of 7 districts/counties. However, the findings are sensitive to the meteorological factors. After controlling for temperature, humidity, dew point and wind, the statistical significance disappears in all urban districts. In contrast, the smog episodes are consistently and statistically significantly associated with higher total mortality and mortality from cardiovascular/respiratory diseases in the two rural counties. In Ji County, a smog episode is associated with 6.94% (95% Confidence Interval, -0.20 to 14.58) increase in overall mortality, and in Ci County it is associated with a 19.26% (95% CI, 6.66-33.34) increase in overall mortality. The smog episodes kill people primarily through its impact on cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. On average, a smog episode is associated with 11.66% (95% CI, 3.12-20.90) increase in cardiovascular and respiratory mortality in Ji County, and it is associated with a 22.23% (95% CI, 8.11-38.20) increase in cardiovascular and respiratory mortality in Ci County. A 10 μg/m(3) increase in PM2

2005 Toronto smog report card : final grade C-

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2005-10-01

This annual Smog Report Card for Toronto evaluates the progress made by the City toward reducing the environmental and health impacts of smog. The final grade for the City in 2005 was a C-, a decrease over the B+ issued in 2004. The report card evaluates City Council actions based on their clean air commitments. In particular, the performance on initiatives in the following six major areas were graded: energy; transit; walking and biking; fleets and fuels; intergovernmental action; and new air quality strategies. Although Toronto had a record number of smog days due to high-temperatures and high pollution levels, it had a better record on smog and climate change than either the provincial or federal levels. Greenhouse gas emissions in Toronto are actually going down, but they are up 12 and 24 per cent at the federal and provincial levels respectively. In 2005, the City of Toronto developed a new Air Quality Management Strategy to replace the Smog Plan. Future evaluations will depend on whether the strategy is effective. The report recommends that efforts should be made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions which cause global warming, as well measures to reduce the urban heat island effect by planting trees, improving energy efficiency and using lighter-coloured materials for roads, parking lots and roofs. The report card criticized that there has been no green power purchased for the City and that the transit ridership growth strategy is behind schedule. It also noted that the City is not pedestrian or bike friendly. refs., tabs., figs.

Chinese haze versus Western smog: lessons learned.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Junfeng Jim; Samet, Jonathan M

2015-01-01

Air pollution in many Chinese cities has been so severe in recent years that a special terminology, the "Chinese haze", was created to describe China's air quality problem. Historically, the problem of Chinese haze has developed several decades after Western high-income countries have significantly improved their air quality from the smog-laden days in the early- and mid-20(th) century. Hence it is important to provide a global and historical perspective to help China combat the current air pollution problems. In this regard, this article addresses the followings specific questions: (I) What is the Chinese haze in comparison with the sulfurous (London-type) smog and the photochemical (Los Angeles-type) smog? (II) How does Chinese haze fit into the current trend of global air pollution transition? (III) What are the major mitigation measures that have improved air quality in Western countries? and (IV) What specific recommendations for China can be derived from lessons and experiences from Western countries?

SMOG programme version for np (E=1-5 GeV) experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kotorobaj, F.

1975-01-01

The SMOG program, which can be used for NPD robot scanning in the described experiment, is described. A new modifiaction, set up so as to ensure its reliable use on the CDC-1604A, is considered. The program was designed for and used in processing the np (E=1-5 GeV) experiment. SMOG uses three magnetic tapes at the input (one at the extension) and one at the output containing the assembled collected events. A new SMOG variant with origination of errors according to parity during the recording time is attempted in order to continue to write the given zone five times. A short description of the work with the new SMOG program version is given

Comparative cardiopulmonary effects of particulate matter- and ozone-enhanced smog atmospheres in mice

Science.gov (United States)

This study was conducted to compare the cardiac effects of particulate matter (PM)-enhanced and ozone(O3)-enhanced smog atmospheres in mice. We hypothesized that O3-enhanced smog would cause greater cardiac dysfunction than PM-enhanced smog due to the higher concentrations of irr...

Photochemical smog incident on June 30, 1973

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hata, S

1973-01-01

The first photochemical smog incident in Shizuoka prefecture (June 30, 1973) started in Hamamatsu and extended 100 km northeast as far as Fujinomiya city. This not only involved an extraordinarily large area, but the type of smog was different from that in Tokyo and Osaka. The victims were all pupils exercising at the time in the playgrounds. In Hamamatsu, 1050 children were involved and complained of eye irritation and pain, throat pain, coughs, and headaches between 2 and 3 pm, but there were no serious effects. The damages to agricultural produce were extensive and 70% of the total rice fields (1656 hectares), and 40 hectares of green scallions were affected. In Shizuoka, 716 children were affected about 5:30 pm, but in Fujinomiya, which is located further northeast, 16 children were affected about 4 pm. The movement of the damages, the locations, the extent of damages, and the direction of the wind, were puzzling in the light of the normal pattern of photochemical smogs, and the pollution sources could not be the coastal industrial area or automobile exhaust gases. Meteorological factors were similar to the usual photochemical smog conditions, but the locations of the cities involved and the wind direction from the sea suggested that the pollution source was the Pacific Ocean. Since the wind above 1000 m was northeast, circulation of industrial pollutants by the sea breeze is a possible explanation. The maximum concentration of oxidants was about 0.2 ppm in all areas except for Hamamatsu, where it was a little over 0.2 ppm.

Trends in photochemical smog in the Cape Peninsula and the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

There has been growing public concern over reports of increasing air pollution in the Cape Peninsula. Attention has been focused on the 'brown haze' and on photochemical smog. Because of deficiencies in the monitoring equipment, information on trends in photochemical smog levels over the past decade is limited.

Differential cardiac effects in rats exposed to atmospheric smog generated from isoprene versus toluene

Science.gov (United States)

The results of this study demonstrate that atmospheric smog generated from both isoprene and toluene cause cardiac effects in rats. In addition, it appears that smog from toluene is more toxic in terms of cardiac arrhythmogenicity. Smog, which is a comple...

The health policy implications of individual adaptive behavior responses to smog pollution in urban China.

Science.gov (United States)

Ban, Jie; Zhou, Lian; Zhang, Yi; Brooke Anderson, G; Li, Tiantian

2017-09-01

Smog pollution is a serious public health issue in urban China, where it is associated with public health through a range of respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses. Despite the negative health impacts of smog pollution, individual adaptive behaviors are poorly understood. This knowledge gap hinders the development of effective public policy to support and encourage the adoption of individual adaptive and mitigating behaviors to smog pollution. A questionnaire survey of 1141 randomly sampled individuals in a typical PM 2.5 -polluted Chinese city was designed to establish smog concerns and behavior changes during smog events. The results demonstrate a variety of behavior responses associated with risk perception, experience of smog, age, and gender of respondents. An understanding of these variations is critical to the development of effective public policy and ultimately to the improvement of public health in cities affected by smog. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tropospheric Ozone and Photochemical Smog

Science.gov (United States)

Sillman, S.

2003-12-01

The question of air quality in polluted regions represents one of the issues of geochemistry with direct implications for human well-being. Human health and well-being, along with the well-being of plants, animals, and agricultural crops, are dependent on the quality of air we breathe. Since the start of the industrial era, air quality has become a matter of major importance, especially in large cities or urbanized regions with heavy automobile traffic and industrial activity.Concern over air quality existed as far back as the 1600s. Originally, polluted air in cities resulted from the burning of wood or coal, largely as a source of heat. The industrial revolution in England saw a great increase in the use of coal in rapidly growing cities, both for industrial use and domestic heating. London suffered from devastating pollution events during the late 1800s and early 1900s, with thousands of excess deaths attributed to air pollution (Brimblecombe, 1987). With increasing use of coal, other instances also occurred in continental Europe and the USA. These events were caused by directly emitted pollutants (primary pollutants), including sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and particulates. They were especially acute in cities with northerly locations during fall and winter when sunlight is at a minimum. These original pollution events gave rise to the term "smog" (a combination of smoke and fog). Events of this type have become much less severe since the 1950s in Western Europe and the US, as natural gas replaced coal as the primary source of home heating, industrial smokestacks were designed to emit at higher altitudes (where dispersion is more rapid), and industries were required to install pollution control equipment.Beginning in the 1950s, a new type of pollution, photochemical smog, became a major concern. Photochemical smog consists of ozone (O3) and other closely related species ("secondary pollutants") that are produced photochemically from directly

A Questionnaire Case Study to Investigate Public Awareness of Smog Pollution in China’s Rural Areas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Jiang

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Smog pollution is one of China’s most pressing public health issues today and has therefore received significant attention worldwide. Not only cities but also villages in China are suffering from smog pollution, especially since 2013. However, there is limited information available about public awareness on smog pollution in China, especially for where it concerns the residents living in villages. Based on a questionnaire survey, this study aims to help fill this gap. The results of the study show that the income of the majority of respondents comes from working in the city, accounting for 31.6% of the total income. The percentages for respondents related to access to smog information from various channels are as follows: TV (28.5%, radio (24.2%, neighbors (13.5%, Internet (9.8%, newspapers (8.3% and others (7.8%. As for attitudes regarding the severity degree and main cause of smog pollution, most respondents (33.7% thought smog pollution in villages was somewhat severe, while 26.3% agreed that the main contributor to smog pollution was industrial emissions, followed by coal burning at power plants (20.9% and vehicle emissions (17.7%. The results also indicate that most of the respondents were satisfied with the government’s performance in terms of smog control. However, 67.9% of respondents indicated they would remain silent and not intervene when confronted by an activity that causes smog pollution. This study can help to improve an understanding of public awareness regarding smog pollution in China’s rural areas and thereby activate positive public participation in smog pollution prevention and management in the search for sustainable development.

Simulations of photochemical smog formation in complex urban areas

Science.gov (United States)

Muilwijk, C.; Schrijvers, P. J. C.; Wuerz, S.; Kenjereš, S.

2016-12-01

In the present study we numerically investigated the dispersion of photochemical reactive pollutants in complex urban areas by applying an integrated Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Computational Reaction Dynamics (CRD) approach. To model chemical reactions involved in smog generation, the Generic Reaction Set (GRS) approach is used. The GRS model was selected since it does not require detailed modeling of a large set of reactive components. Smog formation is modeled first in the case of an intensive traffic emission, subjected to low to moderate wind conditions in an idealized two-dimensional street canyon with a building aspect ratio (height/width) of one. It is found that Reactive Organic Components (ROC) play an important role in the chemistry of smog formation. In contrast to the NOx/O3 photochemical steady state model that predicts a depletion of the (ground level) ozone, the GRS model predicts generation of ozone. Secondly, the effect of direct sunlight and shadow within the street canyon on the chemical reaction dynamics is investigated for three characteristic solar angles (morning, midday and afternoon). Large differences of up to one order of magnitude are found in the ozone production for different solar angles. As a proof of concept for real urban areas, the integrated CFD/CRD approach is applied for a real scale (1 × 1 km2) complex urban area (a district of the city of Rotterdam, The Netherlands) with high traffic emissions. The predicted pollutant concentration levels give realistic values that correspond to moderate to heavy smog. It is concluded that the integrated CFD/CRD method with the GRS model of chemical reactions is both accurate and numerically robust, and can be used for modeling of smog formation in complex urban areas.

An historical experiment: Los Angeles smog evolution observed by blimp.

Science.gov (United States)

Hidy, G M

2018-02-12

Observations of smog over the Los Angeles Basin (LAB) links high oxidant mixing ratios with poor visibility, sometimes smog by blimp in a Lagrangian-like format. The experiment on September 6, 1973, demonstrated that a blimp could travel with the wind across the LAB, observing ozone (O 3 ) and precursors, and particles of different size ranges. These included condensation nuclei (CN) concentrations dominated by particles of ≤ 0.1 µm diameter and light scattering coefficient (b sc ) representing mainly particles of 0.1-2.0 µm diameter. The results indicated a pollutant variation similar to that measured at a fixed site. Ozone was produced in an air mass, reaching a maximum of ~400 ppb in the presence of nitrogen oxides (NO x ) and nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHCs), then declined. Although the photochemistry was developing, b sc grew with O 3 mixing ratio to a quasi-steady state at ~9-10 × 10 -4  m -1 , decreasing in value much later with decease in O 3 . The light scattering coefficient was found to be positively associated with the O 3 mixing ratio, whereas CN concentrations were negatively proportional to O 3 mixing ratio. The blimp experiment was supported with aircraft vertical profiles and ground-level observations from a mobile laboratory. The blimp flight obtained combined gas and particle changes aloft that could not be obtained by ground or fixed-wing aircraft measurements alone. The experiment was partially successful in achieving a true Lagrangian characterization of smog chemistry in a constrained or defined "open" air mass. The Los Angeles experiment demonstrated the use of a blimp as a platform for measurement of air pollution traveling with an air mass across an urban area. The method added unique data showing the relationship between photochemical smog chemistry and aerosol dynamics in smog. The method offers an alternative to reliance on smog chamber and modeling observations to designing air quality management strategies for reactive

Publishing the confidential: an ethnographic study of young Irish bloggers

OpenAIRE

Fowley, Catherine

2011-01-01

From blogs to social network sites, young people have been early adopters of all forms of Web 2.0 communication. Diary-style blogs have been one of the tools they have used as outlets for creativity and communication, whilst simultaneously bringing into a public forum a genre which was inherently private. This thesis is the result of a three year ethnographic study of two groups of young Irish bloggers on the LiveJournal platform, which mixes blogging tools with social network facilities...

Computer Modelling of Photochemical Smog Formation

Science.gov (United States)

Huebert, Barry J.

1974-01-01

Discusses a computer program that has been used in environmental chemistry courses as an example of modelling as a vehicle for teaching chemical dynamics, and as a demonstration of some of the factors which affect the production of smog. (Author/GS)

Free Air Quality Alerts Help New Englanders Prepare for Summer Smog Season

Science.gov (United States)

With the onset of warm summer weather, the USEPA advises New Englanders to be aware of the increased risk of ground-level ozone and fine particle air pollution (when combined, often referred to as smog), & take health precautions when smog levels are high.

Assessing the features of extreme smog in China and the differentiated treatment strategy

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Lu; Zhang, Zhengjun

2018-01-01

Extreme smog can have potentially harmful effects on human health, the economy and daily life. However, the average (mean) values do not provide strategically useful information on the hazard analysis and control of extreme smog. This article investigates China's smog extremes by applying extreme value analysis to hourly PM2.5 data from 2014 to 2016 obtained from monitoring stations across China. By fitting a generalized extreme value (GEV) distribution to exceedances over a station-specific extreme smog level at each monitoring location, all study stations are grouped into eight different categories based on the estimated mean and shape parameter values of fitted GEV distributions. The extreme features characterized by the mean of the fitted extreme value distribution, the maximum frequency and the tail index of extreme smog at each location are analysed. These features can provide useful information for central/local government to conduct differentiated treatments in cities within different categories and conduct similar prevention goals and control strategies among those cities belonging to the same category in a range of areas. Furthermore, hazardous hours, breaking probability and the 1-year return level of each station are demonstrated by category, based on which the future control and reduction targets of extreme smog are proposed for the cities of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei as an example.

Metagenomic profiling of ARGs in airborne particulate matters during a severe smog event.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Jialin; Zhao, Fuzheng; Zhang, Xu-Xiang; Li, Kan; Li, Chaoran; Ye, Lin; Li, Mei

2018-02-15

Information is currently limited regarding the distribution of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in smog and their correlations with airborne bacteria. This study characterized the diversity and abundance of ARGs in the particulate matters (PMs) of severe smog based on publicly available metagenomic data, and revealed the occurrence of 205 airborne ARG subtypes, including 31 dominant ones encoding resistance to 11 antibiotic types. Among the detectable ARGs, tetracycline, β-lactam and aminoglycoside resistance genes had the highest abundance, and smog and soil had similar composition characteristics of ARGs. During the smog event, the total abundance of airborne ARGs ranged from 4.90 to 38.07ppm in PM 2.5 samples, and from 7.61 to 38.49ppm in PM 10 samples, which were 1.6-7.7 times and 2.1-5.1 times of those in the non-smog day, respectively. The airborne ARGs showed complicated co-occurrence patterns, which were heavily influenced by the interaction of bacterial community, and physicochemical and meteorological factors. Lactobacillus and sulfonamide resistance gene sul1 were determined as keystones in the co-occurrence network of microbial taxa and airborne ARGs. The results may help to understand the distribution patterns of ARGs in smog for the potential health risk evaluation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Toronto smog report card 2003 : final grade C -

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-10-01

An annual Smog Report Card for Toronto has been published annually by the Toronto Environmental Alliance since 1997, evaluating the progress made by the City toward reducing the environmental and health impacts of smog. The final grade for the City in 2003 was a C -, an improvement over last year's D +. The evaluation examined the performance on 33 initiatives in six major areas: leadership, transit, electricity, fleets and fuels, bikes and pedestrians, and public education. Issues that stood out were: a $30 million increase in funding to the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), and the release of the TTC's Ridership Growth Strategy depicting how transit ridership can be increased through improved service and lower fares. The drive-through and pesticide by-laws were passed by Council, which should result in smog reduction from unnecessary activities. Leadership was found to be lacking at City Hall in the area of clean air, in view of its decision to proceed with the expansion of Island Airport. The decision to move forward on only 20 per cent of planned green power and energy efficiency measures was a low point in 2002. The City's budget process, which effectively screened out most environmental initiatives was in part responsible for the lack of progress. The following grades were awarded: transit and trip reduction (B), energy efficiency and green power received (D), fleets and fuels (C), bikes and pedestrians (C), public education (B). Recommendations for next year included: implementation of the TTC's Ridership Growth Strategy; creation of a Smog Plan Implementation Fund of $20 million per year to invest in energy efficiency, green fleets, green power and other related measures; and stop the expansion of Island Airport

Acid aerosol measurement method intercomparisons: An outdoor smog chamber study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ellestad, T.G.; Barnes, H.M.; Kamens, R.M.; McDow, S.R.; Sickles, J.E. II; Hodson, L.L.; Waldman, J.M.; Randtke, S.J.; Lane, D.D.; Springston, S.R.; Koutrakis, P.; Thurston, G.D.

1991-01-01

A workshop on the measurement of acid aerosols indicated that the sampling methods in use had not been intercompared. Following two laboratory pilot studies, EPA sponsored tests in an outdoor smog chamber with a variety of test aerosols, including sulfuric acid only, photochemical smog with added sulfuric acid, photo-chemical smog with added sulfuric acid and dust, and dust followed by photochemical smog with added sulfuric acid. Two experiments of each type were conducted. Six groups, several of which were active in ambient acid aerosol measurements, participated by operating duplicate samplers for each experiment. Five groups employed a similar method, in which ammonia is removed from the sample stream by diffusion, particles are removed by Teflon filter, and hydrogen ion on the Teflon filter is determined by pH electrode. However, differences existed in the method's implementation among groups in physical design, flow rate, procedures, and analysis. The sixth group's method did not use a diffusion denuder for ammonia and had several other important differences. Besides hydrogen ion, seven other species were reported by most of the groups, including particle phase sulfate, ammonium, and nitrate, and gas phase sulfur dioxide, ammonia, nitric acid, and nitrous acid. Results of the inter-comparison will be presented

Existing Smog in Lahore, Pakistan: An Alarming Public Health Concern.

Science.gov (United States)

Riaz, Ramsha; Hamid, Khizar

2018-01-25

Lahore, the second-largest and most polluted city in Pakistan, has been plagued by a heavy blanket of smog recently. The ever-growing urbanization and industrialization have contributed to the worsening air quality of the city. Smog, being hazardous to health, is leading to a rapid sprout in multiple health-related problems, as well as raising concerns about the long-term deleterious effects on public health. The current situation is expected to worsen due to the lack of an active action plan from the government's side and a failure of concerned authorities to take note of the urgency of the situation. Hence, we aim to highlight this pressing issue in the light of previously published articles, to alert the relevant authorities regarding the detrimental consequences smog can have on public health and urge them to take immediate action to avoid further damage.

Air quality plans unveiled at Toronto's first Smog Summit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anon.

2000-06-23

New federal and provincial initiatives to improve air quality were announced at the recent first-ever Toronto Smog Summit. An initial one million dollars have been pledged by the federal Minister of the Environment to support a framework for extending daily air quality forecasting across Canada, to begin within the next year. The funding will be used to increase the information base of existing air quality advisory programs in Ontario, and to create a daily air quality index immediately in other areas of the country most affected by smog. Existing air quality assessment programs will be expanded to include air quality models incorporating measurement and reporting of particulate matter levels. A second federal initiative also announced at the is meeting will be a corporate smog action plan, led by the Ontario regional offices of the federal departments of the Environment, Health Canada, and Public Works and Government Services. This program will include rapid response by federal government departments during Smog Alerts Days and measures to reduce the federal government's contribution to causing smog through encouragement of low or no emission options for employees, educational programs on best practices at home and at the office, reduction of employee travel through flextime and telecommuting, conversion of government vehicles to natural gas and other alternatives, and retrofitting government buildings for greater energy and water efficiency. A federal commitment of at least $200,000 was also announced by the Minister of Transport to support six sustainable transportation projects. The provincial Minister of the Environment announced the membership of the province's Anti-Smog Action Plan, which involves some 50 partners from industry associations, companies, government agencies and non-government organizations to help Ontario to meet its commitment to reduces nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds emissions by 45 per cent by 2015. A strategy for

Data Smog: Surviving the Info Glut.

Science.gov (United States)

Shenk, David

1997-01-01

While the ability to churn out information has exceeded our ability to process it, the goal of the information industry is to convince us that whatever we have is not enough. This article examines the drawbacks of the information age (including "data smog" and "information anxiety") and makes suggestions for limiting exposure…

Two Simulated-Smog Atmospheres with Different Chemical Compositions Produce Contrasting Mutagenicity in Salmonella.

Science.gov (United States)

Ozone (O3), particulate matter (PM), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are criteria pollutants used to evaluate air quality. Using a 14.3-m3 Teflon-lined smog chamber with 120 UV bulbs to simulate solar radiation, we generated 2 simulated-smog atmospheres (SSA-1 & SSA-2) with differ...

The Hidden Side of Transparency Among Government Agency Bloggers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Agerdal-Hjermind, Annette

This paper shows and discusses blogs as social action in a corporate context by investigating and seeking to understand organizational bloggers’ motivations and discursive behaviors in the contextual and cultural diversity of a blog-setting. Providing empirical findings on the possibilities...... and limitations that are embedded in an organizational blog in a government agency context, traced through focus group interviews of the organizational bloggers, the paper shows that culturally bound limitations exist and are exposed when implementing an open-source social technology like the weblog.The paper...... its members and create subgroups for appropriate blog behaviors and changing behavior due to self-censorship, as well as identification with the key actors in the group....

A typology of affordances: untangling sociomaterial interactions through video analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Osch, W.; Mendelson, O.

2011-01-01

In this study we untangle the sociomaterial interactions between developers, users, and artifacts by analyzing what types of affordances occur in the interactions between actors and artifacts in the context of group generativity. Hereto, we conducted an in-depth ethnographic and interaction analysis

A single exposure to photochemical smog causes airway irritation and cardiac dysrhythmia in mice

Science.gov (United States)

The data presented here shows that a single exposure to photochemical smog causes airway irritation and cardiac dysrhythmia in mice. Smog, which is a complex mixture of particulate matter and gaseous irritants (ozone, sulfur dioxide, reactive aldehydes), as well as components whi...

SMOG@ctbp: simplified deployment of structure-based models in GROMACS.

Science.gov (United States)

Noel, Jeffrey K; Whitford, Paul C; Sanbonmatsu, Karissa Y; Onuchic, José N

2010-07-01

Molecular dynamics simulations with coarse-grained and/or simplified Hamiltonians are an effective means of capturing the functionally important long-time and large-length scale motions of proteins and RNAs. Structure-based Hamiltonians, simplified models developed from the energy landscape theory of protein folding, have become a standard tool for investigating biomolecular dynamics. SMOG@ctbp is an effort to simplify the use of structure-based models. The purpose of the web server is two fold. First, the web tool simplifies the process of implementing a well-characterized structure-based model on a state-of-the-art, open source, molecular dynamics package, GROMACS. Second, the tutorial-like format helps speed the learning curve of those unfamiliar with molecular dynamics. A web tool user is able to upload any multi-chain biomolecular system consisting of standard RNA, DNA and amino acids in PDB format and receive as output all files necessary to implement the model in GROMACS. Both C(alpha) and all-atom versions of the model are available. SMOG@ctbp resides at http://smog.ucsd.edu.

SMOG 2: A Versatile Software Package for Generating Structure-Based Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Noel, Jeffrey K; Levi, Mariana; Raghunathan, Mohit; Lammert, Heiko; Hayes, Ryan L; Onuchic, José N; Whitford, Paul C

2016-03-01

Molecular dynamics simulations with coarse-grained or simplified Hamiltonians have proven to be an effective means of capturing the functionally important long-time and large-length scale motions of proteins and RNAs. Originally developed in the context of protein folding, structure-based models (SBMs) have since been extended to probe a diverse range of biomolecular processes, spanning from protein and RNA folding to functional transitions in molecular machines. The hallmark feature of a structure-based model is that part, or all, of the potential energy function is defined by a known structure. Within this general class of models, there exist many possible variations in resolution and energetic composition. SMOG 2 is a downloadable software package that reads user-designated structural information and user-defined energy definitions, in order to produce the files necessary to use SBMs with high performance molecular dynamics packages: GROMACS and NAMD. SMOG 2 is bundled with XML-formatted template files that define commonly used SBMs, and it can process template files that are altered according to the needs of each user. This computational infrastructure also allows for experimental or bioinformatics-derived restraints or novel structural features to be included, e.g. novel ligands, prosthetic groups and post-translational/transcriptional modifications. The code and user guide can be downloaded at http://smog-server.org/smog2.

SMOG 2: A Versatile Software Package for Generating Structure-Based Models.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeffrey K Noel

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Molecular dynamics simulations with coarse-grained or simplified Hamiltonians have proven to be an effective means of capturing the functionally important long-time and large-length scale motions of proteins and RNAs. Originally developed in the context of protein folding, structure-based models (SBMs have since been extended to probe a diverse range of biomolecular processes, spanning from protein and RNA folding to functional transitions in molecular machines. The hallmark feature of a structure-based model is that part, or all, of the potential energy function is defined by a known structure. Within this general class of models, there exist many possible variations in resolution and energetic composition. SMOG 2 is a downloadable software package that reads user-designated structural information and user-defined energy definitions, in order to produce the files necessary to use SBMs with high performance molecular dynamics packages: GROMACS and NAMD. SMOG 2 is bundled with XML-formatted template files that define commonly used SBMs, and it can process template files that are altered according to the needs of each user. This computational infrastructure also allows for experimental or bioinformatics-derived restraints or novel structural features to be included, e.g. novel ligands, prosthetic groups and post-translational/transcriptional modifications. The code and user guide can be downloaded at http://smog-server.org/smog2.

The Impact of the 2013 Eastern China Smog on Outpatient Visits for Coronary Heart Disease in Shanghai, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Fang; Chen, Renjie; Shen, Yuetian; Kan, Haidong; Kuang, Xingya

2016-06-23

There have been relatively few opportunities to examine the cardiovascular effects of an extreme air pollution event in China. We aimed to examine the impact of the 2013 Eastern China Smog occurring from 2 to 9 December 2013, on outpatient visits for coronary heart diseases (CHD) in a typical hospital in Shanghai, China. We used the over-dispersed, generalized additive model to estimate the relative risk (RR) of the 2013 Eastern China Smog on the outpatient visits by comparing the smog period (2-9 December 2013; 8 days) to the non-smog period (1 November-1 December 2013, and 10 December-28 February 2014; 112 days). This model also controlled for time trends, days of the week, holidays, and meteorological factors. A stratification analysis was performed to estimate sex- and age-specific RRs. The daily average PM2.5 (fine particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm) concentrations during the smog period were 212 μg/m³, which were three times higher than during the non-smog period (76 μg/m³). The smog in Eastern China in 2013 was significantly associated with an increased risk of outpatient visits for CHD. For example, the RR was 1.18 (95% CI: 1.04, 1.32) on lag 0 day. There were similar effects on males and females. Our analyses provided preliminary evidence that smog constituted a significant risk factor of CHD in China.

The Impact of the 2013 Eastern China Smog on Outpatient Visits for Coronary Heart Disease in Shanghai, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fang Huang

2016-06-01

Full Text Available There have been relatively few opportunities to examine the cardiovascular effects of an extreme air pollution event in China. We aimed to examine the impact of the 2013 Eastern China Smog occurring from 2 to 9 December 2013, on outpatient visits for coronary heart diseases (CHD in a typical hospital in Shanghai, China. We used the over-dispersed, generalized additive model to estimate the relative risk (RR of the 2013 Eastern China Smog on the outpatient visits by comparing the smog period (2–9 December 2013; 8 days to the non-smog period (1 November–1 December 2013, and 10 December–28 February 2014; 112 days. This model also controlled for time trends, days of the week, holidays, and meteorological factors. A stratification analysis was performed to estimate sex- and age-specific RRs. The daily average PM2.5 (fine particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm concentrations during the smog period were 212 μg/m3, which were three times higher than during the non-smog period (76 μg/m3. The smog in Eastern China in 2013 was significantly associated with an increased risk of outpatient visits for CHD. For example, the RR was 1.18 (95% CI: 1.04, 1.32 on lag 0 day. There were similar effects on males and females. Our analyses provided preliminary evidence that smog constituted a significant risk factor of CHD in China.

Feasibility study of a synchronized-moving-grid (SMOG) system to improve image quality in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT).

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Lei; Yin, Fang-Fang; Chetty, Indrin J; Jaffray, David A; Jin, Jian-Yue

2012-08-01

To evaluate the feasibility of a synchronized moving grid (SMOG) system to remove scatter artifacts, improve the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and reduce image lag artifacts in cone-beam CT (CBCT). The SMOG system proposed here uses a rapidly oscillating, synchronized moving grid attached to the kV source. Multiple partial projections are taken at different grid positions to form a complete projection in each gantry position, before the gantry moves to the next position during a scan. The grid has a low transmission factor, and it is used for both scatter reduction and scatter measurement for postscan scatter correction. Experimental studies using a static grid and an enlarged CATphan phantom were performed to evaluate the potential CNR enhancement for different SMOG exposure numbers (1, 2, and 4). Simulation studies were performed to evaluate the image lag correction for different exposure numbers (2, 3, and 4) and grid interspace widths in SMOG using the data from an anthropomorphic pelvis phantom scan. Imaging dose of SMOG was also estimated by measuring the imaging dose in a CIRS CT dose phantom using a static grid. SMOG can enhance the CNR by 16% and 13% when increasing exposure number from 1 to 2 and from 2 to 4, respectively. This enhancement was more dramatic for larger phantoms and smaller initial exposure numbers. Simulation results indicated that SMOG could reduce the lag to less than 4.3% for 2-exposure mode and to less than 0.8% for 3-exposure mode when the grid interspace width was 1.4 cm. Increasing the number of exposures in SMOG dramatically reduced the residual lag in the image. Reducing the grid interspace width somewhat reduced the residual lag. Skin line artifacts were removed entirely in SMOG. Point dose measurement showed that imaging dose of SMOG at isocenter was similar as that of a conventional CBCT. Compared to our previously developed static-grid dual-rotation method, the proposed SMOG technique has the advantages of enhancing the CNR

Feasibility study of a synchronized-moving-grid (SMOG) system to improve image quality in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ren Lei; Yin Fangfang; Chetty, Indrin J.; Jaffray, David A.; Jin Jianyue

2012-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of a synchronized moving grid (SMOG) system to remove scatter artifacts, improve the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and reduce image lag artifacts in cone-beam CT (CBCT). Methods: The SMOG system proposed here uses a rapidly oscillating, synchronized moving grid attached to the kV source. Multiple partial projections are taken at different grid positions to form a complete projection in each gantry position, before the gantry moves to the next position during a scan. The grid has a low transmission factor, and it is used for both scatter reduction and scatter measurement for postscan scatter correction. Experimental studies using a static grid and an enlarged CATphan phantom were performed to evaluate the potential CNR enhancement for different SMOG exposure numbers (1, 2, and 4). Simulation studies were performed to evaluate the image lag correction for different exposure numbers (2, 3, and 4) and grid interspace widths in SMOG using the data from an anthropomorphic pelvis phantom scan. Imaging dose of SMOG was also estimated by measuring the imaging dose in a CIRS CT dose phantom using a static grid. Results: SMOG can enhance the CNR by 16% and 13% when increasing exposure number from 1 to 2 and from 2 to 4, respectively. This enhancement was more dramatic for larger phantoms and smaller initial exposure numbers. Simulation results indicated that SMOG could reduce the lag to less than 4.3% for 2-exposure mode and to less than 0.8% for 3-exposure mode when the grid interspace width was 1.4 cm. Increasing the number of exposures in SMOG dramatically reduced the residual lag in the image. Reducing the grid interspace width somewhat reduced the residual lag. Skin line artifacts were removed entirely in SMOG. Point dose measurement showed that imaging dose of SMOG at isocenter was similar as that of a conventional CBCT. Conclusions: Compared to our previously developed static-grid dual-rotation method, the proposed SMOG technique

Mobile Smog Simulator: New Capabilities to Study Urban Mixtures

Science.gov (United States)

A smog simulator developed by EPA scientists and engineers has unique capabilities that will provide information for assessing the health impacts of relevant multipollutant atmospheres and identify contributions of specific sources.

USING 14 C METHODOLOGY IN SMOG CHAMBER RESEARCH

Science.gov (United States)

Smog chambers are large enclosures (~ 10-200 m3) that are used to perform laboratory simulations of atmospheric reactions. By dealing with simple systems in which the number of reactants is limited and the conditions are strictly controlled, insights on how reactions ...

Development of SMOG-Cro readability formula for healthcare communication and patient education.

Science.gov (United States)

Brangan, Sanja

2015-03-01

Effective communication shows a positive impact on patient satisfaction, compliance and medical outcomes, at the same time reducing the healthcare costs. Written information for patients needs to correspond to health literacy levels of the intended audiences. Readability formulas correlate well with the reading and comprehension tests but are considered an easier and quicker method to estimate a text difficulty. SMOG readability formula designed for English language needs to be modified if used for texts in other languages. The aim of this study was to develop a readability formula based on SMOG, that could be used to estimate text difficulty of written materials for patients in Croatian language. Contras- tive analysis of English and Croatian language covering a corpus of almost 100,000 running words showed clear linguis- tic differences in the number of polysyllabic words. The new formula, named SMOG-Cro, is presented as an equation: SMOG-Cro = 2 + √4+ syllables, with the score showing the number of years of education a person needs to be able to understand a piece of writing. The presented methodology could help in the development of readability formulas for other languages. We hope the results of this study are soon put into practice for more effective healthcare communication and patient education, and for development of a health literacy assessment tool in Croatian language.

The Universe Untangled; Modern physics for everyone

Science.gov (United States)

Pillitteri, Abigail

2017-04-01

Physics has always been a tricky subject for the general public. Millions are fascinated by the laws of the physical world, but there has been a lack of books written specifically for general readers. The Universe Untangled is for those who are curious; yet do not have an extensive mathematical background. It uses images, analogies and comprehensible language to cover popular topics of interest including the evolution of the Universe, fundamental forces, the nature of space and time, and the quest for knowing the unknown.

Modeling smog along the Los Angeles-Palm Springs trajectory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanna, S.R.

1976-01-01

Observations of smog concentrations and wind patterns during the summer of 1973 in Los Angeles, Pomona, Riverside, Banning, and Palm Springs, California are presented which show that high oxidant concentrations at Banning and Palm Springs are often due to advection of smog from source regions in the more densely populated western part of the Los Angeles basin. At Pomona and Riverside, advection from upwind source regions combines with the effects of local emissions to cause long durations of high oxidant concentrations with peak times in the mid afternoon. An empirical model for the diurnal oxidant variation is suggested which satisfactorily simulates observed concentrations. More complex models which include chemical kinetics systems do not perform very satisfactorily at the rural stations of Banning and Palm Springs, especially at night when observed oxidant concentrations remain high

Early-Life Exposure to the Great Smog of 1952 and the Development of Asthma.

Science.gov (United States)

Bharadwaj, Prashant; Zivin, Joshua Graff; Mullins, Jamie T; Neidell, Matthew

2016-12-15

Little is known about the long-term effects of air pollution exposure and the root causes of asthma. We use exposure to intense air pollution from the 1952 Great Smog of London as a natural experiment to examine both issues. To determine whether exposure to extreme air pollution in utero or soon after birth affects asthma development later in life. This was a natural experiment using the unanticipated pollution event by comparing the prevalence of asthma between those exposed to the Great Smog in utero or the first year of life with those conceived well before or after the incident and those residing outside the affected area at the time of the smog. Prevalence of asthma during childhood (ages 0-15) and adulthood (ages >15) is analyzed for 2,916 respondents to the Life History portion of the English Longitudinal Study on Aging born from 1945 to 1955. Exposure to the Great Smog in the first year of life increases the likelihood of childhood asthma by 19.87 percentage points (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.37-36.38). We also find suggestive evidence that early-life exposure led to a 9.53 percentage point increase (95% CI, -4.85 to 23.91) in the likelihood of adult asthma and exposure in utero led to a 7.91 percentage point increase (95% CI, -2.39 to 18.20) in the likelihood of childhood asthma. These results are the first to link early-life pollution exposure to later development of asthma using a natural experiment, suggesting the legacy of the Great Smog is ongoing.

Vertical distribution of optical and microphysical properties of smog aerosols measured by multi-wavelength polarization lidar in Xi'an, China

Science.gov (United States)

Di, Huige; Hua, Hangbo; Cui, Yan; Hua, Dengxin; He, Tingyao; Wang, Yufeng; Yan, Qing

2017-02-01

In this study, a multi-wavelength polarization lidar was developed at the Lidar Center for Atmosphere Remote Sensing, in Xi'an, China to study the vertical distribution of the optical and microphysical properties of smog aerosols. To better understand smog, two events with different haze conditions observed in January 2015 were analyzed in detail. Using these data, we performed a vertical characterization of smog evolution using the lidar range-squared-corrected signal and the aerosol depolarization ratio. Using inversion with regularization, we retrieved the vertical distribution of aerosol microphysical properties, including volume size distribution, volume concentration, number concentration and effective radius. We also used the Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model to analyze aerosol sources during the two episodes. Our results show that the most polluted area in the lower troposphere during smog episodes is located below a height of 1 km above the ground level; under more severe smog conditions, it can be below 0.5 km. In the case of severe smog, we found a large number of spherical and fine particles concentrated in the very low troposphere, even below 0.5 km. Surprisingly, a dust layer with a slight depolarization ratio was observed above the smog layer.

“Having it All” on Social Media: Entrepreneurial Femininity and Self-Branding Among Fashion Bloggers

OpenAIRE

Brooke Erin Duffy; Emily Hund

2015-01-01

Against the backdrop of the widespread individualization of the creative workforce, various genres of social media production have emerged from the traditionally feminine domains of fashion, beauty, domesticity, and craft. Fashion blogging, in particular, is considered one of the most commercially successful and publicly visible forms of digital cultural production. To explore how fashion bloggers represent their branded personae as enterprising feminine subjects, we conducted a qualitative a...

'The kind of mildly curious sort of science interested person like me': Science bloggers' practices relating to audience recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

Ranger, Mathieu; Bultitude, Karen

2016-04-01

With at least 150 million professional and amateur blogs on the Internet, blogging offers a potentially powerful tool for engaging large and diverse audiences with science. This article investigates science blogging practices to uncover key trends, including bloggers' self-perceptions of their role. Interviews with seven of the most popular science bloggers revealed them to be driven by intrinsic personal motivations. Wishing to pursue their love of writing and share their passion for science, they produce content suitable for niche audiences of science enthusiasts, although they do not assume background scientific knowledge. A content analysis of 1000 blog posts and comparison with the most popular blogs on the Internet further confirmed this result and additionally identified key factors that affect science blog popularity, including update frequency, topic diversity and the inclusion of non-text elements (especially images and video). © The Author(s) 2014.

Social acceptance towards the air pollution in China: Evidence from public's willingness to pay for smog mitigation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Chuanwang; Yuan, Xiang; Yao, Xin

2016-01-01

Air pollution is one of the most predominant challenges in China. In order to ensure the smog governance projects could be promoted smoothly and the public shoulder the environmental responsibilities consciously, it is necessary for the policymakers to take public attitude into consideration, and understand the public willingness to pay (WTP) for smog mitigation. This paper adopts a CV method framework to assess the value of WTP and analyze the determinants. Given the consideration of the possible presence of the selectivity bias caused by protest responses, the bivariate sample selection model is constructed for estimation. Results show that up to 14% of respondents hold the protest responses, and neglecting the selection bias caused by protest responses would lead to downward biased estimates. The mean value of WTP for the smog mitigation is 1590.36 RMB per year, accounting for about 1% of annual income. Moreover, the NIMBY (not in my backyard) attitude among public is found to be significantly correlated with their WTP, and the other determinants such as household annual income, energy expenditure and economic loss caused by smog could also substantially affect the value of WTP. We further recommend grading governance and policy transparency to address the smog crisis. - Highlights: •Evaluating the social acceptance towards the air pollution in China. •Up to 14% of respondents hold the protest responses. •WTP for the smog mitigation accounts for about 1% of income. •Household energy expenditure is closely related with public's WTP. •The grading governance and policy transparency are recommended.

2006 Toronto smog report card : final grade C-

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2006-07-01

This annual report card evaluated the progress made by the City of Toronto toward reducing the environmental and health impacts of smog. The final grade for 2006 was a C-, the same as for 2005. The highest grade of B+ was issued in 2004. The report card evaluated City Council actions based on their clean air commitments. Although the summer of 2006 was one of the best on record, with only 11 smog days, the grade of C- was issued because the performance of the City's Air Quality Improvement record was poor. Toronto Environmental Alliance strongly recommended that important changes be made to improve air quality, transit and waste disposal. It recommended that the City should address the real causes of unclean air, which are motor vehicle exhaust and toxic pollution. This report card graded the performance on initiatives in the following six major areas: energy; transit; air quality plan; walking and biking; fleets and fuels; and, intergovernmental action. The report recommended that efforts should be made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions which cause global warming. refs., tabs., figs.

Bio-mimic design of PM2.5 anti-smog masks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shen Jing

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The basic property of anti-smog masks is to block PM2.5 with excellent air permeability. A multi-layer nanofiber woven fabric with hierarchical structure is the best candidate for this purpose.

On the role of social media in the ‘responsible’ food business: blogger buzz on health and obesity issues

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lee, H.H.; van Dolen, W.; Kolk, A.

2013-01-01

To contribute to the debate on the role of social media in responsible business, this article explores blogger buzz in reaction to food companies’ press releases on health and obesity issues, considering the content and the level of fit between the CSR initiatives and the company. Findings show that

Effect of latitude on the potential for formation of photochemical smog

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neiboer, H [Central Laboratorium TNO, Delft, Netherlands; Carter, W P.L.; Lloyd, A C; Pitts, Jr, J N

1976-01-01

The effect of latitude on the potential for the formation of photochemical smog has been assessed. Calculations suggest that at the summer solstice, the integrated sunlight intensity at Rotterdam or Fairbanks (Alaska) is very similar to that in Los Angeles. Computations carried out, assuming the same pollutant emission inventory for the three locations, showed that ozone and PAN dosages depend more on the integrated light intensity than on the nature of the light intensity distribution with time. Therefore, if factors such as emissions and meteorological conditions are equal, the potential for significant photochemical smog formation during the summer months is similar for Los Angeles (34/sup 0/N) and northern cities such as Rotterdam (52/sup 0/N) and Nome or Fairbanks, Alaska (65/sup 0/N).

Smog Yellows Taj Mahal

Science.gov (United States)

2007-01-01

Built as a monument to the favorite wife of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, the Taj Mahal has watched over the city of Agra, India, since the mid-seventeenth century with its pillars of gleaming white marble. By the spring of 2007, however, one of the world's most visited landmarks was turning yellow, and a panel of India's parliament had little trouble identifying the culprit: pollution. The panel blamed particles of soot and dirt suspended high in the atmosphere for the Taj Mahal's dinginess. The Taj Mahal's home, Agra, sits not far from the base of the Himalaya, and smog regularly collects along the southern side of the mountain range. On May 16, 2007, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite captured this image of the area around Agra, India. The closeup image shows the immediate vicinity of the Taj Majal. The larger image shows the surrounding area. In both pictures, dingy, gray-beige haze obscures the satellite's view of the land surface. India had tried to minimize the adverse impact of air pollution on the famous landmark. According to the BBC, in the late 1990s, India's Supreme Court ordered the closure of thousands of iron foundries and kilns that had belched smoke near the monument. Many of the 3 million tourists who visited the Taj Majal each year approached the monument on horse-drawn carriages or battery-operated buses as fossil-fuel-powered vehicles could not drive within 2 kilometers (1.5 miles). Since those efforts have failed to save the Taj Majal's complexion, Indian officials have considered applying a cleansing mud pack to the monument's surface to draw out the dirt. As India industrializes, smog results, and the Taj Mahal's gleaming whiteness is only one casualty. Pollution has been blamed for a decrease in Indian rice harvests, which had soared during the 'Green Revolution' of the 1960s and 1970s. Haze and dust also appear to bring on the region's monsoon rains earlier than normal.

The Effectiveness of the Smog Index in Determining the Reading Levels of Business and Distributive Education Texts.

Science.gov (United States)

Schultheis, Robert A.; Anderson, Roberta

1982-01-01

McLaughlin's Smog Index was compared to the Dale-Chall formula for the determination of reading levels of 48 textbooks in business and distributive education. A Modified Smog Index proved a valid substitute for the Dale-Chall formula when used to evaluate the reading levels of business and distributive education narrative. (Author/CT)

Reproduction and evaluation of a rat model of inhalation lung injury caused by black gunpowder smog

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi-fan LIU

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Objective　To reproduce and evaluate a rat model of inhalation lung injury caused by black gunpowder smog. Methods　The smog composition was analyzed and a rat model of inhalation lung injury was reproduced. Forty two healthy male Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal control (NC group and 1h, 2h, 6h, 24h, 48h and 96h after inhalation group (n=6. The arterial blood gas, wet to dry weight ratio (W/D of lung, leukocyte count, and protein concentration in broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (BALF were determined. Macroscopic and microscopic changes in lung tissue were observed. Results　The composition of black gunpowder smog was composed mainly of CO2 and CO, and their concentrations remained stable within 12 minutes. Smog inhalation caused a significant hypoxemia, the concentration of blood COHb reached a peak value 1h, and the W/D of lung reached peak value 2h after inhalation (P<0.05. The amount of leukocytes and content of protein in BALF increased significantly within 24h after inhalation (P<0.05. Histopathological observation showed diffuse hemorrhage, edema and inflammatory cell infiltration in lung tissue as manifestations of acute lung injury, and the injury did not recover at 96h after inhalation. Conclusion　The rat model of inhalation lung injury can be reproduced using black gunpowder smog, and it has the advantages of its readiness for reproduction, reliability and stability, and it could be used for the experiment of inhalation injury in a battlefield environment.

[A study on the role of vascular endothelial growth factor in emphysema of rat caused by smog exposure].

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jin-long; Ran, Pi-xin

2003-11-01

To explore the role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in emphysema of rat caused by smog exposure. Thirty-six 12-week male rats were randomly divided into 2 groups: a smog exposure group (S group), and a normal control group (N group). S group rats were randomly subdivided into 3 groups: S(1) group, S(2) group, S(3) group, which were exposed to smog for 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, respectively; N group rats were randomly subdivided into 3 groups: N(1) group, N(2) group, N(3) group, which were raised in normal oxygen condition for 0 week, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, respectively. The expressions of VEGF mRNA and VEGF protein and kinase-insert domain containing receptor (KDR) protein were determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and modified SABC immunohistochemistry assay separately. The pathological change in smog exposure rat lung was determined by HE staining. MLI and MAN were determined as an index of emphysema. Variance analysis, nonparametric analysis and correlate analysis were conducted in SPSS 10.0. (1) There were airway inflammation in S group rat lungs, and an early-emphysema-like change in S(3) group rat lungs: MAN in S(3) group was significantly decreased compared with N(3) group, MLI in S(3) group was significantly increased compared with N(3) group (P 0.05). (3) VEGF protein expression in alveolar epithelium and bronchial epithelium had a positive correlation with MAN (r = 0.43, r = 0.37, P Smog exposure decrease the expression of VEGF and KDR in rat lung. VEGF might involve in the pathology of emphysema caused by smog exposure.

Potential oxidative stress in the bodies of electric arc welding operators: effect of photochemical smog.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, You-Gen; Zhou, Jun-Fu; Shan, Wei-Ying; Zhou, Pei-Su; Tong, Gui-Zhong

2004-12-01

To investigate whether photochemical smog emitted during the process of electric arc welding might cause oxidative stress and potential oxidative damage in the bodies of welding operators. Seventy electric arc welding operators (WOs) and 70 healthy volunteers (HVs) were enrolled in a randomized controlled study design, in which the levels of vitamin C (VC) and vitamin E (VE) in plasma as well as the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and the level of lipoperoxide (LPO) in erythrocytes were determined by spectrophotometry. Compared with the average values of the above experimental parameters in the HVs group, the average values of VC and VE in plasma as well as those of SOD, CAT and GPX in erythrocytes in the WOs group were significantly decreased (P smog the values of VC, VE, SOD, and GPX, except for CAT, in the WOs were decreased gradually (P smog in the bodies of WOs, thereby causing potential oxidative and lipoperoxidative damages in their bodies.

Microbiological Diversity Demonstrates the Potential which Collaboratively Metabolize Nitrogen Oxides ( NOx) under Smog Environmental Stress

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, X. Z.; Zhao, X. H.; Chen, X. P.

2018-03-01

Recently, smoggy weather has become a daily in large part of China because of rapidly economic growth and accelerative urbanization. Stressed on the smoggy situation and economic growth, the green and environment-friendly technology is necessary to reduce or eliminate the smog and promote the sustainable development of economy. Previous studies had confirmed that nitrogen oxides ( NOx ) is one of crucial factors which forms smog. Microorganisms have the advantages of quickly growth and reproduction and metabolic diversity which can collaboratively Metabolize various NOx. This study will design a kind of bacteria & algae cultivation system which can metabolize collaboratively nitrogen oxides in air and intervene in the local nitrogen cycle. Furthermore, the nitrogen oxides can be transformed into nitrogen gas or assembled in protein in microorganism cell by regulating the microorganism types and quantities and metabolic pathways in the system. Finally, the smog will be alleviated or eliminated because of reduction of nitrogen oxides emission. This study will produce the green developmental methodology.

Essere o non essere SMOG. Diventare la più giovane società di geni e deflorare il realismo socialista?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandre Urussov

2015-07-01

Full Text Available In questo articolo Alexandre Urussov (Aleksandr o Alexander, a seconda delle diverse traslitte- razioni ricorda la propria partecipazione all’associazione giovanile underground SMOG in URSS nel 1965. Al tempo giovane scrittore moscovita, Alexandre Urussov prese parte ad alcune mani- festazioni organizzate da SMOG e pubblicò il racconto Il grido delle formiche lontane nella rivista samizdat Sfinsky. Il racconto è stato tradotto in varie lingue e pubblicato nel Regno Unito, in Italia, Germania, Francia, Canada e Islanda. L’autore spiega qui le dinamiche di alcuni processi culturali nell’URSS di quei tempi, le caratteristiche distintive del Samizdat letterario degli scrittori SMOG e gli atti di repressione delle autorità sovietiche contro gli scrittori dissidenti.

PERLINDUNGAN HUKUM BLOGGER BERITIKAD BAIK TERHADAP DOMINE NAME MEREK TERKENAL DARI DUGAAN PEMBONCENGAN REPUTASI (PASSING OFF

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

DESY KUSUMA WARDHANI

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This Research entitled "Legal Protection Against Blogger Good Faith Domine Name Of Alleged Deception Famous Brand Reputation (Passing Off". The problem of this study was, first: How does the domain name in a legal setting in Indonesia. Second: What is the legal protection of domain name for blogger’s good faith if there are similarities with the domain name famous brand. This research method using normative methods, the legal research done by examining library materials. Which refers to the legal norms contained in the legislation, international conventions, international agreements and court decisions. The results showed, first: The domain name has been linked closely with the brand and copyright but the domain name is not synonymous with the brand and copyright, as it has a system and registration requirements as well as the recognition of the existence differently. So far there are kekososngan norms that specifically regulate the domain name issue in Indonesia. Until now, the settings used by the international ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, the competent authority dealing with internet IP Addres, and domain name system management. Second: Legal protection for bloggers acting in good faith if there are similarities regarding the domain name can be a famous brand is preventive legal protection and the protection of repressive laws which refers to the settlement of a litigation matter (referring to the legal protection of IPR, Civil, Criminal and Law ITE and non-litigation (both ADR and UDRP.

Interferences of commercial NO2 instruments in the urban atmosphere and in a smog chamber

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Kleffmann

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Reliable measurements of atmospheric trace gases are necessary for both, a better understanding of the chemical processes occurring in the atmosphere, and for the validation of model predictions. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2 is a toxic gas and is thus a regulated air pollutant. Besides, it is of major importance for the oxidation capacity of the atmosphere and plays a pivotal role in the formation of ozone and acid precipitation. Detection of NO2 is a difficult task since many of the different commercial techniques used are affected by interferences. The chemiluminescence instruments that are used for indirect NO2 detection in monitoring networks and smog chambers use either molybdenum or photolytic converters and are affected by either positive (NOy or negative interferences (radical formation in the photolytic converter. Erroneous conclusions on NO2 can be drawn if these interferences are not taken into consideration. In the present study, NO2 measurements in the urban atmosphere, in a road traffic tunnel and in a smog-chamber using different commercial techniques, i.e. chemiluminescence instruments with molybdenum or photolytic converters, a Luminol based instrument and a new NO2-LOPAP, were compared with spectroscopic techniques, i.e. DOAS and FTIR. Interferences of the different instruments observed during atmospheric measurements were partly characterised in more detail in the smog chamber experiments. Whereas all the commercial instruments showed strong interferences, excellent agreement was obtained between a new NO2-LOPAP instrument and the FTIR technique for the measurements performed in the smog chamber.

Effects of Isoprene- and Toluene-Generated Smog on Allergic Inflammation in Mice

Science.gov (United States)

Reactions of organic compounds with nitric oxide (NO) and sunlight produce complex mixtures of pollutants including secondary organic aerosol (SOA), ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and reactive aldehydes. The health effects of these photochemical smog mixtures in susceptible ...

Particle number concentration, size distribution and chemical composition during haze and photochemical smog episodes in Shanghai.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xuemei; Chen, Jianmin; Cheng, Tiantao; Zhang, Renyi; Wang, Xinming

2014-09-01

The aerosol number concentration and size distribution as well as size-resolved particle chemical composition were measured during haze and photochemical smog episodes in Shanghai in 2009. The number of haze days accounted for 43%, of which 30% was severe (visibilitysmog episodes, about 5.89 times and 4.29 times those of clean days. The particle volume concentration and surface concentration in haze, photochemical smog and clean days were 102, 49, 15μm(3)/cm(3) and 949, 649, 206μm(2)/cm(3), respectively. As haze events got more severe, the number concentration of particles smaller than 50nm decreased, but the particles of 50-200nm and 0.5-1μm increased. The diurnal variation of particle number concentration showed a bimodal pattern in haze days. All soluble ions were increased during haze events, of which NH4(+), SO4(2-) and NO3(-) increased greatly, followed by Na(+), K(+), Ca(2+) and Cl(-). These ions were very different in size-resolved particles during haze and photochemical smog episodes. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Tackling Air Pollution in China—What do We Learn from the Great Smog of 1950s in LONDON

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dongyong Zhang

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Since the prolonged, severe smog that blanketed many Chinese cities in first months of 2013, living in smog has become “normal” to most people living in mainland China. This has not only caused serious harm to public health, but also resulted in massive economic losses in many other ways. Tackling the current air pollution has become crucial to China’s long-term economic and social sustainable development. This paper aims to find the causes of the current severe air quality and explore the possible solutions by reviewing the current literature, and by comparing China’s air pollution regulations to that of the post London Killer Smog of 1952, in the United Kingdom (UK. It is hoped that China will learn the lesson from the UK, and decouple its economic growth from the detrimental impact of environment. Policy suggestions are made.

Smog signals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fick, S.; Shilts, E.

2008-01-01

Nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) gas is created when fossil fuels are burned. Hot spots of NO 2 pollution in the troposphere have been identified by researchers at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute. In addition to traffic, the biggest emitters of NO 2 include power plants, heavy industry and oil refineries. The City of Shanghai in China ranks with Los Angeles and Mexico City as the urban areas with the highest NO 2 concentrations in the world. NO 2 combines with particles in the air to create a smog that hangs over larger cities in the summer and plays a role in the production of ground-level ozone, both of which cause a variety of respiratory problems. According to the World Health Organization, such air pollution reduces the life of the average European by 8.6 months. This article included a map indicating NO 2 concentrations around the world. The high levels at Fort McMurray, Alberta can be attributed to the NO 2 emitted by oil sands plants. Individual power plants in Chandrapur and Ramagundam in India and oil refineries around the Persian Gulf also revealed high levels, as did the Highveld area outside of Johannesburg in South Africa, where a number of power plants sit on a plateau. At high altitude, NO 2 lingers longer in the air. In the past decade in Europe and eastern North America, cleaner technology in cars and power plants has led to declines in NO 2 in those regions. However, huge increases in emissions in East Asia mean the air will remain smoggy. 1 fig

WE-EF-207-04: An Inter-Projection Sensor Fusion (IPSF) Approach to Estimate Missing Projection Signal in Synchronized Moving Grid (SMOG) System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, H; Kong, V; Jin, J; Ren, L; Zhang, Y; Giles, W

2015-01-01

Purpose: A synchronized moving grid (SMOG) has been proposed to reduce scatter and lag artifacts in cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). However, information is missing in each projection because certain areas are blocked by the grid. A previous solution to this issue is acquiring 2 complimentary projections at each position, which increases scanning time. This study reports our first Result using an inter-projection sensor fusion (IPSF) method to estimate missing projection in our prototype SMOG-based CBCT system. Methods: An in-house SMOG assembling with a 1:1 grid of 3 mm gap has been installed in a CBCT benchtop. The grid moves back and forth in a 3-mm amplitude and up-to 20-Hz frequency. A control program in LabView synchronizes the grid motion with the platform rotation and x-ray firing so that the grid patterns for any two neighboring projections are complimentary. A Catphan was scanned with 360 projections. After scatter correction, the IPSF algorithm was applied to estimate missing signal for each projection using the information from the 2 neighboring projections. Feldkamp-Davis-Kress (FDK) algorithm was applied to reconstruct CBCT images. The CBCTs were compared to those reconstructed using normal projections without applying the SMOG system. Results: The SMOG-IPSF method may reduce image dose by half due to the blocked radiation by the grid. The method almost completely removed scatter related artifacts, such as the cupping artifacts. The evaluation of line pair patterns in the CatPhan suggested that the spatial resolution degradation was minimal. Conclusion: The SMOG-IPSF is promising in reducing scatter artifacts and improving image quality while reducing radiation dose

WE-EF-207-04: An Inter-Projection Sensor Fusion (IPSF) Approach to Estimate Missing Projection Signal in Synchronized Moving Grid (SMOG) System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, H; Kong, V; Jin, J [Georgia Regents University Cancer Center, Augusta, GA (Georgia); Ren, L; Zhang, Y; Giles, W [Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC (United States)

2015-06-15

Purpose: A synchronized moving grid (SMOG) has been proposed to reduce scatter and lag artifacts in cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). However, information is missing in each projection because certain areas are blocked by the grid. A previous solution to this issue is acquiring 2 complimentary projections at each position, which increases scanning time. This study reports our first Result using an inter-projection sensor fusion (IPSF) method to estimate missing projection in our prototype SMOG-based CBCT system. Methods: An in-house SMOG assembling with a 1:1 grid of 3 mm gap has been installed in a CBCT benchtop. The grid moves back and forth in a 3-mm amplitude and up-to 20-Hz frequency. A control program in LabView synchronizes the grid motion with the platform rotation and x-ray firing so that the grid patterns for any two neighboring projections are complimentary. A Catphan was scanned with 360 projections. After scatter correction, the IPSF algorithm was applied to estimate missing signal for each projection using the information from the 2 neighboring projections. Feldkamp-Davis-Kress (FDK) algorithm was applied to reconstruct CBCT images. The CBCTs were compared to those reconstructed using normal projections without applying the SMOG system. Results: The SMOG-IPSF method may reduce image dose by half due to the blocked radiation by the grid. The method almost completely removed scatter related artifacts, such as the cupping artifacts. The evaluation of line pair patterns in the CatPhan suggested that the spatial resolution degradation was minimal. Conclusion: The SMOG-IPSF is promising in reducing scatter artifacts and improving image quality while reducing radiation dose.

Two Simulated-Smog Atmospheres with Different Chemical Compositions Produce Contrasting Mutagenicity in Salmonella**

Science.gov (United States)

Ozone (O3), particulate matter (PM), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are criteria pollutants used to evaluate air quality. Using EPA’s Mobile Reaction Chamber (MRC), we generated 2 simulated-smog atmospheres (SSA-1 & SSA-2) with different concentrations of these criteria pol...

Untangling the Relationship between Internet Anxiety and Internet Identification in Students: The Role of Internet Self-Efficacy

Science.gov (United States)

Hsiao, Bo; Zhu, Yu-Qian; Chen, Li-Yueh

2017-01-01

Introduction: Previous research has identified Internet anxiety and Internet identification as two important factors that predict usage and experience on the Internet. However, little is known about the relationship between them. This research aimed to untangle the relationship between Internet anxiety and Internet identification, and to…

Gentrification, displacement and the arts: Untangling the relationship between arts industries and place change

OpenAIRE

Grodach, C.; Foster, N.; Murdoch, J.

2016-01-01

The arts have long played a role in debates around gentrification and displacement, yet their roles and impacts as change agents are not clear-cut. According to the standard account, artists facilitate gentrification and ultimately engender the displacement of lower income households, but more recent research complicates the accepted narrative. This article seeks to untangle the relationship between the arts, gentrification and displacement through a statistical study of neighbourhood-level a...

Supernova cooling in a dark matter smog

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Yue, E-mail: yuezhang@theory.caltech.edu [Walter Burke Institute for Theoretical Physics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)

2014-11-01

A light hidden gauge boson with kinetic mixing with the usual photon is a popular setup in theories of dark matter. The supernova cooling via radiating the hidden boson is known to put an important constraint on the mixing. I consider the possible role dark matter, which under reasonable assumptions naturally exists inside supernova, can play in the cooling picture. Because the interaction between the hidden gauge boson and DM is likely unsuppressed, even a small number of dark matter compared to protons inside the supernova could dramatically shorten the free streaming length of the hidden boson. A picture of a dark matter ''smog'' inside the supernova, which substantially relaxes the cooling constraint, is discussed in detail.

Applications of the three-dimensional air quality system to western U.S. air quality: IDEA, smog blog, smog stories, airquest, and the remote sensing information gateway.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoff, Raymond; Zhang, Hai; Jordan, Nikisa; Prados, Ana; Engel-Cox, Jill; Huff, Amy; Weber, Stephanie; Zell, Erica; Kondragunta, Shobha; Szykman, James; Johns, Brad; Dimmick, Fred; Wimmers, Anthony; Al-Saadi, Jay; Kittaka, Chieko

2009-08-01

A system has been developed to combine remote sensing and ground-based measurements of aerosol concentration and aerosol light scattering parameters into a three-dimensional view of the atmosphere over the United States. Utilizing passive and active remote sensors from space and the ground, the system provides tools to visualize particulate air pollution in near real time and archive the results for retrospective analyses. The main components of the system (Infusing satellite Data into Environmental Applications [IDEA], the U.S. Air Quality Weblog [Smog Blog], Smog Stories, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's AIRQuest decision support system, and the Remote Sensing Information Gateway [RSIG]) are described, and the relationship of how data move from one system to another is outlined. To provide examples of how the results can be used to analyze specific pollution episodes, three events (two fires and one wintertime low planetary boundary layer haze) are discussed. Not all tools are useful at all times, and the limitations, including the sparsity of some data, the interference caused by overlying clouds, etc., are shown. Nevertheless, multiple sources of data help a state, local, or regional air quality analyst construct a more thorough picture of a daily air pollution situation than what one would obtain with only surface-based sensors.

Electro-smog; Elektrosmog. Ein Thema in aller Munde, doch viele Quellen sind wenig bekannt

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thalmann, K. [Ecosens AG, Wallisellen (Switzerland); Gugler, M. [Schaffner EMV AG, Luterbach (Switzerland)

2007-07-01

This article deals with the topic of electro-smog - the non-ionising radiation produced by technical installations in low and high-frequency ranges. Various sources such as mobile telephones, radio and television and newer sources such as WLAN and Bluetooth are discussed. The correct installation of electrical circuits in buildings is considered as being a simple and effective means of reducing mains-frequency electro-smog. Effects on human beings are discussed and regulations concerning protection against non-ionising radiation are examined. The fact that certain electrical and magnetic fields such as those caused by cookers, vacuum cleaners and hair-dryers are short term, whereas radio-alarms, laptops and charging stations are quasi-continuous sources. Also the placing of boilers and refrigerators is considered. The specific absorption rate (SAR) value for mobile telephones is also looked at and recommendations are made on keeping distance to electro-magnetic sources.

Effects of Isoprene- and Toluene-Generated Smog on Allergic ...

Science.gov (United States)

Reactions of organic compounds with nitric oxide (NO) and sunlight produce complex mixtures of pollutants including secondary organic aerosol (SOA), ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and reactive aldehydes. The health effects of these photochemical smog mixtures in susceptible populations including asthmatics are unclear. We assessed effects of smog generated from mixtures of NO with isoprene (IS) or toluene (TL) on allergic inflammatory responses in Balb/cJ mice. House dust mite (HDM)-sensitized or control mice were all challenged with HDM intranasally 1 d prior to whole-body inhalation exposure to IS (chamber average 509 ppb NO2, 246 ppb O3, and 160 g/m3 SOA), TL (217 ppb NO2, 129 ppb O3, and 376 g/m3 SOA), or HEPA-filtered air (4 h/d for 2 days). Mice were necropsied within 3 h after the second exposure (2 d post-HDM challenge). Assessment of breathing parameters during exposure with double-chamber plethysmography showed a trend for increased specific airway resistance and decreased minute volume during the second day of TL exposure in both non-allergic and HDM-allergic mice. HDM-allergic air-exposed mice had significant increases in numbers of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) alveolar macrophages (AM) and eosinophils (EO), and trends for increases in BAL indices of lung injury in comparison with non-allergic air-exposed mice. Exposure to either IS or TL attenuated the increases in AM, EO, and lung injury markers in HDM-allergic mice. The results of this

Bloggers y su influencia en la imagen de una marca

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mª Luisa García Guardia

2012-04-01

Full Text Available En el corazón de los debates y las prácticas actuales se encuentra la hipótesis sobre la comunicación a dos niveles: los líderes de opinión y los denominados seguidores. En el ámbito de la comunicación persuasiva se acepta la importancia de este tipo de comunicación dual a la hora de evaluar los efectos sobre la toma de decisiones de los consumidores. Los denominados bloggers se han convertido en una herramienta de nueva de comunicación digna de ser estudiada, dada la relevancia adquirida en el ámbito de la comunicación en general, y más concretamente, su poder para construir o modificar la imagen de marca y las interacciones en el área empresarial. Para ello es preciso observar los caracteres metafísicos de nuestras metapsicologías y mantener una actitud de deconstrucción permanente, de modo de no intentar resolver los renovados problemas que nos imponen las prácticas sociales de hoy, con las preguntas de ayer como herramientas (Schroeder, D. 2004 El riesgo es realizar entonces lecturas solamente desde lo que ya sabemos.

Untangling knowledge creation and knowledge integration in enterprise wikis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Beck, Roman; Rai, Arun; Fischbach, Kai

2015-01-01

A central challenge organizations face is how to build, store, and maintain knowledge over time. Enterprise wikis are community-based knowledge systems situated in an organizational context. These systems have the potential to play an important role in managing knowledge within organizations......, but the motivating factors that drive individuals to contribute their knowledge to these systems is not very well understood. We theorize that enterprise wiki initiatives require two separate and distinct types of knowledge-sharing behaviors to succeed: knowledge creation (KC) and knowledge integration (KI). We...... examine a Wiki initiative at a major German bank to untangle the motivating factors behind KC and KI. Our results suggest KC and KI are indeed two distinct behaviors, reconcile inconsistent findings from past studies on the role of motivational factors for knowledge sharing to establish shared electronic...

SMOG CHAMBERS: A TOOL TO EXAMINE EFFECTS OF PHOTOCHEMICALLY AGED AIR POLLUTANTS ON BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS

Science.gov (United States)

Irradiative exposure chambers or 'Smog chambers' have been used at the University of North Carolina for over 30 years to study photochemically active mixtures of volatile organic compounds and their transformation products (a significant sub-set of Hazardous Air Pollutants, HAPs)...

Ambient air pollution, smog episodes and mortality in Jinan, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jun; Liu, Yao; Cui, Liang-Liang; Liu, Shou-Qin; Yin, Xi-Xiang; Li, Huai-Chen

2017-09-11

We aimed to assess the acute effects of ambient air pollution and weather conditions on mortality in the context of Chinese smog episodes. A total of 209,321 deaths were recorded in Jinan, a large city in eastern China, during 2011-15. The mean concentrations of daily particulate matter ≤10 μm (PM 10 ), fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ), sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) were 169 μg/m 3 , 100 μg/m 3 , 77 μg/m 3 , and 54 μg/m 3 , respectively. Increases of 10 μg/m 3 in PM 10 , PM 2.5 , SO 2 and NO 2 were associated with 1.11% (95% CI 0.96-1.26%), 0.71% (95% CI 0.60-0.82%), 1.69% (95% CI 1.56-1.83%), and 3.12% (95% CI 2.72-3.53%) increases in daily non-accidental mortality rates, respectively. Moreover, the risk estimates for these 4 pollutants were higher in association with respiratory and cardiovascular mortality. The effects of all the evaluated pollutants on mortality were greater in winter than in summer. Smog episodes were associated with a 5.87% (95% CI 0.16-11.58%) increase in the rate of overall mortality. This study highlights the effect of exposure to air pollution on the rate of mortality in China.

Protective effects of edaravone combined puerarin on inhalation lung injury induced by black gunpowder smog.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhengguan; Li, Ruibing; Liu, Yifan; Liu, Xiaoting; Chen, Wenyan; Xu, Shumin; Guo, Yuni; Duan, Jinyang; Chen, Yihong; Wang, Chengbin

2015-05-01

The present study aimed to investigate the combined effects of puerarin with edaravone on inhalation lung injury induced by black gunpowder smog. Male Wistar rats were divided into five groups (control group, edaravone group, puerarin group, edaravone combined with puerarin group and inhalation group). The severity of pulmonary injuries was evaluated after inducing acute lung injury. Arterial blood gas, inflammatory cytokines, biochemical, parameters, cell counting, W/D weight ratio and histopathology were analyzed. Results in lung tissues, either edaravone or puerarin treatment alone showed significant protective effects against neutrophil infiltration and tissue injury, as demonstrated by myeloperoxidase activity and histopathological analysis (all pedaravone and puerarin demonstrated additive protective effects on smog-induced lung injury, compared with single treatment. Combination of edaravone and puerarin shows promise as a new treatment option for acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome patients. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electro smog. Health risks, limiting values, consumer protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karus, M.; Ebert, L.; Schneider, W.; Koehnecke, W.; Loefflad, H.; Plotzke, O.; Niessen, P.

1994-01-01

At first, the popular book describes physical facts. All terms and units being necessary for the comprehension of electro smog are presented and referred to practice: Which electric and magnetic fields of natural and technical origin appear in everyday life? The main part of the book occupies physical effects. The current scientific state of the research is presented: Are electric and magnetic fields a physical risk factor? In the chapter 'limiting values', the valid limiting values and their conceptional and political basis are discussed. The last part of the book addresses consumer protection: How can the own load be reduced through electric and magnetic fields of electric devices and installations, computers and mobile telephones without renouncing of electric comfort. (VHE) [de

Computerized versus hand-scored health literacy tools: a comparison of Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) and Flesch-Kincaid in printed patient education materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Grabeel, Kelsey Leonard; Russomanno, Jennifer; Oelschlegel, Sandy; Tester, Emily; Heidel, Robert Eric

2018-01-01

The research compared and contrasted hand-scoring and computerized methods of evaluating the grade level of patient education materials that are distributed at an academic medical center in east Tennessee and sought to determine if these materials adhered to the American Medical Association's (AMA's) recommended reading level of sixth grade. Librarians at an academic medical center located in the heart of Appalachian Tennessee initiated the assessment of 150 of the most used printed patient education materials. Based on the Flesch-Kincaid (F-K) scoring rubric, 2 of the 150 documents were excluded from statistical comparisons due to the absence of text (images only). Researchers assessed the remaining 148 documents using the hand-scored Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) method and the computerized F-K grade level method. For SMOG, 3 independent reviewers hand-scored each of the 150 documents. For F-K, documents were analyzed using Microsoft Word. Reading grade levels scores were entered into a database for statistical analysis. Inter-rater reliability was calculated using intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC). Paired t -tests were used to compare readability means. Acceptable inter-rater reliability was found for SMOG (ICC=0.95). For the 148 documents assessed, SMOG produced a significantly higher mean reading grade level (M=9.6, SD=1.3) than F-K (M=6.5, SD=1.3; p SMOG method of assessment, 147 of the 148 documents (99.3%) scored above the AMA's recommended reading level of sixth grade. Computerized health literacy assessment tools, used by many national patient education material providers, might not be representative of the actual reading grade levels of patient education materials. This is problematic in regions like Appalachia because materials may not be comprehensible to the area's low-literacy patients. Medical librarians have the potential to advance their role in patient education to better serve their patient populations.

Smog episodes in the Lodz agglomeration in the years 2014-17

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wielgosiński Grzegorz

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In recent years, in the winter season we are alarmed about the poor air quality in Poland and significantly exceeded permissible concentrations of certain pollutants, especially PM10 and PM2.5, which are a result of so-called low emissions. The authors analyze smog episodes in the Lodz agglomeration by comparing the recorded values of selected pollutant concentrations at monitoring stations of the Regional Inspectorate for Environmental Protection in Lodz with the meteorological conditions prevailing at this time. The analysis covers data from the years 2014-2017.

Smog episodes in the Lodz agglomeration in the years 2014-17

Science.gov (United States)

Wielgosiński, Grzegorz; Czerwińska, Justyna; Namiecińska, Olga; Cichowicz, Robert

2018-01-01

In recent years, in the winter season we are alarmed about the poor air quality in Poland and significantly exceeded permissible concentrations of certain pollutants, especially PM10 and PM2.5, which are a result of so-called low emissions. The authors analyze smog episodes in the Lodz agglomeration by comparing the recorded values of selected pollutant concentrations at monitoring stations of the Regional Inspectorate for Environmental Protection in Lodz with the meteorological conditions prevailing at this time. The analysis covers data from the years 2014-2017.

IPPSO raises Hydro exports in smog negotiations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1997-01-01

The Independent Power Producers of Ontario (IPPSO) requested federal and provincial committees negotiating atmospheric emission standards to review Ontario Hydro's export wheeling plans. IPPSO alleges that Ontario Hydro is preparing to apply pressure on the Canadian export approval process, and is building up a major effort that will increase emissions, contrary to the objectives embodied in a number of environment protection projects such as the Ontario Smog Plan, The Federal-Provincial NOx Management Plan, the Strategic Options Plan, or the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution Draft NOx Protocol Negotiations. IPPSO alleges further that while Ontario Hydro is one of Canada's largest single emitter of greenhouse gases NOx, and SO 2 , and as a public sector corporation it should be the most amenable to serving the public good, the Corporation is doing exactly the opposite: it actively prevents production of electricity from less polluting sources. It is IPPSO's contention that Ontario Hydro's desire to control the Ontario market could come at significant cost to the environment

Early-Life Persistent Vitamin D Deficiency Alters Cardiopulmonary Responses to Particulate Matter-Enhanced Atmospheric Smog in Adult Mice

Science.gov (United States)

This study demonstrates that early-life persistent vitamin D deficiency alters the cardiopulmonary response to smog in mice and may increase risk of adverse effects. Early life nutritional deficiencies can lead to increased cardiovascular susceptibility to environme...

[Smog chamber simulation of ozone formation from atmospheric photooxidation of propane].

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Li-hua; Mo, Chuang-rong; Xu, Yong-fu; Jia, Long

2012-08-01

Atmospheric photochemical reactions of propane and NO, were simulated with a self-made smog chamber. The effects of relative humidity (RH) and [C3H8]0/[NOx]0 ratio on ozone formation were studied. The results showed that both the maximum ozone concentration and the maximum value of incremental reactivity (IRmax) of propane decreased linearly with increasing RH. Under lower RH conditions, the occurrence time of peak ozone concentration was about 22 h after the beginning of reaction, and IRmax varied from 0.0231 to 0.0391, while under higher RH conditions the occurrence time of peak ozone concentration was 16 h, and IRmax ranged from 0.0172 to 0.0320. During the 20 h of reaction, within the first 12 h RH did not significantly affect the yield of acetone, whereas after 12 h the lower RH condition could lead to relatively greater amount of acetone. During the first 4-20 h of experiments, acetone concentrations ranged from 153 x 10(-9) to 364 x 10(-9) at 17% RH and from 167 x 10(-9) to 302 x 10(-9) at 62% RH, respectively. Maximum ozone concentrations decreased with increasing [C3H8]0/[NOx]0 ratio and a better negative linear relationship between them was obtained under the lower RH conditions. The smog chamber data and the results from simulation of the C3H8-NOx reactions using the sub-mechanism of MCM were compared, and a significant deviation was found between these two results.

‘Is every YouTuber going to make a coming out video eventually?’: YouTube celebrity video bloggers and lesbian and gay identity

OpenAIRE

Lovelock, Michael

2017-01-01

A significant number of YouTube celebrity video bloggers (vloggers) have used the platform to come out publicly as lesbian or gay. This article interrogates the cultural work of YouTube celebrity coming outs, through the case studies of two of the most prominent gay vloggers: Ingrid Nilsen and Connor Franta. This article explores how the coming out moments of these vloggers, as articulated in their coming out vlogs and the wider media discourses surrounding these, make legible a normative gay...

The evolution of photochemical smog in a power plant plume

Science.gov (United States)

Luria, Menachem; Valente, Ralph J.; Tanner, Roger L.; Gillani, Noor V.; Imhoff, Robert E.; Mueller, Stephen F.; Olszyna, Kenneth J.; Meagher, James F. Present address: Aeronomy Laboratory, NOAA, 325 Broadway, Boulder CO 80303, USA.)

The evolution of photochemical smog in a plant plume was investigated with the aid of an instrumented helicopter. Air samples were taken in the plume of the Cumberland Power Plant, located in central Tennessee, during the afternoon of 16 July 1995 as part of the Southern Oxidants Study - Nashville Middle Tennessee Ozone Study. Twelve cross-wind air sampling traverses were made at six distance groups from 35 to 116 km from the source. During the sampling period the winds were from the west-northwest and the plume drifted towards the city of Nashville TN. Ten of the traverses were made upwind of the city, where the power plant plume was isolated, and two traverses downwind of the city when the plumes were possibly mixed. The results revealed that even six hours after the release, excess ozone production was limited to the edges of the plume. Only when the plume was sufficiently dispersed, but still upwind of Nashville, was excess ozone (up to 109 ppbv, 50-60 ppbv above background levels) produced in the center of the plume. The concentrations image of the plume and a Lagrangian particle model suggests that portions of the power plant plume mixed with the urban plume. The mixed urban power plant plume began to regenerate O 3 that peaked at 120 ppbv at a short distance (15-25 km) downwind of Nashville. Ozone productivity (the ratio of excess O 3 to NO y and NO z) in the isolated plume was significantly lower compared with that found in the city plume. The production of nitrate, a chain termination product, was significantly higher in the power plant plume compared to the mixed plume, indicating shorter chain length of the photochemical smog chain reaction mechanism.

The evolution of photochemical smog in a power plant plume

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luria, M.; The Hebrew University, Jerusalem; Valente, R.J.; Tanner, R.L.; Imhoff, R.E.; Mueller, S.F.; Olszyna, K.J.; Meagher, J.F.; Gillani, N.V.; University of Alabama, Huntsville, AL

1999-01-01

The evolution of photochemical smog in a plant plume was investigated with the aid of an instrumented helicopter. Air samples were taken in the plume of the Cumberland Power Plant, located in central Tennessee, during the afternoon of 16 July 1995 as part of the Southern Oxidants Study - Nashville Middle Tennessee Ozone Study. Twelve cross-wind air sampling traverses were made at six distance groups from 35 to 116 km from the source. During the sampling period the winds were from the west-northwest and the plume drifted towards the city of Nashville TN. Ten of the traverses were made upwind of the city, where the power plant plume was isolated, and two traverses downwind of the city when the plumes were possibly mixed. The results revealed that even six hours after the release, excess ozone production was limited to the edges of the plume. Only when the plume was sufficiently dispersed, but still upwind of Nashville, was excess ozone (up to 109 ppbv, 50-60 ppbv above background levels) produced in the center of the plume. The concentrations image of the plume and a Lagrangian particle model suggests that portions of the power plant plume mixed with the urban plume. The mixed urban power plant plume began to regenerate O 3 that peaked at 120 ppbv at a short distance (15-25 km) downwind of Nashville. Ozone productivity (the ratio of excess O 3 to NO y and NO z ) in the isolated plume was significantly lower compared with that found in the city plume. The production of nitrate, a chain termination product, was significantly higher in the power plant plume compared to the mixed plume, indicating shorter chain length of the photochemical smog chain reaction mechanism. (author)

Effects of seasonal smog on asthma and COPD exacerbations requiring emergency visits in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Science.gov (United States)

Pothirat, Chaicharn; Tosukhowong, Apiwat; Chaiwong, Warawut; Liwsrisakun, Chalerm; Inchai, Juthamas

2016-12-01

Seasonal smog produces particulate matters that are less than 10 microns in diameter (PM₁₀), which are known to have several impacts on the respiratory system. This study was to determine the association of an increased PM10 level due to seasonal smog in Chiang Mai and emergency visits for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted between the months of January and March from 2006 until 2009. The association of an increased PM₁₀ level and the daily number of asthma and COPD exacerbations were analyzed using a generalized linear model; a Poisson regression model was fit to the number of daily emergency visits using predictor variables: lags of PM10, day of the week, and time. There were a total of 917 emergency visits for acute exacerbations of asthma and COPD, with a median of 2 visits per day (range 0-10). The median PM₁₀ level during the same interval was 64.5 microgram per cubic meter (μg/m3) (16-304). For every 10 μg/m3 rise in PM10 concentration, there was a lag time of 6 days for asthma exacerbations [Adjusted relative risk (RR)=1.020; 95% confident interval (CI), 1.001-1.040; (p=0.014)], 7 days for COPD exacerbations [RR=1.030; 95%CI, 1.010-1.050 (p=0.024)] and 7 days for all exacerbations [RR=1.030 95%CI, 1.010-1.040 (p<0.001)]. This study confirms the effect of increasing PM₁₀ concentrations from seasonal smog on asthma and COPD exacerbations. However, there was an approximately 1 week lag time between the elevated PM₁₀ levels and time to emergency visits due to disease exacerbation.

Vertical gradients of nitrous acid (HONO) measured in Beijing during winter smog events.

Science.gov (United States)

Kramer, Louisa; Crilley, Leigh; Thomson, Steven; Bloss, William; Tong, Shengrui

2017-04-01

HONO is an important atmospheric constituent, as the photolysis of HONO leads to the formation of OH radicals in the boundary layer, with contributions of up to 60% in urban regions. This is particularly important in mega-cities, such as Beijing, where measured HONO levels can reach parts per billion. Research has shown that direct emissions, homogeneous gas phase reactions and heterogeneous conversion of NO2 on surfaces all contribute to HONO in urban areas. There are, however, still uncertainties regarding the magnitude of these sources, and models are still unable to account for total measured HONO mixing ratios. To assess the sources of HONO, vertical profile measurements were performed up to an altitude of 260 m on the Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IAP) Meteorological Tower in Beijing. These measurements were performed as part of the Air Pollution and Human Health (APHH) project, during Nov/Dec 2016. Here we present HONO profile measurements using a long-path absorption photometer (LOPAP), during both clear and hazy days. HONO levels near the ground were very high during smog events with concentrations over 10 ppb observed. The data show a strong negative gradient with altitude, suggesting a source close to the surface. The largest gradients were observed overnight during smog events, with differences in HONO between the ground and the highest level up to 6 ppb.

Exploring the Liquefied Petroleum Gas - Ozone Relation in Guadalajara, Mexico, by Smog Chamber Experiments

OpenAIRE

Jaimes-López, José Luis; Sandoval-Fernández, Julio; Zambrano-García, Angel

2005-01-01

It has been hypothesized that liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) emissions can increase substantially the formation of ozone (O3) in the ambient air. We tested experimentally such hypothesis in Guadalajara's downtown by captive-air irradiation (CAI) techniques. During November 1997-January, 1998, morning ambient air samples were confined in outdoor smog chambers and subjected to the following treatments: 35% addition of commercial LPG or one out of two mixtures of major LPG compounds (propane/buta...

Establishment and evaluation of a rat model of inhalation lung injury induced by ship smog

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xin-xin DUAN

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Objective To establish and evaluate a rat model of inhalation lung injury induced by ship smog. Methods A rat model of inhalation lung injury was established by analyzing the composition of ship materials after combustion. Forty- two healthy male Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal control group and 2, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72h groups (6 eachafter inhalation, these rats were killed at each time point, and the changes of arterial blood gas, coagulation function, the lung water content (% were detected. Macroscopic and microscopic changes in lung tissues were observed to judge the degree of lung injury. Results The main components after combustion of 7 kinds of nonmetal materials on ship included CO, CO2, H2S, NOx and other harmful gases in this study, AIKE in one gas detector was used to monitor O2, CO, CO2 and H2S, and their concentrations remained relatively stable within 15 minutes, and the injury time was 15 minutes. The rats presented with shortness of breath and mouth breathing. Smoke inhalation caused a significant hypoxemia, the concentration of blood COHb reached a peak value 2h and the lung water content (% did 6h after inhalation (P<0.05. It is metabolic acidosis in the early stage after inhalation, but metabolic acidosis combined with respiratory acidosis in the later period. Histopathological observation showed diffuse hemorrhage, edema and inflammatory cell infiltration in the lung tissue as manifestations of lung injury, and the injury did not recover at 72h after inhalation, the change of blood coagulation function was not statistically significant. Conclusion A rat model of inhalation lung injury induced by ship smog has been successfully established, and has the advantages of easy replication, stability and reliability, thus can be used to research and treat inhalation lung injury induced by ship smog in naval war environment and other cases. DOI: 10.11855/j.issn.0577-7402.2018.03.14

Chemical Composition Based Aerosol Optical Properties According to Size Distribution and Mixture Types during Smog and Asian Dust Events in Seoul, Korea

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Chang Hoon; Lee, Ji Yi; Um, Junshik; Lee, Seung Soo; Kim, Yong Pyo

2018-02-01

This study investigated the optical properties of aerosols involved in different meteorological events, including smog and Asian dust days. Carbonaceous components and inorganic species were measured in Seoul, Korea between 25 and 31 March 2012. Based on the measurements, the optical properties of aerosols were calculated by considering composition, size distribution, and mixing state of aerosols. To represent polydisperse size distributions of aerosols, a lognormal size distribution with a wide range of geometric mean diameters and geometric standard deviations was used. For the optical property calculations, the Mie theory was used to compute single-scattering properties of aerosol particles with varying size and composition. Analysis of the sampled data showed that the water-soluble components of organic matter increased on smog days, whereas crustal elements increased on dust days. The water content significantly influenced the optical properties of aerosols during the smog days as a result of high relative humidity and an increase in the water-soluble component. The absorption coefficients depended on the aerosol mixture type and the aerosol size distributions. Therefore, to improve our knowledge on radiative impacts of aerosols, especially the regional impacts of aerosols in East Asia, accurate measurements of aerosols, such as size distribution, composition, and mixture type, under different meteorological conditions are required.

Knudsen cell and smog chamber study of the heterogeneous uptake of sulfur dioxide on Chinese mineral dust.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Li; Wang, Weigang; Gai, Yanbo; Ge, Maofa

2014-12-01

The heterogeneous uptake processes of sulfur dioxide on two types of Chinese mineral dust (Inner Mongolia desert dust and Xinjiang sierozem) were investigated using both Knudsen cell and smog chamber system. The temperature dependence of the uptake coefficients was studied over a range from 253 to 313 K using the Knudsen cell reactor, the initial uptake coefficients decreased with the increasing of temperature for these two mineral dust samples, whereas the steady state uptake coefficients of the Xinjiang sierozem increased with the temperature increasing, and these temperature dependence functions were obtained for the first time. In the smog chamber experiments at room temperature, the steady state uptake coefficients of SO2 decreased evidently with the increasing of sulfur dioxide initial concentration from 1.72 × 10¹² to 6.15 × 10¹² mol/cm³. Humid air had effect on the steady state uptake coefficients of SO₂onto Inner Mongolia desert dust. Consequences about the understanding of the uptake processes onto mineral dust samples and the environmental implication were also discussed. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Characteristics of activated carbon remove sulfur particles against smog.

Science.gov (United States)

Ge, Shengbo; Liu, Zhenling; Furuta, Yuzo; Peng, Wanxi

2017-09-01

Sulfur particles, which could cause diseases, were the main powder of smog. And activated carbon had the very adsorption characteristics. Therefore, five sulfur particles were adsorbed by activated carbon and were analyzed by FT-IR. The optimal adsorption time were 120 min of Na 2 SO 3 , 120 min of Na 2 S 2 O 8 , 120 min of Na 2 SO 4 , 120 min of Fe 2 (SO 4 ) 3 and 120 min of S. FT-IR spectra showed that activated carbon had the eight characteristic absorption of S-S stretch, H 2 O stretch, O-H stretch, -C-H stretch, conjugated C 000000000000 000000000000 000000000000 111111111111 000000000000 111111111111 000000000000 000000000000 000000000000 O stretch or CC stretch, CH 2 bend, C-O stretch and acetylenic C-H bend vibrations at 3850 cm -1 , 3740 cm -1 , 3430 cm -1 , 2920 cm -1 , 1630 cm -1 , 1390 cm -1 , 1110 cm -1 and 600 cm -1 , respectively. For Na 2 SO 3 , the peaks at 2920 cm -1 , 1630 cm -1 , 1390 cm -1 and 1110 cm -1 achieved the maximum at 20 min. For Na 2 S 2 O 8 , the peaks at 3850 cm -1 , 3740 cm -1 and 2920 cm -1 achieved the maximum at 60 min. The peaks at 1390 cm -1 , 1110 cm -1 and 600 cm -1 achieved the maximum at 40 min. For Na 2 SO 4 , the peaks at 3430 cm -1 , 2920 cm -1 , 1630 cm -1 , 1390 cm -1 , 1110 cm -1 and 600 cm -1 achieved the maximum at 60 min. For Fe 2 (SO 4 ) 3 , the peaks at 1390 cm -1 , 1110 cm -1 and 600 cm -1 achieved the maximum at 20 min. For S, the peaks at 1630 cm -1 , 1390 cm -1 and 600 cm -1 achieved the maximum at 120 min. It provided that activated carbon could remove sulfur particles from smog air to restrain many anaphylactic diseases.

Source reconciliation of atmospheric gas-phase and particle-phase pollutants during a severe photochemical smog episode.

Science.gov (United States)

Schauer, James J; Fraser, Matthew P; Cass, Glen R; Simoneit, Bernd R T

2002-09-01

A comprehensive organic compound-based receptor model is developed that can simultaneously apportion the source contributions to atmospheric gas-phase organic compounds, semivolatile organic compounds, fine particle organic compounds, and fine particle mass. The model is applied to ambient data collected at four sites in the south coast region of California during a severe summertime photochemical smog episode, where the model determines the direct primary contributions to atmospheric pollutants from 11 distinct air pollution source types. The 11 sources included in the model are gasoline-powered motor vehicle exhaust, diesel engine exhaust, whole gasoline vapors, gasoline headspace vapors, organic solvent vapors, whole diesel fuel, paved road dust, tire wear debris, meat cooking exhaust, natural gas leakage, and vegetative detritus. Gasoline engine exhaust plus whole gasoline vapors are the predominant sources of volatile organic gases, while gasoline and diesel engine exhaust plus diesel fuel vapors dominate the emissions of semivolatile organic compounds from these sources during the episode studied at all four air monitoring sites. The atmospheric fine particle organic compound mass was composed of noticeable contributions from gasoline-powered motor vehicle exhaust, diesel engine exhaust, meat cooking, and paved road dust with smaller but quantifiable contributions from vegetative detritus and tire wear debris. In addition, secondary organic aerosol, which is formed from the low-vapor pressure products of gas-phase chemical reactions, is found to be a major source of fine particle organic compound mass under the severe photochemical smog conditions studied here. The concentrations of secondary organic aerosol calculated in the present study are compared with previous fine particle source apportionment results for less intense photochemical smog conditions. It is shown that estimated secondary organic aerosol concentrations correlate fairly well with the

Smog chamber studies on the air chemistry of biogenic hydrocarbons in the presence of ozone, NOx and SO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nolting, F.; Zetzsch, C.

1990-01-01

The influence of SO 2 on the photochemical degradation processes of the biogenic hydrocarbon α-pinene was studied with respect to the present forest decline. For that purpose premixed air was irradiated with simulated sunlight in laboratory experiments using a modified smog chamber. The performance of a novel semi continuous analyzer for H 2 SO 4 /sulfate was tested for smog chamber studies of the transformation of SO 2 to sulfuric acid and sulfur containing aerosol. An influence of SO 2 on the formation of ozone was not detected. The rates of degradation cannot be described by gas phase reactions alone, and, in addition, they are faster in the presence of humidity. Depending on humidity, 30-50% of the consumed SO 2 can be recovered in the suspended aerosol. In the presence of 60% relative humidity the nearly exclusive product is sulfur aerosol that needs further characterization. (orig.) With 9 figs., 42 refs [de

Relationship between subjective symptom classifications in photochemical smog incidents and air pollution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Noushi, H; Nagasaki, M; Mizoguchi, I

1973-04-01

Investigation was conducted twice on 74 and 50 junior high school students having subjective symptoms of injury from smog on June 25 and July 8 of 1972. Among the first group there were 27 cases of headache, 18 cases of weakness, 13 cases of malaise, 11 cases of eye irritation, 9 cases of throat pain, and others. The second group showed a comparable number of cases for each individual symptom. Classification of the symptoms and pollution index showed relationships between oxidants and breathing difficulties, numbness of hands and legs, and throat pain, and also relationships between sulfur dioxide and eye irritation, throat pain, weakness, malaise, coughing, and dizziness.

Untangling the nonrecyclable citizen: a critical reconceptualization of responsibility in recovery.

Science.gov (United States)

Vandekinderen, Caroline; Roets, Griet; Van Hove, Geert

2014-10-01

Over the last decades, international research, policy, and practice in the field of mental health care and a complementary variety of social work and social service delivery methods have been focused on recovery as a dominant concept. Emphasizing the service user's responsibility appears to be a central component in the empowering process of recovery. Using a critical disability studies perspective, we aimed to untangle the relationship between the individual citizen with mental health problems and the society in which the recovery discourse operates in Belgium. In this article we explore the social dynamics in the unique life story of Jimmy Sax and analyze a diversity of discourses and practices that turned him into a nonrecyclable citizen. While exploring the different modes through which Jimmy's subjectivity was transformed throughout the course of his life, we expose the convoluted nature of the recovery paradigm, which leads to a reconceptualization of the notion of responsibility in recovery. © The Author(s) 2014.

Stopping coal-fired electricity imports on smog days : a review of the OPA's proposed 250 MW demand response program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gibbons, J.

2006-01-01

This paper proposed an alternative to importing coal-fired electricity from the Ohio Valley on smog alert days in Ontario. It was suggested that the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) should pay large electricity consumers to shift some of their consumption from peak to off-peak hours. It was observed that demand response programs which pay consumers to shift demands to off-peak hours can provide multiple benefits to Ontario, including reduced air pollution on smog-alert days, a reduction in the spot price of electricity and reduced price volatility. In addition, demand response programs reduce the risk of blackouts and brownouts, as well as the need for new electricity generation and transmission infrastructure. It was noted that the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) and the OPA are planning to introduce demand response programs for the summer of 2006. However, the IESO's emergency load reduction program will be operated only during emergency situations to avoid the need for voltage reductions, while the OPA proposes to introduce a non-emergency demand response program which will be activated during most smog-alert days. Various amendments to the proposed program were suggested in this paper, including the establishment of price parity with coal-fired electricity imports; the provision of notification by 3 PM of the need for demand reductions the following day; no capping on the quantity of demand reductions that the OPA will purchase at a lower cost than electricity imports; and that the OPA's proposed Capacity Building Demand Response Program should proceed as quickly as possible without a pre-determined MW cap. 4 refs., 6 figs

Defining What Matters When Preserving Web-Based Personal Digital Collections: Listening to Bloggers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ayoung Yoon

2013-06-01

Full Text Available User-generated content (UGC has become a part of personal digital collections on the Web, as such collections often contain personal memories, activities, thoughts and even profiles. With the increase in the creation of personal materials on the Web, the needs for archiving and preserving these materials are increasing, not only for the purpose of developing personal archives but also for the purpose of capturing social memory and tracking human traces in this era. Using both survey and interview methods, this study investigated blogs, one popular type of UGC, and analyzed travel bloggers’ perceptions of the value of blogs and the elements of blogs that are important for preservation. The study respondents found personal and sentimental value (e.g., a way to express themselves, a way to keep personal memories and thoughts, and a way to maintain a record for their family to be the most important reason for preserving blogs, followed by informational value and cultural/historical value. Sharing also appeared as one of the values that respondents found in their blogs. The respondents reported that self-created blog posts (content and information related to the blog posts (context are more important to preserve than some other elements (behavior and appearance. Integrating what bloggers consider as most valuable and what archivists think are worth preserving may be an important step when collecting personal blogs.

Smog chamber study on the evolution of fume from residential coal combustion.

Science.gov (United States)

Geng, Chunmei; Wang, Kun; Wang, Wei; Chen, Jianhua; Liu, Xiaoyu; Liu, Hongjie

2012-01-01

Domestic coal stoves are widely used in countryside and greenbelt residents in China for heating and cooking, and emit considerable pollutants to the atmosphere because of no treatment of their exhaust, which can result in deteriorating local air quality. In this study, a dynamic smog chamber was used to investigate the real-time emissions of gaseous and particulate pollutants during the combustion process and a static smog chamber was used to investigate the fume evolution under simulate light irradiation. The real-time emissions revealed that the total hydrocarbon (THC) and CO increased sharply after ignition, and then quickly decreased, indicating volatilization of hydrocarbons with low molecular weight and incomplete combustion at the beginning stage of combustion made great contribution to these pollutants. There was evident shoulder peak around 10 min combustion for both THC and CO, revealing the emissions from vitrinite combustion. Additionally, another broad emission peak of CO after 30 min was also observed, which was ascribed to the incomplete combustion of the inertinite. Compared with THC and CO, there was only one emission peak for NOx, SO2 and particular matters at the beginning stage of combustion. The fume evolution with static chamber simulation indicated that evident consumption of SO2 and NOx as well as new particle formation were observed. The consumption rates for SO2 and NOx were about 3.44% hr(-1) and 3.68% hr(-1), the new particle formation of nuclei particles grew at a rate of 16.03 nm/hr during the first reaction hour, and the increase of the diameter of accumulation mode particles was evident. The addition of isoprene to the diluted mixture of the fume could promote 03 and secondary particle formation.

Variation of atmospheric aerosol components and sources during smog episodes in Debrecen, Hungary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Angyal, A.; Kertész, Zs.; Szoboszlai, Z.; Szikszai, Z.; Ferenczi, Z.; Furu, E.; Tõrõk, Zs.

2013-01-01

Full text: Atmospheric particulate matter (APM) pollution is one of the leading environmental problems in densely populated urban environments. In most cities all around the world high aerosol pollution levels occurs regularly. Debrecen, an average middle-European city is no exception. Every year there are several days when the aerosol pollution level exceeds the alarm threshold value (100 μ-g/m 3 for PM10 in 24- hours average). When the PM10 pollution level remains over this limit value for days, it is called 'smog' by the authorities. In this work we studied the variation of the elemental components and sources of PM10, PM2.5 and PM coarse and their dependence on meteorological conditions in Debrecen during two smog episodes occurred in November 2011. Aerosol samples were collected with 2-hours time resolution with a PIXE International sequential streaker in an urban background site in the downtown of Debrecen. In order to get information about the size distribution of the aerosol elemental components 9-stage cascade impactors were also employed during the sampling campaigns. The elemental composition (Z ≥ 13) were determined by Particle Induced X-Ray Emission (PIXE) at the IBA Laboratory of Atomki. Concentrations of elemental carbon were measured with a smoke stain reflectometer. On this data base source apportionment was carried out by using the positive matrix factorisation (PMF) method. Four factors were identified for both size fractions, including soil dust, traffic, domestic heating, and oil combustion. The time pattern of the aerosol elemental components and PM sources exhibited strong dependence on the mixing layer thickness. We showed that domestic heating had a major contribution to the aerosol pollution. (This work was carried out in the frame of the János Bolyai Research Scholarship of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and TÁMOP-4.2.2/B-10/1-2010-0024 project). (author)

Dynamic consideration of smog chamber experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Chuang, Wayne K.; Donahue, Neil M.

2017-08-01

Recent studies of the α-pinene + ozone reaction that address particle nucleation show relatively high molar yields of highly oxidized multifunctional organic molecules with very low saturation concentrations that can form and grow new particles on their own. However, numerous smog-chamber experiments addressing secondary organic aerosol (SOA) mass yields, interpreted via equilibrium partitioning theory, suggest that the vast majority of SOA from α-pinene is semivolatile. We explore this paradox by employing a dynamic volatility basis set (VBS) model that reproduces the new-particle growth rates observed in the CLOUD experiment at CERN and then modeling SOA mass yield experiments conducted at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). We find that the base-case simulations do overpredict observed SOA mass but by much less than an equilibrium analysis would suggest; this is because delayed condensation of vapors suppresses the apparent mass yields early in the chamber experiments. We further find that a second VBS model featuring substantial oligomerization of semivolatile monomers can match the CLOUD growth rates with substantially lower SOA mass yields; this is because the lighter monomers have a higher velocity and thus a higher condensation rate for a given mass concentration. The oligomerization simulations are a closer match to the CMU experiments than the base-case simulations, though they overpredict the observations somewhat. However, we also find that if the chemical conditions in CLOUD and the CMU chamber were identical, substantial nucleation would have occurred in the CMU experiments when in fact none occurred. This suggests that the chemical mechanisms differed in the two experiments, perhaps because the high oxidation rates in the SOA formation experiments led to rapid termination of peroxy radical chemistry.

Engineering photochemical smog through convection towers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elliott, S.; Prueitt, M.L.; Bossert, J.E.; Mroz, E.J.; Krakowski, R.A.; Miller, R.L. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States); Jacobson, M.Z.; Turco, R.P. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)]|[Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States). Atmospheric Sciences Dept.

1995-02-01

Reverse convection towers have attracted attention as a medium for cleansing modern cities. Evaporation of an aqueous mist injected at the tower opening could generate electrical power by creating descent, and simultaneously scavenge unsightly and unhealthful particulates. The study offered here assesses the influence to tower water droplets on the photochemical component of Los Angeles type smog. The primary radical chain initiator OH is likely removed into aqueous phases well within the residence time of air in the tower, and then reacts away rapidly. Organics do not dissolve, but nighttime hydrolysis of N{sub 2}O{sub 5} depletes the nitrogen oxides. A lack of HOx would slow hydrocarbon oxidation and so also ozone production. Lowering of NOx would also alter ozone production rates, but the direction is uncertain. SO{sub 2} is available in sufficient quantities in some urban areas to react with stable oxidants, and if seawater were the source of the mist, the high pH would lead to fast sulfur oxidation kinetics. With an accommodation coefficient of 10{sup {minus}3}, however, ozone may not enter the aqueous phase efficiently. Even if ozone is destroyed or its production suppressed, photochemical recovery times are on the order of hours, so that tower processing must be centered on a narrow midday time window. The cost of building the number of structures necessary for this brief turnover could be prohibitive. The increase in humidity accompanying mist evaporation could be controlled with condensers, but might otherwise counteract visibility enhancements by recreating aqueous aerosols. Quantification of the divergent forcings convection towers must exert upon the cityscape would call for coupled three dimensional modeling of transport, microphysics, and photochemistry. 112 refs.

Photochemical smog effects in mixed conifer forests along a natural gradient of ozone and nitrogen deposition in the San Bernardino Mountains

Science.gov (United States)

Michael Arbaugh; Andrzej Bytnerowicz; Nancy Grulke; Mark Fenn; Mark Poth; Patrick Temple; Paul Miller

2003-01-01

Toxic effects of photochemical smog on ponderosa and Jeffrey pines in the San Bernardino Mountains were discovered in the 1950s. It was revealed that ozone is the main cause of foliar injury manifested as chlorotic mottle and premature needle senescence. Various morphological, physiological and biochemical alterations in the affected plants have been reported over a...

Dynamic consideration of smog chamber experiments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W. K. Chuang

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Recent studies of the α-pinene + ozone reaction that address particle nucleation show relatively high molar yields of highly oxidized multifunctional organic molecules with very low saturation concentrations that can form and grow new particles on their own. However, numerous smog-chamber experiments addressing secondary organic aerosol (SOA mass yields, interpreted via equilibrium partitioning theory, suggest that the vast majority of SOA from α-pinene is semivolatile. We explore this paradox by employing a dynamic volatility basis set (VBS model that reproduces the new-particle growth rates observed in the CLOUD experiment at CERN and then modeling SOA mass yield experiments conducted at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU. We find that the base-case simulations do overpredict observed SOA mass but by much less than an equilibrium analysis would suggest; this is because delayed condensation of vapors suppresses the apparent mass yields early in the chamber experiments. We further find that a second VBS model featuring substantial oligomerization of semivolatile monomers can match the CLOUD growth rates with substantially lower SOA mass yields; this is because the lighter monomers have a higher velocity and thus a higher condensation rate for a given mass concentration. The oligomerization simulations are a closer match to the CMU experiments than the base-case simulations, though they overpredict the observations somewhat. However, we also find that if the chemical conditions in CLOUD and the CMU chamber were identical, substantial nucleation would have occurred in the CMU experiments when in fact none occurred. This suggests that the chemical mechanisms differed in the two experiments, perhaps because the high oxidation rates in the SOA formation experiments led to rapid termination of peroxy radical chemistry.

On The Development of One-way Nesting of Air-pollution Model Smog Into Numerical Weather Prediction Model Eta

Science.gov (United States)

Halenka, T.; Bednar, J.; Brechler, J.

The spatial distribution of air pollution on the regional scale (Bohemian region) is simulated by means of Charles University puff model SMOG. The results are used for the assessment of the concentration fields of ozone, nitrogen oxides and other ozone precursors. Current improved version of the model covers up to 16 groups of basic compounds and it is based on trajectory computation and puff interaction both by means of Gaussian diffusion mixing and chemical reactions of basic species. Gener- ally, the method used for trajectory computation is valuable mainly for episodes sim- ulation, nevertheless, climatological study can be solved as well by means of average wind rose. For the study being presented huge database of real emission sources was incorporated with all kind of sources included. Some problem with the background values of concentrations was removed. The model SMOG has been nested into the forecast model ETA to obtain appropriate meteorological data input. We can estimate air pollution characteristics both for episodes analysis and the prediction of future air quality conditions. Necessary prognostic variables from the numerical weather pre- diction model are taken for the region of the central Bohemia, where the original puff model was tested. We used mainly 850 hPa wind field for computation of prognos- tic trajectories, the influence of surface temperature as a parameter of photochemistry reactions as well as the effect of cloudness has been tested.

Evaluation of Kinetic and Mechanistic Data for Modeling of Photochemical Smog

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atkinson, R.; Lloyd, A.C.

1984-01-01

This review is a critical evaluation of the rate constants, mechanisms, and products of selected atmospheric reactions of hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur oxides in air. The evaluation considers eight hydrocarbons (n-butane, 2,3-dimethylbutane, ethene, propene, 1-butene, trans-2-butene, toluene, and m-xylene) for which smog chamber irradiations have been carried out under carefully controlled conditions and which have been the subject of computer modeling studies by more than one research group. The reactions involved are treated in the following categories: inorganic reactions in organic-NO/sub x/-air irradiations; organic reactions of the formaldehyde-NO/sub x/-air system; organic reactions of the acetaldehyde-NO/sub x/-air system; organic reactions of the alkene-NO/sub x/-air systems; organic reactions of the alkane-NO/sub x/-air systems; organic reactions of selected carbonyl-NO/sub x/-air systems; organic reactions of the aromatic-NO/sub x/-air systems; combination reactions of peroxy radicals, and homogeneous gas phase SO 2 reactions. This report considers literature through early 1983

Mortality during winter smog episodes 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1993 in the Czech Republic.

Science.gov (United States)

Jelínková, J; Branis, M

2001-10-01

Severe air pollution episodes were recorded during the 1980s and early 1990s in the Czech Republic as a result of widespread combustion of brown coal. A population-based retrospective study investigated the relationship between air pollution and daily mortality in six highly polluted areas of the Czech Republic during smog episodes in 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1993. Total daily mortality, mortality by gender and age, cardiovascular mortality, respiratory mortality, data on weekly incidence of acute respiratory diseases and daily mean concentrations of sulphur dioxide and suspended particulate matter were used in the model. The effects of smog on daily mortality were estimated by multiple linear regression analysis. Significant increases in mortality were observed for the 1982 and 1987 episodes (6% and 9%). In 1982, mortality was significantly associated with mean concentration of sulphur dioxide (SO2) of the current and the preceding days and with the 4-day moving average. In the 1985 episode a significant increase in respiratory mortality in men and in both genders together, lagging by 2 and 3 days, was detected. During the 1987 episode significant associations of total daily mortality, mortality in persons over 65 years of age and mortality from cardiovascular or respiratory diseases with 4-day moving average of both pollutants were found. For the 1993 episode a significant association between mortality in women under 65, lagging by 3 days, and mean concentration of suspended particulate matter (SPM) was observed. Most of the results are consistent with other studies aimed at episodic air pollution during the 1950s and 1960s in Western Europe and the USA, in which outdoor air pollution was shown to be a significant predictor of mortality. However, non-significant or opposite associations between air pollution and mortality indicate that other factors may also play an important role. A stronger effect on men under 65 years of age, suggested by a previous Czech study

Characterization of PM10 and PM2.5 and associated heavy metals at the crossroads and urban background site in Zabrze, Upper Silesia, Poland, during the smog episodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Pastuszka, Jozef S; Rogula-Kozłowska, Wioletta; Zajusz-Zubek, Elwira

2010-09-01

The concentrations of seven heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Pb) associated with PM10 and PM2.5 at the crossroads and the background sites have been studied in Zabrze, Poland, during smog episodes. Although the background level was unusually elevated due to both high particulate emission from the industrial and municipal sources and smog favorable meteorological conditions, significant increase of the concentration of PM2.5 and PM10 as well as associated heavy metals in the roadside air compared to the urban background has been documented. The average daily difference between the roadside and corresponding urban background aerosol concentration was equal to 39.5 microg m(-3) for PM10 and 41.2 microg m(-3) for PM2.5. The highest levels of the studied metals in Zabrze appeared for iron carried by PM10 particles: 1,706 (background) and 28,557 ng m(-3) (crossroads). The lowest concentration level (in PM10) has been found for cadmium: 7 and 77 ng m(-3) in the background and crossroads site, respectively. Also the concentrations of heavy metals carried by the fine particles (PM2.5) were very high in Zabrze during the smog episodes. Concentrations of all studied metals associated with PM10 increased at the roadside compared to the background about ten times (one order) while metals contained in PM2.5 showed two to three times elevated concentrations (except Fe-five times and Cr-no increase).

A chromatographic method to analyze products from photo-oxidation of anthropogenic and biogenic mixtures of volatile organic compounds in smog chambers.

Science.gov (United States)

Pindado Jiménez, Oscar; Pérez Pastor, Rosa M; Vivanco, Marta G; Santiago Aladro, Manuel

2013-03-15

A method for quantifying secondary organic aerosol compounds (SOA) and water soluble secondary organic aerosol compounds (WSOA) produced from photo-oxidation of complex mixtures of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in smog chambers by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) has been developed. This method employs a double extraction with water and methanol jointly to a double derivatization with N,O-bis (trimethylsilil) trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA) and O-(2,3,4,5,6)-pentafluorobenzyl-hydroxylamine hydrochloride (PFBHA) followed by an analysis performed by GC/MS. The analytical procedure complements other methodologies because it can analyze SOA and WSOA compounds simultaneously at trace levels. As application, the methodology was employed to quantify the organic composition of aerosols formed in a smog chamber as a result of photo-oxidation of two different mixtures of volatile organic compounds: an anthropogenic mixture and a biogenic mixture. The analytical method allowed us to quantify up to 17 SOA compounds at levels higher than 20 ng m(-3) with reasonable recovery and a precision below 11%. Values found for applicability, selectivity, linearity, precision, recovery, detection limit, quantification limit and sensitivity demonstrated that the methodology can be satisfactorily applied to quantify SOA and WSOA. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Studies of ozone formation potentials for benzene and ethylbenzene using a smog chamber and model simulation].

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Long; Xu, Yong-Fu

2014-02-01

Ozone formation potentials from irradiations of benzene-NO(x) and ethylbenzene-NO(x) systems under the conditions of different VOC/NO(x) ratios and RH were investigated using a characterized chamber and model simulation. The repeatability of the smog chamber experiment shows that for two sets of ethylbenzene-NO(x) irradiations with similar initial concentrations and reaction conditions, such as temperature, relative humidity and relative light intensity, the largest difference in O3 between two experiments is only 4% during the whole experimental run. On the basis of smog chamber experiments, ozone formation of photo-oxidation of benzene and ethylbenzene was simulated in terms of the master chemical mechanism (MCM). The peak ozone values for benzene and ethylbenzene simulated by MCM are higher than the chamber data, and the difference between the MCM-simulated results and chamber data increases with increasing RH. Under the conditions of sunlight irradiations, with benzene and ethylbenzene concentrations being in the range of (10-50) x 10(-9) and NO(x) concentrations in the range of (10-100) x 10(-9), the 6 h ozone contributions of benzene and ethylbenzene were obtained to be (3.1-33) x 10(-9) and (2.6-122) x 10(-9), whereas the peak O3 contributions of benzene and ethylbenzene were (3.5-54) x 10(-9) and (3.8-164) x 10(-9), respectively. The MCM-simulated maximum incremental reactivity (MIR) values for benzene and ethylbenzene were 0.25/C and 0.97/C (per carbon), respectively. The maximum ozone reactivity (MOR) values for these two species were obtained to be 0.73/C and 1.03/C, respectively. The MOR value of benzene from MCM is much higher than that obtained by carter from SAPRC, indicating that SAPRC may underestimate the ozone formation potential of benzene.

Emission abatement: Untangling the impacts of the EU ETS and the economic crisis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bel, Germà; Joseph, Stephan

2015-01-01

In this study we use historical emission data from installations under the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) to evaluate the impact of this policy on greenhouse gas emissions during the first two trading phases (2005–2012). As such the analysis seeks to disentangle two causes of emission abatement: that attributable to the EU ETS and that attributable to the economic crisis that hit the EU in 2008/09. To do so, we use a dynamic panel data approach. Our results suggest that, by far, the biggest share of abatement was attributable to the effects of the economic crisis. This finding has serious implications for future policy adjustments affecting core elements of the EU ETS, including the distribution of EU emission allowances. - Highlights: • We untangle the effects of the EU ETS from those of the economic crisis on industrial emission abatement. • The empirical analysis uses verified emission data instead of estimated emission data. • Abatement of emissions in EU in the last years has been mainly due to the impact of the economic crisis. • Low level of abatement attributable to the EU ETS suggests that important changes must be made in environmental policy

Assessing the meteorological conditions of a deep Italian Alpine valley system by means of a measuring campaign and simulations with two models during a summer smog episode

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dosio, A.; Emeis, S.; Graziani, G.; Junkermann, W.; Levy, A.

2001-01-01

The typical features of a summer smog episode in the highly complex terrain of the Province of Bolzano (Northern Italy) were investigated by numerical modelling with two non-hydrostatic models, ground-based monitoring stations, and vertical profiling with two sodars and an ultra-light aircraft. High

SU-E-I-08: An Inpaint-Based Interpolation Technique to Recover Blocked Information for Cone Beam CT with a Synchronized Moving Grid (SMOG)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kong, V; Zhang, H; Jin, J; Ren, L

2014-01-01

Purpose: Synchronized moving grid (SMOG) is a promising technique to reduce scatter and ghost artifacts in cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). However, the grid blocks part of image information in each projection, and multiple projections at the same gantry angle have to been taken to obtain full information. Because of the continuity of a patient's anatomy in the projection, the blocked information may be estimated by interpolation. This study aims to evaluate an inpainting-based interpolation approach to recover the missing information for CBCT reconstruction. Method: We used a simple region-based inpainting approach to interpolate the missing information. For a pixel to be interpolated, we divided the nearby regions having image information into 6 sub-regions: up-left, up-middle, up-right, down-left, down-middle, and down-right, each with 9 pixels. The average pixel value of each sub-region was calculated. These average values, along with the pixel location, were used to determine the interpolated pixel value. We compared our approach with the Criminisi Exemplar (CE) and total variation (TV) based inpainting techniques. Projection images of Catphan and a head phantom were used for the comparison. The SMOG was simulated by erasing the information (filling with “0”) of the areas in each projection corresponding to the grid. Results: For the Catphan, the processing time was 178, 45 and 0.98 minutes for CE, TV and our approach, respectively. The signal to noise ratio (SNR) was 19.4, 18.5 and 26.4 db, correspondingly. For the head phantom, the processing time was 222, 45 and 0.93 minutes for CE, TV and our approach, respectively. The SNR was 24.6, 20.2 and 26.2db correspondingly. Conclusion: We have developed a simple inpainting based interpolation approach, which can recover some of the image information for the SMOG-based CBCT imaging. This study is supported by NIH/NCI grant 1R01CA166948-01

Interaction of light and atmospheric photochemical products (smog) within plants. [Phaseolius vulgaris; Petunia hydrida

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Taylor, O C; Dugger, W M; Cardiff, E A; Darley, E F

1961-12-02

Damage to plants from ozone and peroxyacetyl nitrate, two photochemically formed components of smog, has been described. However, variations in symptom expression and the degree of damage caused by a given concentration of these components, whether of synthetic or natural origin, have complicated development of an adequate biological assay method for these materials. These observed variations in symptomatology have implicated stomatal action, inorganic nutrition temperature, genetics, ascorbic acid content, physiological age of tissue and photoperiod. Plants grown under artificial illumination differ in their response to the photochemically formed pollutants as compared with plants grown in the greenhouse. Interactions between light and oxidants from the polluted atmosphere within plants, as reported here, might well explain some of the variabilities in symptomatology observed in earlier controlled experiments as well as the unexplained natural variability observed in the Los Angeles area. The results presented also emphasize the importance of standardizing plant growth conditions for future work of this nature. 10 references.

'Electric smog' - non-ionizing electromagnetic fields and radiation. Seminar of the Zentrale Informationsstelle, Umweltberatung Bayern. Vol. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haury, H.J.; Koller, U.

1993-06-01

This seminar on the subject of ''electrical smog'' welcomed participants from Bavarian environmental consultancy agencies, rural and urban district authorities, ministries, consume-consultancy agencies and public health authorities. Leading scientists from research and authorities gave papers on the sources, exposure and effects/actions of electromagnetic fields and present the current state of knowledge about the hazards and risk of this radiation for human health. The proceedings in hand provide the papers given on the following topics: electromagnetic fields - and introduction to relevant issues; low-frequency fields - sources and exposure; high-frequency fields - sources and exposure; biological actions and effects of low-frequency fields; biological actions and effects of high-frequency fields; low-frequency fields -helath risk assessment; high-frequency fields - health risk assessment. (Uhe) [de

The influence of aerosols on photochemical smog in Mexico City

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Castro, T.; Mar, B. [UNAM, Mexico, Centro de Ciencias de la Atmosfera (Mexico); Madronich, S.; Rivale, S. [National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States); Muhlia, A. [UNAM, Mexico, Inst. de Geofysica (Mexico)

2001-04-01

Aerosols in the Mexico City atmosphere can have a non-negligible effect on the ultraviolet radiation field and hence on the formation of photochemical smog. We used estimates of aerosol optical depths from sun photometer observations in a detailed radiative transfer model, to calculate photolysis rate coefficients (J{sub NO2}) for the key reaction NO{sub 2}+h{nu}{yields}NO+O ({lambda}<430nm). The calculated values are in good agreement with previously published measurements of J{sub NO2} at two sites in Mexico City: Palacio de Mineria (19 degrees 25'59''N, 99 degrees 07'58''W, 2233masl), and IMP (19 degrees 28'48''N, 99 degrees 11'07''W, 2277masl) and in Tres Marias, a town near Mexico City (19 degrees 03'N, 99 degrees 14'W, 2810masl). In particular, the model reproduces very well the contrast between the two urban sites and the evidently much cleaner Tres Marias site. For the measurement days, reductions in surface J{sub NO2} by 10-30% could be attributed to the presence of aerosols, with considerable uncertainty due largely to lack of detailed data on aerosol optical properties at ultraviolet wavelengths (esp. the single scattering albedo). The potential impact of such large reductions in photolysis rates on surface ozone concentrations is illustrated with a simple zero-dimensional photochemical model. (Author)

Expanding exports, increasing smog : Ontario Power Generation's and Hydro One's strategies to continue coal-fired electricity generation in Ontario

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gibbons, J.

2002-06-01

The production of coal-fired electricity increased by approximately 150 per cent in Ontario between 1995 and 2000. As a result, the smog-causing emissions generated by the five coal-fired power plants operated by Ontario Power Generation caused an increase in smog and worsened air quality in the province as well as affecting air quality as far afield as the Atlantic provinces. Between 2002 and 2005, it is expected that the Pickering and Bruce nuclear plants will be returned to service, making the electricity generated by the coal plants surplus to Ontario's needs. Increasing this surplus are the planned natural gas generating stations. Ontario Power Generation is planning on using this surplus to export it to the United States rather than phasing out its reliance on coal. The increase in exports to the United States Northeast and Midwest is planned with Hydro One, already busy increasing its transmission capacity to the United States by 1,000 megawatt (MW). This plan involves laying 975 MW submarine cable from the Nanticoke Generating Station (operated by Ontario Power Generation) under Lake Erie to Pennsylvania, Ohio, or both states. At the moment, the exports are constrained by the government emissions limits imposed by the Ontario government on sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. This constraint could be removed if Ontario Power Generation decides to pay further for pollution controls for sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides at its coal stations. Unfortunately, increasing the exports would also result in emissions increases for 28 other uncapped pollutants such as lead, mercury and arsenic. The author recommended that the Ontario government ban non-emergency coal-fired electricity exports to improve air quality in the province. refs., 8 figs

Celebrity is what Celebrity does. A Critical Discourse Analysis of Microcelebrity in Commercial, Norwegian Blogs.

OpenAIRE

Bakke, Mathilde Aarvold

2017-01-01

In this thesis I explore how 11 commercial, Norwegian bloggers construct themselves as microcelebrities on their blogs, how the relationship between the bloggers and the readers is discursively constructed and maintained and what characterizes the commercial blog as a genre. The bloggers are women, between 18 and 35 years old, personal and commercial lifestyle bloggers. I have done a critical discourse analysis of the textual content of blog posts written by these bloggers in September 2016. ...

Should people be physically active outdoors on smog alert days?

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, Monica E; Li, Qian; Gingrich, Sarah E; Macfarlane, Ronald G; Cheng, Shouquan

2005-01-01

Given the importance of physical activity to well-being, there is a need to encourage people to be physically active year-round. At the same time, many people are vulnerable to adverse health effects from air pollution, especially on smog alert days. This study was undertaken to determine when air pollution levels tend to be lowest so that the public can modify strenuous outdoor activity accordingly. Existing hourly air pollution data for Toronto were analyzed to determine how pollutant levels varied from hour to hour throughout each 24-hour day, to identify the times when pollution levels are at their lowest on average. Pollutant levels vary throughout the day, with concentrations of some pollutants (such as ozone, particles and sulphur dioxide) being highest during mid-day, and others (such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide) being highest with morning rush hour. Overall, pollutant concentrations tend to be lowest before seven a.m. and after eight p.m. The public should be encouraged to maintain regular physical activity outdoors while monitoring any air pollution-related symptoms. The intensity of outdoor activity should be reduced, or activities replaced with indoor exercise, at those Air Quality Index (AQI) levels that trigger individual symptoms and when AQI values exceed 50. Where possible, strenuous activity should be taken when and where air pollution levels tend to be lowest, namely early in the morning and in low-traffic areas. More research is required to guide development of health protective advice on exercising when air quality is poor.

Gas and particle phase chemical characterization of photochemical smog in Beijing and Hong Kong

Science.gov (United States)

Hallquist, Mattias; Le Breton, Michael; Guo, Song; Zhen Yu, Jian; Hallquist, Åsa. M.; Pathak, Ravi K.; Liu, Qianyun; Wang, Yuchen; Li, Jinjian; Chan, Chak K.; Wang, Yujue; Zheng, Jing; Yang, Yudong; Lu, Keding; Wu, Zhijun; Hu, Min

2017-04-01

Secondary chemistry transforming primary pollutants is of high relevance for Chinese photochemical smog. In particular, formation of ozone (O3) and particulate matter (PM), including Secondary Organic Aerosols (SOA), are of major concern regarding impacts on health, climate and ecosystems. The atmospheric oxidation processes leading to SOA formation are complex and involves thousands of different compounds, both of biogenic and anthropogenic origin. Furthermore, for a thorough understanding both the gas and the particle phase need to be considered. As part of an intercollaborative project to assess the photochemical smog in China, two major field campaigns were arranged in 2016; in Changping, Bejing during springtime and at HKUST, Hong Kong during the autumn. Alongside with other advanced instrumentations, a Time of Flight Chemical Ionisation Mass Spectrometer (ToF CIMS) utilising the Filiter Inlet for Gases and AEROsols (FIGAERO) was used to chemically characterize the gas and the particle phase. This specific instrument applies soft ionization limiting the fragmentation and one can usually identify molecular composition of hundreds of different parent molecules. In both Beijing and Hong Kong the iodide ionization scheme was utilised, making it possible to specifically detect oxygenated compounds such as carboxylic acids, organic nitrates and sulphates as well as some inorganic compounds e.g. N2O5, ClNO2, and HONO. For numerous compounds significant levels were detected in both the gas and particle phase enabling evaluation of partitioning and gas-to-particle transformation and its relationship to atmospheric conditions and estimated vapour pressures. Furthermore, the detection of molecular markers such as levoglucosan, C6H5NO3, C10H16NSO7, C5H8SO7, C5H8O4 can support source apportionment and atmospheric process description. In order to further investigate atmospheric ageing/processing a portable laminar flow reactor (Go:PAM) was for selected periods utilized to

Photochemical smog modeling for assessment of potential impacts of different management strategies on air quality of the Bangkok Metropolitan Region, Thailand.

Science.gov (United States)

Oanh, Nguyen Thi Kim; Zhang, Baoning

2004-10-01

A photochemical smog model system, the Variable-Grid Urban Airshed Model/Systems Applications International Mesoscale Model (UAM-V/SAIMM), was used to investigate photochemical pollution in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region (BMR). The model system was first applied to simulate a historical photochemical smog episode of two days (January 13-14, 1997) using the 1997 anthropogenic emission database available at the Pollution Control Department and an estimated biogenic emission. The output 1-hr ozone (O3) for BMR, however, did not meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency suggested performance criteria. The simulated minimum and maximum O3 values in the domain were much higher than the observations. Multiple model runs with different precursor emission reduction scenarios showed that the best model performance with the simulated 1-hr O3 meeting all the criteria was obtained when the volatile organic compound (VOC) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emission from mobile source reduced by 50% and carbon monoxide by 20% from the original database. Various combinations of anthropogenic and biogenic emissions in Bangkok and surrounding provinces were simulated to assess the contribution of different sources to O3 pollution in the city. O3 formation in Bangkok was found to be more VOC-sensitive than NOx-sensitive. To attain the Thailand ambient air quality standard for 1-hr O3 of 100 ppb, VOC emission in BMR should be reduced by 50-60%. Management strategies considered in the scenario study consist of Stage I, Stage II vapor control, replacement of two-stroke by four-stroke motorcycles, 100% compressed natural gas bus, 100% natural gas-fired power plants, and replacement of methyltertiarybutylether by ethanol as an additive for gasoline.

Effects of relative humidity on the characterization of a photochemical smog chamber.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Gaoshuo; Xu, Yongfu; Jia, Long

2011-01-01

Water vapor plays an important role in many atmospheric chemical reactions. A self-made indoor environmental smog chamber was used to investigate the effects of relative humidity (RH) on its characterization, which included the wall effects of reactive species such as 03 and NOx, and the determination of chamber-dependent OH radicals in terms of CO-NOx irradiation experiments. Results showed that the rate constant of O3 wall losses increased with increasing RH, and that their relationship was linearly significant. Although RH affected the rate constant of NOx wall losses, their relationship was not statistically significant. Background air generated a small amount of ozone at both high and low RH. When RH varied from 5% to 79%, the apparent rate constant kNO2-->HONO for the conversion of NO2 into gas phase HONO was estimated in the range of 0.70 x 10(-3)-2.5 x 10(-3) min(-1). A linear relationship between kNO2-->HONO and RH was obtained as kNO2-->HONO (10(-3) min(-1)) = -0.0255RH + 2.64, with R2 and P value being 0.978 and < 0.01. To our knowledge, this is the first report on their relationship. The generation mechanism for HONO and OH was also discussed in this work.

Organizational Blogging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Agerdal-Hjermind, Annette

of organizational bloggers. The paper presents findings from a case study of a government agency’s corporate blogging activity, traced through focus group interviews with the organizational bloggers. Based on an empirical investigation of the organizational bloggers using situational analysis and thematic network...... and resources, barriers and opportunities, which employees experience when acting as bloggers, as well as when acting on other transparent Web 2.0 mediated communications platforms for corporate purposes....

Use of a Remote Car Starter in Relation to Smog and Climate Change Perceptions: A Population Survey in Québec (Canada

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Belkacem Abdous

2009-02-01

Full Text Available Remote car starters encourage motorists to warm up their vehicles by idling the motor – thus increasing atmospheric pollutants, including several greenhouse gas (GHG with impacts on public health. This study about climate change (CC adaptation and mitigation actions examined perceptions on air pollution and climate change and individual characteristics associated with the use of a remote car starter. A telephone survey (n = 2,570; response rate: 70% of adults living in Québec (Canada measured the respondents’ beliefs and current behaviours regarding CC. Approximately 32.9% (daily car users and 27.4% (occasional users reported using a remote car starter during winter. The odds of the use of a remote car starter was higher in the less densely populated central (OR: 1.5 and peripheral regions (OR: 2.7 compared to the urban centers (ex. Montreal. The odds was also higher in population with a mother tongue other than English or French (OR: 2.6 and francophones than anglophones (OR: 2.1, women than men (OR: 1.5, daily drivers than occasional ones (OR: 1.2, and respondents who at least sometimes consulted temperature/humidity reports than those who consulted them less often (OR: 1.5. In multivariate analysis, the perception of living in a region susceptible to winter smog, being aware of smog warnings, or the belief in the human contribution to CC did not significantly influence the use of a remote car starter. The use of remote car starters encourages idling which produces increased atmospheric pollution and GHG production and it should be more efficiently and vigorously managed by various activities. A five-minute daily reduction in idling is equivalent to reducing the total car emissions by 1.8%. This would constitute a “no-regrets” approach to CC as it can simultaneously reduce GHG, air pollution and their health impacts.

Use of a remote car starter in relation to smog and climate change perceptions: a population survey in Québec (Canada).

Science.gov (United States)

Bélanger, Diane; Gosselin, Pierre; Valois, Pierre; Germain, Stéphane; Abdous, Belkacem

2009-02-01

Remote car starters encourage motorists to warm up their vehicles by idling the motor--thus increasing atmospheric pollutants, including several greenhouse gas (GHG) with impacts on public health. This study about climate change (CC) adaptation and mitigation actions examined perceptions on air pollution and climate change and individual characteristics associated with the use of a remote car starter. A telephone survey (n = 2,570; response rate: 70%) of adults living in Québec (Canada) measured the respondents' beliefs and current behaviours regarding CC. Approximately 32.9% (daily car users) and 27.4% (occasional users) reported using a remote car starter during winter. The odds of the use of a remote car starter was higher in the less densely populated central (OR: 1.5) and peripheral regions (OR: 2.7) compared to the urban centers (ex. Montreal). The odds was also higher in population with a mother tongue other than English or French (OR: 2.6) and francophones than anglophones (OR: 2.1), women than men (OR: 1.5), daily drivers than occasional ones (OR: 1.2), and respondents who at least sometimes consulted temperature/humidity reports than those who consulted them less often (OR: 1.5). In multivariate analysis, the perception of living in a region susceptible to winter smog, being aware of smog warnings, or the belief in the human contribution to CC did not significantly influence the use of a remote car starter. The use of remote car starters encourages idling which produces increased atmospheric pollution and GHG production and it should be more efficiently and vigorously managed by various activities. A five-minute daily reduction in idling is equivalent to reducing the total car emissions by 1.8%. This would constitute a "no-regrets" approach to CC as it can simultaneously reduce GHG, air pollution and their health impacts.

Effects of Simulated Smog Atmospheres in Rodent Models of Metabolic and Immunologic Dysfunction.

Science.gov (United States)

McGee Hargrove, Marie; Snow, Samantha J; Luebke, Robert W; Wood, Charles E; Krug, Jonathan D; Krantz, Q Todd; King, Charly; Copeland, Carey B; McCullough, Shaun D; Gowdy, Kymberly M; Kodavanti, Urmila P; Gilmour, M Ian; Gavett, Stephen H

2018-03-06

Air pollution is a diverse and dynamic mixture of gaseous and particulate matter, limiting our understanding of associated adverse health outcomes. The biological effects of two simulated smog atmospheres (SA) with different compositions but similar air quality health indexes were compared in a nonobese diabetic rat model (Goto-Kakizaki, GK) and three mouse immune models (house dust mite (HDM) allergy, antibody response to heat-killed pneumococcus, and resistance to influenza A infection). In GK rats, both SA-PM (high particulate matter) and SA-O 3 (high ozone) decreased cholesterol levels immediately after a 4-h exposure, whereas only SA-O 3 increased airflow limitation. Airway responsiveness to methacholine was increased in HDM-allergic mice compared with nonallergic mice, but exposure to SA-PM or SA-O 3 did not significantly alter responsiveness. Exposure to SA-PM did not affect the IgM response to pneumococcus, and SA-O 3 did not affect virus titers, although inflammatory cytokine levels were decreased in mice infected at the end of a 7-day exposure. Collectively, acute SA exposures produced limited health effects in animal models of metabolic and immune diseases. Effects of SA-O 3 tended to be greater than those of SA-PM, suggesting that gas-phase components in photochemically derived multipollutant mixtures may be of greater concern than secondary organic aerosol PM.

Knowledge Discovery from Growing Social Networks

Science.gov (United States)

2009-12-24

a trackback. We exploited the blog “Theme salon of blogs” in the site “goo” 2, where a blogger can recruit trackbacks of other bloggers by registering...using trackbacks. Thus, a piece of information can propagate from one blogger to another blogger through a trackback. We exploited the blog “Theme salon ...interesting propagation properties. The circle is a URL that corresponds to the musical baton which is a kind of telephone game on the Internet. It has the

Untangling the drivers of nonlinear systems with information theory

Science.gov (United States)

Wing, S.; Johnson, J.

2017-12-01

Many systems found in nature are nonlinear. The drivers of the system are often nonlinearly correlated with one another, which makes it a challenge to understand the effects of an individual driver. For example, solar wind velocity (Vsw) and density (nsw) are both found to correlate well with radiation belt fluxes and are thought to be drivers of the magnetospheric dynamics; however, the Vsw is anti-correlated with nsw, which can potentially confuse interpretation of these relationships as causal or coincidental. Information theory can untangle the drivers of these systems, describe the underlying dynamics, and offer constraints to modelers and theorists, leading to better understanding of the systems. Two examples are presented. In the first example, the solar wind drivers of geosynchronous electrons with energy range of 1.8-3.5 MeV are investigated using mutual information (MI), conditional mutual information (CMI), and transfer entropy (TE). The information transfer from Vsw to geosynchronous MeV electron flux (Je) peaks with a lag time (t) of 2 days. As previously reported, Je is anticorrelated with nsw with a lag of 1 day. However, this lag time and anticorrelation can be attributed mainly to the Je(t + 2 days) correlation with Vsw(t) and nsw(t + 1 day) anticorrelation with Vsw(t). Analyses of solar wind driving of the magnetosphere need to consider the large lag times, up to 3 days, in the (Vsw, nsw) anticorrelation. Using CMI to remove the effects of Vsw, the response of Je to nsw is 30% smaller and has a lag time < 24 hr, suggesting that the loss mechanism due to nsw or solar wind dynamic pressure has to start operating in < 24 hr. nsw transfers about 36% as much information as Vsw (the primary driver) to Je. Nonstationarity in the system dynamics are investigated using windowed TE. When the data is ordered according to high or low transfer entropy it is possible to understand details of the triangle distribution that has been identified between Je(t + 2

Effect of photochemical smog associated with synoptic weather patterns on cardiovascular and respiratory hospital admissions in metropolitan Taipei.

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Li-Wei

2012-01-01

This study focuses on the relationship between photochemical smog (PS) (hourly ozone conc. >100 ppb), PS-related diseases, and the synoptic weather patterns during 2005-2009 in metropolitan Taipei. The results show that compared to respiratory ailments (ICD code 460-519) and asthma (ICD code 493), cardiovascular ailments (ICD code 390-459) were more clearly influenced by PS events. On the PS event day, the number of admissions of babies, children, and adults increased by 0.04 [95% CI 0.01-0.06], 0.03 [95% CI 0.00-0.07], and 1.12 [95% CI 0.36-1.89] (P < 0.05), respectively. The investigation showed that more than 70% of the PS events were associated primarily with the peripheral circulation of typhoons, Pacific pressure, and discrete Pacific pressure. PS events are a threat to public health. To avoid the ill effects of air pollution, residents should be informed about the daily weather patterns and air quality.

Transforming Consumers Into Brands

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Erz, Antonia; Christensen, Anna-Bertha Heeris

2018-01-01

The goal of this research is to explore the transformational power of a new consumption and production practice, the practice of blogging, to understand its impact on consumers' identity transformations beyond their self-concept as consumers and on the blogosphere as an organizational field....... Through an exploratory study of over 12,000 blog posts from five fashion bloggers, complemented by in-depth interviews, we trace the transformation of consumer bloggers. We identify and describe three identity phases, the individual consumer, collective blogger and blogger identity phase, and two...

Primary pollutants and potential photochemical smog formation in Makkah, Saudi Arabia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nasralla, M.M.; Seroji, A.R.

2007-01-01

This study was conducted in Mina Valley and the central district of the holy city, Makkah, during the pilgrimage (Hajj) season of 1424 Hijri (2004). During this season, more than 2.5 million people gathered in Makkah to perform the Hajj rituals. Two mobile air pollution laboratories were used to monitor NO, NO2, NOx, non-methane hydrocarbons and ozone (O3) in the atmosphere in Mina and Makkah. Instruments were calibrated periodically against standard gases. The present investigation showed clearly an ideal diurnal cycle of local ozone formation. Although the intensity of the incoming UV radiation was the lowest compared with other months of the year, recorded ozone levels approached the maximum allowable levels of 150 ug/m3 in Mina, and exceeded 160 ug/m3 in Makkah during the pilgrimage period. The problem was intensified by the high record levels NOx, sometimes reaching more than 800 ug/m3, 1h average, coupled with 1h average concentration of about 3 ppm non-methane hydrocarbons. Furthermore, the average maximum hourly ozone concentrations increased gradually from less than 60 ug/m3 during February to reach more than 200 ug/m3 (as an indication of smog formation) during some days of May. This coincides with the increase in the intensity of the incoming UV radiation reaching its maximum level in May. Consequently, it can be concluded that Makkah may face severe air pollution episodes when the pilgrimage season shifts to the summer months in the next few years. This may pose acute health problems for the elderly people and those with respiratory health problems. Good air quality and transportation management as well as the use of alternative clean fuel are highly recommended. (author)

UNTANGLING THE NEAR-IR SPECTRAL FEATURES IN THE PROTOPLANETARY ENVIRONMENT OF KH 15D

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arulanantham, Nicole A.; Herbst, William; Gilmore, Martha S.; Cauley, P. Wilson [Astronomy Department, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459 (United States); Leggett, S. K., E-mail: nicole.arulanantham@colorado.edu [Gemini Observatory (North), Hilo, HI 96720 (United States)

2017-01-10

We report on Gemini/GNIRS observations of the binary T Tauri system V582 Mon (KH 15D) at three orbital phases. These spectra allow us to untangle five components of the system: the photosphere and magnetosphere of star B, the jet, scattering properties of the ring material, and excess near-infrared (near-IR) radiation previously attributed to a possible self-luminous planet. We confirm an early-K subgiant classification for star B and show that the magnetospheric He i emission line is variable, possibly indicating increased mass accretion at certain times. As expected, the H{sub 2} emission features associated with the inner part of the jet show no variation with orbital phase. We show that the reflectance spectrum for the scattered light has a distinctive blue slope and spectral features consistent with scattering and absorption by a mixture of water and methane ice grains in the 1–50 μ m size range. This suggests that the methane frost line is closer than ∼5 au in this system, requiring that the grains be shielded from direct radiation. After correcting for features from the scattered light, jet, magnetosphere, and photosphere, we confirm the presence of leftover near-IR light from an additional source, detectable near minimum brightness. A spectral emission feature matching the model spectrum of a 10 M {sub J}, 1 Myr old planet is found in the excess flux, but other expected features from this model are not seen. Our observations, therefore, tentatively support the picture that a luminous planet is present within the system, although they cannot yet be considered definitive.

Inhalable microorganisms in Beijing's PM2.5 and PM10 pollutants during a severe smog event.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Chen; Jiang, Wenjun; Wang, Buying; Fang, Jianhuo; Lang, Jidong; Tian, Geng; Jiang, Jingkun; Zhu, Ting F

2014-01-01

Particulate matter (PM) air pollution poses a formidable public health threat to the city of Beijing. Among the various hazards of PM pollutants, microorganisms in PM2.5 and PM10 are thought to be responsible for various allergies and for the spread of respiratory diseases. While the physical and chemical properties of PM pollutants have been extensively studied, much less is known about the inhalable microorganisms. Most existing data on airborne microbial communities using 16S or 18S rRNA gene sequencing to categorize bacteria or fungi into the family or genus levels do not provide information on their allergenic and pathogenic potentials. Here we employed metagenomic methods to analyze the microbial composition of Beijing's PM pollutants during a severe January smog event. We show that with sufficient sequencing depth, airborne microbes including bacteria, archaea, fungi, and dsDNA viruses can be identified at the species level. Our results suggested that the majority of the inhalable microorganisms were soil-associated and nonpathogenic to human. Nevertheless, the sequences of several respiratory microbial allergens and pathogens were identified and their relative abundance appeared to have increased with increased concentrations of PM pollution. Our findings may serve as an important reference for environmental scientists, health workers, and city planners.

The Bear Went Through the Mountain: Russia Appraises its Five-Day War in South Ossetia

Science.gov (United States)

2009-01-01

this posting.81 Photo evidence was also presented. Video clips of the Russian bombing of Gori were taken from Western and Georgian TV and disseminated...devoted to strip clubs and porno at the expense of real news. Blogger “borko” had a spate with reporters in the conflict zone, noting that Russian...Russian bloggers began to analyze western presentations on the war. VIF forum presented and analysis of CNN video clips, the blogger “liquid-alco” analyzed

Analyzing the Formation, Physicochemical, and Optical Properties of Aging Biomass Burning Aerosol Using an Indoor Smog Chamber

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, D. M.; Fiddler, M. N.; Bililign, S.; Spann, M.

2017-12-01

Biomass burning (BB) is recognized as one of the largest sources of absorbing aerosols in the atmosphere and significantly influences the radiative properties of the atmosphere. The chemical composition and physical properties of particles evolve during their atmospheric lifetime due to condensation, oxidation reactions, etc., which alters their optical properties. To this end, an indoor smog chamber was constructed to study aging BB aerosol in a laboratory setting. Injections to the chamber, including NOx, O3, and various biogenic and anthropogenic VOCs, can simulate a variety of atmospheric conditions. These components and some of their oxidation products are monitored during the aging process. A tube furnace is used for combustion of biomass to be introduced to the chamber, while size distributions are taken as the aerosol ages. Online measurements of optical properties are determined using a Cavity Ring-down Spectrometry and Integrating Nephelometry system. Chemical properties are measured from samples captured on filters and analyzed using Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled in-line to both a Diode Array Detector and High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer equipped with electrospray ionization. The measured changes in the optical properties as a function of particle size, aging, and chemical properties are presented for fuel sources used in Africa.

Inhalable Microorganisms in Beijing’s PM2.5 and PM10 Pollutants during a Severe Smog Event

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Particulate matter (PM) air pollution poses a formidable public health threat to the city of Beijing. Among the various hazards of PM pollutants, microorganisms in PM2.5 and PM10 are thought to be responsible for various allergies and for the spread of respiratory diseases. While the physical and chemical properties of PM pollutants have been extensively studied, much less is known about the inhalable microorganisms. Most existing data on airborne microbial communities using 16S or 18S rRNA gene sequencing to categorize bacteria or fungi into the family or genus levels do not provide information on their allergenic and pathogenic potentials. Here we employed metagenomic methods to analyze the microbial composition of Beijing’s PM pollutants during a severe January smog event. We show that with sufficient sequencing depth, airborne microbes including bacteria, archaea, fungi, and dsDNA viruses can be identified at the species level. Our results suggested that the majority of the inhalable microorganisms were soil-associated and nonpathogenic to human. Nevertheless, the sequences of several respiratory microbial allergens and pathogens were identified and their relative abundance appeared to have increased with increased concentrations of PM pollution. Our findings may serve as an important reference for environmental scientists, health workers, and city planners. PMID:24456276

PR-konsulter och bloggare; en win-win situation? : En studie om PR-konsulters förändrade arbetssätt i och med modebloggarnas framväxt

OpenAIRE

Girell, Cecilia; Kjellström, Sandra

2014-01-01

Abstract Title: PR consultants and bloggers; a win-win situation? -  A study of PR consultants’ new adaptations in the labour market due to the emergence of fashion bloggers.  Authors: Cecilia Girell, Sandra Kjellström Tutor: Ylva Ekström Purpose: With the expansion of the Internet, fashion bloggers have gotten more power. A few companies have understood this powerful and reasonable cheap marketing channel. Despite this, most companies still feel powerless, but what has happened to the wor...

DISCOVER-AQ Airborne Measurements Quantify How Satellite-Retrievable Becomes Health-Relevant: The Example Of Smog And Its Production

Science.gov (United States)

Esswein, R. F.; Chatfield, R. B.; Crawford, J. H.; Weinheimer, A. J.; Fried, A.; Barrick, J. D.

2012-12-01

Unusually rich information about health-relevant surface smog pollution may be expected from developing multi-wavelength retrievals from space, e.g., in upcoming missions being planned by the United States ("GEO-CAPE") and by European and Asian agencies. The key is that ozone and its precursors are vertically correlated in layers that can be retrieved, and that situation-to-situation variation is more important than small local spatial variations. Variations in relationships are understood in terms of simple weather principles such as subsidence and repeating local circulation features. BACKGROUND: Near-surface pollution is one of the most challenging problems for Earth observations from space. Near- surface information must be inferred from column-integrated quantities obtained by passive remote sensing from nadir-looking satellite instruments. NASA has undertaken a major five-year experimental mission to investigate air pollution on the 1- to 100-km urban/regional scale. The mission concept involved Deriving Information on Surface Conditions from COlumn and VERtically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality, generally known better by its acronym DISCOVER-AQ. A major goal is to understand the usefulness of and best methodologies for satellite remote sensing data. The DISCOVER-AQ airborne study repeatedly made spirals over various urban, industrial, transportation, and rural sites in detail around the Baltimore-Washington area in July, 2011. We compare mixing ratios appropriately averaged over a 0.2-3 km altitude ("Retrievable") and those measured at the bottom of the spirals, 0.2-0.5 km, the "Relevant". The "Retrievable" layer 0.2-3 km. was set by GEO-CAPE remote- sensing sensitivity analyses for ozone [Natraj et al., Atmos. Environ., 2011]. Correlations were quite good, ca. 0.9. Retrieved-relevant correlations for O3 were determined mostly by synoptic conditions. Comparisons for NO2 and HCHO mixing ratio (= m.r.) and especially log(m.r.) are affected by

Secondary aerosol formation from photochemical aging of aircraft exhaust in a smog chamber

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. A. Miracolo

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Field experiments were performed to investigate the effects of photo-oxidation on fine particle emissions from an in-use CFM56-2B gas turbine engine mounted on a KC-135 Stratotanker airframe. Emissions were sampled into a portable smog chamber from a rake inlet installed one-meter downstream of the engine exit plane of a parked and chocked aircraft. The chamber was then exposed to sunlight and/or UV lights to initiate photo-oxidation. Separate tests were performed at different engine loads (4, 7, 30, 85 %. Photo-oxidation created substantial secondary particulate matter (PM, greatly exceeding the direct PM emissions at each engine load after an hour or less of aging at typical summertime conditions. After several hours of photo-oxidation, the ratio of secondary-to-primary PM mass was on average 35 ± 4.1, 17 ± 2.5, 60 ± 2.2, and 2.7 ± 1.1 for the 4, 7, 30, and 85 % load experiments, respectively. The composition of secondary PM formed strongly depended on load. At 4 % load, secondary PM was dominated by secondary organic aerosol (SOA. At higher loads, the secondary PM was mainly secondary sulfate. A traditional SOA model that accounts for SOA formation from single-ring aromatics and other volatile organic compounds underpredicts the measured SOA formation by ~60 % at 4 % load and ~40 % at 85 % load. Large amounts of lower-volatiliy organic vapors were measured in the exhaust; they represent a significant pool of SOA precursors that are not included in traditional SOA models. These results underscore the importance of accounting for atmospheric processing when assessing the influence of aircraft emissions on ambient PM levels. Models that do not account for this processing will likely underpredict the contribution of aircraft emissions to local and regional air pollution.

Assessing the influence of NOx concentrations and relative humidity on secondary organic aerosol yields from α-pinene photo-oxidation through smog chamber experiments and modelling calculations

Science.gov (United States)

Stirnweis, Lisa; Marcolli, Claudia; Dommen, Josef; Barmet, Peter; Frege, Carla; Platt, Stephen M.; Bruns, Emily A.; Krapf, Manuel; Slowik, Jay G.; Wolf, Robert; Prévôt, Andre S. H.; Baltensperger, Urs; El-Haddad, Imad

2017-04-01

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) yields from the photo-oxidation of α-pinene were investigated in smog chamber (SC) experiments at low (23-29 %) and high (60-69 %) relative humidity (RH), various NOx / VOC ratios (0.04-3.8) and with different aerosol seed chemical compositions (acidic to neutralized sulfate-containing or hydrophobic organic). A combination of a scanning mobility particle sizer and an Aerodyne high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer was used to determine SOA mass concentration and chemical composition. We used a Monte Carlo approach to parameterize smog chamber SOA yields as a function of the condensed phase absorptive mass, which includes the sum of OA and the corresponding bound liquid water content. High RH increased SOA yields by up to 6 times (1.5-6.4) compared to low RH. The yields at low NOx / VOC ratios were in general higher compared to yields at high NOx / VOC ratios. This NOx dependence follows the same trend as seen in previous studies for α-pinene SOA. A novel approach of data evaluation using volatility distributions derived from experimental data served as the basis for thermodynamic phase partitioning calculations of model mixtures in this study. These calculations predict liquid-liquid phase separation into organic-rich and electrolyte phases. At low NOx conditions, equilibrium partitioning between the gas and liquid phases can explain most of the increase in SOA yields observed at high RH, when in addition to the α-pinene photo-oxidation products described in the literature, fragmentation products are added to the model mixtures. This increase is driven by both the increase in the absorptive mass and the solution non-ideality described by the compounds' activity coefficients. In contrast, at high NOx, equilibrium partitioning alone could not explain the strong increase in the yields with RH. This suggests that other processes, e.g. reactive uptake of semi-volatile species into the liquid phase, may occur and be

Untangling the relative contribution of maltreatment severity and frequency to type of behavioral outcome in foster youth.

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Yo; Gabrielli, Joy; Fleming, Kandace; Tunno, Angela M; Makanui, P Kalani

2014-07-01

Within maltreatment research, type, frequency, and severity of abuse are often confounded and not always specifically documented. The result is samples that are often heterogeneous in regard to maltreatment experience, and the role of the different components of maltreatment in predicting outcome is unclear. The purpose of the present study was to identify and test the potential unique role of type, frequency, and severity of maltreatment to elucidate each variable's role in predicting outcome behavior. Data from 309 youth in foster care (ages 8-22) and their caregivers were collected using the Modified Maltreatment Classification System and the Behavioral Assessment System for Children, 2nd Edition (BASC2), to measure maltreatment exposure and behavioral outcome respectively. A measurement model of the BASC2 was completed to determine model fit within the sample data. A second confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was completed to determine the unique contributions of frequency and severity of maltreatment across four types of abuse to externalizing, internalizing, and adaptive behavior. The result of the CFA determined good fit of the BASC2 to the sample data after a few modifications. The result of the second CFA indicated that the paths from severity to externalizing behavior and adaptive behavior (reverse loading) were significant. Paths from frequency of abuse were not predictive of behavioral outcome. Maltreatment is a complex construct and researchers are encouraged to examine components of abuse that may be differentially related to outcome behavior for youth. Untangling the multifaceted nature of abuse is important and may have implications for identifying specific outcomes for youth exposed to maltreatment. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

STRATEGI PRODUK CILOK KENYAL KENYOL DALAM MENINGKATKAN PENJUALAN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ani Solihat

2016-10-01

Full Text Available ABSTRAC_Cilok Kenyal Kenyol is a brand of traditional food from Bandung. Created for lifting traditional food to be more modern, more popular nationally and internationally. Various innovations in products cilok already taken in an effort to increase sales, but these measures still do not meet the sales target. This study uses qualitative research with case study approach. Data collected by FGD (Focus Group Discussion involving 20 people consisting of teachers Catering, Lecturer in Tourism, Employees Restaurant, Blogger (Food Blogger and Travel Blogger, Media, and Consumer (Students, Student, Employee, Housewife. This research produced models of the product development strategy, namely through its attributes and product features, style and design of products, brands and logos, packaging, labeling of the product support services. Keyword : Product, Product Strategy, Case Study ABSTRAK_Cilok Kenyal Kenyol merupakan makanan tradisional yang berasal dari Kota Bandung. Diciptakan dengan tujuan untuk mengangkat makanan tradisional menjadi lebih modern dan lebih popular baik secara nasional maupun internasional. Berbagai inovasi pada produk cilok sudah dilakukan sebagai usaha meningkatkan penjualan, namun langkah tersebut masih belum memenuhi dengan target penjualan . Penelitian ini menggunakan metode penelitian kualitatif dengan pendekatan studi kasus. Teknik pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan FGD (Focus Group Discussion yang melibatkan 20 orang terdiri dari Guru Tata Boga, Dosen Akademi Pariwisata, Karyawan Restoran, Blogger (Food Blogger dan Travel Blogger, Media, dan Konsumen (Mahasiswa, Siswa, Karyawan, Ibu Rumah.  Penelitian ini menghasilkan model strategi pengembangan produk, yaitu melalui atribut dan fitur produk, gaya dan rancangan produk, merek dan logo, pengemasan, pemberian label pelayanan penunjang produk. Kata Kunci : Produk, Strategi Produk, Studi Kasus.

Effects of puerarin combined with edaravone on inhalation lung injury induced by black gunpowder smog in rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zheng-guan WANG

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Objective　To explore the protective effects of puerarin combined with edaravone on inhalation lung injury induced by black gunpowder smog in rats. Methods　Forty healthy male Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal control group (group N, inhalation group (group X, puerarin group (group P, edaravone group (group E and edaravone combined with puerarin group (group L, with 8 rats in each group. Rat model of inhalation lung injury was reproduced by a self-made smoke generator. Rats in group E were given intraperitoneal injections of edaravone (9 mg/kg at 30 minutes and 1 day after modeling (twice totally. Rats in group P were given intraperitoneal injections of puerarin (100 mg/kg at 30 minutes and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 days after modeling (6 times totally. Rats in group L were treated the way of both group E and P. The rats in group N and group X were given intraperitoneal injections of normal saline (12 ml/kg at the time-points above. The animals were sacrificed 6 days after modeling, and the blood samples were collected from abdominal aorta to assess arterial blood gas values, meanwhile the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α, interleukin-6 (IL-6, interleukin-10 (IL-10 were determined by ELISA. Lung tissue homogenates were prepared to determine the protein content and myeloperoxidase (MPO activity. The pathological changes in the lung tissue with HE staining were observed under light microscope. Results　Arterial blood gas analysis revealed that the PaO2 levels in groups P, E and L were higher than that in group X (P<0.05, and the PaO2 levels in groups E and L were higher than that in group P (P<0.05, while the PaCO2 level in group L was lower than that in groups X and E (P<0.05. The TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-10 levels in serum, the protein content and MPO activity in lung tissue homogenate in groups P, E and L were lower than those of group X (P<0.05. The TNF-α and IL-6 levels in serum and protein content and MPO activity in lung

Blogging in Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology: Assessment of 'Blogosphere' Content.

Science.gov (United States)

Birgand, Gabriel; Troughton, Rachael; Moore, Luke S P; Charani, Esmita; Rawson, Timothy M; Castro-Sánchez, Enrique; Holmes, Alison H

2017-07-01

OBJECTIVE To analyze influential infectious diseases, antimicrobial stewardship, infection control, or medical microbiology blogs and bloggers SETTING World wide web DESIGN We conducted a systematic search for blogs in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines in September 2015. METHODS A snowball sampling approach was applied to identify blogs using various search engines. Blogs were eligible if they (1) focused on infectious diseases, antimicrobial stewardship, infection control, or medical microbiology; (2) were intended for health professionals; and (3) were written in English and (4) were updated regularly. We mapped blog and blogger characteristics and used an innovative tool to assess the architecture and content of the included blogs. The motivations and perceptions of bloggers and readers were also assessed. RESULTS A total of 88 blogs were identified. Moreover, 28 blogs (32%) focused on infectious diseases, 46 (52%) focused on medical microbiology, and 14 (16%) focused on infection control or antimicrobial stewardship. Bloggers were mainly male with medical doctorates and/or PhDs; 32 bloggers (36%) posted at least weekly; and 51 (58%) had a research purpose. The aims were considered clear for 23 blogs (26%), and the field covered was considered broad for 25 blogs (28%). Presentation was considered good for 22 blogs (25%), 51 blogs (58%) were easy to read, and 46 blogs (52%) included expert interpretation. Among the top 10 blogs, 3 focused on infectious diseases, 6 focused on medical microbiology, and 2 focused on infection control (2 were equally ranked). The bloggers we questioned were motivated to share their independent expertise and opinions. Readers appreciated the concise messages on scientific topics and practical updates. CONCLUSIONS This study describes high-level blogs in the fields of infectious diseases, infection control, and medical microbiology. Our findings suggest ways in which bloggers should build/orientate blogs for readers, and we have

Media Literacy Function in Critical Blogs

Science.gov (United States)

Fedorov, Alexander; Levitskaya, Anastasia

2015-01-01

The Internet is widely recognized as playing an important role in facilitating education on a range of issues, including media literacy. Analyzing the media critical activity of contemporary Russian bloggers, the authors of the article reveal the following reasons for popularity or, on the contrary, unpopularity of blogger's media criticism:…

Counterinsurgency

Science.gov (United States)

2006-12-15

religious. In contrast, secondary identities may include such things as hunter, blogger , or coffee drinker. Frequently, individuals’ identities are...receivers are common, even in developing countries. Bloggers and print, radio, and television reporters monitor and comment on everything military...IS BEAUTIFUL A-48. Another tendency is to attempt large-scale, mass programs. In particular, Soldiers and Marines tend to apply ideas that succeed

DNA bulky adducts in a Mediterranean population correlate with environmental ozone concentration, an indicator of photochemical smog.

Science.gov (United States)

Palli, Domenico; Saieva, Calogero; Grechi, Daniele; Masala, Giovanna; Zanna, Ines; Barbaro, Antongiulio; Decarli, Adriano; Munnia, Armelle; Peluso, Marco

2004-03-01

Ozone (O(3)), the major oxidant component in photochemical smog, mostly derives from photolysis of nitrogen dioxide. O(3) may have biologic effects directly and/or via free radicals reacting with other primary pollutants and has been reported to influence daily mortality and to increase lung cancer risk. Although DNA damage may be caused by ozone itself, only other photochemical reaction products (as oxidised polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) may form bulky DNA adducts, a reliable biomarker of genotoxic damage and cancer risk, showing a seasonal trend. In a large series consisting of 320 residents in the metropolitan area of Florence, Italy, enrolled in a prospective study for the period 1993-1998 (206 randomly sampled volunteers, 114 traffic-exposed workers), we investigated the correlation between individual levels of DNA bulky adducts and a cumulative O(3) exposure score. The average O(3) concentrations were calculated for different time windows (0-5 to 0-90 days) prior to blood drawing for each participant, based on daily measurements provided by the local monitoring system. Significant correlations between DNA adduct levels and O3 cumulative exposure scores in the last 2-8 weeks before enrollment emerged in never smokers. Correlations were highest in the subgroup of never smokers residing in the urban area and not occupationally exposed to vehicle traffic pollution, with peak values for average concentrations 4-6 weeks before enrollment (r = 0.34). Our current findings indicate that DNA adduct formation may be modulated by individual characteristics and by the cumulative exposure to environmental levels of ozone in the last 4-6 weeks, possibly through ozone-associated reactive pollutants. Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Untangling the Chemical Evolution of Titan's Atmosphere and Surface -- From Homogeneous to Heterogeneous Chemistry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaiser, Ralf I.; Maksyutenko, Pavlo; Ennis, Courtney; Zhang, Fangtong; Gu, Xibin; Krishtal, Sergey P.; Mebel, Alexander M.; Kostko, Oleg; Ahmed, Musahid

2010-03-16

The arrival of the Cassini-Huygens probe at Saturn's moon Titan - the only Solar System body besides Earth and Venus with a solid surface and a thick atmosphere with a pressure of 1.4 atm at surface level - in 2004 opened up a new chapter in the history of Solar System exploration. The mission revealed Titan as a world with striking Earth-like landscapes involving hydrocarbon lakes and seas as well as sand dunes and lava-like features interspersed with craters and icy mountains of hitherto unknown chemical composition. The discovery of a dynamic atmosphere and active weather system illustrates further the similarities between Titan and Earth. The aerosol-based haze layers, which give Titan its orange-brownish color, are not only Titan's most prominent optically visible features, but also play a crucial role in determining Titan's thermal structure and chemistry. These smog-like haze layers are thought to be very similar to those that were present in Earth's atmosphere before life developed more than 3.8 billion years ago, absorbing the destructive ultraviolet radiation from the Sun, thus acting as 'prebiotic ozone' to preserve astrobiologically important molecules on Titan. Compared to Earth, Titan's low surface temperature of 94 K and the absence of liquid water preclude the evolution of biological chemistry as we know it. Exactly because of these low temperatures, Titan provides us with a unique prebiotic 'atmospheric laboratory' yielding vital clues - at the frozen stage - on the likely chemical composition of the atmosphere of the primitive Earth. However, the underlying chemical processes, which initiate the haze formation from simple molecules, have been not understood well to date.

If You Love Information, Set It Free! Promoting Freedom of Expression by Expanding Cyberspace Operations

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-01

married to a wonderful woman and they are both blessed with two beautiful children. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This thesis would not have been...repressive regimes who have imprisoned political dissenters. It has publically raised the cases of bloggers , journalists and other online activists to...context, we could add spikes in protest-related keyword searches, increased “tweets” concerning problematic issues, more bloggers demanding change and

WE-EF-207-08: Improve Cone Beam CT Using a Synchronized Moving Grid, An Inter-Projection Sensor Fusion and a Probability Total Variation Reconstruction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, H; Kong, V; Jin, J [Georgia Regents University Cancer Center, Augusta, GA (Georgia); Ren, L; Zhang, Y; Giles, W [Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC (United States)

2015-06-15

Purpose: To present a cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) system, which uses a synchronized moving grid (SMOG) to reduce and correct scatter, an inter-projection sensor fusion (IPSF) algorithm to estimate the missing information blocked by the grid, and a probability total variation (pTV) algorithm to reconstruct the CBCT image. Methods: A prototype SMOG-equipped CBCT system was developed, and was used to acquire gridded projections with complimentary grid patterns in two neighboring projections. Scatter was reduced by the grid, and the remaining scatter was corrected by measuring it under the grid. An IPSF algorithm was used to estimate the missing information in a projection from data in its 2 neighboring projections. Feldkamp-Davis-Kress (FDK) algorithm was used to reconstruct the initial CBCT image using projections after IPSF processing for pTV. A probability map was generated depending on the confidence of estimation in IPSF for the regions of missing data and penumbra. pTV was finally used to reconstruct the CBCT image for a Catphan, and was compared to conventional CBCT image without using SMOG, images without using IPSF (SMOG + FDK and SMOG + mask-TV), and image without using pTV (SMOG + IPSF + FDK). Results: The conventional CBCT without using SMOG shows apparent scatter-induced cup artifacts. The approaches with SMOG but without IPSF show severe (SMOG + FDK) or additional (SMOG + TV) artifacts, possibly due to using projections of missing data. The 2 approaches with SMOG + IPSF removes the cup artifacts, and the pTV approach is superior than the FDK by substantially reducing the noise. Using the SMOG also reduces half of the imaging dose. Conclusion: The proposed technique is promising in improving CBCT image quality while reducing imaging dose.

WE-EF-207-08: Improve Cone Beam CT Using a Synchronized Moving Grid, An Inter-Projection Sensor Fusion and a Probability Total Variation Reconstruction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, H; Kong, V; Jin, J; Ren, L; Zhang, Y; Giles, W

2015-01-01

Purpose: To present a cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) system, which uses a synchronized moving grid (SMOG) to reduce and correct scatter, an inter-projection sensor fusion (IPSF) algorithm to estimate the missing information blocked by the grid, and a probability total variation (pTV) algorithm to reconstruct the CBCT image. Methods: A prototype SMOG-equipped CBCT system was developed, and was used to acquire gridded projections with complimentary grid patterns in two neighboring projections. Scatter was reduced by the grid, and the remaining scatter was corrected by measuring it under the grid. An IPSF algorithm was used to estimate the missing information in a projection from data in its 2 neighboring projections. Feldkamp-Davis-Kress (FDK) algorithm was used to reconstruct the initial CBCT image using projections after IPSF processing for pTV. A probability map was generated depending on the confidence of estimation in IPSF for the regions of missing data and penumbra. pTV was finally used to reconstruct the CBCT image for a Catphan, and was compared to conventional CBCT image without using SMOG, images without using IPSF (SMOG + FDK and SMOG + mask-TV), and image without using pTV (SMOG + IPSF + FDK). Results: The conventional CBCT without using SMOG shows apparent scatter-induced cup artifacts. The approaches with SMOG but without IPSF show severe (SMOG + FDK) or additional (SMOG + TV) artifacts, possibly due to using projections of missing data. The 2 approaches with SMOG + IPSF removes the cup artifacts, and the pTV approach is superior than the FDK by substantially reducing the noise. Using the SMOG also reduces half of the imaging dose. Conclusion: The proposed technique is promising in improving CBCT image quality while reducing imaging dose

Ending the U.S. War in Iraq: The Final Transition, Operational Maneuver, and Disestablishment of United States Forces-Iraq

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

astonishing, beautiful scene— impossible, incomprehensible, only months ago.”202 In April 2008, MNF-I and the government of Iraq signed a memorandum... bloggers , August 3, 2011. 43 See the memorandum from JLOC in Appendix F. For more information, see National Association of State Agencies for Surplus...Reposturing and the Status of Government-Owned Equipment in Iraq,” roundtable with defense bloggers , August 3, 2011. As of August 6, 2012: http

Ontario's Clean Air Action Plan : protecting environmental and human health in Ontario

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-01-01

Ontario's Clean Air Action Plan was launched in June 2000 in an effort to improve air quality and comply with the Canada-Wide Standards for Particulate Matter and Ozone. This paper describes Ontario's approach to reducing smog. Smog-related air pollution is linked to health problems such as premature death, respiratory and heart problems. Smog also contributes to environmental problems such as damage to forests, agricultural crops and natural vegetation. The two main ingredients of smog are ground level ozone and particulate matter. In order to reduce the incidence of smog, the following four key smog-causing pollutants must be reduced: nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, sulphur dioxide and particular matter. This paper includes the 2001 estimates for Ontario's emissions inventory along with Ontario's smog reduction targets. It was noted that approximately half of all smog in Ontario comes from sources in the midwestern United States. The province of Ontario is committed to replacing coal-fired power plants with cleaner sources of energy. It is also considering emission caps for key industrial sectors. The key players in reducing smog include municipalities, industry, individuals, the federal government and programs that reduce emissions in the United States. 3 figs., 8 tabs., 1 appendix

Molecular size evolution of oligomers in organic aerosols collected in urban atmospheres and generated in a smog chamber.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalberer, Markus; Sax, Mirjam; Samburova, Vera

2006-10-01

Only a minor fraction of the total organic aerosol mass can be resolved on a molecular level. High molecular weight compounds in organic aerosols have recently gained much attention because this class of compound potentially explains a major fraction of the unexplained organic aerosol mass. These compounds have been identified with different mass spectrometric methods, and compounds with molecular masses up to 1000 Da are found in secondary organic aerosols (SOA) generated from aromatic and terpene precursors in smog chamber experiments. Here, we apply matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) to SOA particles from two biogenic precursors, alpha-pinene and isoprene. Similar oligomer patterns are found in these two SOA systems, but also in SOA from trimethylbenzene, an anthropogenic SOA precursor. However, different maxima molecular sizes were measured for these three SOA systems. While oligomers in alpha-pinene and isoprene have sizes mostly below 600-700 Da, they grow up to about 1000 Da in trimethylbenzene-SOA. The final molecular size of the oligomers is reached early during the particle aging process, whereas other particle properties related to aging, such as the overall acid concentration or the oligomer concentration, increase continuously over a much longer time scale. This kinetic behavior of the oligomer molecular size growth can be explained by a chain growth kinetic regime. Similar oligomer mass patterns were measured in aqueous extracts of ambient aerosol samples (measured with the same technique). Distinct differences between summer and winter were observed. In summer a few single mass peaks were measured with much higher intensity than in winter, pointing to a possible difference in the formation processes of these compounds in winter and summer.

Organizational Blogging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Agerdal-Hjermind, Annette

2014-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to address and discuss implications of blog usage in a corporate communication context from an employees’ perspective by analyzing the local context and the underlying motivations of corporate blogging as they are being discursively constructed by a group of organizat...... of organizational bloggers. The paper presents findings from a case study of a government agency’s corporate blogging activity, traced through focus group interviews with the organizational bloggers....

Gas-particle partitioning of semivolatile organic compounds (SOCs) on mixtures of aerosols in a smog chamber.

Science.gov (United States)

Chandramouli, Bharadwaj; Jang, Myoseon; Kamens, Richard M

2003-09-15

The partitioning behavior of a set of diverse SOCs on two and three component mixtures of aerosols from different sources was studied using smog chamber experimental data. A set of SOCs of different compound types was introduced into a system containing a mixture of aerosols from two or more sources. Gas and particle samples were taken using a filter-filter-denuder sampling system, and a partitioning coefficient Kp was estimated using Kp = Cp/(CgTSP). Particle size distributions were measured using a differential mobility analyzer and a light scattering detector. Gas and particle samples were analyzed using GCMS. The aerosol composition in the chamber was tracked chemically using a combination of signature compounds and the organic matter mass fraction (f(om)) of the individual aerosol sources. The physical nature of the aerosol mixture in the chamber was determined using particle size distributions, and an aggregate Kp was estimated from theoretically calculated Kp on the individual sources. Model fits for Kp showed that when the mixture involved primary sources of aerosol, the aggregate Kp of the mixture could be successfully modeled as an external mixture of the Kp on the individual aerosols. There were significant differences observed for some SOCs between modeling the system as an external and as an internal mixture. However, when one of the aerosol sources was secondary, the aggregate model Kp required incorporation of the secondary aerosol products on the preexisting aerosol for adequate model fits. Modeling such a system as an external mixture grossly overpredicted the Kp of alkanes in the mixture. Indirect evidence of heterogeneous, acid-catalyzed reactions in the particle phase was also seen, leading to a significant increase in the polarity of the resulting aerosol mix and a resulting decrease in the observed Kp of alkanes in the chamber. The model was partly consistent with this decrease but could not completely explain the reduction in Kp because of

Production of lung cancer in mice by inhalation exposure to influenza virus and aerosols of hydrocarbons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kotin, P; Wiseley, D V

1963-01-01

1800 C57 (tumor-resistant) mice were exposed in chambers to washed air, repeated influenza virus, artificial smog with 1 to 2 ppM oxidant (ozonized gasoline), or a combination of smog and influenza. Squamous lesions were produced in flu (11) and flu plus smog (33) groups but not in control or smog only groups. The flu only lesions did not show keratinization, pleomorphism and atypical mitoses, or vascular or lymphatic invasion as did lesions in flu + smog. Use of proliferative stimulus plus carcinogenic hydrocarbon resulted in keratinizing metaplasia and squamous cell carcinoma not previously produced by other inhalation techniques.

Evaluation of one-dimensional and two-dimensional volatility basis sets in simulating the aging of secondary organic aerosol with smog-chamber experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Bin; Wang, Shuxiao; Donahue, Neil M; Chuang, Wayne; Hildebrandt Ruiz, Lea; Ng, Nga L; Wang, Yangjun; Hao, Jiming

2015-02-17

We evaluate the one-dimensional volatility basis set (1D-VBS) and two-dimensional volatility basis set (2D-VBS) in simulating the aging of SOA derived from toluene and α-pinene against smog-chamber experiments. If we simulate the first-generation products with empirical chamber fits and the subsequent aging chemistry with a 1D-VBS or a 2D-VBS, the models mostly overestimate the SOA concentrations in the toluene oxidation experiments. This is because the empirical chamber fits include both first-generation oxidation and aging; simulating aging in addition to this results in double counting of the initial aging effects. If the first-generation oxidation is treated explicitly, the base-case 2D-VBS underestimates the SOA concentrations and O:C increase of the toluene oxidation experiments; it generally underestimates the SOA concentrations and overestimates the O:C increase of the α-pinene experiments. With the first-generation oxidation treated explicitly, we could modify the 2D-VBS configuration individually for toluene and α-pinene to achieve good model-measurement agreement. However, we are unable to simulate the oxidation of both toluene and α-pinene with the same 2D-VBS configuration. We suggest that future models should implement parallel layers for anthropogenic (aromatic) and biogenic precursors, and that more modeling studies and laboratory research be done to optimize the "best-guess" parameters for each layer.

A Review of Team Collaboration Tools for Crisis Response in the Military and Government

Science.gov (United States)

2006-06-01

commercial blog host called BlogSpot.16 Interestingly, the “Iraq war was the first "blog war:" Bloggers in Baghdad gained wider readership and one...solution from a mobile device to a global audience. With the push of a button on a camera phone bloggers , citizen reporters, family members, friends and...without knowing it. 25,226 38 Videoconferencing Remember the decade-old VTC promise? Today VC is alive and being used: “You look very beautiful today

Information as Power: An Anthology of Selected United States Army War College Student Papers. Volume 1

Science.gov (United States)

2006-01-01

audience. Things like web logs are providing a different way to access news and commentary. Bloggers invite the contributions of their readers...enough, there were wide differences in media coverage – some left leaning press and bloggers were quick to criticize this as a “war crime within a war...in the JOC. It is now after dinner and we are less than 12 hours from election time on January 29, 2005. The beautiful part is that this

Content analysis of cancer blog posts.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Sujin

2009-10-01

The efficacy of user-defined subject tagging and software-generated subject tagging for describing and organizing cancer blog contents was explored. The Technorati search engine was used to search the blogosphere for cancer blog postings generated during a two-month period. Postings were mined for relevant subject concepts, and blogger-defined tags and Text Analysis Portal for Research (TAPoR) software-defined tags were generated for each message. Descriptive data were collected, and the blogger-defined tags were compared with software-generated tags. Three standard vocabularies (Opinion Templates, Basic Resource, and Medical Subject Headings [MeSH] Resource) were used to assign subject terms to the blogs, with results compared for efficacy in information retrieval. Descriptive data showed that most of the studied cancer blogs (80%) contained fewer than 500 words each. The numbers of blogger-defined tags per posting (M = 4.49 per posting) were significantly smaller than the TAPoR keywords (M = 23.55 per posting). Both blogger-defined subject tags and software-generated subject tags were often overly broad or overly narrow in focus, producing less than effective search results for those seeking to extract information from cancer blogs. Additional exploration into methods for systematically organizing cancer blog postings is necessary if blogs are to become stable and efficacious information resources for cancer patients, friends, families, or providers.

The smog-fog-smog cycle and acid deposition

Science.gov (United States)

Pandis, Spyros N.; Seinfeld, John H.; Pilinis, Christodoulos

1990-10-01

A model including descriptions of aerosol and droplet microphysics, gas and aqueous-phase chemistry, and deposition is used to study the transformation of aerosol to fog droplets and back to aerosol in an urban environment. Fogs in polluted environments have the potential to increase aerosol sulfate concentrations but at the same time to cause reductions in the aerosol concentration of nitrate, chloride, ammonium and sodium and well as in the total aerosol mass concentration. The sulfate produced during fog episodes favors the aerosol particles that have access to most of the fog liquid water which are usually the large particles. Aerosol scavenging efficiencies of around 80 percent are calculated for urban fogs. Sampling and subsequent mixing of fog droplets of different sizes may result in measured concentrations that are not fully representative of the fogwater chemical composition and can introduce errors in the reported values of the ionic species deposition velocities. Differences in the major ionic species deposition velocities can be explained by their distribution over the droplet size spectrum and can be correlated with the species average diameter. Two different expressions are derived for use in fog models for the calculation of the liquid water deposition velocity during fog growth and dissipation stages.

I BUY YOUR PRODUCT WHEN I FEEL I KNOW YOU: USING BLOG DISCLOSURE TO INFLUENCE CONSUMERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christel de LASSUS

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Whilst confidence in certain companies has fallen as a result of the feeling amongst consumers that their private life has been violated, it would seem that at the same time, consumers are very eager to know more about the private life of the bloggers they follow. In return, bloggers are revealing more and more about themselves and displaying their private lives on their blogs. We show that the role of disclosure is a key determinant in consumer persuasion and that the exposure by bloggers of their private lives has a positive influence on their visitors. A quantitative study made of fashion and beauty blog enabled us to assess the impact of such disclosure on confidence in the blog, attitude towards the blog and the brand, and on the various routes to persuasion observed. The managerial implications of this research are presented in conclusion to help managers choose relevant blogs.

Social media microblogs as an HPV vaccination forum.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Chupei; Gotsis, Marientina; Jordan-Marsh, Maryalice

2013-11-01

The 2006 US FDA approval of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine brought new hope for cancer prevention. Gardasil and Cervarix are widely available vaccines that can deter HPV infection, which causes 70% of cervical cancer. Acceptance of vaccination varies due to a lack of HPV awareness and HPV vaccine knowledge. Recent observations of the Chinese microblog "SinaWeibo" suggest a new approach to engage health professionals and consumer website bloggers. Websites that present the latest fashion, fitness or beauty news and ways to obtain "deals" have created informative blogs or online communities that appeal to female users. Some users raise health questions of their peers. Health professionals, as website bloggers, can introduce vaccine news or respond to conversations between bloggers and their followers. By transforming medical vocabulary into ordinary chat, microblogs may promote efficiency in vaccine education and communication. A web-based, interactive social media-microblog could offer an ideal platform to speed up information dissemination and increase targeted communication.

UM OLHAR BAKHTINIANO SOBRE OS BLOGS DE CIÊNCIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Isaltina Maria De Azevedo Mello Gomes

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The present article aims to understand how science communication is configured in science blogs written by researchers. Assuming the bakhtinian presupposition of enunciation as a product of verbal interaction, we analyze how and to whom the scientist-bloggers conform their discourse. We also pay attention to the social context in which the blog enunciations are inserted and to the role played by bloggers in this space. To illustrate our observations, we use as corpus blogs from ScienceBlogs Brazil network. The results show that scientists-bloggers direct their discourse to two types of interlocutors: the specialized and non-specialized in science. Using a fun and informal language, the discourse of blogs builds itself in a dialogic tension with other enunciations of the scientific field, such as scientific reports. The emergence of other voices in the discourse makes the blog a space for social interaction between scientists and non-scientists.

The Organizational Blog as a Boundary Object

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Agerdal-Hjermind, Annette

2012-01-01

This article looks at organizational blogger roles and how they both reflect and affect the way knowledge is communicated across department boundaries in a corporate blogging context. The blog is approached from a sociotechnical perspective, addressing and looking into the various roles in a comm......This article looks at organizational blogger roles and how they both reflect and affect the way knowledge is communicated across department boundaries in a corporate blogging context. The blog is approached from a sociotechnical perspective, addressing and looking into the various roles...

Knowledge Blogging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Agerdal-Hjermind, Annette

The rise of social media and web 2.0 technologies over the last few years has impacted many communication functions. One influence is organizational bloggers as knowledge mediators on government agency practices. The ways in which these organizational bloggers in their roles as experts are able...... to change, facilitate, and enable communication about a broad range of specialized knowledge areas, in a more open interactional institutional communication environment than traditional media typically offer, give rise to a set of new implications as regards the mediation of expert knowledge to the target...

Vliv značek na módní a lifestyle blogy

OpenAIRE

Cirhanová, Jiřina

2015-01-01

This master thesis' main topic is fashion and lifestyle blogs and the impact of the brands and the ideal of beauty that is widely promoted in the media on them. The aim of this thesis is to find out which type of the brands can be mostly found in the blog posts with personal style of the successful bloggers and if there is a type of physical appearance that prevails among them. I am using the quantitative image analysis of Gillian Rose to test these hypotheses on photographs of bloggers. I wa...

Blogging for educators writing for professional learning

CERN Document Server

Sackstein, Starr

2015-01-01

Join the education blogosphere with this easy, go-to guide! This engaging, all-in-one resource from expert blogger Starr Sackstein takes educators by the hand and guides them through the easy, step-by-step process of blogging. You'll quickly turn snippets of writing time into a tool for reflective and collaborative professional growth. With instructive sample blog posts from sites like Blogger and Wordpress and generous examples and resource listings, this guide helps busy educators learn: The value of blogging for professional learning Best practices for safe digital citizenship How to deal w

OPEN CLUSTERS IN THE MILKY WAY OUTER DISK: NEWLY DISCOVERED AND UNSTUDIED CLUSTERS IN THE SPITZER GLIMPSE-360, CYG-X, AND SMOG SURVEYS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zasowski, G.; Beaton, R. L.; Hamm, K. K.; Majewski, S. R.; Patterson, R. J.; Babler, B.; Churchwell, E.; Meade, M.; Whitney, B. A.; Benjamin, R. A.; Watson, C.

2013-01-01

Open stellar clusters are extremely valuable probes of Galactic structure, star formation, kinematics, and chemical abundance patterns. Near-infrared (NIR) data have enabled the detection of hundreds of clusters hidden from optical surveys, and mid-infrared (MIR) data are poised to offer an even clearer view into the most heavily obscured parts of the Milky Way. We use new MIR images from the Spitzer GLIMPSE-360, Cyg-X, and SMOG surveys to visually identify a large number of open cluster candidates in the outer disk of the Milky Way (65° < l < 265°). Using NIR color-magnitude diagrams, stellar isochrones, and stellar reddening estimates, we derive cluster parameters (metallicity, distance, reddening) for those objects without previous identification and/or parameters in the literature. In total, we present coordinates and sizes of 20 previously unknown open cluster candidates; for 7 of these we also present metallicity, distance, and reddening values. In addition, we provide the first estimates of these values for nine clusters that had been previously cataloged. We compare our cluster sizes and other derived parameters to those in the open cluster catalog of Dias et al. and find strong similarities except for a higher mean reddening for our objects, which signifies our increased detection sensitivity in regions of high extinction. The results of this cluster search and analysis demonstrate the ability of MIR imaging and photometry to augment significantly the current census of open clusters in the Galaxy

Photochemical smog effects in mixed conifer forests along a natural gradient of ozone and nitrogen deposition in the San Bernardino Mountains.

Science.gov (United States)

Arbaugh, Michael; Bytnerowicz, Andrzej; Grulke, Nancy; Fenn, Mark; Poth, Mark; Temple, Patrick; Miller, Paul

2003-06-01

Toxic effects of photochemical smog on ponderosa and Jeffrey pines in the San Bernardino Mountains were discovered in the 1950s. It was revealed that ozone is the main cause of foliar injury manifested as chlorotic mottle and premature needle senescence. Various morphological, physiological and biochemical alterations in the affected plants have been reported over a period of about 40 years of multidisciplinary research. Recently, the focus of research has shifted from studying the effects of ozone to multiple pollutant effects. Recent studies have indicated that the combination of ozone and nitrogen may alter biomass allocation in pines towards that of deciduous trees, accelerate litter accumulation, and increase carbon sequestration rates in heavily polluted forests. Further study of the effects of multiple pollutants, and their long-term consequences on the mixed conifer ecosystem, cannot be adequately done using the original San Bernardino Mountains Air Pollution Gradient network. To correct deficiencies in the design, the new site network is being configured for long-term studies on multiple air pollutant concentrations and deposition, physiological and biochemical changes in trees, growth and composition of over-story species, biogeochemical cycling including carbon cycling and sequestration, water quality, and biodiversity of forest ecosystems. Eleven sites have been re-established. A comparison of 1974 stand composition with data from 2000 stand composition indicate that significant changes in species composition have occurred at some sites with less change at other sites. Moist, high-pollution sites have experienced the greatest amount of forest change, while dryer low-pollution sites have experienced the least amount of stand change. In general, ponderosa pine had the lowest basal area increases and the highest mortality across the San Bernardino Mountains.

Nuisance forecasting. Univariate modelling and very-short-term forecasting of winter smog episodes; Immissionsprognose. Univariate Modellierung und Kuerzestfristvorhersage von Wintersmogsituationen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schlink, U.

1996-12-31

The work evaluates specifically the nuisance data provided by the measuring station in the centre of Leipig during the period from 1980 to 1993, with the aim to develop an algorithm for making very short-term forecasts of excessive nuisances. Forecasting was to be univariate, i.e., based exclusively on the half-hourly readings of SO{sub 2} concentrations taken in the past. As shown by Fourier analysis, there exist three main and mutually independent spectral regions: the high-frequency sector (period < 12 hours) of unstable irregularities, the seasonal sector with the periods of 24 and 12 hours, and the low-frequency sector (period > 24 hours). After breaking the measuring series up into components, the low-frequency sector is termed trend component, or trend for short. For obtaining the components, a Kalman filter is used. It was found that smog episodes are most adequately described by the trend component. This is therefore more closely investigated. The phase representation then shows characteristic trajectories of the trends. (orig./KW) [Deutsch] In der vorliegende Arbeit wurden speziell die Immissionsdaten der Messstation Leipzig-Mitte des Zeitraumes 1980-1993 mit dem Ziel der Erstellung eines Algorithmus fuer die Kuerzestfristprognose von Ueberschreitungssituationen untersucht. Die Prognosestellung sollte allein anhand der in der Vergangenheit registrierten Halbstundenwerte der SO{sub 2}-Konzentration, also univariat erfolgen. Wie die Fourieranalyse zeigt, gibt es drei wesentliche und voneinander unabhaengige Spektralbereiche: Den hochfrequenten Bereich (Periode <12 Stunden) der instabilen Irregularitaeten, den saisonalen Anteil mit den Perioden von 24 und 12 Stunden und den niedrigfrequenten Bereich (Periode >24 Stunden). Letzterer wird nach einer Zerlegung der Messreihe in Komponenten als Trendkomponente (oder kurz Trend) bezeichnet. Fuer die Komponentenzerlegung wird ein Kalman-Filter verwendet. Es stellt sich heraus, dass Smogepisoden am deutlichsten

The influence of reading motives on the responses after reading blogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Li-Shia; Chou, Yu-Jen; Lin, Che-Hung

2008-06-01

As the number of blogs increases dramatically, these online forums have become important media people use to share feelings and information. Previous research of blogs focuses on writers (i.e., bloggers), but the influence of blogs also requires investigations from readers' perspectives. This study therefore explores motives for reading blogs and discusses their effects on the responses after reading blogs. According to a factor analysis of 204 respondents in Taiwan, motives for reading blogs consist of affective exchange, information search, entertainment, and getting on the bandwagon. A regression analysis suggests the effects of these motives on three major responses--opinion acceptance, interaction intentions, and word-of-mouth (WOM) intentions--reflect the influence of blogs. Specifically, readers who focus on affective exchanges believe blog messages, interact with bloggers, and spread messages to others. Information search and entertainment motives positively affect opinion acceptance; blog readers who focus on information and those who read for fun both view blogs as trustworthy sources. Getting on the bandwagon also positively influences interaction and WOM intentions; these readers interact with bloggers and transmit messages to others.

Blogging all-in-one for dummies

CERN Document Server

Gunelius, Susan

2012-01-01

A complete update to the ultimate reference guide on blogging basics! The increase in the number of blogs is seemingly endless and continues to grow at a phenomenal rate, thanks in part to the rise of smartphones, tablets, and blogging applications. With this kind of popularity, how can a blogger stand out from the rest of the masses? This all-in-one guide is packed with detailed information and advice that helps you create and solidify your place in the blogosphere. You'll learn how to get started, use blogging tools, collaborate with other bloggers, become a part of mobile blogg

Examining the Use of a Social Media Campaign to Increase Engagement for the American Heart Association 2017 Resuscitation Science Symposium.

Science.gov (United States)

Leary, Marion; McGovern, Shaun; Dainty, Katie N; Doshi, Ankur A; Blewer, Audrey L; Kurz, Michael C; Rittenberger, Jon C; Hazinski, Mary Fran; Reynolds, Joshua C

2018-04-13

The Resuscitation Science Symposium (ReSS) is the dedicated international forum for resuscitation science at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions. In an attempt to increase curated content and social media presence during ReSS 2017, the Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA) coordinated an inaugural social media campaign. Before ReSS, 8 resuscitation science professionals were recruited from a convenience sample of attendees at ReSS 2017. Each blogger was assigned to either a morning or an afternoon session, responsible for "live tweeting" with the associated hashtags #ReSS17 and #AHA17. Twitter analytics from the 8 bloggers were collected from November 10 to 13, 2017. The primary outcome was Twitter impressions. Secondary outcomes included Twitter engagement and Twitter engagement rate. In total, 8 bloggers (63% male) generated 591 tweets that garnered 261 050 impressions, 8013 engagements, 928 retweets, 1653 likes, 292 hashtag clicks, and a median engagement rate of 2.4%. Total engagement, likes, and hashtag clicks were highest on day 2; total impressions were highest on day 3, and retweets were highest on day 4. Total impressions were highly correlated with the total number of tweets ( r =0.87; P =0.005) and baseline number of Twitter followers for each blogger ( r =0.78; P =0.02). In this inaugural social media campaign for the 2017 American Heart Association ReSS, the degree of online engagement with this content by end users was quite good when evaluated by social media standards. Benchmarks for end-user interactions in the scientific community are undefined and will require further study. © 2018 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.

Access Control Mechanism for Blog Posts with Fine-Grained Ability Using Simple Operations

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Yi-Hui Chen; Chi-Shiang Chan; Yuan-Yu Tsai

2017-01-01

Access control enables the owners to assign different users different permissions to see different views. The current blog system does not support fine-grained authorization. That is, the bloggers disallow to just assign partial contents of the blog posts (i.e., a paragraph or several paragraphs) to readers. The management cost is no doubt to be significantly increased while handling the authorizations on the huge amount of blog articles. In this paper, we propose a scheme for supporting a fine-grained access control mechanism on blog articles. The advantage is that bloggers are able to authorize partial contents of blog posts to different users or groups of users.

Remediating politics: brand(ed) new sexualities and real bodies online.

Science.gov (United States)

Fotopoulou, Aristea

2013-01-01

This article suggests that, in a world emerging in and through mediation, branded sex bloggers and portals become (re)mediators of queer and feminist politics. It examines the websites of two porn production companies, Nofauxxx and Furry Girl, and analyses how they respond to older media forms, re-articulate long-standing debates about pornography in new mediated environments, and re-signify the pornographic object. Key in this process is the circulation of "authenticity," "real bodies," and "diversity" discourses. Through this circulation, sex blogger/brand portals mediate models of queer and feminist political engagement entrenched with notions of digital networks and free markets more generally.

An interprojection sensor fusion approach to estimate blocked projection signal in synchronized moving grid-based CBCT system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Hong; Kong, Vic [Department of Radiation Oncology, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, Georgia 30912 (United States); Ren, Lei; Giles, William; Zhang, You [Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27710 (United States); Jin, Jian-Yue, E-mail: jjin@gru.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, Georgia 30912 and Department of Radiology, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, Georgia 30912 (United States)

2016-01-15

Purpose: A preobject grid can reduce and correct scatter in cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). However, half of the signal in each projection is blocked by the grid. A synchronized moving grid (SMOG) has been proposed to acquire two complimentary projections at each gantry position and merge them into one complete projection. That approach, however, suffers from increased scanning time and the technical difficulty of accurately merging the two projections per gantry angle. Herein, the authors present a new SMOG approach which acquires a single projection per gantry angle, with complimentary grid patterns for any two adjacent projections, and use an interprojection sensor fusion (IPSF) technique to estimate the blocked signal in each projection. The method may have the additional benefit of reduced imaging dose due to the grid blocking half of the incident radiation. Methods: The IPSF considers multiple paired observations from two adjacent gantry angles as approximations of the blocked signal and uses a weighted least square regression of these observations to finally determine the blocked signal. The method was first tested with a simulated SMOG on a head phantom. The signal to noise ratio (SNR), which represents the difference of the recovered CBCT image to the original image without the SMOG, was used to evaluate the ability of the IPSF in recovering the missing signal. The IPSF approach was then tested using a Catphan phantom on a prototype SMOG assembly installed in a bench top CBCT system. Results: In the simulated SMOG experiment, the SNRs were increased from 15.1 and 12.7 dB to 35.6 and 28.9 dB comparing with a conventional interpolation method (inpainting method) for a projection and the reconstructed 3D image, respectively, suggesting that IPSF successfully recovered most of blocked signal. In the prototype SMOG experiment, the authors have successfully reconstructed a CBCT image using the IPSF-SMOG approach. The detailed geometric features in the

An interprojection sensor fusion approach to estimate blocked projection signal in synchronized moving grid-based CBCT system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Hong; Kong, Vic; Ren, Lei; Giles, William; Zhang, You; Jin, Jian-Yue

2016-01-01

Purpose: A preobject grid can reduce and correct scatter in cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). However, half of the signal in each projection is blocked by the grid. A synchronized moving grid (SMOG) has been proposed to acquire two complimentary projections at each gantry position and merge them into one complete projection. That approach, however, suffers from increased scanning time and the technical difficulty of accurately merging the two projections per gantry angle. Herein, the authors present a new SMOG approach which acquires a single projection per gantry angle, with complimentary grid patterns for any two adjacent projections, and use an interprojection sensor fusion (IPSF) technique to estimate the blocked signal in each projection. The method may have the additional benefit of reduced imaging dose due to the grid blocking half of the incident radiation. Methods: The IPSF considers multiple paired observations from two adjacent gantry angles as approximations of the blocked signal and uses a weighted least square regression of these observations to finally determine the blocked signal. The method was first tested with a simulated SMOG on a head phantom. The signal to noise ratio (SNR), which represents the difference of the recovered CBCT image to the original image without the SMOG, was used to evaluate the ability of the IPSF in recovering the missing signal. The IPSF approach was then tested using a Catphan phantom on a prototype SMOG assembly installed in a bench top CBCT system. Results: In the simulated SMOG experiment, the SNRs were increased from 15.1 and 12.7 dB to 35.6 and 28.9 dB comparing with a conventional interpolation method (inpainting method) for a projection and the reconstructed 3D image, respectively, suggesting that IPSF successfully recovered most of blocked signal. In the prototype SMOG experiment, the authors have successfully reconstructed a CBCT image using the IPSF-SMOG approach. The detailed geometric features in the

Differential cardiac effects in rats exposed to atmospheric ...

Science.gov (United States)

The results of this study demonstrate that atmospheric smog generated from both isoprene and toluene cause cardiac effects in rats. In addition, it appears that smog from toluene is more toxic in terms of cardiac arrhythmogenicity. Smog, which is a complex mixture of particulate matter and gaseous irritants (ozone, sulfur dioxide, reactive aldehydes), as well as components which react with sunlight to form secondary pollutants, has recently been linked to increased risk of adverse cardiac responses. The components, and therefore health effects, of atmospheric smog are determined by the fuel used to generate them. In this study we examined the difference between isoprene- and toluene-generated smog in causing cardiac effects in rats and hypothesized that both atmospheres would cause cardiac electrical and functional changes in rats. Male Wistar-Kyoto rats were exposed to either atmospheric smog generated by the USEPA’s mobile reaction chamber using either isoprene or toluene, or filtered air for four hours. One day later, rats were anesthetized and left ventricular functional responses to dobutamine were measured using a Millar probe and arrhythmia sensitivity to aconitine. Baseline left ventricular pressure (LVP) was lower in toluene-exposed animals but not isoprene when compared to air. Increases in LVP with increasing doses of dobutamine were impaired only in toluene-exposed rats. Both isoprene and toluene impaired the rate of ventri

The Political Scientist as a Blogger

Science.gov (United States)

Sides, John

2011-01-01

In November 2007, I helped found a blog, "The Monkey Cage", with two of my colleagues, David Park and Lee Sigelman. This site joined a nascent political science blogosphere that is now composed of at least 80 blogs (Farrell and Sides 2010). The goals of "The Monkey Cage" are to publicize political science research and use this research to comment…

WordPress 3 For Business Bloggers

CERN Document Server

Thewlis, Paul

2011-01-01

This is a practical, hands-on book based around a fictitious case study blog, which you will build on a development server using WordPress. The case study grows chapter by chapter, from installing your local development server, right up to the finished blog. This book is for anybody running or starting a business blog using WordPress, whether you plan to use your blog for PR and marketing, or want to profit directly from blogging.

Research using blogs for data: public documents or private musings?

Science.gov (United States)

Eastham, Linda A

2011-08-01

Nursing and other health sciences researchers increasingly find blogs to be valuable sources of information for investigating illness and other human health experiences. When researchers use blogs as their exclusive data source, they must discern the public/private aspects inherent in the nature of blogs in order to plan for appropriate protection of the bloggers' identities. Approaches to the protection of human subjects are poorly addressed when the human subject is a blogger and the blog is used as an exclusive source of data. Researchers may be assisted to protect human subjects via a decisional framework for assessing a blog author's intended position on the public/private continuum. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Kak londonski smog

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

2008-01-01

Õudusmuusikal "Sweeney Todd : Fleet Streeti deemonlik habemeajaja" Stephen Sondheimi muusikali alusel : režissöör Tim Burton : peaosades Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter : Ameerika Ühendriigid - Suurbritannia 2007

“O Que Gerencio e de Quem Dependo?”: Determinantes da Ação de Blogueiros

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Isadora Vergara Castro

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Blogs have been increasingly sought by companies to form strategic alliances. These alliances form digital networks of relationships between blogs, readers and sponsors. The network, structured by preferential attachment, forces the new blogger to not only manage resources that the blog depends on to survive and build attractiveness in a competitive, heterogeneous and mutable environment; but also the challenge of overcoming the uncertainties, contingencies and vulnerabilities imposed by the context (network, in which they operate. However, do bloggers take different managerial actions in the pursuit of survival and success? With this question in mind, a theoretical model was developed to characterize managerial action according to blog context. The empirical tests of this model, carried out by quantitative and qualitative analysis with 21 blogs, indicated not only that bloggers have adaptive managerial actions, but also that their actions evolve in attempts to increase attractiveness. These results shed light on how managerial actions and decisions can be used to overcome the favoritism intrinsic to networks and contribute to the understanding of how some blogs achieve success quickly and legitimately by acting dynamically and contextually. This explains how leadership positions may switch, something assumed to be random in research based on network theory (preferential attachment.

Effect of nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2) and toluene on SO2 photooxidation, nucleation and growth: A smog chamber study

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Kangwei; Chen, Linghong; White, Stephen J.; Han, Ke; Lv, Biao; Bao, Kaiji; Wu, Xuecheng; Gao, Xiang; Azzi, Merched; Cen, Kefa

2017-08-01

The formation and growth of new particles has recently been shown to have a significant influence on Chinese haze pollution, and sulfuric acid has long been recognized as a major contributor to new particle formation. In this study, four comparison groups of experiments related to SO2 photooxidation, as well as aerosol nucleation and growth, have been conducted in the CAPS-ZJU (Complex Air Pollution Study-Zhejiang University) smog chamber. These were conducted either under SO2/NOx or SO2/toluene gas-phase environments in the absence of seed particles. During aerosol nucleation and growth process, several physical properties such as mass, size and effective density were measured simultaneously by Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) and Differential Mobility Analyzer-Aerosol Particle Mass Analyzer-Condensation Particle Counter (DMA-APM-CPC). The effective density of new particles decreased from 1.8 to 1.35 g/cm3 as the particle size increased from 20 to 65 nm. The single particle mass showed good power-law relationship with mobility diameter, with an average mass-mobility exponent of 2.885. A new algorithm and a reference density of 1.38 g/cm3 based on size-resolved single particle mass (SPM) were proposed to calculate the mass concentration of new particles. Two methods based on Log Normal and Max Concentration were applied to derive particle growth rate (GR), and data merging from both methods was implemented to decrease calculation uncertainty. Meanwhile, both continuous nucleation and inhibition of further growth in sub-20 nm size range were observed in different experiments depending on composition, and possible reasons were analyzed. The presence of NO was found to suppress nucleation and subsequent aerosol growth; while the presence of NO2 or toluene promoted it. It was concluded that decreasing NOx (NO or NO2) or increasing toluene may promote SO2 photooxidation, nucleation and subsequent aerosol growth, all of which is significant for deeper

Tipping Point

Science.gov (United States)

... Point by CPSC Blogger September 22, 2009 appliance child Childproofing CPSC danger death electrical fall furniture head injury product safety television tipover tv Watch the video in Adobe Flash ...

Untangling Linguistic Salience

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boswijk, Vincent; Coler, Matt; Loerts, Hanneke; Hilton, Nanna

2018-01-01

The concept of linguistic salience is broadly used within sociolinguistics to account for processes as diverse as language change (Kerswill & Williams, 2002) and language acquisition (Ellis, 2016) in that salient forms are e.g. more likely to undergo change, or are often acquired earlier than other

The Untangler Project

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verhoeff, T.; Eggermont, C.E.J.

2009-01-01

We are fascinated by disentanglement puzzles. Why? Probably, at least in part, because, unlike put-together puzzles (pieces-in-box), take-apart puzzles (puzzle boxes), or interlocking solid puzzles (burrs), there seems to be little theory to support the design and solution of disentanglement

Arnott untangles Webb

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arnott, Don.

1989-01-01

Dr Webb, a former nuclear scientist, reactor physicist and reactor operator now concentrates his efforts on studying the capacity for catastrophic explosions (fires and steam explosions) in PWR type reactors. He gave evidence to the Hinkley Public Inquiry, presenting evidence which analysed the accident hazards of the PWR. This profile shows Dr Webb to be pro-safety rather than anti-reactor. He would support a reactor design which fails safe whatever happens. His talents as a writer and academic are renowned. (U.K.)

A snapshot of students’ blogging profiles in Taiwan: From the viewpoint of knowledge sharing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen J.H. Yang

2012-03-01

Full Text Available In this era of Web 2.0, many young people are keeping blogs sharing their ideas, their feelings or their hobbies as a way of showing themselves. Taiwan, as a leading area of information technology, is not an exception. To explore the characteristics of blogging profiles of student bloggers in Taiwan, this study conducted a content analysis on a popular blog website. 157 student bloggers of three educational levels were recruited as participants. The results showed that there were both significant gender and educational level differences in knowledge sharing levels among participants, while blogroll links, posting categories, and blogging purposes also showed some interesting facts. These findings provide some insights of students’ blogging and may give educators or sociologists some implications.

Effect of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides on ozone formation in smog chambers exposed to solar irradiance of Mexico City

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sandoval F, J; Marroquin de la R, O; Jaimes L, J. L; Zuniga L, V. A; Gonzalez O, E; Guzman Lopez-Figueroa, F [Instituto Mexicano del Petroleo, Mexico, D.F. (Mexico)

2001-01-01

Outdoor smog chambers experiments were performed on air to determine the answer of maximum ozone levels, to changes in the initial hydrocarbons, HC, and nitrogen oxide NO{sub x}. These captive-air experiments under natural irradiation were carried out. Typically, eight chambers were filled with Mexico city air in the morning. In some of those chambers, the initial HC and/or Nox concentrations were varied by {+-}25% to {+-}50% by adding various combinations of a mixture of HC, clean air, or NO{sub x} (perturbed chambers). The O{sub 3} and NO{sub x} concentration in each chamber was monitored throughout the day to determine O{sub 3} (max). The initial HC and NO{sub x} concentration effects were determined by comparing the maximum ozone concentrations measured in the perturbed and unperturbed chambers. Ozone isopleths were constructed from the empirical model obtained of measurements of the eight chambers and plotted in a graph whose axe were the initial HC and NO{sub x} values. For the average initial conditions that were measured in Mexico City, it was found that the most efficient strategy to reduce the maximum concentration of O{sub 3} is the one that reduces NO{sub x}. [Spanish] Se realizaron experimentos de camaras de esmog con el aire de la ciudad de Mexico para determinar las respuestas de los niveles maximos de ozono a los cambios en las concentraciones iniciales de hidrocarburos, HC y oxido de nitrogeno, NO{sub x}. Por lo general, se llenaron 8 bolsas con aire matutino de la Ciudad de Mexico. En algunas camaras, las concentraciones iniciales fueron cambiadas de 25% a 50%, anadiendo varias concentraciones de una mezcla de HC, aire limpio y/o NO{sub x}. La concentracion de O{sub 3} y NO{sub x}, en cada camara, fueron monitoreadas a lo largo del dia para determinar el maximo de O{sub 3}. El efecto de los HC y el NO{sub x} fue determinado por comparacion del maximo de ozono formado en las camaras, que fueron perturbadas por adicion o reduccion de HC y/o Nox

Tipping Point

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Full Text Available ... Point by CPSC Blogger September 22, 2009 appliance child Childproofing CPSC danger death electrical fall furniture head injury product safety television tipover tv Watch the video in Adobe Flash ...

Modeling the formation, decay, and partitioning of semivolatile nitro-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (nitronaphthalenes) in the atmosphere

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Feilberg, A.; Kamens, R.M.; Strommen, M.R.

1999-01-01

A nitronaphthalene kinetics mechanism has been implemented and added to the photochemical smog mechanism, Carbon Bond-4. This mechanism was used to simulate the formation, decay, and partitioning of 1- and 2-nitronaphthalene and compare it to outdoor smog chamber data. The results suggest that th...

Personal Readings and Public Texts Book Blogs and Online Writing about Literature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ann Steiner

2010-11-01

Full Text Available The blogging culture has become an important and integrated part of the book trade and has influenced the publishing, marketing and distribution of literature in North America and in many European countries. However, it is unclear how this potential agency among bloggers operates, and thus far most research has concerned politics, media systems and larger social structures. The present article is a study of the Swedish book blogs during the autumn of 2009 and an attempt to address a small, but significant, part of the Internet influence. The relationship between books and digital technology is complicated and manifold, but it is clear that the Internet has changed how people access books, how they read and how they communicate with others about their reading. Here, the position of the amateur is one that will be discussed in detail in terms of professionalism, strategies and hierarchies. Another issue that will be addressed is the connections between the book bloggers and the book trade, especially the publishers and their marketing departments. The book bloggers operate in a social realm, despite the fact that their writing is personal, and have to be understood in their social, economic and literary context. The Swedish book blogs will be analysed with the help of readerresponse theory, sociology of literature and a book historical perspective on the dissemination of literature.

New Computer Terms in Bloggers’ Language

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vilija Celiešienė

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The article presents an analysis of new words in computer terminology that make their way to blogs and analyzes how the official neologisms and computer terms, especially the equivalents to barbarisms, are employed in everyday use. The article also discusses the ways of including the new computer terms into texts. The blogs on topics of information technology are the objects of the research. The analysis of the aforementioned blogs allowed highlighting certain trends in the use of new computer terms. An observation was made that even though the authors of the blogs could freely choose their writing style, they were not bound by the standards of literary language. Thus, their language was full of non-standard vocabulary; however, self-control regarding the language used could still be noticed. An interest in novelties of computer terminology and the tendency to accept some of the suggested new Lithuanian and loaned computer terms were noticed. When using the new words the bloggers frequently employed specific graphical elements and (or comments. The graphical elements were often chosen by bloggers to express their feelings of doubt regarding the suitability of the use of the suggested loanword. Attempting to explain the meaning of the new word to the readers the bloggers tended to post comments about the new computer terms.

Start your own blogging business generate income from advertisers, subscribers, merchandising, and more

CERN Document Server

Rich, Jason R

2014-01-01

Fully revised with new and expanded chapters, Start Your Own Blogging Business delivers the perfect startup guide for online enthusiasts. Providing valuable updates such as the latest forms of blogging including Twitter/micro-blogging, mobile blogging, and video blogging, the experts at Entrepreneur lead aspiring bloggers from planning and publishing their blog to promoting themselves and turning a profit. Also included are an appendix with Ten Proven Ways to Promote your Blog and How to Avoid the Most Common Blogging Mistakes, and a new chapter on creating creating original content to attract new and continuous followers, as well as updated interviews, insight, examples, and tips. Entrepreneurs are presented with new content ideas, fresh ways to promote their blogs, new techniques for generating revenue, and priceless advice from successful bloggers of today.

Energy efficiency and the environment: Innovative ways to improve air quality in the Los Angeles Basin

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ritschard, R.

1993-02-01

This paper focuses on novel, innovative approaches for reducing or delaying the production of photochemical smog in the Los Angeles Basin. These approaches include modifying the surface characteristics of the basin by increasing surface albedo and an extensive tree-planting program. The changes in surface conditions are designed to reduce the basin air temperatures, especially during the summer months, which will result in two possible effects. First, a decrease in temperature would lead to a reduction in energy use with an associated decline in emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO[sub x]) and a lowering of evaporative emission of reactive organic gases. Reductions in these smog precursors could improve the air quality of the basin without imposing additional emissions regulations. The second effect is associated with the possible causal relationship between air temperature and smog formation (i.e., lower temperatures and lower incidence of smog). Since this approach to mitigating air emissions is broad, the studies to date have concentrated on how changes in surface characteristics affect the meteorological conditions of the basin and on how these meteorological changes subsequently affect smog production. A geographic information system database of key surface characteristics (i.e., vegetative cover, albedo, moisture availability, and roughness) was compiled, and these characteristics were evaluated using prognostic meteorological models. The results of two- and three-dimensional meteorological simulations will be presented and discussed in this paper.

Energy efficiency and the environment: Innovative ways to improve air quality in the Los Angeles Basin

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ritschard, R.

1993-02-01

This paper focuses on novel, innovative approaches for reducing or delaying the production of photochemical smog in the Los Angeles Basin. These approaches include modifying the surface characteristics of the basin by increasing surface albedo and an extensive tree-planting program. The changes in surface conditions are designed to reduce the basin air temperatures, especially during the summer months, which will result in two possible effects. First, a decrease in temperature would lead to a reduction in energy use with an associated decline in emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO{sub x}) and a lowering of evaporative emission of reactive organic gases. Reductions in these smog precursors could improve the air quality of the basin without imposing additional emissions regulations. The second effect is associated with the possible causal relationship between air temperature and smog formation (i.e., lower temperatures and lower incidence of smog). Since this approach to mitigating air emissions is broad, the studies to date have concentrated on how changes in surface characteristics affect the meteorological conditions of the basin and on how these meteorological changes subsequently affect smog production. A geographic information system database of key surface characteristics (i.e., vegetative cover, albedo, moisture availability, and roughness) was compiled, and these characteristics were evaluated using prognostic meteorological models. The results of two- and three-dimensional meteorological simulations will be presented and discussed in this paper.

Spectroscopic Insights into Copper-Based Microporous Zeolites for NH3-SCR of NOx and Methane-to-Methanol Activation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oord, R.

2017-01-01

Smog has received a lot of attention and is still a major problem in big cities all over the world. A major contribution to smog are nitrogen oxides (NOx), which are mainly produced by road transport, industrial processes and power plants. A lot of research has been put into the reduction of these

Tipping Point

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Full Text Available ... Point by CPSC Blogger September 22, 2009 appliance child Childproofing CPSC danger death electrical fall furniture head ... see news reports about horrible accidents involving young children and furniture, appliance and tv tip-overs. The ...

Tipping Point

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Full Text Available ... Point by CPSC Blogger September 22, 2009 appliance child Childproofing CPSC danger death electrical fall furniture head ... TV falls with about the same force as child falling from the third story of a building. ...

Tipping Point

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Full Text Available ... Tipping Point by CPSC Blogger September 22, 2009 appliance child Childproofing CPSC danger death electrical fall furniture ... about horrible accidents involving young children and furniture, appliance and tv tip-overs. The force of a ...

Between Form and Function: History and Identity in the Blogosphere

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laurie Johnson

2012-03-01

Full Text Available This paper explores the question of identity formation in the blogosphere (that is, do bloggers identify as such from the perspective of a cultural history of blog technologies, incorporating the early origins of internet technologies.

SU-D-12A-01: An Inter-Projection Interpolation (IPI) Approach for the Synchronized Moving Grid (SMOG) to Reduce Dose in Cone Beam CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, H; Kong, V; Jin, J; Ren, L

2014-01-01

Purpose: Synchronized moving grid is a promising technique to reduce scatter and ghost artifacts in cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). However, it requires 2 projections in the same gantry angle to obtain full information due to signal blockage by the grid. We proposed an inter-projection interpolation (IPI) method to estimate blocked signals, which may reduce the scan time and the dose. This study aims to provide a framework to achieve a balance between speed, dose and image quality. Methods: The IPI method is based on the hypothesis that an abrupt signal in a projection can be well predicted by the information in the two immediate neighboring projections if the gantry angle step is small. The study was performed on a Catphan and a head phantom. The SMOG was simulated by erasing the information (filling with “0”) of the areas in each projection corresponding to the grid. An IPI algorithm was applied on each projection to recover the erased information. FDK algorithm was used to reconstruct CBCT images for the IPI-processed projections, and compared with the original image in term of signal to noise ratio (SNR) measured in the whole reconstruction image range. The effect of gantry angle step was investigated by comparing the CBCT images from projection sets of various gantry intervals, with IPI-predicted projections to fill the missing projection in the interval. Results: The IPI procession time was 1.79s±0.53s for each projection. SNR after IPI was 29.0db and 28.1db for the Catphan and head phantom, respectively, comparing to 15.3db and 22.7db for an inpainting based interpolation technique. SNR was 28.3, 28.3, 21.8, 19.3 and 17.3 db for gantry angle intervals of 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3 degrees, respectively. Conclusion: IPI is feasible to estimate the missing information, and achieve an reasonable CBCT image quality with reduced dose and scan time. This study is supported by NIH/NCI grant 1R01CA166948-01

Tipping Point

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Full Text Available ... 60 Seconds of Safety (Videos) > The Tipping Point The Tipping Point by CPSC Blogger September 22, 2009 appliance child Childproofing CPSC danger death electrical fall furniture head injury product safety television tipover tv Watch the video in Adobe Flash ...

'Homeopathy': untangling the debate.

Science.gov (United States)

Relton, Clare; O'Cathain, Alicia; Thomas, Kate J

2008-07-01

There are active public campaigns both for and against homeopathy, and its continuing availability in the NHS is debated in the medical, scientific and popular press. However, there is a lack of clarity in key terms used in the debate, and in how the evidence base of homeopathy is described and interpreted. The term 'homeopathy' is used with several different meanings including: the therapeutic system, homeopathic medicine, treatment by a homeopath, and the principles of 'homeopathy'. Conclusions drawn from one of these aspects are often inappropriately applied to another aspect. In interpreting the homeopathy evidence it is important to understand that the existing clinical experimental (randomised controlled trial) evidence base provides evidence as to the efficacy of homeopathic medicines, but not the effectiveness of treatment by a homeopath. The observational evidence base provides evidence as to the effectiveness of treatment by a homeopath. We make four recommendations to promote clarity in the reporting, design and interpretation of homeopathy research.

There’s no limit to your love - scripting the polyamorous self

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tiidenberg, Katrin

2014-01-01

the interface of ethnographic material (two year field study), textual blog content, images and individual and group interviews with polyamorous bloggers. I contextualize it via concepts of sexual scripting (Gagnon & Simon, 1973), elements of Foucault’s (1988) tech- nologies of the self - particularly critical...

The US Response to China’s ASAT Test: An International Security Space Alliance for the Future (Drew Paper Number 8, August 2009)

Science.gov (United States)

2009-08-01

my beautiful wife, Danielle, and my two adorable children, Mikel and André, who routinely demonstrated tremendous patience and understanding during...further. In fact, jour- nalists, scholars, and bloggers virtually tripped over themselves in a rush to sound the alarm warning everyone of the forth

Defense AT and L. Volume 37, Number 6

Science.gov (United States)

2008-12-01

Uncertainty, and Trouble Escaping the RUT of Program Instability Col. Brian Shimel, USAF “However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally...fielding of cutting-edge equipment in a teleconference with bloggers and online journalists. “This decision reflects the need to move more aggres- sively

DefenseLink Feature: Personal Finance

Science.gov (United States)

Multimedia / Photos Videos Publications Bloggers DoD Websites Personal Finance Resources As part of the finance director said here recently. Story Security Expert Advises Troops to Safeguard Personal, Financial education in personal finance that commanders say goes a long way in promoting battle readiness. Story

Web Defacement and Intrusion Monitoring Tool: WDIMT

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Masango, Mfundo G

2017-09-01

Full Text Available , bloggers and vloggers are using the Internet to expand personal or business opportunities too. These entities make use of websites that are hosted by a web host. The contents of the website is stored on a web server. However, not all websites undergo...

The PLA at Home and Abroad: Assessing the Operational Capabilities of China’s Military

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-01

commentary by bloggers and users of Twitter ensured that reports, photographs, rumors, and commentary spread rapidly, drawing national and international...The maintenance was meticulous and thorough. But they did not care too much about a clean and beautiful ap- pearance of the equipment.”73 The

London's historic ''pea-soupers''

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Urbinato, D.

1994-01-01

Americans may think smog was invented in Los Angeles. Not so. In fact, a Londoner coined the term ''smog'' in 1905 to describe the city's insidious combination of natural fog and coal smoke. By then, the phenomenon was part of London history, and dirty, acrid smoke-filled ''pea-soupers'' were as familiar to Londoners as Big Ben and Westminster Abby. Smog in London predates Shakespeare by four centuries. Until the 12th century, most Londoners burned wood for fuel. But as the city grew and the forests shrank, wood became scarce and increasingly expensive. Large deposits of ''sea-coal'' off the northeast coast provided a cheap alternative. Soon, Londoners were burning the soft, bituminous coal to heat their homes and fuel their factories. Sea-coal was plentiful, but it didn't burn efficiently. A lot of its energy was spent making smoke, not heat. Coal smoke drifting through thousands of London chimneys combined with clean natural fog to make smog. If the weather conditions were right, it would last for days. Early on, no one had the scientific tools to correlate smog with adverse health effects, but complaints about the smoky air as an annoyance date back to at least 1272, when King Edward I, on the urging of important noblemen and clerics, banned the burning of sea-coal. Anyone caught burning or selling the stuff was to be tortured or executed. The first offender caught was summarily put to death. This deterred nobody. Of necessity, citizens continued to burn sea-coal in violation of the law, which required the burning of wood few could afford

GM's road to hydrogen powered vehicles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kauling, D. [General Motors, Oshawa, ON (Canada)

2007-07-01

General Motor's (GM) long term vision is to remove the automobile from environmental and energy debates. Auto emissions comprise of smog (volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxides and particulates) and greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide). In the 1970s, GM introduced the catalytic converter to reduce smog forming emissions by more than 99 per cent. This presentation included a pie chart depicting the Canadian contribution to smog forming emissions by sector in 2005. New vehicles were shown to contribute 0.1 per cent. The author stated that the auto sector is the only sector that is significantly reducing smog in Canada and cautioned that the size of vehicle and volume of fuel consumed does not correlate to smog forming emissions. The Car Heaven Program was launched in July 2000 as a partnership between the Clean Air Foundation and various corporate partners including GM Canada. The objective of the program was to accelerate the retirement of older, highly polluting vehicles and switching consumers to more fuel efficient vehicles which will reduce GHG emissions. The program has been conducted in lower mainland British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Quebec and Atlantic Canada. In terms of GHG contribution by sector, new vehicles were shown to contribute 1 per cent. GM's advanced propulsion technology strategy was also presented with reference to hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cells, battery electric vehicles, internal combustion engines and E-Flex systems. It was noted that GM has a broad portfolio of fuel efficient vehicles. The company's total vehicle approach to advanced technology vehicles and fuel efficiency was outlined, including it's ethanol capable vehicle technology, hybrid strategy, and fuel cell propulsion system. tabs., figs.

Bloggers Behavior and Emergent Communities in Blog Space

OpenAIRE

Mitrović, Marija; Tadić, Bosiljka

2009-01-01

Interactions between users in cyberspace may lead to phenomena different from those observed in common social networks. Here we analyse large data sets about users and Blogs which they write and comment, mapped onto a bipartite graph. In such enlarged Blog space we trace user activity over time, which results in robust temporal patterns of user--Blog behavior and the emergence of communities. With the spectral methods applied to the projection on weighted user network we detect clusters of us...

A readability assessment of online stroke information.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Nikhil; Tridimas, Andreas; Fitzsimmons, Paul R

2014-07-01

Patients and carers increasingly access the Internet as a source of health information. Poor health literacy is extremely common and frequently limits patient's comprehension of health care information literature. We aimed to assess the readability of online consumer-orientated stroke information using 2 validated readability measures. The 100 highest Google ranked consumer-oriented stroke Web pages were assessed for reading difficulty using the Flesch-Kincaid and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) formulae. None of the included Web pages complied with the current readability guidelines when readability was measured using the gold standard SMOG formula. Mean Flesch-Kincaid grade level was 10.4 (95% confidence interval [CI] 9.97-10.9) and mean SMOG grade 12.1 (95% CI 11.7-12.4). Over half of the Web pages were produced at graduate reading levels or above. Not-for-profit Web pages were significantly easier to read (P=.0006). The Flesch-Kincaid formula significantly underestimated reading difficulty, with a mean underestimation of 1.65 grades (95% CI 1.49-1.81), Preadability guidelines and to be comprehensible to the average patient. The Flesch-Kincaid formula significantly underestimates reading difficulty, and SMOG should be used as the measure of choice. Copyright © 2014 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

"Bionic Woman" (2007): Gender, Disability and Cyborgs

Science.gov (United States)

Quinlan, Margaret M.; Bates, Benjamin R.

2009-01-01

This paper explores a representation of overlapping categories of gender, disability and cyborgs in "Bionic Woman" (2007). The television show "Bionic Woman" (2007) is a popular culture representation that uniquely brings together these categories. Three themes emerged from an analysis of blogger discourse surrounding the show. The themes reveal…

London Calling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Amos, Lisbeth Rieshøj

2008-01-01

The above contribution appears in Down The Block: An Anthology of City Life; available at http://www.lulu.com/content/4462396. In this anthology, new authors and bloggers react to life in cities throughout the world. With a foreword by Mary Beard, Cambridge University Professor and Times Literary...

War in Shangri-La: The Information Dimension of Nepal’s Maoist Insurgency and Counterinsurgency

Science.gov (United States)

2005-09-01

part of the counterinsurgent. Most people, if they have any impression of Nepal at all, probably imagine it to be a land of rugged natural beauty ...that the RNA’s Directorate of Public Relations actively blocks web sites, closes discussion forums, monitors personal e-mail, and threatens bloggers

Pulling the Religious Trigger: Iran’s End-Times Beliefs and Divine Justifications for Potential Action Against the United States

Science.gov (United States)

2014-09-01

Without Borders claims that at least 10 journalists and bloggers have been arrested since Rouhani’s election victory, “10 others have been sentenced to...with justice and beauty .”287 Although Ahmadinejad’s messianic fervor garnered support from within the senior Ayatollah ranks—namely from his mentor

The Brigade Combat Team - Stability and Security Force Assistance Operations

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-22

it makes absolute sense to embed these transition teams within the brigade, assigned within the brigade. The beauty of this is that it allows the...accessed October 19, 2009). 22 COL Peter Newell, “Department of Defense Bloggers Roundtable with COL Peter Newell, Subject: Completion of Advise and

Fortællinger fra fronten

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brænder, Morten

2011-01-01

Do servicemen justify the ultimate sacrifice in civil religious terms? In this article, I compare two military weblogs (milblogs), written by an officer and a private. Both bloggers describe events that took place on February 8, 2007, when three men from their company were killed by a roadside bomb...

Overview of Malabsorption

Science.gov (United States)

... of fat in the stool daily is the hallmark of malabsorption. Also available are a few other ... News HealthDay Could a Common Blood Thinner Lower Cancer Risk? News HealthDay Study Untangles Disparity in Colon ...

Readability of patient information and consent documents in rheumatological studies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hamnes, Bente; van Eijk-Hustings, Yvonne; Primdahl, Jette

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Before participation in medical research an informed consent must be obtained. This study investigates whether the readability of patient information and consent documents (PICDs) corresponds to the average educational level of participants in rheumatological studies in the Netherlands......, Denmark, and Norway. METHODS: 24 PICDs from studies were collected and readability was assessed independently using the Gunning's Fog Index (FOG) and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) grading. RESULTS: The mean score for the FOG and SMOG grades were 14.2 (9.0-19.0) and 14.2 (12-17) respectively....... The mean FOG and SMOG grades were 12.7 and 13.3 in the Dutch studies, 15.0 and 14.9 in the Danish studies, and 14.6 and 14.3 in the Norwegian studies, respectively. Out of the 2865 participants, more than 57 % had a lower educational level than the highest readability score calculated in the individual...

Blogging about Diversity: The Academy Sounds Off in "The Chronicle of Higher Education"

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Jeffery L.

2011-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to investigate the increasing use of online communication for sharing knowledge by examining what bloggers on an online academic newspaper have to say about diversity. Design/methodology/approach: Ten diversity blogs from a popular online academic newspaper, "The Chronicle of Higher Education", were…

Canadian government motivators for clean air vehicles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Forster, J. [Transport Canada, Ottawa, ON (Canada)

1999-07-01

A slide presentation is included which covers: why support clean air vehicles, key areas of action including climate change and cleaner air and conclusions. Reasons for supporting clean air vehicles include: the environment is not a top of mind issue for Canadians but is a core issue, transportation contributes significantly to environmental problems, e.g., 40-50% of smog emissions, and 27% of greenhouse gas emissions, and clean air vehicles are part of the solution. The first area of action is that of climate change, and includes as elements: the Kyoto Protocol, First Ministers, and 15 Issue Tables. The second area of action is clean air. Action on climate change can have ancillary benefits, e.g., reduction in smog-related emissions. Government is taking action to address smog in concert with the provinces in the Federal Smog Management Plan. A key element in the Plan is that of ensuring that appropriate emissions standards are in place. Transport Canada supports clean air vehicles through research conducted at the Transporation Research and Development Centre. Further Transport Canada involvement includes: partnership in Montreal 2000, demonstration/conversion testing, development of advanced EV systems, and membership in the CEVEQ. In the longer term, new technologies hold the key to addressing many environmental challenges. This is particularly true with respect to climate change and air quality, and new vehicle technologies will play an important role.

Questing for circadian dependence in ST-segment-elevation acute myocardial infarction: A multicentric and multiethnic study

KAUST Repository

Ammirati, Enrico; Cristell, Nicole A.; Cianflone, Domenico; Vermi, Anna Chiara; Marenzi, Giancarlo Carlo; De Metrio, Monica; Uren, Neal G.; Hu, Dayi; Ravasi, Timothy; Maseri, Attilio; Cannistraci, Carlo

2013-01-01

, to assess whether circadian rhythms can affect the infarct size, future study design should not only include larger samples but also aim to untangle the molecular time-dynamic mechanisms underlying such a relation. © 2013 American Heart Association, Inc.

Spectroscopic Insights into Copper-Based Microporous Zeolites for NH3-SCR of NOx and Methane-to-Methanol Activation

OpenAIRE

Oord, R.

2017-01-01

Smog has received a lot of attention and is still a major problem in big cities all over the world. A major contribution to smog are nitrogen oxides (NOx), which are mainly produced by road transport, industrial processes and power plants. A lot of research has been put into the reduction of these pollutants, and heterogeneous catalysts have made a major contribution to this field. Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) is an efficient technology to reduce these NOx, and is already used in diese...

Implementing Web 2.0 Tools in the Classroom: Four Teachers' Accounts

Science.gov (United States)

Kovalik, Cindy; Kuo, Chia-Ling; Cummins, Megan; Dipzinski, Erin; Joseph, Paula; Laskey, Stephanie

2014-01-01

In this paper, four teachers shared their experiences using the following free Web 2.0 tools with their students: Jing, Wix, Google Sites, and Blogger. The teachers found that students reacted positively to lessons in which these tools were used, and also noted improvements they could make when using them in the future.

Are Blogs Putting Youth at Risk for Online Sexual Solicitation or Harassment?

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, Kimberly J.; Wolak, Janis; Finkelhor, David

2008-01-01

Objective: In light of public concern about the dangers to young people from maintaining online journals or "blogs," this exploratory paper examines whether bloggers are at increased risk for online sexual solicitation or harassment. Method: A national telephone survey of 1,500 youth Internet users, ages 10-17, conducted between March and June…

An Assessment of the New York State Enhanced Security Guard Training Legislation and Its Efficacy on Security Officer Preparedness

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-01

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to begin by thanking my beautiful wife for her support during this program. I could not have completed this journey had it not...also pointed to the web writings of al Qaeda blogger Abu Suleiman Al-Nasser, who recently wrote, “Rush my Muslim brothers to targeting financial sites

Indians Weaving in Cyberspace Indigenous Urban Youth Cultures, Identities and Politics of Languages

Science.gov (United States)

Jimenez Quispe, Luz

2013-01-01

This study is aimed at analyzing how contemporary urban Aymara youth hip hoppers and bloggers are creating their identities and are producing discourses in texts and lyrics to contest racist and colonial discourses. The research is situated in Bolivia, which is currently engaged in a cultural and political revolution supported by Indigenous…

Smog chamber study on aging of combustion soot in isoprene/SO2/NOx system: Changes of mass, size, effective density, morphology and mixing state

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Kangwei; Chen, Linghong; Han, Ke; Lv, Biao; Bao, Kaiji; Wu, Xuecheng; Gao, Xiang; Cen, Kefa

2017-02-01

Atmospheric soot aging process is always accompanied by secondary particle formation, which is a comprehensive environmental issue that deserves great attention. On one hand, aging of primary soot could change its own physicochemical properties; on the other hand, complex air pollution caused by pollutant emission from various sources (e.g., vehicle exhausts, coal-fired flue gases and biogenic VOCs emission) may contribute to secondary particle formation onto primary particle surface. In this study, aging of combustion soot in isoprene/SO2/NOx system was investigated under controlled laboratory conditions in several smog chamber experiments. During the evolution of soot, several physical properties such as mass, size, effective density, morphology and mixing state were determined simultaneously by an integrated aerosol analytical system of Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS), Differential Mobility Analyzer-Aerosol Particle Mass Analyzer-Condensation Particle Counter (DMA-APM-CPC) and Transmission Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy-dispersive X-ray Spectrometry (TEM/EDX) techniques. Here, based on the experimental results of soot aging under different gas-phase composition and relative humidity (RH), we firstly proposed possible aging pathways of soot in isoprene/SO2/NOx system. A synergetic effect was speculated to exist between SO2 and isoprene on soot aging process, which led to more secondary particle formation. At the same time, TEM/EDX analysis showed that a competitive mechanism between H2SO4(g) and isoprene oxidation vapor may exist: H2SO4(g) firstly condensed onto fresh soot, then an acceleration of isoprene oxidation products formed onto H2SO4 pre-coated soot. In isoprene/SO2/NOx system, high RH conditions could contribute to soot aging and new particle formation. The changes of effective density and dynamic shape factor of soot also indicated that high RH conditions could accelerate soot aging process, and led chain-like soot into more spherical

Alcohol abuse, personality disorders, and aggression : The quest for a common underlying mechanism

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Garofalo, C.; Wright, Aidan G.C.

2017-01-01

Alcohol abuse and personality disorders are often comorbid, and their co-occurrence is associated with worse rognostic expectations, poor therapeutic outcomes, as well as deleterious behavioral and interpersonal consequences. The current review aims at untangling the association among alcohol abuse,

Fixture for winding transformers

Science.gov (United States)

Mclyman, M. T.

1980-01-01

Bench-mounted fixture assists operator in winding toroid-shaped transformer cores. Toroid is rigidly held in place as wires are looped around. Arrangement frees both hands for rapid winding and untangling of wires that occurs when core is hand held.

The readability of American Academy of Pediatrics patient education brochures.

Science.gov (United States)

Freda, Margaret Comerford

2005-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the readability of American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) patient education brochures. Seventy-four brochures were analyzed using two readability formulas. Mean readability for all 74 brochures was grade 7.94 using the Flesch-Kincaid formula, and grade 10.1 with SMOG formula (P = .001). Using the SMOG formula, no brochures were of acceptably low (education brochures have acceptably low levels of readability, but at least half are written at higher than acceptable readability levels for the general public. This study also demonstrated statistically significant variability between the two different readability formulas; had only the SMOG formula been used, all of the brochures would have had unacceptably high readability levels. Readability is an essential concept for patient education materials. Professional associations that develop and market patient education materials should test for readability and publish those readability levels on each piece of patient education so health care providers will know if the materials are appropriate for their patients.

Effects of air pollution on plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thomas, M D

1961-01-01

There are three principal air pollutants of major interest to agriculture - viz., sulfur dioxide, fluorine compounds, and smog. The last is a complex mixture, only partially understood at this time. There are at least two distinct types of smog, with many intermediate grades: the London type, which is a mixture of coal smoke and fog with enough sulfur dioxide to impart reducing properties to the mixture; and the highly oxidizing Los Angeles type, which usually contains neither coalsmoke nor fog, but rather is a mixture of ozone and peroxidized organic compounds formed by photochemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen and innocuous organic compounds formed by photochemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen and innocuous organic compounds such as gasoline vapors or partially burned fuel. In addition to the two types of smog, certain organic compounds, such as ethylene, DDT, and some heterocyclic bases, are known to have powerful phytotoxicity and have done considerable plant damage in some locations. 129 references.

Women's Perceptions of Usefulness and Ease of Use of Four Healthy Eating Blog Characteristics: A Qualitative Study of 33 French-Canadian Women.

Science.gov (United States)

Bissonnette-Maheux, Véronique; Dumas, Audrée-Anne; Provencher, Véronique; Lapointe, Annie; Dugrenier, Marilyn; Straus, Sharon; Gagnon, Marie-Pierre; Desroches, Sophie

2017-10-26

Healthy eating blogs are knowledge translation tools used by nutrition and dietetics practitioners for helping people improve their health behaviors and food choices. Our aim was to explore women's perceptions of the usefulness and ease of use of healthy eating blog (HEB) characteristics that might increase potential users' intention to use them as tools to improve their dietary habits. We conducted qualitative research using semi-structured individual interviews. Thirty-three women (mean age of 44 years; range=27 to 61 years) living in the Quebec City, Canada, metropolitan area were studied. Four existing HEBs, written by French-Canadian registered dietitians (RDs) whose main objective was the promotion of a healthy diet, were explored by women during individual interviews. A standardized open-ended interview questionnaire based on the Technology Acceptance Model was used to identify women's perceptions about characteristics of type of blog content delivery, RD blogger's delivery of information, blog layout, and blog design. Women's perceptions toward the contribution of HEB characteristics to the usefulness and ease of use of those tools to improve their dietary habits were measured. Interviews were audiorecorded, transcribed verbatim, coded, and analyzed through an inductive content analysis using NVivo software. The most useful characteristics of type of blog content delivery identified by women were recipes, hyperlinks, and references. Among characteristics of RD blogger's delivery of information, most women reported that interaction between blog readers and the RD blogger created a sense of proximity and of connection that was helpful for improving their dietary behaviors. Women's perceptions toward various characteristics of blog layout and design were also discussed. Incorporating specific characteristics when designing HEBs should be considered by RDs and future research to promote the use of those tools to support dietary behavior change efforts of

In Their Words: Connecting On-Line Weblogs to Developmental Processes

Science.gov (United States)

Subrahmanyam, Kaveri; Garcia, Eddie C. M.; Harsono, Lidwina Stella; Li, Janice S.; Lipana, Lawrence

2009-01-01

This paper seeks to connect adolescents' communication within on-line weblogs or blogs to developmental processes. A total of 195 English language blogs written by self-identified 14- to 18-year-olds were selected; three entries from each blog were analysed, resulting in a sample of 585 entries. Blogger demographics, self-presentation, and blog…

The US Army and the Interagency Process: Historical Perspectives. The Proceedings of the Combat Studies Institute 2008 Military History Symposium (6th) Held at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas on 16-18 September 2008

Science.gov (United States)

2008-09-01

happening here. We are also blogging live from this session today. We have three interactive bloggers that will be engaged in blogging so there may be...was stationed in the miracle city of Würzburg, which sank into ashes 15 years ago yet stands again and has become one of the most beautiful cities in

The visual attention network untangled

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nieuwenhuis, S.; Donner, T.H.

2011-01-01

Goals are represented in prefrontal cortex and modulate sensory processing in visual cortex. A new study combines TMS, fMRI and EEG to understand how feedback improves retention of behaviorally relevant visual information.

Untangling Partnership and Domination Morality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Loye

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Riane Eisler’s (1987 cultural transformation theory is an effective framework for understanding many of the constructs that shape society. This article uses Eisler’s theory to explain the formation of morality and the construction of conscience. It contrasts partnership morality and domination morality, and describes the factors that shape our tendency to embrace one or the other. The article helps us understand that we have a choice, and invites us to choose partnership morality.

Individualized and Depoliticized: A Study of Chinese Blogosphere in Singapore

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carol Soon

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Research on new media such as blogs examines users’ motivations and gratifications, and how individuals and organizations use them for political participation. In Singapore, political blogs have attracted much public scrutiny due to the bloggers’ online and offline challenges of official discourse. While previous research has established the political significance of these blogs, extant scholarship is limited to blogs written in the English language. Little is known about blogs maintained by the Chinese community, the largest ethnic group in multi-racial Singapore. This study is a first to examine this community and the space they inhabit online. Through web crawling, we identified 201 Chinese-language blogs and through content analysis, we analyzed if Chinese bloggers contributed to public debates and used their blogs for civic engagement. Their content, motivations for blogging in the language, hyperlinking practices and use of badges indicated that Chinese bloggers in Singapore do not use blogs for political participation and mobilization, but are individualized and a-politicized. We discuss possible reasons and implications in this paper.

Digitizing dissent: cyborg politics and fluid networks in contemporary Cuban activism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samuel Kellogg

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Communication technologies shape how political activist networks are produced and maintain themselves. In Cuba, despite ideologically and physically oppressive practices by the state, a severe lack of Internet access, and extensive government surveillance, a small network of bloggers and cyberactivists has achieved international visibility and recognition for its critiques of the Cuban government. This qualitative study examines the blogger collective known as Voces Cubanas in Havana, Cuba in 2012, advancing a new approach to the study of transnational activism and the role of technology in the construction of political narrative. Voces Cubanas is analyzed as a network of connections between human and non-human actors that produces and sustains powerful political alliances. Voces Cubanas and its allies work collectively to co-produce contentious political discourses, confronting the dominant ideologies and knowledges produced by the Cuban state. Transnational alliances, the act of translation, and a host of unexpected and improvised technologies play central roles in the production of these narratives, indicating new breed of cyborg sociopolitical action reliant upon fluid and flexible networks and the act of writing. 

Gepostet, gelikt, geteilt – das Weblog ETHeritage der ETH-Bibliothek, Zürich

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Gasser

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Über das Weblog ETHeritage stellen die Sammlungen und Archive der ETH-Bibliothek seit 2009 wöchentlich Highlights aus ihren Beständen vor. Mit weit über 400 Posts ist dieses Weblog inzwischen fester und wichtiger Bestandteil der Social-Media-Präsenz der ETH-Bibliothek. Anhand des Beispiels ETHeritage fokussiert dieser Beitrag auf die zentralen Erfolgsfaktoren eines Corporate Blogs einer Gedächtnisinstitution: Besondere Inhalte gut präsentiert, engagierte Bloggerinnen und Blogger, eine angemessene Struktur sowie die laufende Weiterentwicklung des Angebots.   ETH Library’s Collections and Archives have presented selected objects and documents in weekly posts on their weblog ETHeritage since 2009. With far more than 400 posts published, this weblog has now become a permanent and important part of the library’s social media presence. Using ETHeritage as an example, this paper focuses on the crucial success factors of a corporate blog of a memory institution: unmatched content presented well, dedicated bloggers, an adequate organizational structure, and the continuing development of the online service.

Key indicators of air pollution and climate change impacts at forest supersites

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Paoletti, E.; Vries, de W.; Mikkelsen, T.N.; Ibrom, A.; Larsen, K.S.; Tuovinen, J.P.; Serengil, Y.; Yurtseven, I.; Wieser, G.; Matyssek, R.

2013-01-01

Untangling the complex effects that different air pollution and climate change factors cause to forest ecosystems is challenging. Supersites, that is, comprehensive measurement sites where research and monitoring of the whole soil–plant–atmosphere system can be carried out, are suggested as a

Resonance – Journal of Science Education | Indian Academy of ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education. Sovan Sarkar. Articles written in Resonance – Journal of Science Education. Volume 7 Issue 2 February 2002 pp 33-45 General Article. Untangling the Mystery of Alzheimer's Disease - Understanding Molecular Mechanisms for Novel Therapeutic Approaches.

Anupam Choudhury

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education. Anupam Choudhury. Articles written in Resonance – Journal of Science Education. Volume 7 Issue 2 February 2002 pp 33-45 General Article. Untangling the Mystery of Alzheimer's Disease - Understanding Molecular Mechanisms for Novel Therapeutic ...

Blogging in the Academy

Science.gov (United States)

Nackerud, Shane; Scaletta, Kurtis

2008-01-01

Blogs are a hot topic in academia. A search on "blog" in the "Chronicle of Education's" Web site returns nearly two hundred articles, covering such topics as the dangers an impolitic blog can do to an institution's leaders (Read, 2006) or the blogger's career (Tribble, 2005) and the mutual use of blogs by instructors to lambaste students (Lipka,…

Nudge

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Pelle Guldborg; Maaløe, Andreas

2011-01-01

I forskellige medier hører vi i stigende grad om Nudge, en ny strategi som integrerer adfærdsøkonomi i den offentlige velfærd. Men hvad er det egentlig? Og hvordan skelner vi skidt fra kanel når liberale bloggere og glemte professorer kalder det alt fra tidens trend til statslig tankekontrol?...

The Problem-Solving Power of Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Sacks, Ariel

2013-01-01

Risk takers of all kinds have joined the effort to find new and better ways to structure nearly every aspect of teaching and learning. But as teacher leader and blogger Ariel Sacks notes, "Sadly, most of the experiments in education reform come from the imaginations of people who don't actually teach children." Top-down experiments…

Pilgrim or Tourist? : Modelling Two Types of Travel Bloggers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Nuenen, Tom; van der Beek, Suzanne

2016-01-01

The typological distinction between pilgrims and tourists has often been drawn in tourism studies. This article aims at complementing this debate by applying computational techniques to analyse discourses in a corpus of blogs from the Dutch travel blog repository of waarbenjij.nu. The hypothesis is

Quantitative analysis of bloggers' collective behavior powered by emotions

Science.gov (United States)

Mitrović, Marija; Paltoglou, Georgios; Tadić, Bosiljka

2011-02-01

Large-scale data resulting from users' online interactions provide the ultimate source of information to study emergent social phenomena on the Web. From individual actions of users to observable collective behaviors, different mechanisms involving emotions expressed in the posted text play a role. Here we combine approaches of statistical physics with machine-learning methods of text analysis to study the emergence of emotional behavior among Web users. Mapping the high-resolution data from digg.com onto bipartite networks of users and their comments onto posted stories, we identify user communities centered around certain popular posts and determine emotional contents of the related comments by the emotion classifier developed for this type of text. Applied over different time periods, this framework reveals strong correlations between the excess of negative emotions and the evolution of communities. We observe avalanches of emotional comments exhibiting significant self-organized critical behavior and temporal correlations. To explore the robustness of these critical states, we design a network-automaton model on realistic network connections and several control parameters, which can be inferred from the dataset. Dissemination of emotions by a small fraction of very active users appears to critically tune the collective states.

Russia’s Conventional Military Weakness and Substrategic Nuclear Policy

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

broader range of strategic issues.19 Untangling the Tactical Nuclear Web : Russian Military Doctrine and Strategic Uncertainty The lack of official...transition period will witness the introduction of the Sozvezdiye M2 automated tactical level joint command and control system (yedinaya sistema upravleniya v

Institutions and access to woodfuel commerce in the Democratic Republic of Congo

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schure, J.M.; Ingram, V.; Arts, B.J.M.; Levang, P.; Mvula-Mampasi, E.

2015-01-01

A new generation of woodfuel studies focuses on the political dynamics behind access to the woodfuel trade, providing better insights into patterns of inclusion and exclusion and options for resource management. Institutional mechanisms that govern access are difficult to untangle in the context of

T N Avinash

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education. T N Avinash. Articles written in Resonance – Journal of Science Education. Volume 7 Issue 2 February 2002 pp 33-45 General Article. Untangling the Mystery of Alzheimer's Disease - Understanding Molecular Mechanisms for Novel Therapeutic Approaches.

California Clean Air Act: A compliance strategy for the City of San Diego`s non-emergency fleet

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1992-12-31

Historically, parts of California have had the worst air quality in the nation. The California Energy Commission began experimenting with alternate fuels in the 1970`s in an effort to reduce harmful automobile emissions and hence, improve air quality. It is recognized that the costs to California which result from our air quality problems are immense. Ten to twenty billion dollars each year is the estimated damage in terms of health impacts, materials damages, lost agricultural crop output and forest damages. As the California population increases and health care costs escalate, the total monetary damages from air pollution will increase. The California Energy Commission goal to improve air quality became a mandate in 1988 with the passage of the California Clean Air Act (CCAA). The CCAA requires a revised air quality strategy for the San Diego district since we do not meet State air quality standards for smog, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide. Smog remains San Diego`s major air quality problem, even though the annual number of days each year over the Federal standard has been reduced by 55 percent in the past ten years. Ten years ago about two-thirds of San Diego`s smog was transported from Los Angeles. Today more than 60 per cent of the days San Diego exceeds the State standard are from locally generated smog. It is estimated that 57% of the reactive hydrocarbon emissions (which react with nitrogen dioxide in the presence of sunlight to form smog) is from cars, trucks and buses. The Air Pollution Control District (part of the County of San Diego) is the office that the Air Resources Board has put in charge of creating regulations and designing strategy to reduce polluting emissions. The purpose of this project is to determine the full cost of acquiring and operating a municipal fleet which meets the mandates of the California Clean Air Act. With that information, a plan to meet the Clear Air Act (CCAA) requirements can be formulated by local government.

Development and Utilization of Regional Oceanic Modeling System (ROMS). Delicacy, Imprecision, and Uncertainty of Oceanic Simulations: An Investigation with the Regional Oceanic Modeling System (ROMS). Submesoscale Flows and Mixing in the Ocean Surface Layer Using the Regional Oceanic Modeling System (ROMS). Eddy Effects in General Circulation, Spanning Mean Currents, Mesoscale Eddies, and Topographic Generation, including Submesoscale Nests

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-30

biogeochemisty: chemical cycles, water quality, blooms , micro-nutrients, larval dispersal, biome transitions, and coupling to higher tropic levels. We...eddies in the Peru- Chile Current System. Climate Dynamics 39, 509-529. Colas, F., X. Wang, X. Capet, Y. Chao, & J.C. McWilliams, 2012b: Untangling the

Markers, Models, and Measurement Error: Exploring the Links between Attention Deficits and Language Impairments

Science.gov (United States)

Redmond, Sean M.

2016-01-01

Purpose: The empirical record regarding the expected co-occurrence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and specific language impairment is confusing and contradictory. A research plan is presented that has the potential to untangle links between these 2 common neurodevelopmental disorders. Method: Data from completed and ongoing…

Shared Electronic Spaces in the Classroom: Copyright, Privacy, and Guidelines

Science.gov (United States)

Talab, Rosemary S.; Butler, Rebecca P.

2007-01-01

The concept of "publishing" has changed again, just in the last few years, due to YouTube, Blogger, Second Life, Flickr, and other new social networking tools (John Marshall Law School, 2005). Whether they are making it possible for everyone to view a video on YouTube on how to install a hard drive on a Mac, add a collaborative student writing…

Opening Windows

Science.gov (United States)

Bennett, Gayle

2011-01-01

Beth Kanter is working hard to get the word out about how best to get the word out. Kanter is CEO of Zoetica, which provides word-of-mouth communication services to nonprofits and socially conscious companies; a decade-long blogger on the topic of social media and nonprofits; and a popular conference speaker and trainer. She is also co-author of…

Free radicals in biology. Volume II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pryor, W.A.

1976-01-01

This volume continues the treatment of topics in free radical biology and free radical pathology from Volume I. In the first chapter, pyridinyl radicals, radicals which are models for those derived from NAD, are discussed. Pyridinyl radicals can be synthesized and isolated and directly studied in a number of chemical systems. The next chapter treats the role of glutathione in the cell. It is becoming even more apparent that this vital thiol controls a large number of important cellular functions. The GSH/GSSG balance has recently been implicated as a control for cellular development; this balance also may be important in relaying the effects of oxidants from one site to another in the body. The next chapter outlines the reactions of singlet oxygen; some of these involve free radicals and some do not. This reactive intermediate appears to be important both in photochemical smog and in cellular chemistry where singlet oxygen is produced by nonphotochemical processes. The production of free radicals from dry tissues, a controversial area with conflicting claims is reviewed. The next chapter outlines the current status of the studies of photochemical smog. The next two chapters treat specific reactive materials which are present in smog. The first discusses the chemistry of nitrogen oxides and ozone. The second chapter treats the chemistry of the peroxyacyl nitrites. These compounds, although present in only small concentration, are among the most toxic components of smog. The last two chapters treat radiation damage to proteins and radiation protection and radical reactions produced by radiation in nucleic acids

Readability assessment of online tracheostomy care resources.

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, Keonho Albert; Hu, Amanda

2015-02-01

To assess the readability of online tracheostomy care resources. Cross-sectional study. Academic center. A Google search was performed for "tracheostomy care" in January 2014. The top 50 results were categorized into major versus minor websites and patient-oriented versus professional-oriented resources. These websites were evaluated with the following readability tools: Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), and Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook (GFOG). Readability scores for the websites were FRES 57.21 ± 16.71 (possible range = 0-100), FKGL 8.33 ± 2.84 (possible range = 3-12), SMOG 11.25 ± 2.49 (possible range = 3-19), and GFOG 11.43 ± 4.07 (possible range = 3-19). There was no significant difference in all 4 readability scores between major (n = 41) and minor (n = 9) websites. Professional-oriented websites (n = 19) had the following readability scores: FRES 40.77 ± 11.69, FKGL 10.93 ± 2.48, SMOG 13.29 ± 2.32, and GFOG 14.91 ± 3.98. Patient-oriented websites (n = 31) had the following readability scores: FRES 67.29 ± 9.91, FKGL 6.73 ± 1.61, SMOG 10.01 ± 1.64, and GFOG 9.30 ± 2.27. Professional-oriented websites had more difficult readability scores than patient-oriented websites for FRES (P readability between major and minor websites. Professional-oriented websites were more difficult to read than patient-oriented websites. © American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2014.

How Readable Is BPH Treatment Information on the Internet? Assessing Barriers to Literacy in Prostate Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Koo, Kevin; Yap, Ronald L

2017-03-01

Information about benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) has become increasingly accessible on the Internet. Though the ability to find such material is encouraging, its readability and impact on informing patient decision making are not known. To evaluate the readability of Internet-based information about BPH in the context of website ownership and Health on the Net certification, three search engines were queried daily for 1 month with BPH-related keywords. Website ownership data and Health on the Net certification status were verified. Three readability analyses were performed: SMOG test, Dale-Chall readability formula, and Fry readability graph. An adjusted SMOG calculation was performed to reduce overestimation from medical jargon. After a total of 270 searches, 52 websites met inclusion criteria. Mean SMOG grade was 10.6 ( SD = 1.4) and 10.2 after adjustment. Mean Dale-Chall score was 9.1 ( SD = 0.6), or Grades 13 to 15. Mean Fry graph coordinates (173 syllables, 5.1 sentences) corresponded to Grade 15. Seven sites (13%) were at or below the average adult reading level based on SMOG; none of the sites qualified based on the other tests. Readability was significantly poorer for academic versus commercial sites and for Health on the Net-certified versus noncertified sites. In conclusion, online information about BPH treatment markedly exceeds the reading comprehension of most U.S. adults. Websites maintained by academic institutions and certified by the Health on the Net standard have more difficult readability. Efforts to improve literacy with respect to urological health should target content readability independent of reliability.

The Millennial Generation: Howe and Strauss Disputed

Science.gov (United States)

Alexander Agati, Holly

2012-01-01

Researchers have attempted to untangle the complexity of a generation through four primary effects--time interval, cohort, period, and attitude--based on personal and societal attributes. The Millennial generation, born 1982-2000, has received considerable attention through the media, in educational institutions, and in the workplace. The seven…

The Technology Review 10: Emerging Technologies that Will Change the World.

Science.gov (United States)

Technology Review, 2001

2001-01-01

Identifies 10 emerging areas of technology that will soon have a profound impact on the economy and on how people live and work: brain-machine interfaces; flexible transistors; data mining; digital rights management; biometrics; natural language processing; microphotonics; untangling code; robot design; and microfluidics. In each area, one…

Why Do Some Teachers Change and Others Don't? A Review of Studies about Factors Influencing In-Service and Pre-Service Teachers' Change in Classroom Management

Science.gov (United States)

Girardet, Céline

2018-01-01

Considering the crucial goals dependent on classroom management, such as creating a classroom environment conducive to student learning and facilitating student engagement and motivation, it is an important skill for teachers to learn. Accordingly, this literature review aims at untangling the factors influencing the evolution of teachers'…

GATEKEEPING, GATEWATCHING, REAL-TIME FEEDBACK: New challenges for Journalism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Axel Bruns

2015-08-01

Full Text Available How bloggers and other independent online commentators criticise, correct, and otherwise challenge conventional journalism has been known for years, but has yet to be fully accepted by journalists; hostilities between the media establishment and the new generation of citizen journalists continue to flare up from time to time. The old gatekeeping monopoly of the mass media has been challenged by the new practice of gatewatching: by individual bloggers and by communities of commentators which may not report the news first-hand, but curate and evaluate the news and other information provided by official sources, and thus provide an important service. And this now takes place ever more rapidly, almost in real time: using the latest social networks, which disseminate, share, comment, question, and debunk news reports within minutes, and using additional platforms that enable fast and effective ad hoc collaboration between users. When hundreds of volunteers can prove within a few days that a German minister has been guilty of serious plagiarism, when the world first learns of earthquakes and tsunamis via Twitter – how does journalism manage to keep up?

An online app platform enhances collaborative medical student group learning and classroom management.

Science.gov (United States)

Peacock, Justin G; Grande, Joseph P

2016-01-01

The authors presented their results in effectively using a free and widely-accessible online app platform to manage and teach a first-year pathology course at Mayo Medical School. The authors utilized the Google "Blogger", "Forms", "Flubaroo", "Sheets", "Docs", and "Slides" apps to effectively build a collaborative classroom teaching and management system. Students were surveyed on the use of the app platform in the classroom, and 44 (94%) students responded. Thirty-two (73%) of the students reported that "Blogger" was an effective place for online discussion of pathology topics and questions. 43 (98%) of the students reported that the "Forms/Flubaroo" grade-reporting system was helpful. 40 (91%) of the students used the remote, collaborative features of "Slides" to create team-based learning presentations, and 39 (89%) of the students found those collaborative features helpful. "Docs" helped teaching assistants to collaboratively create study guides or grading rubrics. Overall, 41 (93%) of the students found that the app platform was helpful in establishing a collaborative, online classroom environment. The online app platform allowed faculty to build an efficient and effective classroom teaching and management system. The ease of accessibility and opportunity for collaboration allowed for collaborative learning, grading, and teaching.

GATEKEEPING, GATEWATCHING, REAL-TIME FEEDBACK: new challenges for Journalism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Axel Bruns

2011-12-01

Full Text Available How bloggers and other independent online commentators criticise, correct, and otherwise challenge conventional journalism has been known for years, but has yet to be fully accepted by journalists; hostilities between the media establishment and the new generation of citizen journalists continue to flare up from time to time. The old gatekeeping monopoly of the mass media has been challenged by the new practice of gatewatching: by individual bloggers and by communities of commentators which may not report the news first-hand, but curate and evaluate the news and other information provided by official sources, and thus provide an important service. And this now takes place ever more rapidly, almost in real time: using the latest social networks, which disseminate, share, comment, question, and debunk news reports within minutes, and using additional platforms that enable fast and effective ad hoc collaboration between users. When hundreds of volunteers can prove within a few days that a German minister has been guilty of serious plagiarism, when the world first learns of earthquakes and tsunamis via Twitter – how does journalism manage to keep up?

Gatekeeping, gatewatching, real-time feedback: new challenges for Journalism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Axel Bruns

2011-12-01

Full Text Available How bloggers and other independent online commentators criticise, correct, and otherwise challenge conventional journalism has been known for years, but has yet to be fully accepted by journalists; hostilities between the media establishment and the new generation of citizen journalists continue to flare up from time to time. The old gatekeeping monopoly of the mass media has been challenged by the new practice of gatewatching: by individual bloggers and by communities of commentators which may not report the news first-hand, but curate and evaluate the news and other information provided by official sources, and thus provide an important service. And this now takes place ever more rapidly, almost in real time: using the latest social networks, which disseminate, share, comment, question, and debunk news reports within minutes, and using additional platforms that enable fast and effective ad hoc collaboration between users. When hundreds of volunteers can prove within a few days that a German minister has been guilty of serious plagiarism, when the world first learns of earthquakes and tsunamis via Twitter – how does journalism manage to keep up?

Gatekeeping, gatewatching, real-time feedback: new challenges for Journalism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Axel Bruns

2015-08-01

Full Text Available How bloggers and other independent online commentators criticise, correct, and otherwise challenge conventional journalism has been known for years, but has yet to be fully accepted by journalists; hostilities between the media establishment and the new generation of citizen journalists continue to flare up from time to time. The old gatekeeping monopoly of the mass media has been challenged by the new practice of gatewatching: by individual bloggers and by communities of commentators which may not report the news first-hand, but curate and evaluate the news and other information provided by official sources, and thus provide an important service. And this now takes place ever more rapidly, almost in real time: using the latest social networks, which disseminate, share, comment, question, and debunk news reports within minutes, and using additional platforms that enable fast and effective ad hoc collaboration between users. When hundreds of volunteers can prove within a few days that a German minister has been guilty of serious plagiarism, when the world first learns of earthquakes and tsunamis via Twitter – how does journalism manage to keep up?

Smog-busters: Europe's auto-oil plans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edwardes-Evans, H.

1997-01-01

Things are going to get tough for refiners. The European Union is introducing new standards for cleaner burning petrol and diesel. The trouble is that the European refining sector is having a very hard time already and needs a huge investment bill like a hole in an LPG tank. (author)

The Cruel Optimism of Education and Education's Implication with "Passing-on"

Science.gov (United States)

Di Paolantonio, Mario

2016-01-01

In this article I draw on Lauren Berlant's notion of "cruel optimism" to identify and untangle how the prevailing sense of "optimism" in education works against our common hope or collective striving for what is educational in education. In particular, I discuss how the "cruel optimism" that invites individuals to…

Multi-scale tectonic controls on fluvial terrace formation in a glacioeustatically-dominated river system: inference from the lower Min¿o terrace record

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Viveen, W.

2013-01-01

The general aim of this thesis is to untangle the interacting effects of climate, glacioeustacy, and regional, and local tectonics on fluvial terrace formation. The NW Iberian lower Miño River valley was chosen as a study site, because for this region, a very detailed, long-term,

PERFORMATIVITAS GENDER DAN SEKSUALITAS DALAM WEBLOG LESBIAN DI INDONESIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ari Setyorini

2011-08-01

The result of the research confirms that the identification of lesbian identity tends to be the combination of femininity and masculinity. Through the process of crisscrossing, a lesbian performs hirself by doing “stage performativity”, embedding the identification of feminine and masculine identity through hir appearance, clothing, gesture, and sexuality. Thus, a lesbian blogger is a creative producer in which zie transforms the heteronormative discourse.

Tracking Anglicisms in Domains by the Corpus-Linguistic Method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mousten, Birthe; Laursen, Anne Lise

2015-01-01

Lay investors and semi-professionals lean on professional stock bloggers and stock analysts for advice on stock investments; semi-professionals and professionals write about investments globally, and stock information has to be available in many local markets. Using the correct terminology......’s critical sense is not enough to make the right choices. Our corpus-linguistic tool can be a help in this specialized field....

Public Affairs, the Self-Directed Information Environment and Strategic Integration

Science.gov (United States)

2016-06-10

time the news cycle moved on, so had the viewers. 4 Recent analysis by marketing entrepreneur and blogger Kevin Rogers is an insightful commentary...connected individuals early on including investigative journalists, human rights lawyers, entrepreneurs , and students.6 39 Creating the Conversation...adversary may have an advantage when it comes to communication unconstrained by hierarchical processes and moral and legal tenants, U.S. and partner

Seeing Through Smoke: Sorting through the Science and Politics in the Making of the 1956 British Clean Air Act (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Kenny, D. A.

2010-12-01

The 1952 “Killer Smog” left over 4000 citizens of Greater London dead in a single week. It was a highly visible environmental disaster, which pinned the British government with responsibility over factory and domestic coal smoke pollution. Within four years of the Smog, the British parliament passed the 1956 Clean Air Act, which was designed primarily to prevent the release of dark smoke from the chimneys of private dwellings and factories. This act is considered a significant turning point in the history of environmental regulation. Through the analysis of confidential documents from government ministries and Members of Parliament, my research has focused on how decisions were made following this man-made environmental catastrophe. The primary focus of this presentation will be to explore why the British government appeared lethargic in the face of its long-standing coal pollution problem and why it finally passed the first clean air act in the world. In this case, establishing responsibility and organizing research were the major time constraints on policy action. In the months following the 1952 Smog, government departments passed off responsibility and quarreled over jurisdiction in the smog matter. Ministries held responsible for air pollution jointly established the Committee on Air Pollution to find a solution to urban smog. In the years following, the Committee on Air Pollution compiled research on the health effects and economic impact of air pollution, deriving its information from a variety of sources. In its 1954 final report, the committee named smoke and sulfur dioxide the most likely culprits of the 1952 deaths, and it recommended the elimination of smoke-producing coal from the British market, a major change to how the British fueled their homes and factories. The resulting 1956 Clean Air Act was the product of numerous compromises over the economic, political, and social issues present in Great Britain at the time. The British government�

The Nanticoke conversion study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2001-04-01

A study was conducted to assess the conversion of the Nanticoke coal-fired power plant to cleaner burning natural gas combined-cycle gas turbines. The Nanticoke Generating Station on Lake Erie is responsible for more than 50 per cent of Ontario Power Generation's (OPG) coal-fired electricity production. The OPG is proposing to work towards compliance with the newly signed Ozone Annex to the 1991 Canada-United States Air Quality Agreement which will require fossil-fueled power plants in southern Ontario to reduce their smog-causing nitrogen oxides emissions by about 50 per cent by 2007. This study assessed the emission reduction benefits and financial costs of conversion compared to continuing to operate Nanticoke as a coal-fired plant. The analysis includes a base case set of data on fuel prices, retrofit costs, fuel efficiencies, annual capacity factors and other parameters. It was determined that conversion would cost the average household less than $3 per month on their electricity bill. Conversion would also reduce emissions nitrogen oxide, a major smog pollutant, by 83 per cent and the particulates that form the most health-threatening portion of smog would be reduced by 100 per cent. 15 tabs., 1 fig.

Flaws in Flynn Effect Research with the Wechsler Scales

Science.gov (United States)

Weiss, Lawrence G.; Gregoire, Jacques; Zhu, Jianjun

2016-01-01

Many Flynn effect (FE) studies compare scores across different editions of Wechsler's IQ tests. When construct changes are introduced by the test developers in the new edition, however, the presumed generational effects are difficult to untangle from changes due to test content. To remove this confound, we use the same edition of Wechsler…

Will the US Clean Air Act come to Australia?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saxby, Bill

1992-01-01

This article examines the Clean Air Act and whether the emerging situation in Sydney and Melbourne is likely to require similar radical action to prevent a decline in public health of city dwellers. It is concluded that both Sydney and Melbourne are in the league of the world's polluted cities. The pollutants of concern are mainly carbon monoxide and ozone. Emissions reduction in these two cities during the 1980s has reduced photochemical smog formation to near the guidelines, but both these cities retain the potential to form high levels of photochemical smog under the right weather conditions, as shown by Sydney in 1990. 2 tabs., ills

Simulation production the pollutants in the air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hassina, Bazaze; Raouf, Zehioua; Menial, A. H.

2006-01-01

Photochemical smog is extremely toxic to animal and plant life, and damages paint, rubber, and plastics. In our discussion of photochemical smog chemistry we outlined a general reaction mechanism, that is reproduced with appropriate rate constants. We wish to integrate the rate equation from this mechanism to examine the temporal concentration dynamics of RH, RCHO, NO 2 , and O 3 . The method, called method of photostationary state relation (PSSA) of Bodenstein , comes back to consider compounds intermediate concentration 'C' put in game in a reaction, have a weak concentration in relation to the one of the other species presents and remain practically constant.(Author)

Untangling the Mystery of Alzheimer's Disease

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

cause of senile dementia (Box 1) and is estimated to affect 22 million people ... Box 1: Dementia. The term ..... by using compounds that mimic dyes such as Congo red. These ... The potential role of estrogen for alleviating memory problems.

Perceptual Grouping via Untangling Gestalt Principles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Qi, Yonggang; Guo, Jun; Li, Yi

2013-01-01

the importance of Gestalt rules by solving a learning to rank problem, and formulate a multi-label graph-cuts algo- rithm to group image primitives while taking into account the learned Gestalt confliction. Our experiment results confirm the existence of Gestalt confliction in perceptual grouping and demonstrate...... confliction, i.e., the relative importance of each rule compared with another, remains unsolved. In this paper, we investigate the problem of perceptual grouping by quantifying the confliction among three commonly used rules: similarity, continuity and proximity. More specifically, we propose to quantify...... an improved performance when such a conflic- tion is accounted for via the proposed grouping algorithm. Finally, a novel cross domain image classification method is proposed by exploiting perceptual grouping as representation....

Language Brokering and Depressive Symptoms in Mexican-american Adolescents: Parent-Child Alienation and Resilience as Moderators

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Su Yeong; Hou, Yang; Gonzalez, Yolanda

2017-01-01

This study aimed to untangle the mixed effects of language brokering by examining a contextual factor (i.e., parent-child alienation) and a personal attribute (i.e., resilience) that may relate to adolescents' feelings during translating (i.e., sense of burden and efficacy) and that may moderate the association between such feelings and adolescent…

Air quality in Ontario: a concise report on the state of air quality in the province of Ontario 1998

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-01-01

Major achievements in reducing total sulphur compounds, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide are reported, notwithstanding sharp increases in the province's population, economic activity and vehicular traffic since the first report in 1971. Despite the reported improvements and the impressive results of the 'Drive Clean' program, air pollution still impacts the health and well-being of Ontarians, with smog, resulting from an increase in ground-level ozone and inhalable particles emissions, being of particular concern. The 'Drive Clean' program is the province's principal weapon in the fight to reduce smog-causing emissions from the No. 1 domestic source, namely cars, trucks and buses. Some 2.5 million light-duty vehicles had been tested as of March 2001, with almost 86 per cent of them passing on the first try. Repairs mandated by the program during its first year led to a reduction of 6.7 per cent in smog-related emissions from light-duty vehicles, as well as an 18,500-tonne reduction in emission of carbon dioxide. When fully implemented by 2004, the 'Drive Clean' program is expected to cover some five million light-duty vehicles in southern Ontario and 200,000 heavy-duty trucks across the province. Mandatory tracking and reporting of all harmful air emissions by industrial and commercial enterprises and tough new emission limits for smog and acid rain-causing pollutants have been announced in April 2000. Power generating plants are also now obliged to monitor and report some 28 substances of concern which include sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide. In addition to mandatory reporting, the province also introduced new regulated emission limits for nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide from coal and oil-fired power stations. More than four million dollars have been invested by the province since 1995 to develop a state-of-the-art air monitoring system. Air quality information is now being provided by 28 communities across Ontario

Boomers versus Millennials: Online Media Influence on Media Performance and Candidate Evaluations

OpenAIRE

Terri Towner; Caroline Lego Munoz

2016-01-01

Facebook posts, YouTube videos, tweets and wooing political bloggers have become standard practice in marketing political campaigns. Research has demonstrated the effect of new media on a host of politically-related behavior, including political participation, knowledge acquisition, group formation and self-efficacy. Yet, issues related to media trust, media performance and candidate evaluations have not been fully explored. In addition, much of the political marketing research looks exclusiv...

Air & Space Power Journal. Volume 26, Number 2, March-April 2012

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-01

energy efficiency.7 By combining 1,716 Sony Playstation 3s and 176 Nvidia general-purpose graphical processing units, the system can take on a variety... Playstations in Racks,” DoD Live, accessed 6 February 2012, http://www.dodlive.mil/index.php/2010/12/dodlive-bloggers-roundtable-condor -supercomputer... playstations -in-racks/.) Finally, the embedded nature of much mission-oriented computing poses additional technical challenges for energy storage and

Contribution of Female Entrepreneurs in Promoting Local Food to Support Tourism in Bali

OpenAIRE

Putu Sucita Yanthy; N. Darma Putra; I Komang Gde Bendesa

2016-01-01

This study analyzed the contributions of Balinese female entrepreneurs in the culinary industry in promoting local food to support tourism in Bali. Research was undertaken in the area of Bali province and data were obtained from observations, interviews and study of literature supported by the theory of invented tradition. Eight Balinese warrior of culinaries were interviewed supported by food bloggers, literature reviews and documentation. Data were analyzed based on descriptive qualitative....

Conceptualization of an R&D Based Learning-to-Innovate Model for Science Education

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Oiki Sylvia

2013-01-01

The purpose of this research was to conceptualize an R & D based learning-to-innovate (LTI) model. The problem to be addressed was the lack of a theoretical L TI model, which would inform science pedagogy. The absorptive capacity (ACAP) lens was adopted to untangle the R & D LTI phenomenon into four learning processes: problem-solving via…

Keeping the Community Posted: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Blogs and the Tobacco Epidemic.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Joseph G L

2014-06-01

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people are more likely to use tobacco products than heterosexual people. This results in disproportionate death and disability for LGBT communities. Yet, addressing the tobacco epidemic is generally low on the agenda of LGBT community organizations, and LGBT individuals report lower levels of support for some evidence-based tobacco prevention and control policies than heterosexuals. Informed by agenda-setting theory, this study investigated coverage of the tobacco epidemic in LGBT news blogs. Sixteen blogs and 105 tobacco-related posts from 2003 to March 9, 2013, were identified, and a quantitative content analysis was conducted. Coverage of the tobacco epidemic was primarily concentrated in four blogs and focused on the epidemiology of the epidemic and on tobacco-related policies. Little coverage focused on the tobacco industry, addiction, or health effects. A substantial minority of coverage focused on socially conservative arguments comparing smoking to homosexuality as a lifestyle choice. Thirty-three organizations working on LGBT tobacco prevention and control were present in blog posts. LGBT news blogs have a potentially important and mostly untapped role in tobacco-related media advocacy. LGBT health advocates would do well to cultivate relationships with LGBT bloggers as well as include bloggers in dissemination and media strategy efforts.

Blog, social network e strategie narrative di resistenza nel post-terremoto dell’Aquila

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Massimo Giuliani

2013-06-01

Full Text Available An earthquake, when it attacks a territory and its history, strikes the collective memory of a population. The reconstruction that followed the earthquake of L'Aquila contained elements that were equally problematic for the cohesion of the social and relational network, and therefore for mental health of stricken citizens and territories. Blogs, Facebook and online communication have been a possibility for the population (not only for the age group that usually makes use of digital technologies to share informations, chronicles, narrations about the postearthquake and to tell a story that was different from the sweetened one told by media. While trying a way to process loss and their own discomfort, many authors and bloggers became datum points for a community of readers thanks to their stories and chronicles. In addition, for the active citizenry the virtual setting of the Web became a substitute to the physical agora that had been wiped out by the earthquake and the dispersion of the community all over national territory. The experience of L'Aquila, also recreated through conversations with bloggers and the observation of Facebook status updates, shows interesting elements in order to understand the role of new media in everyday life and in an exceptional context such as collective trauma

Readability assessment of online patient education materials provided by the European Association of Urology.

Science.gov (United States)

Betschart, Patrick; Zumstein, Valentin; Bentivoglio, Maico; Engeler, Daniel; Schmid, Hans-Peter; Abt, Dominik

2017-12-01

To assess the readability of the web-based patient education material provided by the European Association of Urology. English patient education materials (PEM) as available in May 2017 were obtained from the EAU website. Each topic was analyzed separately using six well-established readability assessment tools, including Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), SMOG Grade Level (SMOG), Coleman-Liau Index (CLI), Gunning Fog Index (GFI), Flesch Reading Ease Formula (FRE) and Fry Readability Graph (FRG). A total of 17 main topics were identified of which separate basic and in-depth information is provided for 14 topics. Calculation of grade levels (FKGL, SMOG, CLI, GFI) showed readability scores of 7th-13th grade for basic information, 8th-15th grade for in-depth information and 7th-15th grade for single PEM. Median FRE score was 54 points (range 45-65) for basic information and 56 points (41-64) for in-depth information. The FRG as a graphical assessment revealed only 13 valid results with an approximate 8th-17th grade level. The EAU provides carefully worked out PEM for 17 urological topics. Although improved readability compared to similar analyses was found, a simplification of certain chapters might be helpful to facilitate better patient understanding.

Application for review, Section 61, Environmental Bill of Rights

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grinspun, D.; Forman, G.; Hutton, A.; Muter, M.; Stewart, K.; Wilkins, H.

2006-01-01

Health and environmental groups have filed a request with the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Energy to review its government policies on transboundary smog, mercury emissions and climate change in light of the abandonment of plans to close all of the province's highly polluting coal-fired power plants by 2009. The groups have requested that the Ministries identify the measures that will be taken to eliminate the health, social and environmental impacts caused by this decision. The representatives of Ontario's registered nurses, physicians, community groups and environment groups want to know how the decision will affect Ontario's compliance with the terms of the Ozone Annex to the 1991 United States-Canada Air Quality Agreement, Ontario's compliance with the proposed Canada Wide Standard on Mercury, and efforts to combat climate change. Concerns that the government has weakened its position in dealing with the United States over transboundary smog were expressed. Smog, climate change and mercury pollution pose significant risks to the health of Ontarians. The original plan to replace coal-fired generation was the single largest greenhouse gas reduction initiative in Canada. It was argued that the abandonment of that plan represents a major challenge in meeting Kyoto targets. refs

Providing cleaner air to Canadians

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-02-01

This booklet is designed to explain salient aspects of the Ozone Annex, negotiated and signed recently by Canada and the United States, in a joint effort to improve air quality in North America. By significantly reducing the transboundary flows of air pollutants that cause smog, the Ozone Annex will benefit some 16 million people in central and eastern Canada and provide an example for a future round of negotiations to address concerns of the millions of Canadians and Americans who live in the border area between British Columbia and Washington State. The brochure provide summaries of the Canadian and American commitments, focusing on transportation, monitoring and reporting. The Ozone Annex complements other air quality initiatives by the Government of Canada enacted under the Environmental Protection Act, 1999. These measures include regulations to reduce sulphur content to 30 parts per million by Jan 1, 2005; proposing to restrict toxic particulate matter (PM) to less than 10 microns; establishing daily smog forecasts in the Maritimes and committing to a national program built upon existing smog advisories and forecasts in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia; and investing in more clean air research through the newly created Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences

Health literacy and the Internet: a study on the readability of Australian online health information.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Christina; Dunn, Matthew

2015-08-01

Almost 80% of Australian Internet users seek out health information online so the readability of this information is important. This study aimed to evaluate the readability of Australian online health information and determine if it matches the average reading level of Australians. Two hundred and fifty-one web pages with information on 12 common health conditions were identified across sectors. Readability was assessed by the Flesch-Kincaid (F-K), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) and Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) formulas, with grade 8 adopted as the average Australian reading level. The average reading grade measured by F-K and SMOG was 10.54 and 12.12 respectively. The mean FRE was 47.54, a 'difficult-to-read' score. Only 0.4% of web pages were written at or below grade 8 according to SMOG. Information on dementia was the most difficult to read overall, while obesity was the most difficult among government websites. The findings suggest that the readability of Australian health websites is above the average Australian levels of reading. A quantifiable guideline is needed to ensure online health information accommodates the reading needs of the general public to effectively use the Internet as an enabler of health literacy. © 2015 Public Health Association of Australia.

How to start a home-based blogging business

CERN Document Server

Snyder, Brett

2012-01-01

Having passion about a topic is a great reason to start blogging, but there is a lot more to it than that. This book will be able to help potential bloggers by asking the important questions needed to focus the blog. It will also set expectations so there are fewer surprises along the way. Making a blog a success can be a challenge, but it's not out of reach for those who are determined.

Blogosphere

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Carvalho, Vinicius Mariano de

2013-01-01

This text analyses the borders between literature, journalism and political activism in the blogosphere. Based on an interview with the Cuban Blogger Yoani Sánchez, conducted as a didactical activity during the course on new Latin American Literature at Aarhus University. In this article we inten...... to go further in the discussion about the rise of possible new literary genres created by the emergence of new media, as the case of blogs and Twitter....

Energy Horizons: A Science and Technology Vision for Air Force Energy

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-01

efficiency.7 By combining 1,716 Sony Playstation 3s and 176 Nvidia general-purpose graphical processing units, the system can take on a variety of...than 100-fold increases in run times. March–April 2012 Air & Space Power Journal | 19 Senior Leader Perspective Figure 8. Condor. (From “ Playstations in...Racks,” DoD Live, accessed 6 February 2012, http://www.dodlive.mil/index.php/2010/12/dodlive-bloggers-roundtable-condor -supercomputer/ playstations

Fashion blogs: a study on how consumers’ attitude to fashion is influenced through fashion blog usage.

OpenAIRE

Hauge, Tone

2010-01-01

This thesis study: How consumers’ attitudes to fashion are influenced by fashion blog usage. Identifying some characteristics of the a-list fashion bloggers. The variables that are assumed to influence the domain of fashion blogs are expertise, authenticity, authority, social identity, private- and social self image. Fashion blogs was found to be an important source of influence, for some taking over the role of fashion magazines. All the variables studied were foun...

Oracle Apex reporting tips and tricks

CERN Document Server

Bara, George

2013-01-01

Take advantage of all the exciting Reporting features of Oracle Application Express 4.2. Designed for a hands-on approach, this book contains in-depth practical guidelines from George Bara, a well-known Oracle Apex expert and blogger. From Classic to Interactive Reports, Web Services and Pdf Printing, "Oracle Apex Reporting Tips & Tricks" is a must-have for all database developers that want to make the most out of the Oracle Apex reporting engine.

Blended Learning via Mobile Social Media & Implementation of “EDMODO” in Reading Classes

OpenAIRE

Tahsin Yagci

2015-01-01

Almost there is nowhere that we don’t use permeated smart technology. Increasingly developing mobile and wireless innovations forced us to integrate them to all fields in our lives. The latest trend in education is now blended learning and applications of mobile learning in educational environments. Pervasive and augmented usage of social media such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Bloggers etc. forced educators consider integrating social educational platforms into their academic cu...

České a americké beauty blogy: komparativní obsahová analýza reklamního potenciálu

OpenAIRE

Šílová, Kateřina

2016-01-01

This thesis analyses and compares Czech and American beauty blogs in terms of advertising. Using a quantitative content analysis and predefined research questions it attempts to assess their commercial use. The presented analysis focuses on several aspects, such as the quantity of banner and text advertisements, the number of photographs of cosmetic products or mentioning the opportunity of purchasing the product. The aggregate results of the study show that the American beauty bloggers are i...

Quantum lottery

CERN Multimedia

CERN Bulletin

2013-01-01

On April Fools' Day, CERN Quantum Diaries blogger Pauline Gagnon held a giveaway of microscopic proportion. Up for grabs? Ten Higgs bosons, courtesy of CERN. Pauline announced the winners last week; let's see what they'll really be getting in the mail...   Custom-made Particle Zoo Higgs bosons were sent out to the winners. Read more about the prize in the Quantum Diaries post "Higgs boson lottery: when CERN plays April Fools' jokes".

Enacting the family: the performance of kinship in adoptive parents’ weblogs

OpenAIRE

García González, Macarena

2013-01-01

Adoptive parents have turned out to be passionate bloggers. Couples adopting internationally are using the Internet intensely to share experiences and pieces of advice in the form of autobiographical accounts of their (troubled) adoption processes. These blogs not only connect a community facing multiple difficulties but, moreover, enact the family where the blood ties are missing. This study examines how the blogs of parents adopting girls in China perform parenthood by paralleling the adopt...

Czy smog ma wpływ na częstość występowania zaostrzeń przewlekłego zapalenia krtani? Analiza na przykładzie mieszkańców województwa małopolskiego.

Science.gov (United States)

Ziarno, Remigiusz; Suska, Anna; Kulinowski, Wojciech; Grudzień-Ziarno, Aleksandra; Kostrzon, Magdalena; Paciorek, Magdalena; Składzień, Jacek

2017-06-30

Due to dynamic industrialisation smog became a frequent phenomenon in most developing cities. According to the last WHO report from Global Urban Ambient Air Pollution Database, Krakow has been classified in the 11th place among the most polluted cities in Europe. It seems to be an urgent issue because of the influence of air pollution on the condition of upper respiratory tract. Materials & Methods: In December 2015 there were 141 patients aged 17-91 years with upper respiratory tract diseases admitted to the phoniatric outpatient clinic in the University Hospital in Cracow. They suffered from cough, hoarseness and periodic aphonia. On the basis of the results of videolaryngostroboscopy 60 patients with exacerbation of the chronic laryngitis were selected into two numerically equal groups: from Cracow and from other places at least 60 km away. The groups were equal to each other also in three categories: sex, age and voice usage. The patients were referred to the Pedagogical University in Cracow for laryngography to evaluate the movement of the vocal folds and to trace a voice profile. Finally, there were two possible types of treatment - conventional pharmacotherapy or subterraneotherapy in the underground Health Resort in the "Wieliczka" Salt Mine. Pearson correlation coefficient between the distance from the place of residence to Cracow and the scale of exacerbation of inflammation of upper respiratory tract presenting as vocal fold dysfunction was observed (r= 0,617; p<0,05). The place of residence (in or out of the industrial area) and exacerbations of chronic laryngitis are highly correlated. Air pollution seems to be the main factor influencing on the condition of upper respiratory tract. In our local conditions of Lesser Poland Voivodeship subterraneotherapy may be an interesting, non-invasive method preventing from exacerbations of upper respiratory tract diseases.

A Ruggedized UAS for Scientific Data Gathering in Harsh Environments, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Accurate predictive modeling of certain atmospheric chemical phenomena (i.e. volcano plumes, smog, gas clouds, wildfire smoke, etc.) suffers from a dearth of...

Transportation Related Documents for State and Local Transportation

Science.gov (United States)

Guidance and strategies are offered for reducing vehicle air pollution, including ozone or smog-forming pollutants, particulate matter and other emissions that pose public health and air quality concerns.

Modelling winter organic aerosol at the European scale with CAMx: evaluation and source apportionment with a VBS parameterization based on novel wood burning smog chamber experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Ciarelli, Giancarlo; Aksoyoglu, Sebnem; El Haddad, Imad; Bruns, Emily A.; Crippa, Monica; Poulain, Laurent; Äijälä, Mikko; Carbone, Samara; Freney, Evelyn; O'Dowd, Colin; Baltensperger, Urs; Prévôt, André S. H.

2017-06-01

We evaluated a modified VBS (volatility basis set) scheme to treat biomass-burning-like organic aerosol (BBOA) implemented in CAMx (Comprehensive Air Quality Model with extensions). The updated scheme was parameterized with novel wood combustion smog chamber experiments using a hybrid VBS framework which accounts for a mixture of wood burning organic aerosol precursors and their further functionalization and fragmentation in the atmosphere. The new scheme was evaluated for one of the winter EMEP intensive campaigns (February-March 2009) against aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) measurements performed at 11 sites in Europe. We found a considerable improvement for the modelled organic aerosol (OA) mass compared to our previous model application with the mean fractional bias (MFB) reduced from -61 to -29 %. We performed model-based source apportionment studies and compared results against positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis performed on OA AMS data. Both model and observations suggest that OA was mainly of secondary origin at almost all sites. Modelled secondary organic aerosol (SOA) contributions to total OA varied from 32 to 88 % (with an average contribution of 62 %) and absolute concentrations were generally under-predicted. Modelled primary hydrocarbon-like organic aerosol (HOA) and primary biomass-burning-like aerosol (BBPOA) fractions contributed to a lesser extent (HOA from 3 to 30 %, and BBPOA from 1 to 39 %) with average contributions of 13 and 25 %, respectively. Modelled BBPOA fractions were found to represent 12 to 64 % of the total residential-heating-related OA, with increasing contributions at stations located in the northern part of the domain. Source apportionment studies were performed to assess the contribution of residential and non-residential combustion precursors to the total SOA. Non-residential combustion and road transportation sector contributed about 30-40 % to SOA formation (with increasing contributions at urban and near

Effect of temperature on photochemical smog reactions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bufalini, J J; Altshuller, A P

1963-01-01

In the present investigation the photo-oxidation reactions to trans-2-butene-nitric oxide and 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene (mesitylene)-nitric oxide in air have been followed. The rates of formation and disappearance of nitrogen dioxide and the rate of reaction of the hydrocarbons have been measured at 20 and 40/sup 0/. The results obtained indicate about a twofold decrease in conversion times over the 20/sup 0/ interval and a corresponding increase in rates of reactions. 5 references.

Supernova cooling in a dark matter smog

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Yue

2014-01-01

A light hidden gauge boson with kinetic mixing with the usual photon is a popular setup in theories of dark matter. The supernova cooling via radiating the hidden boson is known to put an important constraint on the mixing. I consider the possible role dark matter, which under reasonable assumptions naturally exists inside supernova, can play in the cooling picture. Because the interaction between the hidden gauge boson and DM is likely unsuppressed, even a small number of dark matter compared to protons inside the supernova could dramatically shorten the free streaming length of the hidden boson. A picture of a dark matter “smog” inside the supernova, which substantially relaxes the cooling constraint, is discussed in detail

Supernova cooling in a dark matter smog

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Yue [Walter Burke Institute for Theoretical Physics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)

2014-11-27

A light hidden gauge boson with kinetic mixing with the usual photon is a popular setup in theories of dark matter. The supernova cooling via radiating the hidden boson is known to put an important constraint on the mixing. I consider the possible role dark matter, which under reasonable assumptions naturally exists inside supernova, can play in the cooling picture. Because the interaction between the hidden gauge boson and DM is likely unsuppressed, even a small number of dark matter compared to protons inside the supernova could dramatically shorten the free streaming length of the hidden boson. A picture of a dark matter “smog” inside the supernova, which substantially relaxes the cooling constraint, is discussed in detail.

Ensamblajes de esperanza. Una etnografía del bloguear apasionado Hope assemblages. An ethnography of passionate blogging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adolfo Estalella

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Internet y las tecnologías digitales han estado acompañadas de promesas de futuro desde su nacimiento. En este artículo nombro esa particular orientación hacia el porvenir con el concepto de esperanza y exploro la heterogeneidad de entidades que toman parte en su emergencia. Lo hago a través de una etnografía de bloggers apasionados, individuos que bloguean de manera intensiva, reflexivos con su práctica y comprometidos con la transformación de la sociedad. Presento y discuto la producción de expectativas que acompañan a su esperanza y me refiero a dos aspectos clave en su emergencia. Primero la performación de intensas temporalidades en el bloguear en las que interviene la infraestructura material de la Blogosfera, a través de ella la producción de hechos del pasado proporciona las condiciones de posibilidad para la elaboración de expectativas de futuro. Segundo, conceptualizo la esperanza de los bloggers como un ensamblaje heterogéneo que produce la desestabilización de la ontología del presente al abrir espacios de posibilidad futura.

The Internet and digital technologies have been accompanied by promises of future since their birth. I use the concept of hope in this article to refer to this particular orientation towards the future. I elaborate my argument drawing on ethnography of passionate bloggers, individuals that blog intensively, that are highly reflective with their practice and are engaged with the transformation of society. I present and discuss the production of expectations that accompany their hope and point out to two key issues in its coming into being. First, I refer to the performance of intense temporalities in blogging and discuss the decisive role of the Blogosphere infrastructure in this instance, it is by producing past facts that infrastructure provide the conditions of possibility for elaborating future expectations. Second, I conceptualize bloggers’ hope as a heterogeneous assemblage that

Co-Evolution of Friendship and Publishing in Online Blogging Social Networks

OpenAIRE

Zinoviev, Dmitry; Llewelyn, Sarah

2014-01-01

In the past decade, blogging web sites have become more sophisticated and influential than ever. Much of this sophistication and influence follows from their network organization. Blogging social networks (BSNs) allow individual bloggers to form contact lists, subscribe to other blogs, comment on blog posts, declare interests, and participate in collective blogs. Thus, a BSN is a bimodal venue, where users can engage in publishing (post) as well as in social (make friends) activities. In this...

Networked Narratives: Understanding Word-of-Mouth Marketing in Online Communities

OpenAIRE

Kozinets , Robert; Wojnicki , Andrea C.; Wilner , Sarah J. S.; De Valck , Kristine

2009-01-01

Word of mouth marketing — the intentional influencing of consumer-to-consumer communications — is an increasingly important technique. The authors overview and synthesize extant word of mouth theory and present a study of a marketing campaign in which mobile phones were seeded with prominent bloggers. Eighty-three blogs were followed for six months. Findings reveal the complex cultural conditions through which marketing “hype” is transformed by consumers into the “honey” of relevant, shared c...

Blogosfera: los márgenes entre literatura, periodismo y acción política. Entrevista con Yoani Sánchez

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vinicius Mariano de Carvalho

2013-11-01

Full Text Available This text analyses the borders between literature, journalism and political activism in the blogosphere. Based on an interview with the Cuban Blogger Yoani Sánchez, conducted as a didactical activity during the course on new Latin American Literature at Aarhus University. In this article we intend to go further in the discussion about the rise of possible new literary genres created by the emergence of new media, as the case of blogs and Twitter.

The Identity Process in Times of Ruptures:Narratives from the Egyptian Revolution

OpenAIRE

Awad, Sarah H.

2016-01-01

This is a longitudinal study of the identity process through times of dramatic social change. Using a narrative psychological approach this research follows the life stories of five Egyptian bloggers as they write their stories on online blogs over the course of the three years following the 2011 revolution, at which time Egypt has witnessed major social and political changes. The aim is to understand the identity process of individuals as they develop and adapt through changing social contex...

Professional and authentic: A comparative study of the readers’ relationship with lifestyle blogs and women’s magazines

OpenAIRE

Airaskorpi, Aurora

2014-01-01

In the second millennium, the number of blogs, alongside with other user-generated content has grown explosively all over the globe. In Finland, blogs have a strong foothold in the genre of lifestyle media. Bloggers have become independent media entrepreneurs and they have also been employed by media companies. Lifestyle blogs and women’s magazines intersect in many respects. One of the most important intersections is their readership. Many magazine readers read blogs and some have also repla...

Profiling, assessing and matching personalities active in social media

OpenAIRE

Hennessy, Ciarán; Smeaton, Alan F.

2016-01-01

The world of social media influencers, bloggers and online “clothes horses” is a relatively new one. New-media personalities, a.k.a. “clothes horses”, are now endorsing brands, products and companies in a more subtle way than through traditional advertising. They carefully cultivate and position their personal brands with a view to persuading businesses to use them for relatively inexpensive, often local, online marketing campaigns. In the world of traditional media, companies wishing to adve...

Readability of patient information and consent documents in rheumatological studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamnes, Bente; van Eijk-Hustings, Yvonne; Primdahl, Jette

2016-07-16

Before participation in medical research an informed consent must be obtained. This study investigates whether the readability of patient information and consent documents (PICDs) corresponds to the average educational level of participants in rheumatological studies in the Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway. 24 PICDs from studies were collected and readability was assessed independently using the Gunning's Fog Index (FOG) and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) grading. The mean score for the FOG and SMOG grades were 14.2 (9.0-19.0) and 14.2 (12-17) respectively. The mean FOG and SMOG grades were 12.7 and 13.3 in the Dutch studies, 15.0 and 14.9 in the Danish studies, and 14.6 and 14.3 in the Norwegian studies, respectively. Out of the 2865 participants, more than 57 % had a lower educational level than the highest readability score calculated in the individual study. As the readability level of the PICDs did not match the participants' educational level, consent may not have been valid, as the participants may have had a limited understanding of what they agreed to participate in. There should be more focus on the readability of PICDs. National guidelines for how to write clear and unambiguous PICDs in simple and easily understandable language could increase the focus on the readability of PICD.

Assessment of Anthropogenic and Biomass Burning Impact on Aerosol Properties over California as Observed During ARCTAS-CA

Science.gov (United States)

Thornhill, K. L.; Anderson, B.; Chen, G.; Beyersdorf, A. J.; Winstead, E. L.; Dibb, J. E.; Scheuer, E. M.; Weber, R.; Lathem, T. L.; Jimenez, J. L.; Cubison, M.; Kondo, Y.; Wennberg, P. O.; Weinheimer, A. J.; Wisthaler, A.

2009-12-01

In the summer of 2008, measurements of aerosols were made on-board the NASA DC-8 over the state of California, as part of the second phase of the Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites (ARCTAS) on behalf of the California Air resources Board (CARB). The DC-8 made four flights, between 18 June and 26 June, totaling 33 hours, to examine California’s atmosphere to better understand the chemical dynamics of smog and greenhouse gases over the state. Serendipitously, from a science perspective, this time period was marked by numerous wildfires spread throughout the state. The NASA DC-8 had a suite of aerosol instruments, capable of measuring the number concentrations, optical properties, and size distributions of aerosols between 0.003 and 1500 um. In this presentation, we will characterize aerosols sampled over the Los Angeles basin, which included several missed approaches at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), traverses through the Long Beach and Santa Barbara ship channels, sampling in and out of the marine boundary layer, and encounters with outflow of forest fires mixed with urban smog. The evolution of the aerosols during the day will be examined, as the smog builds up within the basin and the plume travels out of the basin into the surrounding atmosphere.

Constraining a hybrid volatility basis-set model for aging of wood-burning emissions using smog chamber experiments: a box-model study based on the VBS scheme of the CAMx model (v5.40)

Science.gov (United States)

Ciarelli, Giancarlo; El Haddad, Imad; Bruns, Emily; Aksoyoglu, Sebnem; Möhler, Ottmar; Baltensperger, Urs; Prévôt, André S. H.

2017-06-01

In this study, novel wood combustion aging experiments performed at different temperatures (263 and 288 K) in a ˜ 7 m3 smog chamber were modelled using a hybrid volatility basis set (VBS) box model, representing the emission partitioning and their oxidation against OH. We combine aerosol-chemistry box-model simulations with unprecedented measurements of non-traditional volatile organic compounds (NTVOCs) from a high-resolution proton transfer reaction mass spectrometer (PTR-MS) and with organic aerosol measurements from an aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS). Due to this, we are able to observationally constrain the amounts of different NTVOC aerosol precursors (in the model) relative to low volatility and semi-volatile primary organic material (OMsv), which is partitioned based on current published volatility distribution data. By comparing the NTVOC / OMsv ratios at different temperatures, we determine the enthalpies of vaporization of primary biomass-burning organic aerosols. Further, the developed model allows for evaluating the evolution of oxidation products of the semi-volatile and volatile precursors with aging. More than 30 000 box-model simulations were performed to retrieve the combination of parameters that best fit the observed organic aerosol mass and O : C ratios. The parameters investigated include the NTVOC reaction rates and yields as well as enthalpies of vaporization and the O : C of secondary organic aerosol surrogates. Our results suggest an average ratio of NTVOCs to the sum of non-volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds of ˜ 4.75. The mass yields of these compounds determined for a wide range of atmospherically relevant temperatures and organic aerosol (OA) concentrations were predicted to vary between 8 and 30 % after 5 h of continuous aging. Based on the reaction scheme used, reaction rates of the NTVOC mixture range from 3.0 × 10-11 to 4. 0 × 10-11 cm3 molec-1 s-1. The average enthalpy of vaporization of secondary organic aerosol

The New Balance: Limited Armed Stabilization and the Future of U.S. Landpower

Science.gov (United States)

2009-04-01

syndicate of organized crime groups and rogue national police occupy and run both. Legitimate commercial traffic, to include aid, has been dramatically...with each other in an almost syndicate -like manner.”28 Untangling informal, often naturally occurring, cross-border relationships having a material...anti-government Sunni groups, al Qaeda-affiliated terrorists, and a number of Iranian fifth columnists . We can anticipate that our presence will

Velikostní distribuce k-PAU na lokalitě Mladá Boleslav v zimě 2013

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Bendl, J.; Hovorka, J.; Topinka, Jan

2014-01-01

Roč. 1, 1-2 (2014), s. 19-21 ISSN 1211-0337 Institutional support: RVO:68378041 Keywords : urban air * smog * aerosol mass size distribution Subject RIV: DN - Health Impact of the Environment Quality

Grants and Funding for State and Local Transportation

Science.gov (United States)

State and Local Transportation resources are for air quality and transportation government and community leaders. Guidance, strategies and links to grant opportunities are offered for reducing vehicle air pollution, including ozone or smog.

Where do bloggers blog? Platform transitions within the historical Dutch blogosphere

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Weltevrede, E.; Helmond, A.

2012-01-01

The blogosphere has played an instrumental role in the transition and the evolution of linking technologies and practices. This research traces and maps historical changes in the Dutch blogosphere and the interconnections between blogs, which — traditionally considered — turn a set of blogs into a

Language in the Wild—Living the Carnival in Social Media

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sylvi Vigmo

2014-11-01

Full Text Available This study presents results from an intervention case study at upper secondary level, in which Blogger was introduced during English class. The overarching interest was to explore the students’ social performances and their interplay with students’ uses of language across multiple forms of literate activities in blogging. The study draws on a sociocultural perspective, taking a particular interest in language as a meditational tool for communication and interaction in the students’ own digital vernacular practices. Goffman’s dramaturgical approach including the concepts of performance and role distance in front and back regions together with Bakhtin’s notion of carnival were invoked as analytical tools for the analysis of video material as well as ethnographic scraping of online content in the blog. It was found that the students presented a witty, humorous image of themselves, while playing around with language as well as bringing in manipulated media for mockery and self-irony. Analytically speaking the students were living the carnival by utilizing a norm-breaking language—a language in the wild. Though this in-depth study presents a limited number of students’ blogging, the findings contribute to an increased understanding of the in situ creation of a blogger text providing a basis for discussing the uses of language in social media and what this implies for learning languages and for teaching practices.

Untangling pathways between childhood trauma and psychosis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Dam, D.S.

2017-01-01

The studies presented in this thesis aim to enhance our knowledge with regard to specific associations between types of trauma and the course of symptomatology and psychosocial functioning and to examine possible underlying mechanisms, by which childhood trauma influences the development of

Untangling Galaxy Components - The Angular Momentum Parameter

Science.gov (United States)

Tabor, Martha; Merrifield, Michael; Aragon-Salamanca, Alfonso

2017-06-01

We have developed a new technique to decompose Integral Field spectral data cubes into separate bulge and disk components, allowing us to study the kinematic and stellar population properties of the individual components and how they vary with position. We present here the application of this method to a sample of fast rotator early type galaxies from the MaNGA integral field survey, and demonstrate how it can be used to explore key properties of the individual components. By extracting ages, metallicities and the angular momentum parameter lambda of the bulges and disks, we show how this method can give us new insights into the underlying structure of the galaxies and discuss what this can tell us about their evolution history.

Untangling the Strands of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Science.gov (United States)

Lupu, Ira C.

1979-01-01

Explores trends in the Court's interpretation of the libertarian and egalitarian dimensions of the Fourteenth Amendment and offers a theory of the two strands. Available from Michigan Law Review, Hutchins Hall, Ann Arbor, MI 48109; single issues $3.50. (Author/IRT)

untangling chemical kinetics through tangible and visual

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Temechegn

elementary chemical reactions as part of the learning process. Despite employing ... relation between reaction rates of reactants and their products involves the use .... Experiment Journal of Chemical Education, 77, 1013– 1014. 19. Niaz, M. A ...

Untangling the Source of Ouch and Itch

Science.gov (United States)

... from a complicated process involving many types of neurotransmitters, chemicals that transfer nerve signals to the brain, ... Human Services National Institutes of Health: NIH...Turning Discovery Into Health ® USA.gov National Institute of General ...

Advancing Uncertainty: Untangling and Discerning Related Concepts

OpenAIRE

Janice Penrod

2002-01-01

Methods of advancing concepts within the qualitative paradigm have been developed and articulated. In this section, I describe methodological perspectives of a project designed to advance the concept of uncertainty using multiple qualitative methods. Through a series of earlier studies, the concept of uncertainty arose repeatedly in varied contexts, working its way into prominence, and warranting further investigation. Processes of advanced concept analysis were used to initiate the formal in...

Untangling the web...spiders in Arizona fields

Science.gov (United States)

Many kinds of arthropod natural enemies (predators and parasitoids) inhabit crop fields in Arizona and can have a large negative impact on several pest insect species that also infest these crops. Many different species of spiders are common in cotton, alfalfa and other crops in Arizona. Among the ...

Advancing Uncertainty: Untangling and Discerning Related Concepts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janice Penrod

2002-12-01

Full Text Available Methods of advancing concepts within the qualitative paradigm have been developed and articulated. In this section, I describe methodological perspectives of a project designed to advance the concept of uncertainty using multiple qualitative methods. Through a series of earlier studies, the concept of uncertainty arose repeatedly in varied contexts, working its way into prominence, and warranting further investigation. Processes of advanced concept analysis were used to initiate the formal investigation into the meaning of the concept. Through concept analysis, the concept was deconstructed to identify conceptual components and gaps in understanding. Using this skeletal framework of the concept identified through concept analysis, subsequent studies were carried out to add ‘flesh’ to the concept. First, a concept refinement using the literature as data was completed. Findings revealed that the current state of the concept of uncertainty failed to incorporate what was known of the lived experience. Therefore, using interview techniques as the primary data source, a phenomenological study of uncertainty among caregivers was conducted. Incorporating the findings of the phenomenology, the skeletal framework of the concept was further fleshed out using techniques of concept correction to produce a more mature conceptualization of uncertainty. In this section, I describe the flow of this qualitative project investigating the concept of uncertainty, with special emphasis on a particular threat to validity (called conceptual tunnel vision that was identified and addressed during the phases of concept correction. Though in this article I employ a study of uncertainty for illustration, limited substantive findings regarding uncertainty are presented to retain a clear focus on the methodological issues.

Use of residential wood heating in a context of climate change: a population survey in Québec (Canada

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valois Pierre

2008-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Wood heating is recommended in several countries as a climate change (CC adaptation measure, mainly to increase the autonomy of households during power outages due to extreme climatic events. The aim of this study was to examine various perceptions and individual characteristics associated with wood heating through a survey about CC adaptations. Methods A telephone survey (n = 2,545 of adults living in the southern part of the province of Québec (Canada was conducted in the early fall season of 2005. The questionnaire used closed questions and measured the respondents' beliefs and current adaptations about CC. Calibration weighting was used to adjust the data analysis for the respondent's age and language under stratified sampling based on health regions. Results More than three out of four respondents had access to a single source of energy at home, which was mainly electricity; 22.2% combined two sources or more; 18.5% heated with wood occasionally or daily during the winter. The prevalence of wood heating was higher in the peripheral regions than in the more urban regions, where there was a higher proportion of respondents living in apartments. The prevalence was also higher with participants completely disagreeing (38.5% with the eventual prohibition of wood heating when there is smog in winter, compared to respondents somewhat disagreeing (24.2% or agreeing (somewhat: 17.5%; completely: 10.4% with the adoption of this strategy. It appears that the perception of living in a region susceptible to winter smog, smog warnings in the media, or the belief in the human contribution to CC, did not influence significantly wood heating practices. Conclusion Increased residential wood heating could very well become a maladaptation to climate change, given its known consequences on winter smog and respiratory health. It would thus be appropriate to implement a long-term national program on improved and controlled residential wood

Prediction of Hourly Particulate Matter Concentrations in Chiangmai, Thailand Using MODIS Aerosol Optical Depth and Ground-Based Meteorological Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thongchai Kanabkaew

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Various extreme events recorded over the world have been recognized as scientific-based evidence from possible climate change and variability. The incidence of increasing forest fires and intensive agricultural field burning in Chiangmai and Northern Thailand due to favor conditions may also due to a likely increase of droughts caused by the changing climate. Smog from biomass burning, particularly particulate matter (PM seriously affects health and the environment. Lack and sparse of ground monitors may cause unreliability for warning information. Satellite remote sensing is now a promising technology for air quality prediction at ground level. This study was to investigate the statistical model for predicting PM concentration using satellite data. Aerosol optical depth (AOD data were gathered from MODIS-Terra platform while hourly PM2.5 and PM10 data were collected from the Pollution Control Department. The relationship between AOD and hourly PM over Chiangmai was addressed by Model I-Simple linear regression and Model II-Multiple linear regression with ground-based meteorological data correction. The data used for the statistical analyses were from smog period in 2012 (January-April. Results revealed that AOD and hourly PM in Model I were positively correlated with the coefficient of determination (R2 of 0.22 and 0.21, respectively for PM2.5 and PM10. The relationship between AOD and hourly PM was improved significantly when correcting with relative humidity and temperature data. The model II gave R2 of 0.77 and 0.71, respectively for PM2.5 and PM10. To investigate the validity of model, the regression equation obtained from Model II was then applied with smog data over Chiangmai in March 2007. The model performed reasonably with R2 of 0.74. The model applications would provide supplementary data to other areas with similar conditions and without air quality monitoring stations, and reduce false warning the level of air pollution associated

Atmospheric chemistry of CH3CHF2 (R-152a): mechanism of the CH3CF2O2+HO2 reaction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hashikawa, Y; Kawasaki, M; Andersen, Mads Peter Sulbæk

2004-01-01

FTIR smog chamber techniques have been used to investigate the mechanism of the reaction of CH3CF2O2 with HO2 radicals in 100-700 Torr of synthetic air at 296 K. The reaction gives CH3CF2OOH and COF2 in molar yields of 0.53 +/- 0.05 and 0.47 +/- 0.05, respectively. Results are discussed with resp......FTIR smog chamber techniques have been used to investigate the mechanism of the reaction of CH3CF2O2 with HO2 radicals in 100-700 Torr of synthetic air at 296 K. The reaction gives CH3CF2OOH and COF2 in molar yields of 0.53 +/- 0.05 and 0.47 +/- 0.05, respectively. Results are discussed...

Volatile organic compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silseth, May Liss

1998-01-01

The goal is: Not more emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) than necessary. The items discussed in this presentation are the VOCs, how to calculate emission of VOCs, how to reduce or avoid them, and different recovery processes. The largest source of Norwegian emissions of non methane VOCs (NMVOCs) is offshore loading of raw petroleum. Emissions of VOCs should be reduced mainly for two reasons: (1) on sunny days NMVOCs may react with NOx to form ozon and smog close to the surface, (2) ozone and smog close to the surface may be harmful to plants and animals, and they are hazardous to human health. As for the calculation of VOC emissions, the VOCON project will release the calculation program HCGASS in 1999. This project is a cooperative project headed by SINTEF/Marintek

Relating the environmental impact of consumption to household expenditures. An input-output analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kerkhof, Annemarie C.; Nonhebel, Sanderine; Moll, Henri C.

2009-01-01

In this paper we evaluate the relationships between household expenditures and the environmental impact categories climate change, acidification, eutrophication and smog formation, by combining household expenditures with environmentally extended input-output analysis. Expenditure elasticities are examined with regression analysis, and are compared and interpreted on the basis of insight at the product level. With data from the Netherlands in the year 2000, we find that environmental impact increases with increasing household expenditures, although the degree to which the environmental impact increases differs per impact category. Climate change and eutrophication increase less than proportionally with increasing expenditures. Acidification increases nearly proportionally with increasing expenditures, whereas smog formation increases more than proportionally. It appears that the mix of necessities and luxuries to which an environmental impact is related is essential in explaining the relationship. (author)

Targeted Killings in Bangladesh: Diversity at Stake

OpenAIRE

Syed, Jawad

2016-01-01

Since 2013, Bangladesh has repeatedly been in headline news across the world due to systematic and incessant targeted killings. In the mainstream media, both in South Asia and the West, the focus has been generally on high profile murders of secular and progressive bloggers. This includes the recent worldwide broad coverage on the tragic murder of Xulhaz Mannan, editor of Bangladesh's first LGBT rights magazine. However, not many know that these killings are only one part of the story. Secula...

Naval War College Review. Volume 60, Number 3, Summer 2007

Science.gov (United States)

2007-06-01

you a new idea, and in that context it is interesting to think for a moment about the name of this beautiful , small town on the Narragansett Bay. It is...at everyone’s fingertips • Exploding Internet with bloggers , hackers, and chat rooms • Cell-phone cameras and recorders, making everyone a “reporter...simply The Road, and it is notable in every sense, most particularly for the heartbreaking beauty of its poetic language and as well for the utterly

Ny ph.d.-afhandling om fald og faldforebyggelse

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Evron, Lotte

2015-01-01

Lotte Evron forsvarede d. 18. Marts 2015 sin ph.d.-afhandling: Egenomsorg som selvteknologi i multifaktoriel faldforebyggelse – et feltstudie med diskursanalyse på Institut for Kommunikation, Aalborg Universitet. Undersøgelsen studerer egenomsorg som styringsteknologi i et bestemt multifaktoriel ...... underviser og forsker på Professionshøjskolen Metropol og holder gerne foredrag om sin forskning. Desuden blogger hun om fald og faldforebyggelse på Faldnørden: https://sygeplejerskelotte.wordpress.com og tweeter om sygepleje på: https://twitter.com/sygeplejerskele...

Photooxidation of farnesene mixtures in the presence of NOx: Analysis of reaction products and their implication to ambient PM2.5

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Chemical analysis of SOA produced from the irradiation of a mixture of α/β-farnesene/NOx was conducted in a 14.5 cubic meter smog chamber. SOA collected on...

Relating the environmental impact of consumption to household expenditures : An input-output analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kerkhof, Annemarie C.; Nonhebel, Sanderine; Moll, Henri C.

2009-01-01

In this paper we evaluate the relationships between household expenditures and the environmental impact categories climate change, acidification, eutrophication and smog formation, by combining household expenditures with environmentally extended input–output analysis. Expenditure elasticities are

Evaluatie van de smogsituatie in de winterperioden '92/'93, '93/'94 en '94/'95

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Anker IM van de; LLO

1996-01-01

In Nederland bestaat sinds 20 juni 1991 een nieuwe smogregeling, het zogenaamde Modeldraaiboek Smog 1991. In dit modeldraaiboek zijn procedures, maatregelen, handelingen, signaleringsschema's en aanbevelingen vastgelegd welke betrekking hebben op perioden met verhoogde luchtverontreiniging

Air Pollution and Asthma (For Parents)

Science.gov (United States)

... from cars, power plants, and factories mix with sunlight. This "ozone pollution" is a main part of smog — the brownish-yellow haze often seen hanging over cities on the horizon. It's worse on warmer days ...

Evaluatie van de zomersmogsituatie in 1994

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Doesburg MJ van; LLO

1995-01-01

In Nederland bestaat sinds 20 juni 1991 een smogregeling, het zogenaamde Modeldraaiboek Smog 1991. In dit modeldraaiboek zijn afspraken gemaakt voor de onderlinge informatievoorziening en de te volgen procedures, maatregelen en aanbevelingen tijdens perioden met verhoogde luchtverontreiniging

Investigation of the Aerosols Over the Los Angeles Basin during the ARCTAS-CARB 2008 Pilot Study

Science.gov (United States)

Thornhill, L.; Anderson, B. E.; Beyersdorf, A.; Chen, G.; Winstead, E. L.; Lathem, T.; Diskin, G.; Sachse, G.; Dibb, J.; Scheuer, E.

2008-12-01

In the summer of 2008 during preparation for the second phase of the Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites (ARCTAS), detailed measurements of atmospheric composition were made on-board the NASA DC-8 over the state of California on behalf of the California Air resources Board (CARB). Four flights were conducted between 18 July and 24 July, totaling 31 hours, over southern and central California to establish upwind chemical boundary conditions and gain a better understanding of the sources, chemical characteristics and spatial distribution of smog and greenhouse gases over the state. Serendipitously, from a science perspective, this time period was marked by numerous wildfires spread throughout the state. The DC-8 sensor suite included aerosol instruments capable of measuring the number concentrations, optical properties, and size distributions of aerosols between 0.003 and 20 um in diameter. In this presentation, we will characterize aerosols sampled during sorties over the Los Angeles basin, which included several missed approaches at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), traverses through the Long Beach and Santa Barbara ship channels, sampling in and out of the marine boundary layer, and encounters with outflow of forest fires mixed with urban smog. We will examine the evolution of the aerosols over the course of the day, as the smog accumulates within the basin and is then transported out of the basin into the surrounding atmosphere.

Eco-transformation of industrial parks in China

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yu, C.

2014-01-01

During the past three decades, China has achieved impressive economic development. However, the pollution and resource depletion that accompanied China's rapid industrialization have led to severe environmental issues, such as ecosystem degradation, groundwater contamination and smog, which have

Unspeciated organic emissions from combustion sources and their influence on the secondary organic aerosol budget in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formed from the atmospheric oxidation of nonmethane organic gases (NMOG) is a major contributor to atmospheric aerosol mass. Emissions and smog chamber experiments were performed to investigate SOA formation from gasoline vehicles, diesel vehicles,...

Atmospheric effects of a nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Birks, J.W.

1983-01-01

The subject is discussed under the headings: nuclear war scenario (assumptions of size and place of explosions); fires; urban and forest fires; smoke and soot; darkness; meteorological and climatic effects; photochemical smog; ozone shield depletion; conclusions. (U.K.)

Real World SharePoint 2007 Indispensable Experiences From 16 MOSS and WSS MVPs

CERN Document Server

Hillier, Scot; Buenz, Adam; Connell, Andrew; Draper, Stacy; Solier Grinda, Luis Du; Klindt, Todd; Medero, Jason; Miller, Dustin; Perran, Shane; Poelmans, Joris; Solomon, Heather; Swan, Nick; Tielens, Jan; Walsh, Mike; Young, Shane

2011-01-01

Microsoft recognizes key individuals who contribute significantly to the community of technologists through the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) award. These individuals are active authors, speakers, bloggers, and innovators. They are also skilled network engineers, developers, trainers, designers, and architects. In the SharePoint community, these MVPs are recognized for their expertise in either Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) or Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS). This book represents the efforts of 16 MVPs in the SharePoint community to present core areas of SharePoint 2

ELECTRONIC WORD OF MOUTH: HOW MUCH DO WE KNOW?

OpenAIRE

Mihaela ABĂLĂESEI

2014-01-01

Since the development of Web 2.0 (or social media) sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, and various forums and communities, online users from all over the world have been exposed to a completely new means of information sharing: electronic word of mouth (e-WOM). Due to the fact that it is a recent research phenomenon, its definition is difficult to be phrased and similar to traditional word-of-mouth, the theoretical framework of e-WOM is not very clear. This complex concept is linked to ...

Impact of power generation on air quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fisher, B.E.A.

1999-01-01

The article discusses the impact of the electric power industry on air quality. Much of the data are presented in chronological order starting with the London smogs in the late nineteenth century and the Clean Air Act of 1956. With the building of bigger and bigger coal-fired power stations, apparatus to restrict emissions of dust became common and a Royal Commission reported on the progress of smoke control in 1974 and 1976. The article is presented under the sub-headings of (i) role of Local Authorities; (ii) weather and smog; (iii) trends in emissions; (iv) dispersal and dilution; (v) smoke and sulfur dioxide exported; (vi) atmospheric lifetime of sulfur dioxide; (vii) proportionality between emissions and deposition; (viii) critical loads; (ix) international agreements on transboundary pollution; (x) road transport pollution; (xi) local air quality management and (xii) climate change

Constraining a hybrid volatility basis-set model for aging of wood-burning emissions using smog chamber experiments: a box-model study based on the VBS scheme of the CAMx model (v5.40

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Ciarelli

2017-06-01

Full Text Available In this study, novel wood combustion aging experiments performed at different temperatures (263 and 288 K in a ∼ 7 m3 smog chamber were modelled using a hybrid volatility basis set (VBS box model, representing the emission partitioning and their oxidation against OH. We combine aerosol–chemistry box-model simulations with unprecedented measurements of non-traditional volatile organic compounds (NTVOCs from a high-resolution proton transfer reaction mass spectrometer (PTR-MS and with organic aerosol measurements from an aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS. Due to this, we are able to observationally constrain the amounts of different NTVOC aerosol precursors (in the model relative to low volatility and semi-volatile primary organic material (OMsv, which is partitioned based on current published volatility distribution data. By comparing the NTVOC ∕ OMsv ratios at different temperatures, we determine the enthalpies of vaporization of primary biomass-burning organic aerosols. Further, the developed model allows for evaluating the evolution of oxidation products of the semi-volatile and volatile precursors with aging. More than 30 000 box-model simulations were performed to retrieve the combination of parameters that best fit the observed organic aerosol mass and O : C ratios. The parameters investigated include the NTVOC reaction rates and yields as well as enthalpies of vaporization and the O : C of secondary organic aerosol surrogates. Our results suggest an average ratio of NTVOCs to the sum of non-volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds of ∼ 4.75. The mass yields of these compounds determined for a wide range of atmospherically relevant temperatures and organic aerosol (OA concentrations were predicted to vary between 8 and 30 % after 5 h of continuous aging. Based on the reaction scheme used, reaction rates of the NTVOC mixture range from 3.0 × 10−11 to 4. 0 × 10−11 cm3 molec−1 s−1

South African Medical Journal - Vol 84, No 11 (1994)

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Trends in photochemical smog in the Cape Peninsula and the implications for health · EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT. R.S. Bailie, R.I. Ehrlich, T.F. Truluck, 738-742 ...

Factors Affecting the Relative Success of EPA's NOx CAP-and-Trade Program

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

1998-01-01

...), the principal component of smog. The aim of that rule--sometimes referred to as the Ozone Transport Rule-is to help areas meet the Clean Air Act's National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ground-level ozone in a cost-effective way...

Characterization of Regional Marginal Abatement Cost Curves for NOx that Incorporate Control Measures, Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency and Fuel Switching

Science.gov (United States)

Anthropogenic nitrogen oxides (NOx) are emitted when fossil fuels are combusted. In the atmosphere, NOx reacts with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to produce tropospheric ozone, a component of photochemical smog. In most parts of the country, strategies for reducing ozone gene...

Formation of chemical compounds from irradiated mixtures of aromatic hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Besemer, A.C.

1982-01-01

The paper describes the analysis of products of the photochemical degradation of toluene and toluene-14C in smog chamber experiments. Compounds identified included methylglyoxal, possibly the recently postulated butenedial and other carbonyl compounds. The main product of photochemical degradation

Atmospheric Gas-Phase Reactions of Fluorinated Compounds and Alkenes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Østerstrøm, Freja From

Experimental studies have been performed using three different smog chamber setups to investigate the atmospheric chemistry of fluorinated compounds as well as alkenes. The three instruments were at Ford Motor Company, USA, National Center for Atmospheric Research, USA, and Copenhagen Center...

“Some of the Best Movement People Are Political Ecologists at Heart”: An Interview About Political Ecology With Nancy Peluso

OpenAIRE

Melanie Pichler

2016-01-01

Nancy Peluso pioneered political ecology research in Southeast Asia with her book on Rich Forest, Poor People (1992) that untangles peasant resistance and state control in Indonesian forest politics. Since then, the professor of political ecology at UC Berkeley, California, has done extensive ethnographic research on the effects of social difference (ethnic identity, class, gender) on resource access and control, dealing with forests, land, mining, and water conflicts in Indonesia and Malays...

Ground-level Ozone (Smog) Information | New England | US ...

Science.gov (United States)

2017-09-05

Ground-level ozone presents a serious air quality problem in New England. In 2008, EPA revised the ozone standard to a level of 0.075 parts per million, 8-hour average. Over the last 5 years (2006 through 2010), there have been an average of 31 days per summer when New England's air exceeded this standard.

Electric smog: telemetry interference between ICD and LVAD.

Science.gov (United States)

Duncker, David; König, Thorben; Müller-Leisse, Johanna; Michalski, Roman; Oswald, Hanno; Schmitto, Jan D; Bauersachs, Johann; Veltmann, Christian

2017-09-01

Electromagnetic interferences between implantable cardioverter/defibrillators (ICD) and left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) impacting telemetry have been described in previous generations of ICD as well as LVAD, but have been predominantly overcome in current ICD generations. After introduction of a new fully magnetically levitated centrifugal continuous-flow circulatory pump, we report a case of tenacious telemetry interference between the HeartMate 3 LVAD and an ICD after battery exchange to an Iforia 5. Initialization of the initial telemetry handshake was only possible using several specific maneuvers simultaneously. In order to exclude device-device interference, we suggest to place the ICD above the LVAD before implantation and to test for possible telemetry interferences.

Smog and Your Automobile. [Teacher's Manual, Filmstrip, Record].

Science.gov (United States)

California State Dept. of Public Health, Berkeley.

A filmstrip, 33 1/3 RPM record, and teacher's manual are combined in this set to be used in driver education classes at the senior high school level. Their main purpose is to inform future drivers how they can minimize pollution from their automobiles through proper car maintenance and good driving habits. Content of the manual is divided into…

[Characterization of photochemical smog chamber and initial experiments].

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Long; Xu, Yong-Fu; Shi, Yu-Zhen

2011-02-01

A self-made new indoor environmental chamber facility for the study of atmospheric processes leading to the formation of ozone and secondary organic aerosols has been introduced and characterized. The characterization experiments include the measurements of wall effects for reactive species and the determination of chamber dependent * OH radical sources by CO-NO(x) irradiation experiments. Preliminary ethene-NO(x) and benzene-NO(x) experiments were conducted as well. The results of characterization experiments show that the wall effects for O3 and NO2 in a new reactor are not obvious. Relative humidity has a great effect on the wall losses in the old reactor, especially for O3. In the old reactor, the rate constant for O3 wall losses is obtained to be 1.0 x 10(-5) s(-1) (RH = 5%) and 4.0 x10(-5) s(-1) (RH = 91%), whereas for NO2, it is 1.0 x 10(-6) s(-1) (RH = 5%) and 0.6 x 10(-6) s(-1) (RH = 75%). The value for k(NO2 --> HONO) determined by CO-NO(x) irradiation experiments is (4.2-5.2) x 10(-5) s(-1) and (2.3-2.5) x 10(-5) s(-1) at RH = 5% and RH 75% -77%, respectively. The average *OH concentration is estimated to be (2.1 +/- 0.4) x 10(6) molecules/cm3 by using a reaction rate coefficient of CO and * OH. The sensitivity of chamber dependent auxiliary reactions to the O3 formation is discussed. Results show that NO2 --> HONO has the greatest impact on the O3 formation during the initial stage, N2O5 + H2O --> 2HNO3 has a minus effect to maximum O3 concentration, and that the wall losses of both O3 and NO2 have little impact on the O3 formation. The results from the ethene-NO(x) and benzene-NO(x) experiments are in good agreement with those from the MCM simulation, which reflects that the facility for the study of the formation of secondary pollution of ozone and secondary organic aerosols is reliable. This demonstrates that our facility can be further used in the deep-going study of chemical processes in the atmosphere.

Effects of Ionization-Induced Smog on Air Chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

1987-01-30

MAR 33 APR eoiton may n* wJse vi+til Ctn l en u SEC’.ITY C ,SSIC-ACN OF -’S PAGE All Ott 𔃻t OitlDOrn are OllOel.i UNCLASSIFIED %N UNCLASSIFIED SECURITY...reported around 5.85 om and 7.5 pim . However, these were not observed in our measure- ments with nitric acid deliberately added to the air sample...term buildup of absorption in the 6.7 pim to 7.4 pm range and a shorter-lived (8 minute decay) absorption near 6.2 pm, and a shorter-lived absorption

Is smog innocuous? Air pollution and cardiovascular disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sundeep Mishra

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Air pollution is a significant environmental and health hazard. Earlier studies had examined the adverse health effects associated with short- and long-term exposure to particulate matter on respiratory disease. However, later studies demonstrated that was actually cardiovascular disease that accounted for majority of mortality. Furthermore, it was not gaseous pollutants like oxides of nitrate, sulfur, carbon mono-oxide or ozone but the particulate matter or PM, of fine or coarse size (PM2.5 and PM10 which was linearly associated with mortality; PM2.5 with long term and PM10 with short term. Several cardiovascular diseases are associated with pollution; acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, cardiac arrhythmias, atherosclerosis and cardiac arrest. The ideal way to address this problem is by adhering to stringent environmental standards of pollutants but some individual steps like choosing to stay indoors (on high pollution days, reducing outdoor air permeation to inside, purifying indoor air using air filters, and also limiting outdoor physical activity near source of air pollution can help. Nutritional anti-oxidants like statins or Mediterranean diet, and aspirin have not been associated with reduced risk but specific nutritional agents like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower or brussels sprouts, fish oil supplement may help. Use of face-mask has been controversial but may be useful if particulate matter load is higher.

Is smog innocuous? Air pollution and cardiovascular disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Mishra, Sundeep

Air pollution is a significant environmental and health hazard. Earlier studies had examined the adverse health effects associated with short- and long-term exposure to particulate matter on respiratory disease. However, later studies demonstrated that was actually cardiovascular disease that accounted for majority of mortality. Furthermore, it was not gaseous pollutants like oxides of nitrate, sulfur, carbon mono-oxide or ozone but the particulate matter or PM, of fine or coarse size (PM 2.5 and PM 10 ) which was linearly associated with mortality; PM 2.5 with long term and PM 10 with short term. Several cardiovascular diseases are associated with pollution; acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, cardiac arrhythmias, atherosclerosis and cardiac arrest. The ideal way to address this problem is by adhering to stringent environmental standards of pollutants but some individual steps like choosing to stay indoors (on high pollution days), reducing outdoor air permeation to inside, purifying indoor air using air filters, and also limiting outdoor physical activity near source of air pollution can help. Nutritional anti-oxidants like statins or Mediterranean diet, and aspirin have not been associated with reduced risk but specific nutritional agents like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower or brussels sprouts, fish oil supplement may help. Use of face-mask has been controversial but may be useful if particulate matter load is higher. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

We the Media Grassroots Journalism By the People, For the People

CERN Document Server

Gillmor, Dan

2008-01-01

In We the Media, nationally acclaimed newspaper columnist and blogger Dan Gillmor shows how anyone can produce the news, using personal blogs, internet chat groups, email, and a host of other tools. He tells the story of this emerging phenomenon and sheds light on this deep shift in how we make--and consume--the news. Journalism in the 21st century will be fundamentally different from the Big Media oligarchy that prevails today. We the Media casts light on the future of journalism, and invites us all to be part of it.

Linking consumer experiences

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Smed, Karina Madsen

become part of the individual self, worldview, and behaviour. This paper seeks to explore links between consumer experiences through the exploration of narrative sequences in travel blogs. Findings indicate that non-consumption is a central element to the bloggers and also indicative of a community......Consumers consume products in various ways serving a number of purposes. Much attention has been paid to experiences attached to consumption, sometimes very explicitly, e.g. in tourism, the essence of which is experiences of various sorts, but often also implicitly as internalised experiences...

The Blogosphere as Oeuvre

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kalb, Hendrik; Trier, Matthias

2012-01-01

a research model to inquire the influence of individual and collective beliefs on the oeuvre in comparison to short-term blogging activity. We conducted an online survey with 509 international distributed bloggers to test our model. The results of our study provide support for the importance of an oeuvre......Blogging has often been described as writing an online diary but, nowadays, it is more diverse and a considerable amount of blogs forms a common interconnected resource – the blogosphere – with comprehensive societal impact. While various studies have inquired social-psychological influences...

A short lecture on Open Licensing

OpenAIRE

Barba, Lorena A.

2017-01-01

Also on SpeakerDeck, for nicer viewing.A lecture as part of the workshop "Essential skills for reproducible research computing," at Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María (January 2017).[slide 3]Syllabus of the workshop.[slide 5]In an October-2015 interview by mathematics professor and blogger Robert Talbert, I answer this question … “Why do you advocate so strongly for open-source technology in research and education?” … I start by first clarifying WHAT WE MEAN by “open.” [slide 6]"Free an...

Pengaruh Penggunaan Media Sosial Facebook Terhadap Motivasi Belajar Mahasiswa Fisip Universitas Riau

OpenAIRE

Hanafi, Muhammad; ", Yasir

2016-01-01

Many social networking sites can be a place to share information and with interesting features but it also can become a means of getting a lot of friends to arrive to find a mate. Internet sites such as Twitteer, Friendster, Hi5, Myspace, YouTube, Blogger and many more. Facebook is a social networking website that is now increasing in popularity and the number of members increased sharply in a short time.The main task of the student is learning and studying, because adolescence is a time of t...

SECONDARY ORGANIC AEROSOL FORMATION FROM THE OXIDATION OF AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS IN THE PRESENCE OF DRY SUBMICRON AMMONIUM SULFATE AEROSOL

Science.gov (United States)

A laboratory study was conducted to examine formation of secondary organic aerosols. A smog chamber system was developed for studying gas-aerosol interactions in a dynamic flow reactor. These experiments were conducted to investigate the fate of gas and aerosol phase compounds ...

Life Cycle Assessment of Diesel and Electric Public Transportation Buses

Science.gov (United States)

The Clean Air Act identifies diesel powered motor vehicles, including transit buses, as significant sources of several criteria pollutants which contribute to ground level ozone formation or smog. The effects of air pollution in urban areas are often more significant due to con...

Prognose van luchtkwaliteit: signalering van fotochemische smogepisoden

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Rheineck Leyssius HJ; de Leeuw FAAM

1990-01-01

A description of two procedures which are used at RIVM in forecasting photochemical smog episodes is presented. Both procedures lead to the estimation of daily average oxidant (O3 + NO2) concentrations. The procedure OXPRO provides prognoses for the concentrations of "today" and

ANALYSIS OF SECONDARY ORGANIC AEROSOL COMPOUNDS FROM THE PHOTOOXIDATION OF D-LIMONENE IN THE PRESENCE OF NO X AND THEIR DETECTION IN AMBIENT PM 2.5

Science.gov (United States)

Chemical analysis of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) from the photooxidation of a d-limonene/NOx/air mixture was carried out. SOA, generated in a smog chamber, was collected on Zefluor filters. To determine the structural characteristics of the compounds, the filter sample...

Air pollution and asthma in children. The relationship between air pollution and anti-ashma medication despensing to children from 6 until 12 years old in the North of the Netherlands.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Weide van der, Lianne

2005-01-01

This explorative study aimed to investigate the relationship between anthropogenic air pollution like summer smog, and anti-asthma medication dispensing by pharmacies to children from 6 until 12 years old in a city and a town in the North of the Netherlan

76 FR 57871 - Approval of Air Quality Implementation Plans; California; South Coast; Attainment Plan for 1997 8...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-16

... Automotive Repair (Smog Check improvements) and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (VOC... South Coast 2007 Ozone Plan. The District conducted public workshops, provided public comment periods... to the 2007 AQMP. See SCAQMD Governing Board Resolution 11-9. CARB conducted public workshops...

Greenhouse gas and ammonia emissions and mitigation options from livestock production in peri-urban agriculture

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wei, S.; Bai, Z.H.; Chadwick, D.; Hou, Y.; Qin, W.; Zhao, Z.Q.; Jiang, R.F.; Ma, L.

2018-01-01

Livestock production in peri-urban areas constitutes an important sub-sector of the agricultural production system in China, and contributes to environmental degradation and local air borne pollution contributing to smog. As a result, local policies are being implemented to safeguard the

"Just Plain Murder": Public Debate and Corporate Diplomacy in Donora's Fight for Clean Air

Science.gov (United States)

Schroeder, Gabe

2011-01-01

One modern definition of "corporate diplomacy" states "executives engage in the private sector version of international diplomacy... advancing their objectives through interactions with the leaders of other corporations, governments, analysts, the media and interest groups." The smog in Donora, Pennsylvania, brought the…

Digital Media Engagement and the Moral/Ethical Thinking of Fifth Grade Bloggers

Science.gov (United States)

Cortez-Riggio, Kim-Marie

2014-01-01

This study of digital media engagement, through participation in a class blog, explored its impact on 5th grade students' communication and collaboration, and morality and ethics-based thinking, in regards to the socially significant topic of cyber bullying. The use of a classroom blog as a space to develop cyber citizenship skills was also…

The readability and suitability of sexual health promotion leaflets.

Science.gov (United States)

Corcoran, Nova; Ahmad, Fatuma

2016-02-01

To investigate the readability and suitability of sexual health promotion leaflets. Application of SMOG, FRY and SAM tests to assess the readability and suitability of a selection of sexual health leaflets. SMOG and FRY scores illustrate an average reading level of grade 9. SAM scores indicate that 59% of leaflets are superior in design and 41% are average in design. Leaflets generally perform well in the categories of content, literacy demand, typography and layout. They perform poorly in use of graphics, learning stimulation/motivation and cultural appropriateness. Sexual health leaflets have a reading level that is too high. Leaflets perform well on the suitability scores indicating they are reasonably suitable. There are a number of areas where sexual health leaflets could improve their design. Numerous practical techniques are suggested for improving the readability and suitability of sexual health leaflets. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microanalysis on CuInSe2 compound synthesized by mechanochemical processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Sumei; Xue Yuzhi; Zhang Zhihua

2010-01-01

CuInSe 2 (CIS) compound has been synthesized by mechanochemical processing (MCP) with different process parameters. The effect of milling time and different molar ratios of Cu:In:Se was investigated. The obtained materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) for evaluating their crystal structure, grain size, morphology and composition. Field emission transmission electron microscopy (FETEM) was used to detect the smog particles produced during the milling. The results revealed that the obtained powder was chalcopyrite CuInSe 2 and the particle size was smaller than 5 μm after milling for 60 min. The EDS analysis indicated that the smog was volatile selenium. The composition of the products deviated from those of starting materials after MCP. The mechanism about mechanically induced self-propagating reaction which occurred during milling copper, indium and selenium powders was also discussed.

Vehicle emissions and effects on air quality: indoors and outdoors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perry, R.; Gee, I.L.

1994-01-01

Vehicle emissions of non-regulated volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as benzene, can form a major contribution to pollution of the indoor as well as the outdoor environment. Several of these compounds are considered to be a health risk and are important factors in the production of photochemical smog. The introduction of unleaded and particularly 'super unleaded' fuels has significantly increased levels of aromatic compounds in petrol world-wide and has led to changes in fuel composition with respect to olefins and the use of oxygenates. Increased aromatics, olefins and other compounds in fuels used in vehicles not fitted with catalytic converters have shown to increase emissions of benzene, 1,4-budatiene and other VOCs as well as contributing to increases in photochemical smog precursors. Increases in VOC levels in ambient air clearly produce increased indoor air pollution, particularly in naturally ventilated buildings. (author) 6 figs., 5 tabs., 30 refs

Exposed Biologies and the Banking of Reproductive Vitality in China

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wahlberg, Ayo

2018-01-01

The looming figures of smog-choked cities, cancer villages and contaminated food have become iconic of a modernising China: the tragic, perhaps unavoidable, side effects of a voracious economy. In this article, I examine how the sperm bank—jingzi ku—in China has emerged quite literally as a sanct......The looming figures of smog-choked cities, cancer villages and contaminated food have become iconic of a modernising China: the tragic, perhaps unavoidable, side effects of a voracious economy. In this article, I examine how the sperm bank—jingzi ku—in China has emerged quite literally...... as a sanctuary of vitality amidst concerns around food safety, air and water pollution, rising infertility and declining population quality. As a twist on Margaret Lock’s concept of ‘local biologies’, I argue that ‘exposed biologies’ have become a matter of concern in China in ways that have corroborated a place...

New rules for competition: Ontario to cap power plant emissions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1999-01-01

The Ontario government through the Dept. of the Environment announced on November 16, 1999 that it would cut the emissions from Ontario coal burning power plants that cause acid rain and smog. This announcement was a much anticipated clarification of the government's plans to clean up the power industry since the enactment of the Electricity Competition Act more than one year past. The announcement signals the beginning of a public discussion process between government and stakeholders on the environmental rules for electricity generation in Ontario. The Ontario government is expected to release draft regulations for controlling coal burning power plant emissions in the near future. Consulations with stakeholders on the regulations, as well as the rules for disclosure and labeling, are anticipated to begin in a few months. The announcement set out four principles for environmental performance in the competitive electricity market. Anti-smog requirements will be included in the stringent environmental requirements to be built into Ontario's new, competitive electricity market. The strong measures which the government will put into place when the market opens later in 2000 include: (1) regulations to cut smog and acid gas emissions for all Ontario electricity generators on the grid - these regulations will include Ontario Hydro's voluntary nitrogen oxide limits; (2) emission performance standards to define maximum acceptable emission levels for all generators wanting to sell in the Ontario market; (3) a framework to support opportunities to make greater use of more efficient, environmentally responsible technologies; and (4) disclosure requirements to ensure that electricity consumers can understand the environmental implications of their purchasing decisions

Aerosol Optical Depth Over India

Science.gov (United States)

David, Liji Mary; Ravishankara, A. R.; Kodros, John K.; Venkataraman, Chandra; Sadavarte, Pankaj; Pierce, Jeffrey R.; Chaliyakunnel, Sreelekha; Millet, Dylan B.

2018-04-01

Tropospheric aerosol optical depth (AOD) over India was simulated by Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS)-Chem, a global 3-D chemical-transport model, using SMOG (Speciated Multi-pOllutant Generator from Indian Institute of Technology Bombay) and GEOS-Chem (GC) (current inventories used in the GEOS-Chem model) inventories for 2012. The simulated AODs were 80% (SMOG) and 60% (GC) of those measured by the satellites (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer and Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer). There is no strong seasonal variation in AOD over India. The peak AOD values are observed/simulated during summer. The simulated AOD using SMOG inventory has particulate black and organic carbon AOD higher by a factor 5 and 3, respectively, compared to GC inventory. The model underpredicted coarse-mode AOD but agreed for fine-mode AOD with Aerosol Robotic Network data. It captured dust only over Western India, which is a desert, and not elsewhere, probably due to inaccurate dust transport and/or noninclusion of other dust sources. The calculated AOD, after dust correction, showed the general features in its observed spatial variation. Highest AOD values were observed over the Indo-Gangetic Plain followed by Central and Southern India with lowest values in Northern India. Transport of aerosols from Indo-Gangetic Plain and Central India into Eastern India, where emissions are low, is significant. The major contributors to total AOD over India are inorganic aerosol (41-64%), organic carbon (14-26%), and dust (7-32%). AOD over most regions of India is a factor of 5 or higher than over the United States.

費用収益の非対応： 不動産所得の経費をめぐって

OpenAIRE

林, 徹

2016-01-01

Can you imagine an income statement from real estate that is scarcely based on so called generally accepted corporate accounting standards, especially on the principle of matching costs with revenues? To our surprise, it certainly exits here in Japan. This paper tries to untangle this mystery through reviewing the Tax Answer by the National Tax Agency, laws or ordinances by the National Personnel Authority and Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. When an employee in specific jobsi...

Digital Materialisms: Frameworks for Digital Media Studies

OpenAIRE

Casemajor, Nathalie

2015-01-01

Since the 1980s, digital materialism has received increasing interest in the field of media studies. Materialism as a theoretical paradigm assumes that all things in the world are tied to physical processes and matter. Yet within digital media studies, the understanding of what should be the core object of a materialist analysis is debated. This paper proposes to untangle some of the principal theoretical propositions that compose the field of digital materialism. It outlines six frameworks t...

Untangling spider silk evolution with spidroin terminal domains

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Garb Jessica E

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Spidroins are a unique family of large, structural proteins that make up the bulk of spider silk fibers. Due to the highly variable nature of their repetitive sequences, spidroin evolutionary relationships have principally been determined from their non-repetitive carboxy (C-terminal domains, though they offer limited character data. The few known spidroin amino (N-terminal domains have been difficult to obtain, but potentially contain critical phylogenetic information for reconstructing the diversification of spider silks. Here we used silk gland expression data (ESTs from highly divergent species to evaluate the functional significance and phylogenetic utility of spidroin N-terminal domains. Results We report 11 additional spidroin N-termini found by sequencing ~1,900 silk gland cDNAs from nine spider species that shared a common ancestor > 240 million years ago. In contrast to their hyper-variable repetitive regions, spidroin N-terminal domains have retained striking similarities in sequence identity, predicted secondary structure, and hydrophobicity. Through separate and combined phylogenetic analyses of N-terminal domains and their corresponding C-termini, we find that combined analysis produces the most resolved trees and that N-termini contribute more support and less conflict than the C-termini. These analyses show that paralogs largely group by silk gland type, except for the major ampullate spidroins. Moreover, spidroin structural motifs associated with superior tensile strength arose early in the history of this gene family, whereas a motif conferring greater extensibility convergently evolved in two distantly related paralogs. Conclusions A non-repetitive N-terminal domain appears to be a universal attribute of spidroin proteins, likely retained from the origin of spider silk production. Since this time, spidroin N-termini have maintained several features, consistent with this domain playing a key role in silk assembly. Phylogenetic analyses of the conserved N- and C-terminal domains illustrate dramatic radiation of the spidroin gene family, involving extensive duplications, shifts in expression patterns and extreme diversification of repetitive structural sequences that endow spider silks with an unparalleled range of mechanical properties.

Untangling the Ambidexterity Dilemma through Big Data Analytics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bøe-Lillegraven, Tor

2014-01-01

Ambidexterity theory suggests that the ability to simultaneously explore and exploit is linked to firm performance, but the empirical evidence to date is mixed. In this study, I review existing research on firm performance in the newspaper industry in order to identify the main causal factors in ...... and exploit value chains. The article concludes with a discussion of how the explore/exploit framework can be operationalized using big data analytics, and recommendations for future research are offered....

Redefining RECs-Part 1: Untangling attributes and offsets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gillenwater, Michael

2008-01-01

Renewable energy and greenhouse gas emissions markets are currently in a state of confusion regarding the treatment of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). Should consumers buy RECs or emission offsets? After examining this question, the author concludes that RECs are not equivalent to emission offset credits, and as currently defined, the retiring of a REC may have no impact on emissions from electric power generation. Consumers who purchase RECs in voluntary green power markets are providing financial assistance to renewable generators in the form of a production subsidy. Generators that sell RECs are not transferring emission reductions, since they are unlikely to have ownership or the ability to quantify reductions using a commonly accepted standard. More importantly, RECs currently sold in voluntary markets do not pass credible additionality tests and can, at best, be expected to have a market demand effect, which will be less than the supply of RECs on the market. REC definitions that use the term 'environmental attributes' or 'environmental benefits' are almost universally ambiguous, providing the mistaken impression that consumers are purchasing a good instead of subsidizing a public good

UNTANGLING THE FUNGAL NICHE: A TRAIT-BASED APPROACH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas W Crowther

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Fungi are prominent components of most terrestrial ecosystems, both in terms of biomass and ecosystem functioning, but the hyper-diverse nature of most communities has obscured the search for unifying principles governing community organization. In particular, unlike plants and animals, observational studies provide little evidence for the existence of niche processes in structuring fungal communities at broad spatial scales. This limits our capacity to predict how communities, and their functioning, vary across landscapes. We outline how a shift in focus, from taxonomy towards functional traits, might prove to be valuable in the search for general patterns in fungal ecology. We build on theoretical advances in plant and animal ecology to provide an empirical framework for a trait-based approach in fungal community ecology. Drawing upon specific characteristics of the fungal system, we highlight the significance of drought stress and combat in structuring free-living fungal communities. We propose a conceptual model to formalize how trade-offs between stress-tolerance and combative dominance are likely to organize communities across environmental gradients. Given that the survival of a fungus in a given environment is contingent on its ability to tolerate antagonistic competitors, measuring variation in combat trait expression along environmental gradients provides a means of elucidating realized, from fundamental niche spaces. We conclude that, using a trait-based understanding of how niche processes structure fungal communities across time and space, we can ultimately link communities with ecosystem functioning. Our trait-based framework highlights fundamental uncertainties that require testing in the fungal system, given their potential to uncover general mechanisms in fungal ecology.

Untangling the brand name from the branded entity

OpenAIRE

Round, Griff; Roper, Stuart

2015-01-01

Purpose\\ud – The purpose of this study is to investigate the value to consumers of the brand name element for established brands, given that the focus in the literature has been on new brands. To accomplish this, conceptual development was initially undertaken to illuminate the links between the brand name element and the brand entity and to provide a theoretical framework for looking at changes in value of the brand name element to consumers over time.\\ud \\ud Design/methodology/approach\\ud –...

Untangling the Space-Time Ambiguity of Auroral Emissions

Science.gov (United States)

Gjerloev, J. W.; Humberset, B.; Michell, R. G.; Samara, M.; Mann, I. R.

2012-12-01

In this paper we address the spatiotemporal characteristics of the magnetosphere-ionosphere (M-I) system as observed by an all-sky imager (ASI). We utilize 557.7 nm images obtained by a ground based ASI located under the dark ionosphere (~22 MLT) at Poker Flat, Alaska. The 19 min movie was recorded at 3.31 Hz during continuous moderately intense auroral activity driven by a southward IMF Bz of about -5 nT. We analyze this movie using a simple, yet robust, 2D FFT technique that allows us to determine the scale size dependent variability. When plotting the correlation pattern as a function of scale size and time separation we find a pattern with distinct regions of high and low correlation. Larger scale sizes are found to have longer duration. We interpret this remarkable result as indicative of a M-I system that uses repeatable solutions to transfer energy and momentum from the magnetosphere to the ionosphere. Our findings support the characteristics of the field-aligned currents as determined from multi-point satellite observations (ST-5, Gjerloev et al., Annales Geophysicae, 2011). Two different electromagnetic parameters, auroral emissions and field-aligned currents, display similar characteristics supporting our conclusion that this is indicative of a fundamental behavior of the M-I system.

Complex networks untangle competitive advantage in Australian football

Science.gov (United States)

Braham, Calum; Small, Michael

2018-05-01

We construct player-based complex network models of Australian football teams for the 2014 Australian Football League season; modelling the passes between players as weighted, directed edges. We show that analysis of these measures can give an insight into the underlying structure and strategy of Australian football teams, quantitatively distinguishing different playing styles. The relationships observed between network properties and match outcomes suggest that successful teams exhibit well-connected passing networks with the passes distributed between all 22 players as evenly as possible. Linear regression models of team scores and match margins show significant improvements in R2 and Bayesian information criterion when network measures are added to models that use conventional measures, demonstrating that network analysis measures contain useful, extra information. Several measures, particularly the mean betweenness centrality, are shown to be useful in predicting the outcomes of future matches, suggesting they measure some aspect of the intrinsic strength of teams. In addition, several local centrality measures are shown to be useful in analysing individual players' differing contributions to the team's structure.

Untangling Spaghetti: How Innovation Changed at Oticon (C)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stranne, Søren; Maier, Anja; Strebel, Paul

The new innovation process has been accepted and begun to produce results, but is not yet entirely satisfactory. Learning objectives: Managing change in the approach to innovation. Designing an innovation process adapted to the evolution of technology and organizational size, especially the tension...

Untangling Spaghetti: How Innovation Changed at Oticon (A)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stranne, Søren; Maier, Anja; Strebel, Paul

The bottom-up “Spaghetti Organization” for pioneering innovation at Oticon was successful growing the top line for almost two decades, but gradually became too fragmented and costly as the company increased in size. The failure of a high cost revolutionary new product launch, together with the ap....... Understanding the importance of aligning organization and culture to support change (application of the Galbraith Star Model)....

Untangling Spaghetti: How Innovation Changed at Oticon (B)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stranne, Søren; Maier, Anja; Strebel, Paul

The management team introduced a “cultural revolution” to support the new innovation process, followed by an innovation workflow involving project portfolio planning and road mapping, as well as involvement of marketing and production. Learning objectives: Managing change in the approach to innov...... to support change (application of the Galbraith Star Model)....

Untangling Topographic and Climatic Forcing of Earthflow Motion

Science.gov (United States)

Finnegan, N. J.; Nereson, A. L.

2017-12-01

Earthflows commonly form in steep river canyons and are argued to initiate from rapid incision that destabilizes hill slope toes. At the same time, earthflows are known to exhibit a temporal pattern of movement that is correlated with seasonal precipitation and associated changes in effective stress. In this contribution, we use infinite slope analysis to illuminate the relative roles of topographic slope and climate (via its control on pore fluid pressure) in influencing earthflow motion at Oak Ridge earthflow, near San Jose, CA. To this end, we synthesize two years of shallow (2.7 m depth) pore fluid pressure data and continuous GPS-derived velocities with an 80-year record of historical deformation derived from tracking of trees and rocks on orthophotos along much of the 1.4 km length and 400 m relief of the earthflow. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that motion of Oak Ridge earthflow occurs as frictional sliding along a discrete failure surface, as argued for other earthflows. Spatial patterns of sliding velocity along the earthflow show the same sensitivity to topographic slope for five discrete periods of historical sliding, accelerating by roughly an order of magnitude along a 20 degree increase in earthflow gradient. In contrast, during the 2016-2017 winter, velocity increased much more rapidly for an equivalent increase in driving stress due to pore-fluid pressure rise at our GPS antenna. During this time period, Oak Ridge earthflow moved approximately 30 cm and we observed a relatively simple, non-linear relationship between GPS-derived sliding velocity and shallow pore fluid pressure. Rapid sliding in 2016-2017 (> 0.6 cm/day) occurred exclusively during the week following a large winter storm event that raised pore pressures to seasonal highs within only 1-2 days of the storm peak. These observations suggests that a mechanism, such as dilatant strengthening, acts to stabilize velocities for a given value of pore fluid pressure in the landslide mass. They also suggest that earthflow motion is more sensitive to pore-fluid pressure forcing than to topographic forcing and challenge the view that attenuation of pore fluid pressure with depth renders large landslides relatively insensitive to high frequency climate variability.

Spider phylogenomics: untangling the Spider Tree of Life

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicole L. Garrison

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Spiders (Order Araneae are massively abundant generalist arthropod predators that are found in nearly every ecosystem on the planet and have persisted for over 380 million years. Spiders have long served as evolutionary models for studying complex mating and web spinning behaviors, key innovation and adaptive radiation hypotheses, and have been inspiration for important theories like sexual selection by female choice. Unfortunately, past major attempts to reconstruct spider phylogeny typically employing the “usual suspect” genes have been unable to produce a well-supported phylogenetic framework for the entire order. To further resolve spider evolutionary relationships we have assembled a transcriptome-based data set comprising 70 ingroup spider taxa. Using maximum likelihood and shortcut coalescence-based approaches, we analyze eight data sets, the largest of which contains 3,398 gene regions and 696,652 amino acid sites forming the largest phylogenomic analysis of spider relationships produced to date. Contrary to long held beliefs that the orb web is the crowning achievement of spider evolution, ancestral state reconstructions of web type support a phylogenetically ancient origin of the orb web, and diversification analyses show that the mostly ground-dwelling, web-less RTA clade diversified faster than orb weavers. Consistent with molecular dating estimates we report herein, this may reflect a major increase in biomass of non-flying insects during the Cretaceous Terrestrial Revolution 125–90 million years ago favoring diversification of spiders that feed on cursorial rather than flying prey. Our results also have major implications for our understanding of spider systematics. Phylogenomic analyses corroborate several well-accepted high level groupings: Opisthothele, Mygalomorphae, Atypoidina, Avicularoidea, Theraphosoidina, Araneomorphae, Entelegynae, Araneoidea, the RTA clade, Dionycha and the Lycosoidea. Alternatively, our results challenge the monophyly of Eresoidea, Orbiculariae, and Deinopoidea. The composition of the major paleocribellate and neocribellate clades, the basal divisions of Araneomorphae, appear to be falsified. Traditional Haplogynae is in need of revision, as our findings appear to support the newly conceived concept of Synspermiata. The sister pairing of filistatids with hypochilids implies that some peculiar features of each family may in fact be synapomorphic for the pair. Leptonetids now are seen as a possible sister group to the Entelegynae, illustrating possible intermediates in the evolution of the more complex entelegyne genitalic condition, spinning organs and respiratory organs.

Spider phylogenomics: untangling the Spider Tree of Life

Science.gov (United States)

Garrison, Nicole L.; Rodriguez, Juanita; Agnarsson, Ingi; Coddington, Jonathan A.; Griswold, Charles E.; Hamilton, Christopher A.; Hedin, Marshal; Kocot, Kevin M.; Ledford, Joel M.

2016-01-01

Spiders (Order Araneae) are massively abundant generalist arthropod predators that are found in nearly every ecosystem on the planet and have persisted for over 380 million years. Spiders have long served as evolutionary models for studying complex mating and web spinning behaviors, key innovation and adaptive radiation hypotheses, and have been inspiration for important theories like sexual selection by female choice. Unfortunately, past major attempts to reconstruct spider phylogeny typically employing the “usual suspect” genes have been unable to produce a well-supported phylogenetic framework for the entire order. To further resolve spider evolutionary relationships we have assembled a transcriptome-based data set comprising 70 ingroup spider taxa. Using maximum likelihood and shortcut coalescence-based approaches, we analyze eight data sets, the largest of which contains 3,398 gene regions and 696,652 amino acid sites forming the largest phylogenomic analysis of spider relationships produced to date. Contrary to long held beliefs that the orb web is the crowning achievement of spider evolution, ancestral state reconstructions of web type support a phylogenetically ancient origin of the orb web, and diversification analyses show that the mostly ground-dwelling, web-less RTA clade diversified faster than orb weavers. Consistent with molecular dating estimates we report herein, this may reflect a major increase in biomass of non-flying insects during the Cretaceous Terrestrial Revolution 125–90 million years ago favoring diversification of spiders that feed on cursorial rather than flying prey. Our results also have major implications for our understanding of spider systematics. Phylogenomic analyses corroborate several well-accepted high level groupings: Opisthothele, Mygalomorphae, Atypoidina, Avicularoidea, Theraphosoidina, Araneomorphae, Entelegynae, Araneoidea, the RTA clade, Dionycha and the Lycosoidea. Alternatively, our results challenge the monophyly of Eresoidea, Orbiculariae, and Deinopoidea. The composition of the major paleocribellate and neocribellate clades, the basal divisions of Araneomorphae, appear to be falsified. Traditional Haplogynae is in need of revision, as our findings appear to support the newly conceived concept of Synspermiata. The sister pairing of filistatids with hypochilids implies that some peculiar features of each family may in fact be synapomorphic for the pair. Leptonetids now are seen as a possible sister group to the Entelegynae, illustrating possible intermediates in the evolution of the more complex entelegyne genitalic condition, spinning organs and respiratory organs. PMID:26925338

Alternative Policy Study: Environment and energy in Europe and Central Asia 1990-2010. Energy-related environmental impacts of policy scenarios GEO-2000 alternative policy study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vuuren DP van; Bakkes JA; United Nations Environment; MNV

2000-01-01

The GEO-2000 study into alternative policy options for Europe and Central Asia focuses on energy use as an important driver for environmental problems across the region. The problems analyzed are climate change, acidification, summer smog, urban air pollution and risks of reactor accidents

Beyond Tomorrow - A Look at 2050 A.D.

Science.gov (United States)

1992-04-15

347 Photochemical smog is created by a complex series of reac- tions between hydrocarbons released by fermenting yeast, evapo- rating dry cleaning...electricity, use mass transportation, walk and ride bicycles more, and use natural cleaners such as baking soda and vinegar instead of many commercial

Relating cloud condensation nuclei activity and oxidation level of alpha-pinene secondary organic aerosols

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Foverskov, Mia Frosch Mogensbæk; Bilde, M.; DeCarlo, P. F.

2011-01-01

During a series of smog chamber experiments, the effects of chemical and photochemical aging on the ability of organic aerosols generated from ozonolysis of alpha-pinene to act as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) were investigated. In particular, the study focused on the relation between oxygenation...

Investigations into the dynamics of aerosols in enclosures as used for air pollution studies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vate, van de J.F.

1980-01-01

This thesis treats aerosol behaviour under various conditions in enclosed spaces. Knowledge of this behaviour is of importance for the use of aerosol-filled enclosures as a supply of aerosol, as a means for aerosol characterization and for so-called smog chambers for air pollution research (mainly

Readability of Malaria Medicine Information Leaflets in Nigeria ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Purpose: To assess the readability of malaria medicines information leaflets available in Nigeria. Methods: Fourty five leaflets were assessed using the Simplified Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) readability test and by examining them for paper type, font size type, use of symbols and pictograms, and bilingual information ...

Formation of chemical compounds from irradiated mixtures of aromatic hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Besemer, A.C.

1982-01-01

The analysis of products of the photochemical degradation of toluene and toluene- 14 C in smog chamber experiments is described. Compounds identified included methylglyoxal, possibly the recently postulated butenedial and other carbonyl compounds. The main product of photochemical degradation of methylglyoxal appeared to be acetaldehyde. (author)

Reduction of NO2 by hydrocarbons over H-form zeolites

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smidt, M.L.

2003-01-01

The emission of NOx in the atmosphere causes a series of significant evironmental problems such as acid rains, photochemical smog, ozone depletion and green house effect. Roughly three quarters of the global production of NOx is due to anthropogenic activity of which combustion of fossil fuels

What Works: Air Pollution Solutions. Report No. 1.

Science.gov (United States)

Malaspina, Mark; And Others

This report profiles 69 initiatives and programs from across the country that are effectively reducing smog, air toxics, and chemicals that destroy the ozone layer. Problem solving strategies range from community pressure forcing reduction of industrial emissions, to municipal governments promoting transportation alternatives, to adoption of tough…

76 FR 41337 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; California; 2008 San Joaquin Valley PM2.5

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-13

... motor vehicles and engines. \\6\\ See CARB Resolution No. 07-28, September 27, 2007 with attachments and... implemented by the California Bureau of Automotive Repair (Smog Check improvements) and the California... SO 2 RACT requirements for electric generating units; (2) the deferral of the requirement to...

Next Generation Automotive DeNO

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wang, Y.

2017-01-01

Nitrogenoxides (NOx, including NO and NOx) are a group of hazardous, toxic and harmfulgasses, which have an adverse effect on both environment and human health,e.g., acid rain, photochemical smog, and affecting the human respiratorysystem. The NOx concentration in most of the EUcities exceeds the EU

Managing agricultural emissions to the atmosphere: State of the science, fate and mitigation, and identifying research gaps

Science.gov (United States)

The impact of agriculture on regional air quality creates significant challenges to sustainability of food supplies and to the quality of national resources. Agricultural emissions to the atmosphere can lead to many nuisances, such as smog, haze, or offensive odors. They can also create more seriou...

Photochemistry of 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexabde (BDE-153) in THF and adsorbed on SiO2: first observation of OH reactivity of BDEs on aerosol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zetzsch, C.; Krueger, H.U. [Forschungsstelle Atmosphaerische Chemie, Univ. Bayreuth (Germany); Palm, W.U. [Inst. fuer Oekologie und Umweltchemie, Univ. Lueneburg (Germany)

2004-09-15

BDE-153 (2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexabromo diphenylether) is a component of the flame retardant mixtures penta- and octaBDE and a trace constituent of decaBDE. Furthermore, it may occur as a minor intermediate in the photolysis of decaBDE. We have previously studied the UV spectrum and quantum yield for the photolysis of BDE-153 in tetrahydrofuran (THF) solution3, and we now present a comparison of the photolytic degradation pathways of this symmetrical molecule in solution and adsorbed at sub-monlayer thickness on aerosol particles, made of fused silica (Aerosil 380), in an aerosol smog chamber facility. Furthermore, the aerosol smog chamber technique allows us to expose aerosol-borne compounds to OH radicals, which are known to clean the atmosphere efficiently from air pollutants. Atmospheric residence times of air pollutants can then be assessed from the rate constants for the reaction with OH radicals, and a first, preliminary result on BDE-153 + OH will be presented.

Readability Assessment of Online Uveitis Patient Education Materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Ayoub, Samantha; Tsui, Edmund; Mohammed, Taariq; Tseng, Joseph

2017-12-29

To evaluate the readability of online uveitis patient education materials. A Google search in November 2016 was completed using search term "uveitis" and "uveitis inflammation." The top 50 websites with patient-centered information were selected and analyzed for readability using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Gunning FOG Index (GFI), and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG). Statistical analysis was performed with two-tailed t-tests. The mean word count of the top 50 websites was 1162.7 words, and averaged 16.2 words per sentence. For these websites, the mean FRES was 38.0 (range 4-66, SD = 12.0), mean FKGL was 12.3 (range 6.8-19, SD = 2.4), mean SMOG score was 14.4 (range 9.8-19, SD = 1.8), and the mean Gunning FOG index was 14.0 (range 8.6-19, SD = 2.0). The majority of online patient directed uveitis materials are at a higher reading level than that of the average American adult.

Promoción de la salud a través de herramientas Web 2.0. Proyecto de colaboración entre universidad y enseñanzas medias

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Florentín Dueñas, Patricia

2011-12-01

Full Text Available This project develops a highly innovative approach to a Health teaching and learning programme. Several didactic resources have been used and worked on thanks to the use of web 2.0 such and Blogger. The materials launched with these resources were created by Nursing undergraduates of the Escuela Universitaria de Ciencias de la Salud de la Universidad de Zaragoza (Spain, monitored by their teachers and used in an Aragonese high school –IES Bajo Aragón de Alcañiz (Teruel– in order to improve the syllabus of their school tutorials –Plan de Acción Tutorial (PAT–. Drawing on the results it could be stated that this project has empowered the health issues dealt with in the different years of Secondary Education in this high school.

En este proyecto, se plantea un novedoso enfoque para la enseñanza-aprendizaje de temas de salud, mediante la utilización de recursos didácticos de la web 2.0. y software libre (Blogger. Para su desarrollo, se elaboraron materiales de trabajo por estudiantes de Enfermería de la Escuela Universitaria de Ciencias de la Salud de la Universidad de Zaragoza, con la finalidad de implementar un Programa de Promoción de Salud (PPS dentro del Plan de Acción Tutorial (PAT del Instituto de Educación Secundaria (IES “Bajo Aragón” de Alcañiz (Teruel, promoviendo un empoderamiento en temas de salud en el alumnado de este centro.

[Hispanic American kidney patients in the age of online social networks: content analysis of postings, 2010 - 2012].

Science.gov (United States)

Mercado-Martínez, Francisco J; Urias-Vázquez, Jorge E

2014-01-01

Describe the use of online social networks by people with chronic kidney disease, their caregivers, and family members, living in Hispanic American countries, and identify the most frequent topics and subtopics in their postings. A qualitative study was conducted of postings by chronic kidney patients, their caregivers, and family members, living in Hispanic America, on five social networks: Blogger, Facebook, Twitter, WordPress, and YouTube, from 2010 to 2012. The internal search engines of each network were used with medical and lay terms in Spanish: chronic kidney disease, renal failure, peritoneal dialysis, hemodialysis, renal transplant, renal patient, nephropathy, and kidney patients association. An analysis was carried out of the thematic content of 1 846 postings on Facebook, Blogger, and WordPress. A total of 162 social network accounts were identified (97 individuals and 65 groups); the majority was in Mexico (46), with others in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Peru (44 accounts). The most frequent topics were exchange of information (46.0%), descriptions of experiences as patients (17.9%), support (15.6%), descriptions of experiences with health services (8.5%), interaction with peers (3.5%), and promotion of behavior change (3.4%). Chronic kidney patients living in Hispanic America use online social networks to inform and to be informed, describe their experiences with the disease and health services, and as a support mechanism. This produces knowledge that is different from and complementary to knowledge conveyed by health professionals. There is a pressing need to promote studies of the opportunities that these technologies offer in the Americas, a region characterized by enormous social inequality.

When, How and Why is Loss-Framing More Effective than Gain- and Non-Gain-Framing in the Promotion of Detection Behaviors?

OpenAIRE

Bosone, Lucia; Martinez, Frédéric

2017-01-01

This short paper aims to untangle the effect of loss-framing versus gain and non-gain; explaining when, how and why it influences individuals’ intentions to engage in cholesterol screening. We argue that framing-effects are (1) significant only when individuals perceive the issue to be highly relevant and (2) are mediated by perceived negative consequences (resulting from undergoing the test) and response-efficacy. In a 2(issue-relevance: high vs low) × 3(framing: gain vs non-gain vs loss) ex...

Vetsherneje : [luuletused] / Johannes Semper ; lühibiograafia: T. L. [Toomas Liiv

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Semper, Johannes, 1892-1970

1999-01-01

Sisu: Vetshernjeje ; Golod / tlk. Nora Javorskaja ; Pod ekvatorom / tlk. S. Olender ; Pribrezhnõje sosnõ / tlk. Z. Mirkina ; Kak bõ smog tõ zhit? / tlk. Leon Toom ; Kakoje eto tshudo / tlk. J. Gordijenko. Orig.: Õhtune ; Nälg ; Ekvaatori all ; Rannamännid ; Kuidas elaksid? ; On liigutavalt tore

Podrobná charakterizace atmosférického aerosolu v lokalitě Ostrava-Radvanice v zimě 2012: Velikostní distribuce k-PAU.

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hovorka, J.; Topinka, Jan; Bendl, J.; Baranová, A.; Pokorná, P.; Braniš, M.

2012-01-01

Roč. 24, č. 5 (2012), s. 40-43 ISSN 1211-0337 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GBP503/12/G147 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50390703 Keywords : urban air * smog * aerosol mass size distribution Subject RIV: DN - Health Impact of the Environment Quality

Ozonides: intermediates in ozone-induced toxicity : a study on their mechanism of toxic action and detoxification by antioxidants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hempenius, R.A.

2000-01-01

Ozone is a major constituent of photochemical smog. The toxicity of ozone is well documented and has been related to its strong oxidative potential. The principal target organ for ozone toxicity is the respiratory system. Unsaturated fatty acids, which are present in both the lipids of the

Physiological diseases of tree and shrubs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Parker, J

1965-01-01

The types of air pollution which can cause injury to plants are discussed. Sulfur dioxide, hydrogen fluoride, smog, peroxyacetyl nitrate, and ozone are the principal pollutants dealt with. The symptoms of each type of pollutant injury are described, and the species of plants most susceptible to each are listed.

Changes in domestic heating fuel use in Greece: effects on atmospheric chemistry and radiation

Science.gov (United States)

Athanasopoulou, Eleni; Speyer, Orestis; Brunner, Dominik; Vogel, Heike; Vogel, Bernhard; Mihalopoulos, Nikolaos; Gerasopoulos, Evangelos

2017-09-01

For the past 8 years, Greece has been experiencing a major financial crisis which, among other side effects, has led to a shift in the fuel used for residential heating from fossil fuel towards biofuels, primarily wood. This study simulates the fate of the residential wood burning aerosol plume (RWB smog) and the implications on atmospheric chemistry and radiation, with the support of detailed aerosol characterization from measurements during the winter of 2013-2014 in Athens. The applied model system (TNO-MACC_II emissions and COSMO-ART model) and configuration used reproduces the measured frequent nighttime aerosol spikes (hourly PM10 > 75 µg m-3) and their chemical profile (carbonaceous components and ratios). Updated temporal and chemical RWB emission profiles, derived from measurements, were used, while the level of the model performance was tested for different heating demand (HD) conditions, resulting in better agreement with measurements for Tmin < 9 °C. Half of the aerosol mass over the Athens basin is organic in the submicron range, of which 80 % corresponds to RWB (average values during the smog period). Although organic particles are important light scatterers, the direct radiative cooling of the aerosol plume during wintertime is found low (monthly average forcing of -0.4 W m-2 at the surface), followed by a minor feedback to the concentration levels of aerosol species. The low radiative cooling of a period with such intense air pollution conditions is attributed to the timing of the smog plume appearance, both directly (longwave radiation increases during nighttime) and indirectly (the mild effect of the residual plume on solar radiation during the next day, due to removal and dispersion processes).

Lesbian mommy blogging in Canada: documenting subtle homophobia in Canadian society and building community online.

Science.gov (United States)

Hunter, Andrea

2015-01-01

This article analyzes how lesbian mommy bloggers in Canada are using their blogs as forums for self-expression and a means to form community, as they record their unique experiences as queer parents. Further, it argues that lesbian mommy blogging is documenting a subtle form of homophobia that exists in Canada in terms of social acceptance. Although there is legal acceptance of queer families, society has not necessarily caught up with the law. These blogs show that lesbian parents in Canada still struggle with issues of equality, including difficulties being "out," invisibility, and having to advocate for the non-birth parent.

Professional Blogging For Dummies

CERN Document Server

Getgood, Susan

2010-01-01

Take your hobby to the next level and turn your blog into real income. Anyone who blogs knows that it is a fun, creative way for sharing thoughts and opinions. Now imagine making money from that hobby! This practical, how-to guide shows you how you can get serious about using your blog and implement advertising, sponsorship, partnerships, and affiliate marketing options to turn your hobby into extra income, or even a full-time career. Helpful examples and featured articles with topic experts and bloggers who have built successful business demonstrate how to promote your business or build a blo

The Role of Blogs in Consumer Behavior – Knowledge and Direction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Jeanne

This paper explores the role of blogs as a form of social media and how blogs might influence consumers’ behavior. Blogs have gained limited attention so far in scholarly research the focus has primarily been directed at blogs as a communication channel for companies and at what motivates bloggers...... to engage in such an activity. Little attention has been paid to the meaning of blogs for consumers as readers and how blogs influence consumer behavior. The consumer perspective is crucial to explore to gain a better understanding of the potential of blogs and how companies can manage this aspect...

New Media and Political Dissent in Egypt

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hirschkind, Charles

2010-06-01

Full Text Available This paper explores some of the ways that the Internet, and particularly the practice of blogging, has opened up new political possibilities in Egypt. As I examine, political bloggers in this country (Islamist as well as secularist have pioneered new language forms and video styles in order to articulate an arena of political life they refer to as “the street.” Egyptian bloggers render visible and publicly speakable practices of state violence that other media outlets cannot easily disclose. In discussing the sensory epistemology informing these blogging practices, I give particular attention to the way traditions concerning the sonority of the Arabic language and the relation of written to spoken forms are exploited and reworked by some of Egypt’s most prominent political bloggers. I also examine how these language practices find a visual and aural analogy in the grainy cellphone video recordings found on many of Egypt’s political blogs. This paper analyzes such practices in relation to emergent forms of political agency and contestation in contemporary Egypt.

El autor explora algunos de los modos como Internet, en particular el escribir y publicar en un blog, ha abierto nuevas posibilidades políticas en Egipto. El estudio revela que los blogueros políticos en este país (que incluye tanto a islamistas como a laicistas han creado nuevas formas de lenguaje y nuevos estilos de vídeo con los que vertebrar un espacio de vida política al que se refieren como “la calle”. Los blogueros egipcios hacen visibles y motivo de debate público acciones violentas del Estado que otros medios informativos no pueden divulgar con la misma facilidad. El autor se detiene especialmente en el modo como los blogueros políticos más sobresalientes del país recurren y adaptan las tradiciones relativas a la sonoridad de la lengua árabe y a la conexión que existe en ella entre las formas habladas y las escritas. Asimismo, examina el modo como

77 FR 36341 - Control of Air Pollution From Aircraft and Aircraft Engines; Emission Standards and Test Procedures

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-18

...\\ Ground-level ozone, the main ingredient in smog, is formed by complex chemical reactions of volatile... destroyed in a cyclical set of chemical reactions, many of which are sensitive to temperature and sunlight... formed through reactions involving VOC and NO X in the lower atmosphere in the presence of sunlight...

GenBank blastx search result: AK061856 [KOME

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available AK061856 001-040-G03 AF018073.1 Rhodobacter sphaeroides operon regulator (smoC), periplasmic sorbitol...-binding protein (smoE), sorbitol/mannitol transport inner membrane protein (smoF), sorbitol.../mannitol transport inner membrane protein (smoG), sorbitol/mannitol transport ATP-binding transport protein (smoK), sorbitol

E-Alerts: Environmental pollution and control (air pollution and control). E-mail newsletter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-04-01

Topics of discussion include the following: Air pollution from flue gases, exhaust gases, odors, dust, smog, microorganisms, etc.; Control techniques and equipment; Sampling and analytical techniques, and equipment; Waste gas recovery; Biological and ecological effects; Air pollution chemistry; Acid precipitation; Atmospheric motion; Laws, legislation, and regulations; Public administration; Economics; Land use.

Where Does Creativity Come From? and Other Stories of Copyright

OpenAIRE

Madison, Michael

2017-01-01

This Commentary on Lydia Pallas Loren, Untangling the Web of Music Copyrights, 53 Case W. Res. L. Rev. 673 (2003), observes that debates over a variety of copyright law issues can be - and in fact, often are - structured in narrative terms, rather than in terms of doctrine, policy, or empirical inquiry. I suggest a series of such narratives, each framed by a theme drawn from a feature film. The Commentary suggests that we should recognize more clearly the role of narrative in intellectual pro...

An Indwelling Urethral Catheter Knotted Around a Double-J Ureteral Stent: An Unusual Complication after Kidney Transplantation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. G. Warmerdam

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Urethral catheterization is a common procedure with a relatively low complication rate. Knotting of an indwelling urethral catheter is a very rare complication, and there are only a few case reports on knotted catheters, most of them concerning children. We report an especially rare case where a urethral catheter formed a knot around a double-J ureteral stent after a kidney transplantation. We will discuss the various risk factors for knotting of a catheter and the methods to untangle a knot.

Inhalation of Simulated Smog Affects Cardiac Function in Mice

Science.gov (United States)

Rationale: The health effects of individual criteria air pollutants have been well investigated. Little is known about health effects of inhaled multi-pollutant mixtures that more realistically represent environmental exposures. The present study was designed to evaluate the card...

"Back in the day"… what are surgeon bloggers saying about their careers?

Science.gov (United States)

Knox, Aaron D C; Reddy, Shalini; Mema, Briseida; DeMoya, Marc; Cilli-Turner, Emily; Harris, Ilene

2014-01-01

The projected shortage of general surgeons is owing to an increased demand for surgical services and a declining pool of practicing general surgeons. Burnout and attrition of residents from surgical residencies contribute to the latter. Attrition may be caused by the choice of a career in surgery without an understanding of the realities; subsequent recognition of the realities may cause residents to reexamine the opportunity costs of a career in the field. Because weblogs (blogs) are often used for reflection, qualitative analysis of the content of blogs authored by general surgeons may provide insight into the positive and negative realities of a surgical career. These insights may be informative to students as they consider a surgical career, may better prepare residents for the reality of what is to come, and identify targets for improving the culture of surgery and mitigating sources of career dissatisfaction. This is a qualitative analysis of entries on blogs authored by practicing general surgeons. A systematic approach was used to identify a sample of blog posts. These posts were analyzed using a constant comparative analysis method associated with constructivist grounded theory. Thirty-five posts drawn from 9 blogs were analyzed. Five main themes were identified in the reviewed blogs. Overall, 104 comments were positive in tone, 74 were neutral, and 147 were negative. There were 96 comments that focused on the rewards of being a surgeon, 88 concerning the practice environment, 57 about the educational environment, 54 about the toll of being a surgeon, and 30 pertaining to nostalgia. The most commonly identified subthemes focused on the training experience (38 comments), a surgical career providing personal fulfillment (35 comments), the impact of the culture of surgery (33 comments), and financial concerns (30 comments). A conceptual framework focused on balance was used to explain how the themes relate to each other. Themes identified are consistent with prior studies about surgeon career satisfaction. The considerable rewards of being a surgeon were outweighed by the challenges encountered in day-to-day practice. Meeting societal needs for more general surgeons would require efforts to minimize the tolls, to the extent possible, while encouraging individuals drawn to the rewarding work of being a surgeon. Copyright © 2014 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

What Makes Blogging Attractive to Bloggers: A Case of College-Level Constituency Users

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Y-H.; Lo, Y-F.

2012-01-01

This study presents a new perspective to facilitate learner-centred weblog evaluation, based on content attractiveness, blogging support, and the value-added service construct. A mixed method, combining fishbone diagram, fuzzy logic techniques, and the analytic hierarchy process, was conducted to identify further the criteria that attract bloggers…

Ultrastructural study of the effect of air pollution by SO2 on the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

changes in airways has been suggested by smog incidents, but has not been evaluated by experiments. So, this study was done to answer the following questions: (1) What morphologic changes are produced by repeated injury to airway epithelial cells by SO2? (2) What is the time course of these morphologic features?

USA by Numbers: A Statistical Portrait of the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Weber, Susan, Ed.

This book presents demographic data about a variety of U.S. public policies, social problems, and environmental issues. The issues and problems that the statistics illustrate (such as overflowing garbage dumps, homelessness, child poverty, and smog and water pollution) are connected with, and the consequences of, the expanding U.S. population. The…

High-Pressure Viewports for Infrared Systems. Phase 1. Germanium

Science.gov (United States)

1980-09-01

Kaiser effect even thoug it i only a rather weak emitter of acoustic emissions under compressive loading. It appears that recording of acoustic emisions ... molecular clusters, rain, snow and suspensions such as smoke, fog, haze, and smog.’ The most significant absorbers are water (2.7, 3.2, and 6.3 pm in

The impact of liquefied petroleum gas usage on air quality in Mexico City

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gasca, J.; Ortiz, E.; Castillo, H.; Jaimes, J.L.; Gonzalez, U.

2004-01-01

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is the main fuel used in the residential sector of the Metropolitan Zone in the Valley of Mexico (MZVM). LPG represents 16% of the total fuel consumption in the MZVM and its demand increased 14% from 1986 to 1999. Propane and butanes, the main compounds of LPG, constituted 29% of all non-methane hydrocarbons found in the air of Mexico City. Some researchers have reported that LPG losses are a significant cause of high ozone concentration in MZVM. Three analyses are carried out in this work to estimate LPG's share of responsibility for MZVM pollution problems. First, the correlation between LPG consumption and three ozone pollution indicators was calculated for the period of 1986-1999. The non-significant correlation of these indicators with LPG consumption on a monthly basis suggests that LPG associated emissions are not the foremost cause of ozone formation. Second, a simulation model is applied to three LPG related emission control strategies to estimate the reduction in the maximum ozone concentration. The most noticeable effect was obtained when both hydrocarbon (HC) and oxides of nitrogen (NO x ) emissions associated with LPG use were totally reduced. The other two strategies, that only reduce HC emissions, had a minimum effect on the ozone concentration. Third, organic compounds consumption in air samples captured and irradiated in outdoor smog chambers is used to determine the chemical loss rate of LPG associated species and aromatics in the MZVM. The smog chamber results showed that 70% of propane and n-butane remain at the end of a 1-day irradiation, therefore they remain in the MZVM atmosphere for several days being the reason for the high concentration of these compounds. LPG associated compounds only account for 18% of ozone formed but aromatics contribute 35% to ozone in smog chamber. (Author)

Ozone Control Strategies | Ground-level Ozone | New ...

Science.gov (United States)

2017-09-05

The Air Quality Planning Unit's primary goal is to protect your right to breathe clean air. Guided by the Clean Air Act, we work collaboratively with states, communities, and businesses to develop and implement strategies to reduce air pollution from a variety of sources that contribute to the ground-level ozone or smog problem.

Atmospheric chemistry of CH3CHF2 (HFC-152a)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Taketani, Fumikazu; Nakayama, Tomoki; Takahashi, Kenshi

2005-01-01

Smog chamber/Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopic techniques were used to study the atmospheric degradation of CH3CHF2. The kinetics and products of the Cl(2P(3/2)) (denoted Cl) atom- and the OH radical-initiated oxidation of CH3CHF2 in 700 Torr of ...

Chemical and physical transformations of organic aerosol from the photo-oxidation of open biomass burning emissions in an environmental chamber

Science.gov (United States)

C. J. Hennigan; M. A. Miracolo; G. J. Engelhart; A. A. May; A. A. Presto; T. Lee; A. P. Sullivan; G. R. McMeeking; H. Coe; C. E. Wold; W.-M. Hao; J. B. Gilman; W. C. Kuster; J. de Gouw; B. A. Schichtel; J. L. Collett; S. M. Kreidenweis; A. L. Robinson

2011-01-01

Smog chamber experiments were conducted to investigate the chemical and physical transformations of organic aerosol (OA) during photo-oxidation of open biomass burning emissions. The experiments were carried out at the US Forest Service Fire Science Laboratory as part of the third Fire Lab at Missoula Experiment (FLAME III). We investigated emissions from 12 different...

Environmental sciences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sterrett, F.S.

1987-01-01

This book contains 14 selections. Some of the titles are: the Meaning of Nuclear Winter: Scientific Evidence and the Human Spirit; Health Aspects of Low-Level Ionizing Radiation; Fire and Brimstone; Both Sides Now: The Chemistry of Clouds; the Formation and Inhibition of Photochemical Smog; and Air Movement and Vehicular Pollution in Urban Canyons

The Interaction of Production and Consumption in the News Media Social Space

Science.gov (United States)

Graham, Gary; Kerrigan, Finola; Mehmood, Rashid; Rahman, Mustafizur

Newspapers are operating in increasingly competitive and fragmented markets for audiences and advertising revenues, government media policy and changing audience requirements for news and the ways in which it is presented and delivered. A growing army of bloggers and amateur citizen journalists now delivers - but rarely edits - content for all media platforms, while new media technologies, combined with the changing structure of global news industries, are radically changing the ways in which newspapers and media business functions and struggles for profitability. Our research sought to answer the question of how the internet is impacting on producer/consumer value activities in the news media supply chain. To answer this question initial descriptive statistical analysis was performed on 51 newspapers. This was followed by a focus group undertaken with London-based news media organizations and bloggers. The findings showed that in spite of initial fear and rejection, the internet is now firmly embedded in news media supply chain operations. Firms are now using the internet as an operant resource and working proactively with consumers to develop various forms of relationship value. We highlight the role of consumers in the creation of news (editorial) content and consumer-driven moves toward a merged media platform of distribution (including television, online, mobile and printed forms). Regional news media organizations will probably continue to survive if they are able to supply a highly specialized and 'hyper local' community service. This will be in the form of 'hybrid' content: analysis, interpretation and investigative reporting in a print product that appears less than daily combined with constant updating and reader interaction on the web.

Readability assessment of online thyroid surgery patient education materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Chirag R; Cherla, Deepa V; Sanghvi, Saurin; Baredes, Soly; Eloy, Jean Anderson

2013-10-01

Published guidelines recommend written health information be written at or below the sixth-grade level. We evaluate the readability of online materials related to thyroid surgery. Thyroid surgery materials were evaluated using Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Flesch Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook (GFOG), and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG). Thirty-one documents were evaluated. FRES scores ranged from 29.3 to 67.8 (possible range = 0 to 100), and averaged 50.5. FKGL ranged from 6.9 to 14.9 (possible range = 3 to 12), and averaged 10.4. SMOG scores ranged from 11.8 to 14.5 (possible range = 3 to 19), and averaged 13.0. GFOG scores ranged from 10.6 to 18.0 (possible range = 3 to 19), and averaged 13.5. Readability scores for online thyroid surgery materials are higher (i.e., more difficult) than the recommended levels. However, readability is only one aspect of comprehension. Written information should be designed with that fact in mind. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Organic aerosols from biomass burning in Amazonian rain forest and their impact onto the environment; La combustione di biomassa nella Foresta Amazzonica Aerosoli organici e impatto sull'ambiente

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cecinato, A; Mabilia, R [Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto sull' Inquinamento Atmosferico, Monterotondo Scalo, RM (Italy); De Castro Vasconcellos, P [Sao Paulo Universidad, Sao Paulo (Brazil). Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares, Dept. de Engenharia Quimica Ambiental

2001-03-01

A field campaign performed in Southern Brazilian Amazonia in 1993 has proved that this region is subjected to fallout of particulated exhausts released by fires of forestal biomass. In fact, organic content of aerosols collected at urban sites located on the border of pluvial forest, about 50 km from fires, was similar to that of biomass burning exhausts. Aerosol composition is indicative of dolous origin of fires. However, organic contents seems to be influenced by two additional sources, i. e. motor vehicle and high vegetation emission. Chemical pattern of organic aerosols released by biomass burning of forest seems to promote occurrence of photochemical smog episodes in that region. [Italian] Una campagna di misura realizzata nella regione amazzonica nel 1993 ha dimostrato la ricaduta sull'area circostante dei prodotti di combustione della biomassa forestale, attraverso la speciazione degli aerosoli atmosferici raccolti in un sito urbano posto ai margini della foresta, tuttavia le poveri sospese rivelano l'origine dolosa degli incendi. La composizione chimica degli aerosoli organici provenienti dalla combustione di biomassa sembra favorire i processi di smog fotochimico nella regione.

Redefining RECs-Part 2: Untangling certificates and emission markets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gillenwater, Michael

2008-01-01

Renewable energy and greenhouse gas emissions markets are currently in a state of confusion regarding the treatment of Renewable Energy Certificate (RECs). How should emission-trading schemes treat RECs? How can emission mitigation policies provide real incentives for renewable generation? The objective of REC markets should be to promote additional renewable energy investments. The author asserts that defining RECs in terms of attributes, especially off-site attributes, does not further this goal. Ambiguous language such as 'environmental attribute' or 'environmental benefit' creates confusion in the marketplace while failing to address the relevant coordination issues with Renewable Portfolio Standard compliance markets, voluntary emission offset markets, or emission cap-and-trade markets. Specifically, defining RECs in terms of off-site attributes creates a number of problems, including that once an emissions cap-and-trade scheme is in place, such definitions of a REC can become indefensible. The author proposes to redefine RECs in terms of on-site attributes, which resolves the aforementioned problems and allows compliance and voluntary renewable energy and emission markets to function without conflicts. Ideally, environmental commodities should be homogeneous, first best measures of the relevant environmental good, as well as easily measured and verified. The author proposes tradable environmental commodities that achieve these characteristics

Cultural heritage and memory: untangling the ties that bind

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Viejo-Rose, Dacia

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Today in heritage studies memory looms larger than ever, there are memory parks, memory politics, and memory wars, there is discussion of ‘dissonant’, ‘dark’, and ‘difficult’ heritage linked to memories of traumatic past events. But what to we mean when we use the word ‘memory’ in the field of heritage? How is the divide between its social and individual realms bridged? This article theorizes the intimate relationship between heritage and memory by focusing on three areas. First, it maps out the vocabulary that has emerged from the heritage-memory dyad including how notions of collective memory and lieux de mémoire have been used, and occasionally misused, as well as the metaphors employed in the process. Second, the emergence of memory studies is considered, providing a brief overview of its foundations as well as assessing how it differs from, overlaps with, and contributes to heritage research. A third section offers a brief review of recent developments in cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and evolutionary biology relating to memory and how this might inform heritage studies. The concluding discussion provides a synthesis of the theoretical and empirical contribution of memory research to furthering out understanding of cultural heritage and proposes directions for future work on the area of confluence between the two.La memoria impregna hoy como nunca antes los estudios del patrimonio. Hay parques, políticas y guerras de la memoria. Se habla de un patrimonio “disonante”, “oscuro” o “difícil” vinculado al recuerdo de pasados sucesos traumáticos. Pero, ¿a qué nos referimos cuando usamos la palabra “memoria” en el campo del patrimonio? ¿Cómo se cruza el abismo que separa sus dimensiones social e individual? Este artículo teoriza sobre la íntima relación entre patrimonio y memoria, centrándose en tres áreas. La primera cartografía el vocabulario generado por la díada patrimonio-memoria, incluido el uso —y a veces el abuso— que se ha hecho de las nociones de memoria colectiva y lieux de mémoire, así como las metáforas empleadas en ese proceso. La segunda aborda la aparición de los estudios de la memoria, ofreciendo una breve panorámica de sus fundamentos y evaluando en qué se diferencian, se complementan o contribuyen a la investigación sobre el patrimonio. Y por último se revisan brevemente los últimos avances de la psicología cognitiva, la neurociencia y la biología evolucionista relacionados con la memoria y su posible influencia en los estudios del patrimonio. En la conclusión final se sintetiza la contribución teórica y empírica de la investigación de la memoria a una mayor comprensión del patrimonio cultural y se indican vías para el trabajo futuro sobre la esfera de confluencia entre los dos.