Sunlight-induced DNA damage in human mononuclear cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Peter; Wallin, Hakan; Holst, Erik

2002-01-01

of sunlight was comparable to the interindividual variation, indicating that sunlight exposure and the individual's background were the two most important determinants for the basal level of DNA damage. Influence of other lifestyle factors such as exercise, intake of foods, infections, and age could......In this study of 301 blood samples from 21 subjects, we found markedly higher levels of DNA damage (nonpyrimidine dimer types) in the summer than in the winter detected by single-cell gel electrophoresis. The level of DNA damage was influenced by the average daily influx of sunlight ... to blood sampling. The 3 and 6 day periods before sampling influenced DNA damage the most. The importance of sunlight was further emphasized by a positive association of the DNA damage level to the amount of time the subjects had spent in the sun over a 3 day period prior to the sampling. The effect...

Ultra-Accelerated Natural Sunlight Exposure Testing Facilities

Science.gov (United States)

Lewandowski, Allan A.; Jorgensen, Gary J.

2004-11-23

A multi-faceted concentrator apparatus for providing ultra-accelerated natural sunlight exposure testing for sample materials under controlled weathering conditions comprising: facets that receive incident natural sunlight, transmits VIS/NIR and reflects UV/VIS onto a secondary reflector that delivers a uniform flux of UV/VIS onto a sample exposure plane located near a center of a facet array in a chamber that provide concurrent levels of temperature and/or relative humidity at high levels of up to 100.times. of natural sunlight that allow sample materials to be subjected to accelerated irradiance exposure factors for a significant period of time of about 3 to 10 days to provide a corresponding time of about at least a years worth representative weathering of sample materials.

Traceable calibration of photovoltaic reference cells using natural sunlight

Science.gov (United States)

Müllejans, H.; Zaaiman, W.; Pavanello, D.; Dunlop, E. D.

2018-02-01

At the European Solar Test Installation (ESTI) photovoltaic (PV) reference cells are calibrated traceably to SI units via the World Radiometric Reference (WRR) using natural sunlight. The Direct Sunlight Method (DSM) is described in detail and the latest measurement results and an updated uncertainty budget are reported. These PV reference cells then provide a practical means for measuring the irradiance of natural or simulated sunlight during the calibration of other PV devices.

Successful pacing using a batteryless sunlight-powered pacemaker.

Science.gov (United States)

Haeberlin, Andreas; Zurbuchen, Adrian; Schaerer, Jakob; Wagner, Joerg; Walpen, Sébastien; Huber, Christoph; Haeberlin, Heinrich; Fuhrer, Juerg; Vogel, Rolf

2014-10-01

Today's cardiac pacemakers are powered by batteries with limited energy capacity. As the battery's lifetime ends, the pacemaker needs to be replaced. This surgical re-intervention is costly and bears the risk of complications. Thus, a pacemaker without primary batteries is desirable. The goal of this study was to test whether transcutaneous solar light could power a pacemaker. We used a three-step approach to investigate the feasibility of sunlight-powered cardiac pacing. First, the harvestable power was estimated. Theoretically, a subcutaneously implanted 1 cm(2) solar module may harvest ∼2500 µW from sunlight (3 mm implantation depth). Secondly, ex vivo measurements were performed with solar cells placed under pig skin flaps exposed to a solar simulator and real sunlight. Ex vivo measurements under real sunlight resulted in a median output power of 4941 µW/cm(2) [interquartile range (IQR) 3767-5598 µW/cm(2), median skin flap thickness 3.0 mm (IQR 2.7-3.3 mm)]. The output power strongly depended on implantation depth (ρSpearman = -0.86, P pacemaker powered by a 3.24 cm(2) solar module was implanted in vivo in a pig to measure output power and to pace. In vivo measurements showed a median output power of >3500 µW/cm(2) (skin flap thickness 2.8-3.84 mm). Successful batteryless VVI pacing using a subcutaneously implanted solar module was performed. Based on our results, we estimate that a few minutes of direct sunlight (irradiating an implanted solar module) allow powering a pacemaker for 24 h using a suitable energy storage. Thus, powering a pacemaker by sunlight is feasible and may be an alternative energy supply for tomorrow's pacemakers. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2014. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Air Mass Origin in the Arctic and its Response to Future Warming

Science.gov (United States)

Orbe, Clara; Newman, Paul A.; Waugh, Darryn W.; Holzer, Mark; Oman, Luke; Polvani, Lorenzo M.; Li, Feng

2014-01-01

We present the first climatology of air mass origin in the Arctic in terms of rigorously defined air mass fractions that partition air according to where it last contacted the planetary boundary layer (PBL). Results from a present-day climate integration of the GEOSCCM general circulation model reveal that the Arctic lower troposphere below 700 mb is dominated year round by air whose last PBL contact occurred poleward of 60degN, (Arctic air, or air of Arctic origin). By comparison, approx. 63% of the Arctic troposphere above 700 mb originates in the NH midlatitude PBL, (midlatitude air). Although seasonal changes in the total fraction of midlatitude air are small, there are dramatic changes in where that air last contacted the PBL, especially above 700 mb. Specifically, during winter air in the Arctic originates preferentially over the oceans, approx. 26% in the East Pacific, and approx. 20% in the Atlantic PBL. By comparison, during summer air in the Arctic last contacted the midlatitude PBL primarily over land, overwhelmingly so in Asia (approx. 40 %) and, to a lesser extent, in North America (approx. 24%). Seasonal changes in air-mass origin are interpreted in terms of seasonal variations in the large-scale ventilation of the midlatitude boundary layer and lower troposphere, namely changes in the midlatitude tropospheric jet and associated transient eddies during winter and large scale convective motions over midlatitudes during summer.

Device for measuring mass of air. Einrichtung zur Luftmassenmessung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sass, W

1989-09-28

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

The fabrication of plastic cages for suspension in mass air flow racks.

Science.gov (United States)

Nielsen, F H; Bailey, B

1979-08-01

A cage for suspension in mass air flow racks was constructed of plastic and used to house rats. Little or no difficulty was encountered with the mass air flow rack-suspended cage system during the 4 years it was used for the study of trace elements.

A Comparison of the Red Green Blue Air Mass Imagery and Hyperspectral Infrared Retrieved Profiles

Science.gov (United States)

Berndt, E. B.; Folmer, Michael; Dunion, Jason

2014-01-01

The Red Green Blue (RGB) Air Mass imagery is derived from multiple channels or paired channel differences. Multiple channel products typically provide additional information than a single channel can provide alone. The RGB Air Mass imagery simplifies the interpretation of temperature and moisture characteristics of air masses surrounding synoptic and mesoscale features. Despite the ease of interpretation of multiple channel products, the combination of channels and channel differences means the resulting product does not represent a quantity or physical parameter such as brightness temperature in conventional single channel satellite imagery. Without a specific quantity to reference, forecasters are often confused as to what RGB products represent. Hyperspectral infrared retrieved profiles of temperature, moisture, and ozone can provide insight about the air mass represented on the RGB Air Mass product and provide confidence in the product and representation of air masses despite the lack of a quantity to reference for interpretation. This study focuses on RGB Air Mass analysis of Hurricane Sandy as it moved north along the U.S. East Coast, while transitioning to a hybrid extratropical storm. Soundings and total column ozone retrievals were analyzed using data from the Cross-track Infrared and Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder Suite (CrIMSS) on the Suomi National Polar Orbiting Partnership satellite and the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Aqua satellite along with dropsondes that were collected from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Air Force research aircraft. By comparing these datasets to the RGB Air Mass, it is possible to capture quantitative information that could help in analyzing the synoptic environment enough to diagnose the onset of extratropical transition. This was done by identifying any stratospheric air intrusions (SAIs) that existed in the vicinity of Sandy as the wind

Sunlight stability and rain-fastness of formulations of Baculovirus heliothis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ignoffo, C.M.; Garcia, C.; Saathoff, S.G.

1997-01-01

Sunlight-Ultraviolet, with an activity spectrum from 290 to 400 nm, is the most destructive factor affecting the persistence of baculoviruses. Benzopurpurin (a disazo dye) and carbon provided the best protection when polyhedral inclusion bodies (PIB) of Baculovirus heliothis were exposed to an artificial spectrum simulating sunlight-UV (UV). Greater than 75% of the original PIB activity was still present after 48 h of sunlight-UV. When sprayed on soybeans and exposed to natural sunlight, only formulations with carbon provided significant protection of PIB. The half-life of formulations were PIB-only 4.9 +/- 1.4 h (mean +/- SE), PIB + polymer (pyrrolidone-based sticker) 3.3 +/- 0.6 h, PIB + polymer + benzopurpurin 3.4 +/- 0.7 h, and PIB + polymer + carbon 27.7 +/- 5.2 h. PIB of B. heliothis tenaciously adhere to soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merrill, leaflets after spraying and drying. Less than 6% of the PIB activity of nonformulated PIB was lost after a drenching, simulated rainfall. More than 97% of the original PIB activity of carbon formulations was still present on soybean leaflets after 10 h of exposure to sunlight-UV. In contrast, 20% was present for formulations without carbon

Landscape seasons and air mass dynamics in Latvia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krauklis, A.; Draveniece, A.

2004-01-01

Latvia is located in the middle of an area where the boreal and nemoral zones and the regions of oceanic and continental climate meet, and it was studied as a model territory of the most typical variation of boreo-nemoral ecotone. The subject of this study was seasonal dynamics of the state of landscapes and diachronous links between seasons. It was found that landscapes undergo 12 seasonal states or seasons during the annual cycle of insulation and air mass occurrence. Each season may be distinguished by a definite amount of solar radiation, distinctive state of heat and water balance, phenological state of vegetation, and a distinctive occurrence of different air mass types and their particular 'association'. During each season these variables show a particular combination of numerical values and a distinctive landscape pattern

Total reflection x-ray fluorescence (TXRF) - a tool to obtain information about different air masses and air pollution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmeling, M.

2000-01-01

Aerosols are solid particles dissolved in the atmosphere and have strong influence in the earth climate. Their solid surfaces are the only atmospheric medium for condensation of water leading to cloud formation and ultimately to precipitation. Besides their role in cloud formation, the elemental composition of aerosols reveals useful information about air masses and their transport patterns as well as air pollution. The elemental composition can be considered like a fingerprint of an air mass telling the story about its origin and fate. The presence of Al, Ti and Fe for instance indicates a source located in a highly exposed soil or often desert region, whereas Ni, V and Pb can be traced back to anthropogenic activities like fuel combustion or industrial processes. Other important source regions are the oceans, which emit the main aerosol constituents Na, Cl, and S. The concentrations of these elements in the atmosphere are extremely low and long sampling times are necessary to gain reliable results with most of the common analysis techniques. In contrast to this total reflection x-ray fluorescence (TXRF), as a technique capable to cope with tiny sample amounts, offers the unique possibility to reduce collection times to a minimum of minutes to hours. Such short sampling times in turn render it possible to monitor different air masses either passing through a ground based station or -in the ideal case- flown into by a small research aircraft. Different aerosol samples were taken by aircraft during the second aerosol characterization experiment (ACE-2) with sampling times ranging from 15 minutes up to one hour. These filter samples were analyzed by TXRF for trace elements subsequently. Together with background information about back trajectories and size distribution covering the time of sampling the presence of different air masses could be detected. In another project, short-term samples in the Chicago/Lake Michigan area are collected to study the air mass

The influence of surface treatment on mass transfer between air and building material

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kwiatkowski, Jerzy; Rode, Carsten; Hansen, Kurt Kielsgaard

2008-01-01

for the experiments: gypsum board and calcium silicate. The wallpaper and paint were used as finishing materials. Impact of the following parameters for changes of RH was studied: coating, temperature and air movement. The measurements showed that acryl paint (diffusion open) can significantly decrease mass uptake......The processes of mass transfer between air and building structure and in the material influence not only the conditions within the material but also inside the connected air spaces. The material which absorbs and desorbs water vapour can be used to moderate the amplitude of indoor relative humidity...... and therefore to participate in the improvement of the indoor air quality and energy saving. Many parameters influence water vapour exchange between indoor air and building material. The aim of this work is to present the change of mass transfer under different climatic and material conditions. The measurements...

Water vapor mass balance method for determining air infiltration rates in houses

Science.gov (United States)

David R. DeWalle; Gordon M. Heisler

1980-01-01

A water vapor mass balance technique that includes the use of common humidity-control equipment can be used to determine average air infiltration rates in buildings. Only measurements of the humidity inside and outside the home, the mass of vapor exchanged by a humidifier/dehumidifier, and the volume of interior air space are needed. This method gives results that...

Reversible degradation of inverted organic solar cells by concentrated sunlight

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tromholt, Thomas; Manor, Assaf; Katz, Eugene A

2011-01-01

. The transient state is believed to be a result of the breakdown of the diode behaviour of the ZnO electron transport layer by O2 desorption, increasing the hole conductivity. These results imply that accelerated degradation of organic solar cells by concentrated sunlight is not a straightforward process......Concentrated sunlight was used to study the performance response of inverted P3HT:PCBM organic solar cells after exposure to high intensity sunlight. Correlations of efficiency as a function of solar intensity were established in the range of 0.5–15 suns at three different stages: for a pristine...

Air mass origins influencing TTL chemical composition over West Africa during 2006 summer monsoon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. S. Law

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Trace gas and aerosol data collected in the tropical tropopause layer (TTL between 12–18.5 km by the M55 Geophysica aircraft as part of the SCOUT-AMMA campaign over West Africa during the summer monsoon in August 2006 have been analysed in terms of their air mass origins. Analysis of domain filling back trajectories arriving over West Africa, and in the specific region of the flights, showed that the M55 flights were generally representative of air masses arriving over West Africa during the first 2 weeks of August, 2006. Air originating from the mid-latitude lower stratosphere was under-sampled (in the mid-upper TTL whilst air masses uplifted from central Africa (into the lower TTL were over-sampled in the latter part of the campaign. Signatures of recent (previous 10 days origins were superimposed on the large-scale westward flow over West Africa. In the lower TTL, air masses were impacted by recent local deep convection over Africa at the level of main convective outflow (350 K, 200 hPa and on certain days up to 370 K (100 hPa. Estimates of the fraction of air masses influenced by local convection vary from 10 to 50% depending on the method applied and from day to day during the campaign. The analysis shows that flights on 7, 8 and 11 August were more influenced by local convection than on 4 and 13 August allowing separation of trace gas and aerosol measurements into "convective" and "non-convective" flights. Strong signatures, particularly in species with short lifetimes (relative to CO₂ like CO, NO and fine-mode aerosols were seen during flights most influenced by convection up to 350–365 K. Observed profiles were also constantly perturbed by uplift (as high as 39% of air masses from the mid to lower troposphere over Asia, India, and oceanic regions resulting in import of clean oceanic (e.g. O₃-poor or polluted air masses from Asia (high O₃, CO, CO₂ into West Africa. Thus, recent uplift of CO

Nature sunlight bleaching of Ti center ESR signal in quartz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yin Gongming; Liu Chunru; Li Jianping; Fang Jiahu; Gao Lu; Lin Min

2009-01-01

Quartz grains were extracted from granite. Bleaching was carried out in four different area chosen for their different altitudes (Beijing, Yinchuan, Germu, Lhasa), in order to observe their behavior under different intensities of the UV (Ultra violet) component of sunlight. The result of our experiments indicate that the Ti center signal is totally bleachable by the natural sunlight and show that the Ti center signal was reduced to zero after about 128 h in Beijing and after 56 h for Lhasa. We can speculate that different intensity of the UV component of sunlight lead to different minimal time necessary to obtain the total bleaching of the quartz sample. (authors)

Dusty air masses transport between Amazon Basin and Caribbean Islands

Science.gov (United States)

Euphrasie-Clotilde, Lovely; Molinie, Jack; Prospero, Joseph; Feuillard, Tony; Brute, Francenor; Jeannot, Alexis

2015-04-01

Depend on the month, African desert dust affect different parts of the North Atlantic Ocean. From December to April, Saharan dust outbreaks are often reported over the amazon basin and from May to November over the Caribbean islands and the southern regions of USA. This annual oscillation of Saharan dust presence, related to the ITCZ position, is perturbed some time, during March. Indeed, over Guadeloupe, the air quality network observed between 2007 and 2012 several dust events during March. In this paper, using HISPLIT back trajectories, we analyzed air masses trajectories for March dust events observed in Guadeloupe, from 2007 to 2012.We observed that the high pressure positions over the Atlantic Ocean allow the transport of dusty air masses from southern region of West Africa to the Caribbean Sea with a path crossing close to coastal region of French Guyana. Complementary investigations including the relationship between PM10 concentrations recorded in two sites Pointe-a-Pitre in the Caribbean, and Cayenne in French Guyana, have been done. Moreover we focus on the mean delay observed between the times arrival. All the results show a link between pathway of dusty air masses present over amazon basin and over the Caribbean region during several event of March. The next step will be the comparison of mineral dust composition for this particular month.

The effects of sunlight exposure on the neutron response of CN-85 track detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmad, N.; Mirza, N.M.; Mirza, S.K.; Tufail, M.

1996-01-01

The effect of sunlight exposure on the neutron response of CN-85 track detectors has been studied. It has been observed that the response during the first 28 days of sunlight exposure is slightly enhanced (10%) and then deceases continuously with increase in the sunlight exposure. After 84 days of sunlight exposure the response of the exposed detector relative to an unexposed detector is only 22%. It is also observed that the response can not be maintained by wrapping the CN-85 etch track detectors in typewriter black carbon papers if they are exposed to sunlight. (author)

Influence of the relative optical air mass on ultraviolet erythemal irradiance

Science.gov (United States)

Antón, M.; Serrano, A.; Cancillo, M. L.; García, J. A.

2009-12-01

The main objective of this article is to analyze the relationship between the transmissivity for ultraviolet erythemal irradiance (UVER) and the relative optical air mass at Badajoz (Southwestern Spain). Thus, a power expression between both variables is developed, which analyses in detail how atmospheric transmission is influenced by the total ozone column (TOC) and the atmospheric clearness. The period of analysis extends from 2001 to 2005. The experimental results indicate that clearness conditions play an important role in the relationship between UVER transmissivity and the relative optical air mass, while the effect of TOC is much smaller for this data set. In addition, the results show that UVER transmissivity is more sensitive to changes in atmospheric clearness than to TOC variability. Changes in TOC values higher than 15% cause UVER trasnmissivity to vary between 14% and 22%, while changes between cloud-free and overcast conditions produce variations in UVER transmissivity between 68% and 74% depending on the relative optical air mass.

Defining Winter and Identifying Synoptic Air Mass Change in the Northeast and Northern Plains U.S. since 1950

Science.gov (United States)

Chapman, C. J.; Pennington, D.; Beitscher, M. R.; Godek, M. L.

2017-12-01

Understanding and forecasting the characteristics of winter weather change in the northern U.S. is vital to regional economy, agriculture, tourism and resident life. This is especially true in the Northeast and Northern Plains where substantial changes to the winter season have already been documented in the atmospheric science and biological literature. As there is no single established definition of `winter', this research attempts to identify the winter season in both regions utilizing a synoptic climatological approach with air mass frequencies. The Spatial Synoptic Classification is used to determine the daily air mass/ weather type conditions since 1950 at 40 locations across the two regions. Annual frequencies are first computed as a baseline reference. Then winter air mass frequencies and departures from normal are calculated to define the season along with the statistical significance. Once the synoptic winter is established, long-term regional changes to the season and significance are explored. As evident global changes have occurred after 1975, an Early period of years prior to 1975 and a Late set for all years following this date are compared. Early and Late record synoptic changes are then examined to assess any thermal and moisture condition changes of the regional winter air masses over time. Cold to moderately dry air masses dominate annually in both regions. Northeast winters are also characterized by cold to moderate dry air masses, with coastal locations experiencing more Moist Polar types. The Northern Plains winters are dominated by cold, dry air masses in the east and cold to moderate dry air masses in the west. Prior to 1975, Northeast winters are defined by an increase in cooler and wetter air masses. Dry Tropical air masses only occur in this region after 1975. Northern Plains winters are also characterized by more cold, dry air masses prior to 1975. More Dry Moderate and Moist Moderate air masses have occurred since 1975. These results

The time series variations of tritium concentration in precipitation and its relationships to the rainfall-inducing air mass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimada, Jun

1978-01-01

The author measured the tritium concentration in precipitation of Tokyo for every ten-day period from August 1972 to May 1974. Judging from the daily synoptic weather chart, the rainfall-inducing air masses in Japan were classified into five types; polar maritime air mass (Pm), polar continental air mass (Pc), tropical maritime air mass (Tm), tropical continental air mass (Tc), and equatorial maritime air mass (Em). And the precipitation for every ten-day period sampled for tritium measurement were classified into these five types. Based on this classification, it is confirmed that there exist clear difference in the tritium concentration between the rainfall from the continental air mass and ones from the maritime air mass. It is characteristic that the tritium concentration in rainfall induced by equatorial maritime air mass such as typhoon in summer and early fall season is very low whereas the tritium concentration in rainfall and snowfall induced directly by the polar continental air mass in late winter season is very high. The regional difference of the tritium concentration in intermonthly precipitation could considerably be explained by this synoptic meteological classification of rainfall-inducing air mass. In spite of these regional difference of tritium concentration in precipitation, use of the tritium concentration of Tokyo as a representative value of Japan may be allowed because of the similarities of the changing pattern and annual mean tritium concentration. The time series variations of tritium concentration in precipitation of Tokyo from August 1972 to December 1977, Tsukuba from December 1976 to April 1978, and Nagaoka from April 1977 to March 1978 are listed. (author)

Investigation of sunlight-induced deterioration of aroma of pummelo (Citrus maxima) essential oil.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Hao; Ni, Hui; Yang, Yuanfan; Wu, Ling; Cai, Hui-nong; Xiao, An-feng; Chen, Feng

2014-12-10

Deterioration of aromas of pummelo essential oil (EO) induced by sunlight was compared to those induced by heat and oxygen exposure using the techniques of sensory evaluation and GC-MS analysis. The sunlight-exposed EO was found to possess an oily off-flavor odor, which was significantly different from its counterparts induced by oxygen and heat. The strong oily note of the sunlight-exposed EO was attributed to the existence of linalool oxides and limonene oxides, as well as the lack of neral and geranial, for which UV sunlight was revealed to be the critical contributor causing the chemical reactions for the aroma changes. The results demonstrated that UV sunlight could significantly affect the aroma of the pummelo EO, providing valuable information that will benefit the production and storage of EO-based aromatic products.

Dynamic light absorption of biomass-burning organic carbon photochemically aged under natural sunlight

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, M.; Jang, M.

2014-02-01

Wood-burning aerosol produced under smoldering conditions was photochemically aged with different relative humidity (RH) and NOx conditions using a 104 m3 dual outdoor chamber under natural sunlight. Light absorption of organic carbon (OC) was measured over the course of photooxidation using a UV-visible spectrometer connected to an integrating sphere. At high RH, the color decayed rapidly. NOx slightly prolonged the color of wood smoke, suggesting that NOx promotes the formation of chromophores via secondary processes. Overall, the mass absorption cross section (integrated between 280 and 600 nm) of OC increased by 11-54% (except high RH) in the morning and then gradually decreased by 19-68% in the afternoon. This dynamic change in light absorption of wood-burning OC can be explained by two mechanisms: chromophore formation and sunlight bleaching. To investigate the effect of chemical transformation on light absorption, wood smoke particles were characterized using various spectrometers. The intensity of fluorescence, which is mainly related to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), rapidly decreased with time, indicating the potential bleaching of PAHs. A decline of levoglucosan concentrations evinced the change of primary organic aerosol with time. The aerosol water content measured by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that wood-burning aerosol became less hygroscopic as photooxidation proceeded. A similar trend in light absorption changes has been observed in ambient smoke aerosol originating from the 2012 County Line wildfire in Florida. We conclude that the biomass-burning OC becomes less light absorbing after 8-9 h sunlight exposure compared to fresh wood-burning OC.

Dynamic light absorption of biomass burning organic carbon photochemically aged under natural sunlight

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, M.; Jang, M.

2013-08-01

Wood burning aerosol produced under smoldering conditions was photochemically aged with different relative humidity (RH) and NOx conditions using a 104 m3 dual outdoor chamber under natural sunlight. Light absorption of organic carbon (OC) was measured over the course of photooxidation using a UV-visible spectrometer connected to an integrating sphere. At high RH, the color decayed rapidly. NOx slightly prolonged the color of wood smoke, suggesting that NOx promotes the formation of chromophores via secondary processes. Overall, the mass absorption cross-section (integrated between 280 nm and 600 nm) of OC increased by 11-54% (except high RH) in the morning and then gradually decreased by 19-68% in the afternoon. This dynamic change in light absorption of wood burning OC can be explained by two mechanisms: chromophore formation and sunlight bleaching. To investigate the effect of chemical transformation on light absorption, wood smoke particles were characterized using various spectrometers. The intensity of fluorescence, which is mainly related to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), rapidly decreased with time indicating the potential bleaching of PAHs. A decline of levoglucosan concentrations evinced the change of POA with time. The aerosol water content measured by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that wood burning aerosol became less hygroscopic as photooxidation proceeded. A similar trend in light absorption changes has been observed in ambient smoke aerosol originating from the 2012 County Line Wildfire in Florida. We conclude that the biomass burning OC becomes less light absorbing after 8-9 h sunlight exposure compared to fresh wood burning OC.

Degadation of semiconducting polymers by concentrated sunlight

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tromholt, Thomas; Manceau, Matthieu; Petersen, Martin Helgesen

2011-01-01

infra-red spectra of MEH-PPV degraded at 1 sun intensity and at high solar concentration only showed minor deviations in degradation mechanisms. The acceleration factor was found to vary linearly with the solar concentration. Finally, a comparison of the degradation rates at 1 sun and 100 suns...... was carried out in a materials study employing five different conjugated polymers relevant to polymer solar cells for which acceleration factors in the range 19–55 were obtained.......A lens based sunlight concentration setup was used to accelerate the degradation of semiconducting polymers. Sunlight was collected outdoor and focused into an optical fiber bundle allowing for indoor experimental work. Photo-degradation of several polymers was studied by UV–vis absorbance...

On the Influence of Air Mass Origin on Low-Cloud Properties in the Southeast Atlantic

Science.gov (United States)

Fuchs, Julia; Cermak, Jan; Andersen, Hendrik; Hollmann, Rainer; Schwarz, Katharina

2017-10-01

This study investigates the impact of air mass origin and dynamics on cloud property changes in the Southeast Atlantic (SEA) during the biomass burning season. The understanding of clouds and their determinants at different scales is important for constraining the Earth's radiative budget and thus prominent in climate system research. In this study, the thermodynamically stable SEA stratocumulus cover is observed not only as the result of local environmental conditions but also as connected to large-scale meteorology by the often neglected but important role of spatial origins of air masses entering this region. In order to assess to what extent cloud properties are impacted by aerosol concentration, air mass history, and meteorology, a Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory cluster analysis is conducted linking satellite observations of cloud properties (Spinning-Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager), information on aerosol species (Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate), and meteorological context (ERA-Interim reanalysis) to air mass clusters. It is found that a characteristic pattern of air mass origins connected to distinct synoptical conditions leads to marked cloud property changes in the southern part of the study area. Long-distance air masses are related to midlatitude weather disturbances that affect the cloud microphysics, especially in the southwestern subdomain of the study area. Changes in cloud effective radius are consistent with a boundary layer deepening and changes in lower tropospheric stability (LTS). In the southeastern subdomain cloud cover is controlled by a generally higher LTS, while air mass origin plays a minor role. This study leads to a better understanding of the dynamical drivers behind observed stratocumulus cloud properties in the SEA and frames potentially interesting conditions for aerosol-cloud interactions.

Study on heat and mass transfer characteristics of humid air-flow in a fin bundle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Dong-Hwi [Air-Conditioner Research Laboratory, LG Electronics, Seoul 153-082 (Korea); Koyama, Shigeru; Kuwahara, Ken [Department of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Kyushu University, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816-8580 (Japan); Kwon, Jeong-Tae [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hoseo University, Asan, Chungnam 336-795 (Korea); Park, Byung-Duck [School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Sangju, Gyeongbuk 742-711 (Korea)

2010-11-15

This paper deals with the heat and mass transfer characteristics of humid air-flow under frosting conditions. A slit fin bundle was used for the simulation of fins of a heat exchanger. The effects of the cooling block temperature, air humidity and air velocity on the frosting characteristics were experimentally investigated. The frosted mass was affected considerably by the cooling block temperature and air humidity. However, the effect of air velocity on it was not so large. The pressure drop was affected remarkably by all experimental parameters in this study. Local heat flux distribution and frost thickness distribution on each fin were predicted from the measured fin temperatures and the mass and energy conservation equations on the frost surface and inside the frost layer. (author)

Accelerated stability testing of organic photovoltaics using concentrated sunlight

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Katz, Eugene A.; Manor, Assaf; Mescheloff, Asaf

2012-01-01

We suggest to use concentrated sunlight for accelerated studies of light-induced mechanisms in the degradation of organic photovoltaics (OPV) based on the polymer (P3HT)/fullerene (PCBM) bulk heterojunctions. Two particular cases of the degradation are reported.......We suggest to use concentrated sunlight for accelerated studies of light-induced mechanisms in the degradation of organic photovoltaics (OPV) based on the polymer (P3HT)/fullerene (PCBM) bulk heterojunctions. Two particular cases of the degradation are reported....

Surfactant and natural sunlight enhanced Photogalvanic effect of Sudan I dye

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pooran Koli

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Photogalvanic cells (PG have been extensively studied for solar power and storage at low intensity artificial sunlight. But, PG can be practically significant and applicable in daily life only when they are validated at natural sunlight intensity. Therefore, the present study of photogalvanics of Sudan I-Fructose with efficiency enhancer chemical such as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS surfactant in alkaline medium has been used to observe their workable feasibility in natural sunlight with investigation for optimal fabrication parameters. The cell has been found workable in natural sunlight with greatly enhanced optimum cell performance compared to that for reported similar cells. The observed optimum cell performance in terms of maximum power, short-circuit current, open-circuit potential, conversion efficiency and storage capacity (as half change time is of the order of 1081.1 μW, 4200 μA, 1048 mV, 13.5%, and 31 min, respectively.

Relationship between air mass type and emergency department visits for migraine headache across the Triangle region of North Carolina

Science.gov (United States)

Elcik, Christopher; Fuhrmann, Christopher M.; Mercer, Andrew E.; Davis, Robert E.

2017-12-01

An estimated 240 million people worldwide suffer from migraines. Because migraines are often debilitating, understanding the mechanisms that trigger them is crucial for effective prevention and treatment. Synoptic air mass types and emergency department (ED) visits for migraine headaches were examined over a 7-year period within a major metropolitan area of North Carolina to identify potential relationships between large-scale meteorological conditions and the incidence of migraine headaches. Barometric pressure changes associated with transitional air masses, or changing weather patterns, were also analyzed for potential relationships. Bootstrapping analysis revealed that tropical air masses (moist and dry) resulted in the greatest number of migraine ED visits over the study period, whereas polar air masses led to fewer. Moist polar air masses in particular were found to correspond with the fewest number of migraine ED visits. On transitional air mass days, the number of migraine ED visits fell between those of tropical air mass days and polar air mass days. Transitional days characterized by pressure increases exhibited a greater number of migraine ED visits than days characterized by pressure decreases. However, no relationship was found between migraine ED visits and the magnitude of barometric pressure changes associated with transitional air masses.

Gamma-ray dose rate increase at rainfall events and their air-mass origins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iyogi, Takashi; Hisamatsu, Shun'ichi; Inaba, Jiro

2007-01-01

The environmental γ-ray dose rate and precipitation rates were measured at our institute, in Rokkasho, Aomori, Japan. We analyzed 425 rainfall events in which the precipitation rate was over 0.5 mm from April through November during the years 2003 to 2005. Backward trajectories for 5 d starting from 1000 m above Rokkasho at the time of the maximum dose rate in a rainfall event, were calculated by using the HYSPLIT model of the NOAA Air Resources Laboratory. The trajectories for 5 d were classified by visual inspection according to the passage areas; Pacific Ocean, Asian Continent and Japan Islands. The increase of cumulative environmental γ-ray dose during a rainfall event was plotted against the precipitation in the event, and their relationship was separately examined according to the air-mass passage area, i.e. origin of the air-mass. Our results showed that the origin of air-mass was an important factor affecting the increase of environmental γ-ray dose rate by rainfall. (author)

Visual performance with sport-tinted contact lenses in natural sunlight.

Science.gov (United States)

Erickson, Graham B; Horn, Fraser C; Barney, Tyler; Pexton, Brett; Baird, Richard Y

2009-05-01

The use of tinted and clear contact lenses (CLs) in all aspects of life is becoming a more popular occurrence, particularly in athletic activities. This study broadens previous research regarding performance-tinted CLs and their effects on measures of visual performance. Thirty-three subjects (14 male, 19 female) were fitted with clear B&L Optima 38, 50% visible light transmission Amber and 36% visible light transmission Gray-Green Nike Maxsight CLs in an individualized randomized sequence. Subjects were dark-adapted with welding goggles before testing and in between subtests involving a Bailey-Lovie chart and the Haynes Distance Rock test. The sequence of testing was repeated for each lens modality. The Amber and Gray-Green lenses enabled subjects to recover vision faster in bright sunlight compared with clear lenses. Also, subjects were able to achieve better visual recognition in bright sunlight when compared with clear lenses. Additionally, the lenses allowed the subjects to alternate fixation between a bright and shaded target at a more rapid rate in bright sunlight as compared with clear lenses. Subjects preferred both the Amber and Gray-Green lenses over clear lenses in the bright and shadowed target conditions. The results of the current study show that Maxsight Amber and Gray-Green lenses provide better contrast discrimination in bright sunlight, better contrast discrimination when alternating between bright and shaded target conditions, better speed of visual recovery in bright sunlight, and better overall visual performance in bright and shaded target conditions compared with clear lenses.

Psoriasis, Psoralen and Sunlight

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R.P.C Naik

1979-01-01

Full Text Available Topical or oral administration of photoactive furocumarins followed by exposure to ultra violet light from artificial sources has been shown previously to clear psoriatic lesions. Sunlight has been chosen as the source of UVL m two separate paired comparison studies using topical and, oral 4,5, 8 trimethylpsoralen. Two out of 21 on topical therapy and none out of 6 patients on oral paired-comparison study showed faster clearance of the drug treated lesions compared to control sites.

Intensity correlation imaging with sunlight-like source

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wentao; Tang, Zhiguo; Zheng, Huaibin; Chen, Hui; Yuan, Yuan; Liu, Jinbin; Liu, Yanyan; Xu, Zhuo

2018-05-01

We show a method of intensity correlation imaging of targets illuminated by a sunlight-like source both theoretically and experimentally. With a Faraday anomalous dispersion optical filter (FADOF), we have modulated the coherence time of a thermal source up to 0.167 ns. And we carried out measurements of temporal and spatial correlations, respectively, with an intensity interferometer setup. By skillfully using the even Fourier fitting on the very sparse sampling data, the images of targets are successfully reconstructed from the low signal-noise-ratio(SNR) interference pattern by applying an iterative phase retrieval algorithm. The resulting imaging quality is as well as the one obtained by the theoretical fitting. The realization of such a case will bring this technique closer to geostationary satellite imaging illuminated by sunlight.

DNA damage by ethylbenzenehydroperoxide formed from carcinogenic ethylbenzene by sunlight irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toda, Chitose; Uchida, Takafumi; Midorikawa, Kaoru; Murata, Mariko; Hiraku, Yusuke; Okamoto, Yoshinori; Ueda, Koji; Kojima, Nakao; Kawanishi, Shosuke

2003-01-01

Ethylbenzene, widely used in human life, is a non-mutagenic carcinogen. Sunlight-irradiated ethylbenzene caused DNA damage in the presence of Cu 2+ , but unirradiated ethylbenzene did not. A Cu + -specific chelator bathocuproine inhibited DNA damage and catalase showed a little inhibitory effect. The scopoletin assay revealed that peroxides and H 2 O 2 were formed in ethylbenzene exposed to sunlight. These results suggest that Cu + and alkoxyl radical mainly participate in DNA damage, and H 2 O 2 partially does. When catalase was added, DNA damage at thymine and cytosine was inhibited. Ethylbenzenehydroperoxide, identified by GC/MS analysis, induced the formation of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2 ' -deoxyguanosine and caused DNA damage at consecutive guanines, as observed with cumenehydroperoxide. Equimolar concentrations of H 2 O 2 and acetophenone were produced by the sunlight-irradiation of 1-phenylethanol, a further degraded product of ethylbenzene. These results indicate a novel pathway that oxidative DNA damage induced by the peroxide and H 2 O 2 derived from sunlight-irradiated ethylbenzene may lead to expression of the carcinogenicity

Influence of thermoluminescence signal for debris flow surface materials by sunlight bleaching

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song Bo; Wei Mingjian; He Youbing; Zhou Rui; Zhao Qiuyue; Zhang Bin

2013-01-01

Thermoluminescence was utilized for measuring the thermoluminescence signals of the standard debris flow samples which were bleached by simulated sunlight and debris flow samples after real sunlight bleaching. The experiment results demonstrate that light bleaching phenomenon of the debris flow occurs when it experiences a period of exposure. The thermoluminescence signal of the samples weakens gradually with the increase of depth. The optical bleaching phenomenon is obvious. Within a certain depth, light bleaching phenomenon is enhanced with the increase of light intensity. The annealing depth of simulated sunlight bleaching experiment is about 1 mm, and the actual annealing depth of sunlight bleaching is about 6 mm. According to the equivalent dose variation with depth, the mud of natural debris flow can be divided into two stages. It has fundamental significance in the application of thermoluminescence dating techniques to divide the stages of debris flow sediments. (authors)

Sunlight and Vitamin D

Science.gov (United States)

Wacker, Matthias; Holick, Michael F.

2013-01-01

Vitamin D is the sunshine vitamin that has been produced on this earth for more than 500 million years. During exposure to sunlight 7-dehydrocholesterol in the skin absorbs UV B radiation and is converted to previtamin D3 which in turn isomerizes into vitamin D3. Previtamin D3 and vitamin D3 also absorb UV B radiation and are converted into a variety of photoproducts some of which have unique biologic properties. Sun induced vitamin D synthesis is greatly influenced by season, time of day, latitude, altitude, air pollution, skin pigmentation, sunscreen use, passing through glass and plastic, and aging. Vitamin D is metabolized sequentially in the liver and kidneys into 25-hydroxyvitamin D which is a major circulating form and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D which is the biologically active form respectively. 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D plays an important role in regulating calcium and phosphate metabolism for maintenance of metabolic functions and for skeletal health. Most cells and organs in the body have a vitamin D receptor and many cells and organs are able to produce 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. As a result 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D influences a large number of biologic pathways which may help explain association studies relating vitamin D deficiency and living at higher latitudes with increased risk for many chronic diseases including autoimmune diseases, some cancers, cardiovascular disease, infectious disease, schizophrenia and type 2 diabetes. A three-part strategy of increasing food fortification programs with vitamin D, sensible sun exposure recommendations and encouraging ingestion of a vitamin D supplement when needed should be implemented to prevent global vitamin D deficiency and its negative health consequences. PMID:24494042

A generic approach for sunlight and shadow impact computation on large city models

OpenAIRE

Jaillot , Vincent; Pedrinis , Frédéric; Servigne , Sylvie; Gesquière , Gilles

2017-01-01

International audience; Study of sunlight and shadow effects on the city has become more accessible with the development of 3D citymodels. It allows measuring when and how an object is exposed to the sunlight, which enables conducting manyrelated studies such as energy analyses or urban planning. While many works have been done for this purpose, itmay be interesting to know which objects (terrain, buildings, trees, etc.) prevent other objects from beingexposed to the sunlight. In this paper w...

Detailed evaluation of the natural circulation mass flow rate of water propelled by using an air injection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Rae-Joon; Ha, Kwang-Soon; Kim, Jae-Cheol; Hong, Seong-Wan; Kim, Sang-Baik

2008-01-01

One-dimensional (1D) air-water two-phase natural circulation flow in the thermohydraulic evaluation of reactor cooling mechanism by external self-induced flow - one-dimensional' (THERMES-1D) experiment has been verified and evaluated by using the RELAP5/MOD3 computer code. Experimental results on the 1D natural circulation mass flow rate of water propelled by using an air injection have been evaluated in detail. The RELAP5 results have shown that an increase in the air injection rate to 50% of the total heat flux leads to an increase in the water circulation mass flow rate. However, an increase in the air injection rate from 50 to 100% does not affect the water circulation mass flow rate, because of the inlet area condition. As the height increases in the air injection part, the void fraction increases. However, the void fraction in the upper part of the air injector maintains a constant value. An increase in the air injection mass flow rate leads to an increase in the local void fraction, but it has no influence on the local pressure. An increase in the coolant inlet area leads to an increase in the water circulation mass flow rate. However, the water outlet area does not have an influence on the water circulation mass flow rate. As the coolant outlet moves to a lower position, the water circulation mass flow rate decreases. (author)

A groundwater mass flux model for screening the groundwater-to-indoor-air exposure pathway

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McHugh, T.; Blanc, P.C. de; Connor, J. [Groundwater Services Inc, Houston, TX (United States)

2003-07-01

The potential for human exposure via volatilisation of groundwater contaminants into indoor air has been a focus of increasing concern in recent years. At a small number of sites, elevated indoor vapour concentrations have been measured within buildings overlying shallow groundwater contaminated with chlorinated solvents, causing public concern over the potential for similar problems at other corrective action sites. In addition, use of the screening-levelmodel developed by Johnson and Ettinger (1991) for the groundwater-to-indoor-air exposure pathway has suggested that low microgram per litre (ug/L)-range concentrations of either chlorinated or non-chlorinated volatile organic compounds dissolved in groundwater could result in indoor vapour concentrations in excess of applicable risk-based exposure limits. As an alternative screening tool, this paper presents a groundwater mass flux model for evaluation of transport to indoor air. The mass flux model is intended to serve as a highly conservative screening tool that over-predicts groundwater-to-indoor-air mass flux, yet still provides sufficient sensitivity to identify sites for which the groundwater-to-indoor air exposure pathway is not a concern. (orig.)

Sunlight exposure and sun sensitivity associated with disability progression in multiple sclerosis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

D'hooghe, M. B.; Haentjens, P.; Nagels, G.; Garmyn, M.; De Keyser, J.

Background: Sunlight and vitamin D have been inversely associated with the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS). Objective: We investigated sunlight exposure and sun sensitivity in relation to disability progression in MS. Methods: We conducted a survey among persons with MS, registered by the Flemish MS

Particle growth in an isoprene-rich forest: Influences of urban, wildfire, and biogenic air masses

Science.gov (United States)

Gunsch, Matthew J.; Schmidt, Stephanie A.; Gardner, Daniel J.; Bondy, Amy L.; May, Nathaniel W.; Bertman, Steven B.; Pratt, Kerri A.; Ault, Andrew P.

2018-04-01

Growth of freshly nucleated particles is an important source of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and has been studied within a variety of environments around the world. However, there remains uncertainty regarding the sources of the precursor gases leading to particle growth, particularly in isoprene-rich forests. In this study, particle growth events were observed from the 14 total events (31% of days) during summer measurements (June 24 - August 2, 2014) at the Program for Research on Oxidants PHotochemistry, Emissions, and Transport (PROPHET) tower within the forested University of Michigan Biological Station located in northern Michigan. Growth events were observed within long-range transported air masses from urban areas, air masses impacted by wildfires, as well as stagnant, forested/regional air masses. Growth events observed during urban-influenced air masses were prevalent, with presumably high oxidant levels, and began midday during periods of high solar radiation. This suggests that increased oxidation of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) likely contributed to the highest observed particle growth in this study (8 ± 2 nm h-1). Growth events during wildfire-influenced air masses were observed primarily at night and had slower growth rates (3 ± 1 nm h-1). These events were likely influenced by increased SO2, O3, and NO2 transported within the smoke plumes, suggesting a role of NO3 oxidation in the production of semi-volatile compounds. Forested/regional air mass growth events likely occurred due to the oxidation of regionally emitted BVOCs, including isoprene, monoterpenes, and sesquiterpenes, which facilitated multiday growth events also with slower rates (3 ± 2 nm h-1). Intense sulfur, carbon, and oxygen signals in individual particles down to 20 nm, analyzed by transmission electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (TEM-EDX), suggest that H2SO4 and secondary organic aerosol contributed to particle growth. Overall, aerosol

Toxicological impact of cadmium-based quantum dots towards aquatic biota: Effect of natural sunlight exposure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silva, B.F. [Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto (Portugal); CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, Rua dos Bragas, 289, 4050-123 Porto (Portugal); Andreani, T. [Centro de Investigação em Química da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 687, 4169-007 Porto (Portugal); Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto (Portugal); CITAB − Centre for Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, UTAD, Vila Real (Portugal); Gavina, A., E-mail: anacsgavina@gmail.com [Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto (Portugal); CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, Rua dos Bragas, 289, 4050-123 Porto (Portugal); Vieira, M.N. [Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto (Portugal); CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, Rua dos Bragas, 289, 4050-123 Porto (Portugal); Pereira, C.M. [Centro de Investigação em Química da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 687, 4169-007 Porto (Portugal); Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto (Portugal); Rocha-Santos, T. [Department of Chemistry and Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro (Portugal); and others

2016-07-15

Highlights: • Under sunlight exposure, all QDs form particle aggregates in the different media. • CdSeS/ZnS QDs showed lower toxic effects to V. fischeri before sunlight exposure. • Sunlight exposure decreased the toxicity of CdS 480 in all organisms. • Sunlight exposure increased the toxicity of CdS 380 QDs for D. magna. • Shell of QDs seemed to make them less harmful to aquatic organisms. - Abstract: Cadmium-based quantum dots (QDs) are increasingly applied in existent and emerging technologies, especially in biological applications due to their exceptional photophysical and functionalization properties. However, they are very toxic compounds due to the high reactive and toxic cadmium core. The present study aimed to determine the toxicity of three different QDs (CdS 380, CdS 480 and CdSeS/ZnS) before and after the exposure of suspensions to sunlight, in order to assess the effect of environmentally relevant irradiation levels in their toxicity, which will act after their release to the environment. Therefore, a battery of ecotoxicological tests was performed with organisms that cover different functional and trophic levels, such as Vibrio fischeri, Raphidocelis subcapitata, Chlorella vulgaris and Daphnia magna. The results showed that core-shell type QDs showed lower toxic effects to V. fischeri in comparison to core type QDs before sunlight exposure. However, after sunlight exposure, there was a decrease of CdS 380 and CdS 480 QD toxicity to bacterium. Also, after sunlight exposure, an effective decrease of CdSeS/ZnS and CdS 480 toxicity for D. magna and R. subcapitata, and an evident increase in CdS 380 QD toxicity, at least for D. magna, were observed. The results of this study suggest that sunlight exposure has an effect in the aggregation and precipitation reactions of larger QDs, causing the degradation of functional groups and formation of larger bulks which may be less prone to photo-oxidation due to their diminished surface area. The same

Air breathing in Magadi tilapia Alcolapia grahami, under normoxic and hyperoxic conditions, and the association with sunlight and reactive oxygen species.

Science.gov (United States)

Johannsson, O E; Bergman, H L; Wood, C M; Laurent, P; Kavembe, D G; Bianchini, A; Maina, J N; Chevalier, C; Bianchini, L F; Papah, M B; Ojoo, R O

2014-03-01

Observations of the Magadi tilapia Alcolapia grahami in hot, highly alkaline Lake Magadi revealed that they air breathe not only during hypoxia, as described previously, but also during normoxia and hyperoxia. Air breathing under these latter conditions occurred within distinct groupings of fish (pods) and involved only a small proportion of the population. Air breathing properties (duration and frequency) were quantified from video footage. Air breathing within the population followed a diel pattern with the maximum extent of pod formation occurring in early afternoon. High levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the water may be an irritant that encourages the air-breathing behaviour. The diel pattern of air breathing in the field and in experiments followed the diel pattern of ROS concentrations in the water which are amongst the highest reported in the literature (maximum daytime values of 2.53 – 8.10 μM H₂O₂). Interlamellar cell masses (ILCM) occurred between the gill lamellae of fish from the lagoon with highest ROS and highest oxygen levels, while fish from a normoxic lagoon with one third the ROS had little or no ILCM. This is the first record of air breathing in a facultative air-breathing fish in hyperoxic conditions and the first record of an ILCM in a cichlid species. © 2013 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Mineralization of bacterial cell mass on a photocatalytic surface in air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacoby, W.A.; Maness, P.C.; Wolfrum, E.J.; Blake, D.M.; Fennell, J.A.

1998-01-01

Whole cells deposited on a titanium dioxide-coated surface have been oxidized in air to carbon dioxide via photocatalysis. This paper provides the first evidence that the organic matter in whole cells can be completely oxidized. Three experimental techniques were employed to monitor this reaction: scanning electron microscopy, 14 C radioisotope labeling experiments establish that the carbon content of E. coli is oxidized to form carbon dioxide with substantial closure of the mass balance. The batch reactor experiments corroborate the mass balance and provide a preliminary indication of the rate of the oxidation reaction. These results provide evidence that a photocatalytic surface used for disinfection can also be self-cleaning in an air-solid system

Reversible degradation of inverted organic solar cells by concentrated sunlight

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tromholt, Thomas; Krebs, Frederik C; Manor, Assaf; Katz, Eugene A

2011-01-01

Concentrated sunlight was used to study the performance response of inverted P3HT:PCBM organic solar cells after exposure to high intensity sunlight. Correlations of efficiency as a function of solar intensity were established in the range of 0.5-15 suns at three different stages: for a pristine cell, after 30 min exposure at 5 suns and after 30 min of rest in the dark. High intensity exposure introduced a major performance decrease for all solar intensities, followed by a partial recovery of the lost performance over time: at 1 sun only 6% of the initial performance was conserved after the high intensity exposure, while after rest the performance had recovered to 60% of the initial value. The timescale of the recovery effect was studied by monitoring the cell performance at 1 sun after high intensity exposure. This showed that cell performance was almost completely restored after 180 min. The transient state is believed to be a result of the breakdown of the diode behaviour of the ZnO electron transport layer by O 2 desorption, increasing the hole conductivity. These results imply that accelerated degradation of organic solar cells by concentrated sunlight is not a straightforward process, and care has to be taken to allow for a sound accelerated lifetime assessment based on concentrated sunlight.

New particle formation in air mass transported between two measurement sites in Northern Finland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Komppula

2006-01-01

Full Text Available This study covers four years of aerosol number size distribution data from Pallas and Värriö sites 250 km apart from each other in Northern Finland and compares new particle formation events between these sites. In air masses of eastern origin almost all events were observed to start earlier at the eastern station Värriö, whereas in air masses of western origin most of the events were observed to start earlier at the western station Pallas. This demonstrates that particle formation in a certain air mass type depends not only on the diurnal variation of the parameters causing the phenomenon (such as photochemistry but also on some properties carried by the air mass itself. The correlation in growth rates between the two sites was relatively good, which suggests that the amount of condensable vapour causing the growth must have been at about the same level in both sites. The condensation sink was frequently much higher at the downwind station. It seems that secondary particle formation related to biogenic sources dominate in many cases over the particle sinks during the air mass transport between the sites. Two cases of transport from Pallas to Värriö were further analysed with an aerosol dynamics model. The model was able to reproduce the observed nucleation events 250 km down-wind at Värriö but revealed some differences between the two cases. The simulated nucleation rates were in both cases similar but the organic concentration profiles that best reproduced the observations were different in the two cases indicating that divergent formation reactions may dominate under different conditions. The simulations also suggested that organic compounds were the main contributor to new particle growth, which offers a tentative hypothesis to the distinct features of new particles at the two sites: Air masses arriving from the Atlantic Ocean typically spent approximately only ten hours over land before arriving at Pallas, and thus the time for the

climatology of air mass trajectories and aerosol optical thickness ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

George

We present in this paper a climatological study of back trajectories of air masses ... obtained by inversion of photometric measurements of AERONET network. ... the arid Sahel region adjacent in the north to the Sahara ... the city a strategic position in the study of the .... atmospheric emergencies, diagnostic case studies and.

Influence of drying air parameters on mass transfer characteristics of apple slices

Science.gov (United States)

Beigi, Mohsen

2016-10-01

To efficiently design both new drying process and equipment and/or to improve the existing systems, accurate values of mass transfer characteristics are necessary. The present study aimed to investigate the influence of drying air parameters (i.e. temperature, velocity and relative humidity) on effective diffusivity and convective mass transfer coefficient of apple slices. The Dincer and Dost model was used to determine the mass transfer characteristics. The obtained Biot number indicated that the moisture transfer in the apple slices was controlled by both internal and external resistance. The effective diffusivity and mass transfer coefficient values obtained to be in the ranges of 7.13 × 10-11-7.66 × 10-10 and 1.46 × 10-7-3.39 × 10-7 m s-1, respectively and the both of them increased with increasing drying air temperature and velocity, and decreasing relative humidity. The validation of the model showed that the model predicted the experimental drying curves of the samples with a good accuracy.

On the apparent velocity of integrated sunlight. I - 1983-1985

Science.gov (United States)

Deming, Drake; Espenak, Fred; Jennings, Donald E.; Brault, James W.; Wagner, Jeremy

1987-01-01

Frequency measurements for the Delta V = 2 transitions of CO in the integrated light spectrum of the sun are presented. The nature and magnitude of systematic errors which typically arise in absolute velocity measurements of integrated sunlight are explored in some detail, and measurements believed accurate at the level of about 5 m/s or less are presented. It is found that the integrated light velocity varies by about 3 m/s or less over a one-day period. Over the long term, the data indicate an increasing blue-shift in these weak infrared lines amounting to 30 m/s from 1983 to 1985. The sense of the drift is consistent with a lessening in the magnetic inhibition of granular convection at solar minimum. Such an effect has implications for the spectroscopic detectability of planetary-mass companions to solar-type stars.

Cathodic protection of carbon steel in natural seawater: Effect of sunlight radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Benedetti, Alessandro [Istituto per l' Energetica e le Interfasi, IENI - CNR, Milano, via Roberto Cozzi 53 20125 Milano (Italy)], E-mail: alessandro.benedetti@cnr.it; Magagnin, Luca [Dip. Chimica, Materiali e Ing. Chimica G. Natta, Politecnico di Milano, via Mancinelli 7, 20131 Milano (Italy); Passaretti, Francesca [Istituto per l' Energetica e le Interfasi IENI - CNR, Lecco, c.so Promessi Sposi 29, 23900 Lecco (Italy); Chelossi, Elisabetta; Faimali, Marco [Istituto di Scienze Marine, ISMAR- CNR - Via De Marini 6, 16149, Genova (Italy); Montesperelli, Giampiero [Universita di Roma - Tor Vergata, Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 00133, Roma (Italy)

2009-11-01

Cathodic protection of metals in seawater is known to be influenced by chemical-physical parameters affecting cathodic processes (oxygen discharge, hydrogen evolution and calcareous deposit precipitation). In shallow seawater, these parameters are influenced by sunlight photoperiod and photosynthetic activity. The results presented here represent the first step in studies dedicated to cathodic protection in shallow photic seawater. This paper reports on carbon steel protected at -850 mV vs. Ag/AgCl (oxygen limiting current regime) in the presence of sunlight radiation but in the absence of biological and photosynthetic activity, the role of which deserves future research. Comparison of results obtained by exposing electrochemical cells to daylight cycles in both biologically inactivated natural seawater and in NaCl 3.5 wt.% solutions showed that sunlight affects current densities and that calcareous deposit interfere with light-currents effects. Sunlight radiation and induced heating of the solution have been separated, highlighting results not otherwise obvious: (1) observed current waves concomitant with sunlight radiation depend fundamentally on solar radiation, (2) solar radiation can determine current enhancements from early to late phases of aragonite crystal growth, (3) a three-day-old CaCO{sub 3} layer reduces but does not eliminate the amplitude of the current waves. Theoretical calculations for oxygen limiting currents and additional field tests showed that sunlight, rather than bulk solution heating, is the main cause of daily current enhancements. This was confirmed by polarizations performed at -850 and -1000 mV vs. Ag/AgCl (constant bulk temperature), during which the electrode was irradiated with artificial lighting. This test also confirmed O{sub 2} discharge to be the cathodic process involved. A mechanism of radiation conversion to heat in the oxygen diffusion layer region is proposed.

Microbial air quality in mass transport buses and work-related illness among bus drivers of Bangkok Mass Transit Authority.

Science.gov (United States)

Luksamijarulkul, Pipat; Sundhiyodhin, Viboonsri; Luksamijarulkul, Soavalug; Kaewboonchoo, Orawan

2004-06-01

The air quality in mass transport buses, especially air-conditioned buses may affect bus drivers who work full time. Bus numbers 16, 63, 67 and 166 of the Seventh Bus Zone of Bangkok Mass Transit Authority were randomly selected to investigate for microbial air quality. Nine air-conditioned buses and 2-4 open-air buses for each number of the bus (36 air-conditioned buses and 12 open-air buses) were included. Five points of in-bus air samples in each studied bus were collected by using the Millipore A ir Tester Totally, 180 and 60 air samples collected from air-conditioned buses and open-air buses were cultured for bacterial and fungal counts. The bus drivers who drove the studied buses were interviewed towards histories of work-related illness while working. The results revealed that the mean +/- SD of bacterial counts in the studied open-air buses ranged from 358.50 +/- 146.66 CFU/m3 to 506 +/- 137.62 CFU/m3; bus number 16 had the highest level. As well as the mean +/- SD of fungal counts which ranged from 93.33 +/- 44.83 CFU/m3 to 302 +/- 294.65 CFU/m3; bus number 166 had the highest level. Whereas, the mean +/- SD of bacterial counts in the studied air-conditioned buses ranged from 115.24 +/- 136.01 CFU/m3 to 244.69 +/- 234.85 CFU/m3; bus numbers 16 and 67 had the highest level. As well as the mean +/- SD of fungal counts which rangedfrom 18.84 +/- 39.42 CFU/m3 to 96.13 +/- 234.76 CFU/m3; bus number 166 had the highest level. When 180 and 60 studied air samples were analyzed in detail, it was found that 33.33% of the air samples from open-air buses and 6.11% of air samples from air-conditioned buses had a high level of bacterial counts (> 500 CFU/m3) while 6.67% of air samples from open-air buses and 2.78% of air samples from air-conditioned buses had a high level of fungal counts (> 500 CFU/m3). Data from the history of work-related illnesses among the studied bus drivers showed that 91.67% of open-air bus drivers and 57.28% of air-conditioned bus drivers had

Natural sunlight shapes crude oil-degradingbacterial communities in northern Gulf of Mexico surface waters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hernando P Bacosa

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Following the Deepwater Horizon (DWH spill in 2010, an enormous amount of oil was observed in the deep and surface waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Surface waters are characterized by intense sunlight and high temperature during summer. While the oil-degrading bacterial communities in the deep-sea plume have been widely investigated, the effect of natural sunlight on those in oil polluted surface waters remains unexplored to date. In this study, we incubated surface water from the DWH site with amendments of crude oil, Corexit dispersant, or both for 36 d under natural sunlight in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The bacterial community was analyzed over time for total abundance, density of alkane and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon degraders, and community composition via pyrosequencing. Our results showed that, for treatments with oil and/or Corexit, sunlight significantly reduced bacterial diversity and evenness and was a key driver of shifts in bacterial community structure. In samples containing oil or dispersant, sunlight greatly reduced abundance of the Cyanobacterium Synechococcus but increased the relative abundances of Alteromonas, Marinobacter, Labrenzia, Sandarakinotalea, Bartonella, and Halomonas. Dark samples with oil were represented by members of Thalassobius, Winogradskyella, Alcanivorax, Formosa, Pseudomonas, Eubacterium, Erythrobacter, Natronocella, and Coxiella. Both oil and Corexit inhibited the Candidatus Pelagibacter with or without sunlight exposure. For the first time, we demonstrated the effects of light in structuring microbial communities in water with oil and/or Corexit. Overall, our findings improve understanding of oil pollution in surface water, and provide unequivocal evidence that sunlight is a key factor in determining bacterial community composition and dynamics in oil polluted marine waters.

Air mass flow estimation in turbocharged diesel engines from in-cylinder pressure measurement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Desantes, J.M.; Galindo, J.; Guardiola, C.; Dolz, V. [CMT - Motores Termicos, Universidad Politecnica de Valencia (Spain)

2010-01-15

Air mass flow determination is needed for the control of current internal combustion engines. Current methods are based on specific sensors (as hot wire anemometers) or indirect estimation through manifold pressure. With the availability of cylinder pressure sensors for engine control, methods based on them can be used for replacing or complementing standard methods. Present paper uses in cylinder pressure increase during the intake stroke for inferring the trapped air mass. The method is validated on two different turbocharged diesel engines and compared with the standard methods. (author)

Vitamin D, Sunlight and Prostate Cancer Risk

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krishna Vanaja Donkena

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Prostate cancer is the second common cancer in men worldwide. The prevention of prostate cancer remains a challenge to researchers and clinicians. Here, we review the relationship of vitamin D and sunlight to prostate cancer risk. Ultraviolet radiation of the sunlight is the main stimulator for vitamin D production in humans. Vitamin D's antiprostate cancer activities may be involved in the actions through the pathways mediated by vitamin D metabolites, vitamin D metabolizing enzymes, vitamin D receptor (VDR, and VDR-regulated genes. Although laboratory studies including the use of animal models have shown that vitamin D has antiprostate cancer properties, whether it can effectively prevent the development and/or progression of prostate cancer in humans remains to be inconclusive and an intensively studied subject. This review will provide up-to-date information regarding the recent outcomes of laboratory and epidemiology studies on the effects of vitamin D on prostate cancer prevention.

Adaptive fluid lens and sunlight redirection system : exploring a novel way of redirecting and altering sunlight in large span roofs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heinzelmann, F.; Bristogianni, T.; Teuffel, P.; Stouffs, R.; Sariyildiz, S.

2013-01-01

The paper describes a novel system to alter and redirect sunlight under large span roofs with the help of a fluid lens system. Focus lies on the computational design, testing, measurement and evaluation of the performance of a physical prototype.

Sunlight suppressing rejection of 280- to 320-nm UV-radiation-induced skin tumors in mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morison, W.L.; Kelley, S.P.

1985-01-01

Repeated exposure of female C3H/HeNCR- mice to sunlight prevented the normal immunologic rejection of a UV-induced tumor. This systemic immunologic alteration was transferred to syngeneic lethally X-irradiated animals with lymphoid cells from mice exposed to sunlight. The lymphoid cells also were able to suppress the capacity of lymphoid cells from normal animals to reject a UV-induced tumor. The 295- to 320-nm wave band appeared to be responsible for this immunosuppressive effect of sunlight because suppression was prevented by filtration of the radiation through Mylar and by application of a sunscreen containing para-aminobenzoic acid. These observations may have importance in understanding the pathogenesis of sunlight-induced skin cancer in humans

Natural sunlight bleaching of the aluminum center in quartz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin Min; Yin Gongming; Han Kongyan; Bao Jifei; Liu Jingwei; Jia Li

2007-01-01

The effect of sunlight bleaching on ESR signals from the aluminum center in quartz is reported for two samples of sand-sized quartz, one from a granite and one from a beach sand. The grains were exposed to direct sunlight for periods of time up to 500 h, with bleaching carried out in four different cities in China that are from 50 to 3600 m above sea level. Each sample bleached to the same residual level, ∼55% for the granite and 80% for the beach sand of the initial value after a 200 Gy dose had been given. After 200 h, the bleaching level reached was independent of the height above sea level

Hypovitaminosis D in patients undergoing kidney transplant: the importance of sunlight exposure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristiane F. Vilarta

Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: Recent studies have shown a high prevalence of hypovitaminosis D, defined as a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level less than 30 ng/ml, in both healthy populations and patients with chronic kidney disease. Patients undergoing kidney transplant are at an increased risk of skin cancer and are advised to avoid sunlight exposure. Therefore, these patients might share two major risk factors for hypovitaminosis D: chronic kidney disease and low sunlight exposure. This paper describes the prevalence and clinical characteristics of hypovitaminosis D among patients undergoing kidney transplant. METHODS: We evaluated 25-hydroxyvitamin D serum levels in a representative sample of patients undergoing kidney transplant. We sought to determine the prevalence of hypovitaminosis D, compare these patients with a control group, and identify factors associated with hypovitaminosis D (e.g., sunlight exposure and dietary habits. RESULTS: Hypovitaminosis D was found in 79% of patients undergoing kidney transplant, and the major associated factor was low sunlight exposure. These patients had higher creatinine and intact parathyroid hormone serum levels, with 25-hydroxyvitamin D being inversely correlated with intact parathyroid hormone serum levels. Compared with the control group, patients undergoing kidney transplant presented a higher prevalence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency and lower serum calcium, phosphate and albumin but higher creatinine and intact parathyroid hormone levels. CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirmed the high prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in patients undergoing kidney transplant. Therapeutic strategies such as moderate sunlight exposure and vitamin D supplementation should be seriously considered for this population.

Match properties of heat transfer and coupled heat and mass transfer processes in air-conditioning system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Tao; Liu Xiaohua; Zhang Lun; Jiang Yi

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Investigates match properties of heat or mass transfer processes in HVAC system. ► Losses are caused by limited transfer ability, flow and parameter mismatching. ► Condition of flow matching is the same heat capacity of the fluids. ► Parameter matching is only reached along the saturation line in air–water system. ► Analytical solutions of heat and mass transfer resistance are derived. - Abstract: Sensible heat exchangers and coupled heat and mass transfer devices between humid air and water/desiccant are commonly used devices in air-conditioning systems. This paper focuses on the match properties of sensible heat transfer processes and coupled heat and mass transfer processes in an effort to understand the reasons for performance limitations in order to optimize system performance. Limited heat transfer capability and flow mismatching resulted in heat resistance of the sensible heat transfer process. Losses occurred during the heat and mass transfer processes due to limited transfer capability, flow mismatching, and parameter mismatching. Flow matching was achieved when the heat capacities of the fluids were identical, and parameter matching could only be reached along the saturation line in air–water systems or the iso-concentration line in air–desiccant systems. Analytical solutions of heat transfer resistance and mass transfer resistance were then derived. The heat and mass transfer process close to the saturation line is recommended, and heating sprayed water resulted in better humidification performance than heating inlet air in the air humidifier.

The Frequency of Occurrence of Air Masses Over Twelve European Cities.

Science.gov (United States)

1983-01-01

cluster analysis technique to investigate the possibility of simplifying the European "",Oskar Essermanger, 1954, Neue Methode der Zerleang von...Masses, Streamlines, and the Boreal Forest," Geographical Bulletin, Vol 8 11 J. M. Davis, 1981, The Use of Cluster Analysis in the Identification and...Atmosphere and a Proposed Model for Frontal Analysis," Tellus, Vol 5 ’’N. S. McDonald, 1975, "Etgenvectur Analisis as an Aid to Air Mass Recognition

Converting sunlight into audible sound by means of the photoacoustic effect: The Heliophone.

Science.gov (United States)

Roozen, N B; Glorieux, C; Liu, L; Rychtáriková, M; Van der Donck, T; Jacobs, A

2016-09-01

One hundred and thirty-five years after Alexander Graham Bell and his assistant Charles Sumner Tainter explored the photoacoustic effect, and about 40 years after Rosencwaig and Gersho modeled the effect in a photoacoustic cell configuration, the phenomenon is revisited in a "Heliophone" device that converts sunlight into sound. The light is focused on a carbon blackened copper coated Kapton foil in an acoustic cell by means of a compound parabolic collimator, and its intensity is modulated by a mechanical chopper. A horn is employed to make the sound audible without electronic amplification. The description of the photoacoustic effect that was introduced by Rosencwaig and Gersho is extended to a cell-horn configuration, in which the periodically heated air above the foil acts as an oscillating piston, driving acoustic waves in the horn. The pressure in the cavity-horn assembly is calculated by considering the air layer piston as an equivalent volume velocity source. The importance of the carbon black (soot) layer to enhance light absorption, but above all to enhance the photothermal excitation efficiency, is elucidated by means of an experimentally supported physical model.

Hybrid sunlight/LED illumination and renewable solar energy saving concepts for indoor lighting.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsuei, Chih-Hsuan; Sun, Wen-Shing; Kuo, Chien-Cheng

2010-11-08

A hybrid method for using sunlight and light-emitting diode (LED) illumination powered by renewable solar energy for indoor lighting is simulated and presented in this study. We can illuminate an indoor space and collect the solar energy using an optical switching system. When the system is turned off, the full spectrum of the sunlight is concentrated by a concentrator, to be absorbed by solar photovoltaic devices that provide the electricity to power the LEDs. When the system is turned on, the sunlight collected by the concentrator is split into visible and non-visible rays by a beam splitter. The visible rays pass through the light guide into a light box where it is mixed with LED light to ultimately provide uniform illumination by a diffuser. The non-visible rays are absorbed by the solar photovoltaic devices to provide electrical power for the LEDs. Simulation results show that the efficiency of the hybrid sunlight/LED illumination with the renewable solar energy saving design is better than that of LED and traditional lighting systems.

Characterising terrestrial influences on Antarctic air masses using Radon-222 measurements at King George Island

Science.gov (United States)

Chambers, S. D.; Hong, S.-B.; Williams, A. G.; Crawford, J.; Griffiths, A. D.; Park, S.-J.

2014-09-01

We report on one year of high-precision direct hourly radon observations at King Sejong Station (King George Island) beginning in February 2013. Findings are compared with historic and ongoing radon measurements from other Antarctic sites. Monthly median concentrations reduced from 72 mBq m-3 in late-summer to 44 mBq m-3 in late winter and early spring. Monthly 10th percentiles, ranging from 29 to 49 mBq m-3, were typical of oceanic baseline values. Diurnal cycles were rarely evident and local influences were minor, consistent with regional radon flux estimates one tenth of the global average for ice-free land. The predominant fetch region for terrestrially influenced air masses was South America (47-53° S), with minor influences also attributed to aged Australian air masses and local sources. Plume dilution factors of 2.8-4.0 were estimated for the most terrestrially influenced (South American) air masses, and a seasonal cycle in terrestrial influence on tropospheric air descending at the pole was identified and characterised.

Natural Sunlight Shapes Crude Oil-Degrading Bacterial Communities in Northern Gulf of Mexico Surface Waters.

Science.gov (United States)

Bacosa, Hernando P; Liu, Zhanfei; Erdner, Deana L

2015-01-01

Following the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) spill in 2010, an enormous amount of oil was observed in the deep and surface waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Surface waters are characterized by intense sunlight and high temperature during summer. While the oil-degrading bacterial communities in the deep-sea plume have been widely investigated, the effect of natural sunlight on those in oil polluted surface waters remains unexplored to date. In this study, we incubated surface water from the DWH site with amendments of crude oil, Corexit dispersant, or both for 36 days under natural sunlight in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The bacterial community was analyzed over time for total abundance, density of alkane and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon degraders, and community composition via pyrosequencing. Our results showed that, for treatments with oil and/or Corexit, sunlight significantly reduced bacterial diversity and evenness and was a key driver of shifts in bacterial community structure. In samples containing oil or dispersant, sunlight greatly reduced abundance of the Cyanobacterium Synechococcus but increased the relative abundances of Alteromonas, Marinobacter, Labrenzia, Sandarakinotalea, Bartonella, and Halomonas. Dark samples with oil were represented by members of Thalassobius, Winogradskyella, Alcanivorax, Formosa, Pseudomonas, Eubacterium, Erythrobacter, Natronocella, and Coxiella. Both oil and Corexit inhibited the Candidatus Pelagibacter with or without sunlight exposure. For the first time, we demonstrated the effects of light in structuring microbial communities in water with oil and/or Corexit. Overall, our findings improve understanding of oil pollution in surface water, and provide unequivocal evidence that sunlight is a key factor in determining bacterial community composition and dynamics in oil polluted marine waters.

Low serum vitamin D-status, air pollution and obesity: A dangerous liaison.

Science.gov (United States)

Barrea, Luigi; Savastano, Silvia; Di Somma, Carolina; Savanelli, Maria Cristina; Nappi, Francesca; Albanese, Lidia; Orio, Francesco; Colao, Annamaria

2017-06-01

The aim of this review is to provide a general overview of the possible associations among the vitamin D status, air pollution and obesity. Sunlight exposure accounts in humans for more than 90 % of the production of vitamin D. Among emerging factors influencing sunlight-induced synthesis of vitamin D, prospective and observational studies proved that air pollution constitutes an independent risk factor in the pathogenesis of vitamin D hypovitaminosis. In addition, environmental pollutants can affect risk of obesity when inhaled, in combination with unhealthy diet and lifestyle. In turn, obesity is closely associated with a low vitamin D status and many possible mechanisms have been proposed to explain this association. The associations of air pollution with low vitamin D status on the hand and with obesity on the other hand, could provide a rationale for considering obesity as a further link between air pollution and low vitamin D status. In this respect, a vicious cycle could operate among low vitamin D status, air pollution, and obesity, with additive detrimental effects on cardio-metabolic risk in obese individuals. Besides vitamin D supplementation, nutrient combination, used to maximize the protective effects against air pollution, might also contribute to improve the vitamin D status by attenuating the "obesogen" effects of air pollution.

Study of mass transfer at the air-water interface by an isotopic method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merlivat, L.

1975-01-01

It is shown by analysing the hydrogen and oxygen stable isotopes distribution in liquid and water vapor, that the processes taking place on a very small scale near the liquid can be investigated. The effect of molecular mass transfer is directly obtained without having to perform difficult measurements in the air in the immediate vicinity of the water surface. Experiments are carried out in the air-water tunnel especially designed for the simulation of ocean atmosphere energy exchanges. The wind velocities vary from 0.7 to 7m/sec. The experimental results obtained do not support the classical Reynolds' analogy between momentum and mass transfer down to the interface and the theory proposed by Sheppard, but they are in agreement with Sverdrup's, Kitaigorodskiy and Volkov's and Brutsaert's theories, all of which involve a layer just above the air-water interface through which mass transfer is dominated by molecular diffusion. The thickness of this layer in the two first theories is shown to decrease with increasing wind velocity. Direct application of Brutsaert's theory for roughness Reynolds numbers smaller than one is in good agreement with the experimental data obtained [fr

Mass concentrations of BTEX inside air environment of buses in Changsha, China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Xiaokai; Zhang, Guoqiang; Zhang, Quan [College of Civil Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, Hunan (China); Chen, Hong [College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, Hunan (China)

2011-02-15

In order to estimate the mass concentrations of benzene (B), toluene (T), ethylbenzene (E) and xylenes (X) inside air environment of buses and to analyze the influencing factors of the BTEX pollution levels, 22 public buses were investigated in Changsha, China. The interior air was collected through activated charcoal adsorption tubes and then the air samples were analyzed with thermally desorbed gas chromatograph. The mass concentrations ranged from 21.3 to 106.4 {mu}g/m{sup 3} for benzene, from 53.5 to 266.0 {mu}g/m{sup 3} for toluene, from 19.6 to 95.9 {mu}g/m{sup 3} for ethylbenzene and from 46.9 to 234.8 {mu}g/m{sup 3} for xylenes. Their mean values were 68.7, 179.7, 62.5 and 151.8 {mu}g/m{sup 3}, respectively. The rates of buses tested where the interior concentrations exceeded the limit levels of Chinese Indoor Air Quality Standard were 45.5% for toluene and 13.6% for xylenes. The BTEX levels increased when in-car temperature or relative humidity rose, and decreased when car age or travel distance increased. The BTEX concentrations were higher in leather trims buses than in non-leather trims ones, in air-conditioned buses than in non-air-conditioned ones, and in high-grade buses than in low-grade ones. According to the analysis of multiple linear regression equation, car age and in-car temperature were two most important factors influencing the BTEX pollution levels in the cabins of public buses. (author)

Charles Burchfield: "October Wind and Sunlight in the Woods."

Science.gov (United States)

Fitzgerald, Gaynell

1986-01-01

Based on Charles Burchfield's watercolor, "October Wind and Sunlight in the Woods," the goal of this lesson is to introduce students in grades seven through nine to Burchfield's use of symbolism. (JDH)

A sunlight-induced method for rapid biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using an Andrachnea chordifolia ethanol extract

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karimi Zarchi, A.A.; Faridi Majidi, R. [Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Department of Nanomedicine, School of Advanced Medical Technologies, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Mokhtari, N.; Shahverdi, A.R. [Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Medicinal Plants Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Arfan, M.; Rehman, T.; Ali, M. [University of Peshawar, Institute of Chemical Sciences, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa (Pakistan); Amini, M. [Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2011-05-15

In this study a sunlight-induced method for rapid synthesis of silver nanoparticles using an ethanol extract of Andrachnea chordifolia is described. The silver nitrate solutions (1 mM) containing the ethanol extract of Andrachnea chordifolia were irradiated by both sunlight radiation and by sunlight radiation passed through different colored filters (red, yellow or green). The smallest size of silver nanoparticles was obtained when a silver ion solution was irradiated for 5 minutes by direct sunlight radiation. Further examination of the shape and size and of the surface chemistry of these biogenic silver nanoparticles, which were prepared under sunlight radiation, was carried out using transmission electron microscopy and infrared spectroscopy, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy images show spherical particles with an average size of 3.4 nm. Hydroxyl residues were also detected on the surface of these biogenic silver nanoparticles fabricated using plant extract of Andrachnea chordifolia under sunlight radiation. Our study on the reduction of silver ions by this plant extract in darkness shows that the synthesis process can take place under dark conditions at much longer incubations (48 hours). Larger silver polydispersed nanoparticles ranging in size from 3 to 30 nm were obtained when the silver ions were treated with the ethanol extract of Andrachnea chordifolia under dark conditions for 48 hours. (orig.)

Photochemical aging of aerosol particles in different air masses arriving at Baengnyeong Island, Korea

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Eunha; Lee, Meehye; Brune, William H.; Lee, Taehyoung; Park, Taehyun; Ahn, Joonyoung; Shang, Xiaona

2018-05-01

Atmospheric aerosol particles are a serious health risk, especially in regions like East Asia. We investigated the photochemical aging of ambient aerosols using a potential aerosol mass (PAM) reactor at Baengnyeong Island in the Yellow Sea during 4-12 August 2011. The size distributions and chemical compositions of aerosol particles were measured alternately every 6 min from the ambient air or through the highly oxidizing environment of a potential aerosol mass (PAM) reactor. Particle size and chemical composition were measured by using the combination of a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) and a high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS). Inside the PAM reactor, O3 and OH levels were equivalent to 4.6 days of integrated OH exposure at typical atmospheric conditions. Two types of air masses were distinguished on the basis of the chemical composition and the degree of aging: air transported from China, which was more aged with a higher sulfate concentration and O : C ratio, and the air transported across the Korean Peninsula, which was less aged with more organics than sulfate and a lower O : C ratio. For both episodes, the particulate sulfate mass concentration increased in the 200-400 nm size range when sampled through the PAM reactor. A decrease in organics was responsible for the loss of mass concentration in 100-200 nm particles when sampled through the PAM reactor for the organics-dominated episode. This loss was especially evident for the m/z 43 component, which represents less oxidized organics. The m/z 44 component, which represents further oxidized organics, increased with a shift toward larger sizes for both episodes. It is not possible to quantify the maximum possible organic mass concentration for either episode because only one OH exposure of 4.6 days was used, but it is clear that SO2 was a primary precursor of secondary aerosol in northeast Asia, especially during long-range transport from China. In addition

Volcanic air pollution hazards in Hawaii

Science.gov (United States)

Elias, Tamar; Sutton, A. Jeff

2017-04-20

Noxious sulfur dioxide gas and other air pollutants emitted from Kīlauea Volcano on the Island of Hawai‘i react with oxygen, atmospheric moisture, and sunlight to produce volcanic smog (vog) and acid rain. Vog can negatively affect human health and agriculture, and acid rain can contaminate household water supplies by leaching metals from building and plumbing materials in rooftop rainwater-catchment systems. U.S. Geological Survey scientists, along with health professionals and local government officials are working together to better understand volcanic air pollution and to enhance public awareness of this hazard.

Bleaching of the thermoluminescence of feldspars by sunlight

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robertson, G.B.; Prescott, J.R.; Hutton, J.T.

1991-01-01

Feldspars are an important component of materials used for thermoluminescence (TL) and photoluminescence (PL) dating of sediments; and successful dating implies a knowledge of the degree of re-setting by exposure to sunlight of the stored luminescence energy. We have studied the bleaching by full sunlight of the TL of six alkali feldspars of representative composition and of one oligoclase. The high potassium and high sodium feldspars are the brightest, and are also the least easily bleached, whereas those of intermediate (K-Na) composition bleach quickly. On a time scale of upwards of 16 h, all samples would have bleached enough for them to be useful for TL dating. A search was made for individual glow curve peaks that bleach particularly quickly (and are thus similar to the well-known 325 o C peak used in the TL dating of quartz). In the samples studied, there was only one glow curve peak that was selectively susceptible to bleaching: the 280 o C peak in oligoclase. (author)

Can Skin Exposure to Sunlight Prevent Liver Inflammation?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shelley Gorman

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Liver inflammation contributes towards the pathology of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD. Here we discuss how skin exposure to sunlight may suppress liver inflammation and the severity of NAFLD. Following exposure to sunlight-derived ultraviolet radiation (UVR, the skin releases anti-inflammatory mediators such as vitamin D and nitric oxide. Animal modeling studies suggest that exposure to UVR can prevent the development of NAFLD. Association studies also support a negative link between circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D and NAFLD incidence or severity. Clinical trials are in their infancy and are yet to demonstrate a clear beneficial effect of vitamin D supplementation. There are a number of potentially interdependent mechanisms whereby vitamin D could dampen liver inflammation, by inhibiting hepatocyte apoptosis and liver fibrosis, modulating the gut microbiome and through altered production and transport of bile acids. While there has been a focus on vitamin D, other mediators induced by sun exposure, such as nitric oxide may also play important roles in curtailing liver inflammation.

Photosynthesis, photoprotection, and growth of shade-tolerant tropical tree seedlings under full sunlight.

Science.gov (United States)

Krause, G Heinrich; Winter, Klaus; Matsubara, Shizue; Krause, Barbara; Jahns, Peter; Virgo, Aurelio; Aranda, Jorge; García, Milton

2012-09-01

High solar radiation in the tropics is known to cause transient reduction in photosystem II (PSII) efficiency and CO(2) assimilation in sun-exposed leaves, but little is known how these responses affect the actual growth performance of tropical plants. The present study addresses this question. Seedlings of five woody neotropical forest species were cultivated under full sunlight and shaded conditions. In full sunlight, strong photoinhibition of PSII at midday was documented for the late-successional tree species Ormosia macrocalyx and Tetragastris panamensis and the understory/forest gap species, Piper reticulatum. In leaves of O. macrocalyx, PSII inhibition was accompanied by substantial midday depression of net CO(2) assimilation. Leaves of all species had increased pools of violaxanthin-cycle pigments. Other features of photoacclimation, such as increased Chl a/b ratio and contents of lutein, β-carotene and tocopherol varied. High light caused strong increase of tocopherol in leaves of T. panamensis and another late-successional species, Virola surinamensis. O. macrocalyx had low contents of tocopherol and UV-absorbing substances. Under full sunlight, biomass accumulation was not reduced in seedlings of T. panamensis, P. reticulatum, and V. surinamensis, but O. macrocalyx exhibited substantial growth inhibition. In the highly shade-tolerant understory species Psychotria marginata, full sunlight caused strongly reduced growth of most individuals. However, some plants showed relatively high growth rates under full sun approaching those of seedlings at 40 % ambient irradiance. It is concluded that shade-tolerant tropical tree seedlings can achieve efficient photoacclimation and high growth rates in full sunlight.

Sunlight technologies for photochemical deactivation of organic pollutants in water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Acher, A.; Fischer, E.; Tornheim, R. [The Volcani Center, Inst. of Soils and Water, Bet Dagan (Israel); Manor, Y. [Sheba Medical Center, Central Virology Lab., Ramat Gan (Israel)

1997-12-31

Sensitized-photochemical oxidation methods aimed at use in water treatment technologies for deactivation of biotic (microorganisms) and/or of xenobiotic (pesticides) pollutants in water were developed using global solar radiation or concentrated sunlight (up to 250 suns). The solar global radiation was used either for detoxification of industrial waste water from a pesticide factory to allow their discharge into the urban sewer, or for disinfection of domestric effluents to be used in crop irrigation. The disinfection process was eventually carried out in an experimental pilot-scale plant, capable of disinfection up to 50 m{sup 3}/h of effluent supplied by an activated sludge sewage treatment plant located in Tel-Aviv area. The treated effluents did not show any regrowth of the microorganisms during 7 days. The solar concentrated radiation experiments performed using facilities of the Sun Tower of The Weizman Institute of Science, Rehovot. The concentrated sunlight was provided by different combination of several computer controlled heliostates, up to 8, that track the sun and focus the received sunlight onto the target situated on the roof of the sun-tower. The sunlight intensities measured on the target reached up to 200 kW/m{sup 2}. The experiments were performed either batch- or continuous-wise. The water-samples exposed to disinfection were the above effluent, filtered and supplemented with vaccine strain poliovirus or with different concentrations of an industrial potential pollutant (bromacil), MB 2 mg/L and two concentrations of dissolved oxygen (8.0 or 40.0 mg O{sub 2}/L). An exposure time of 2-3 seconds at 150 kW/m{sup 2} was decreased the microorganisms alive (counts) by five orders of magnitude. A comparison between the two above water treatment technologies is presented. (orig./SR)

Physical aerosol properties and their relation to air mass origin at Monte Cimone (Italy during the first MINATROC campaign

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Van Dingenen

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Aerosol physical properties were measured at the Monte Cimone Observatory (Italy from 1 June till 6 July 2000. The measurement site is located in the transition zone between the continental boundary layer and the free troposphere (FT, at the border between the Mediterranean area and Central Europe, and is exposed to a variety of air masses. Sub-μm number size distributions, aerosol hygroscopicity near 90% RH, refractory size distribution at 270°C and equivalent black carbon mass were continuously measured. Number size distributions and hygroscopic properties indicate that the site is exposed to aged continental air masses, however during daytime it is also affected by upslope winds. The mixing of this transported polluted boundary layer air masses with relatively clean FT air leads to frequent nucleation events around local noon. Night-time size distributions, including fine and coarse fractions for each air mass episode, have been parameterized by a 3-modal lognormal distribution. Number and volume concentrations in the sub-μm modes are strongly affected by the air mass origin, with highest levels in NW-European air masses, versus very clean, free tropospheric air coming from the N-European sector. During a brief but distinct dust episode, the coarse mode is clearly enhanced. The observed hygroscopic behavior of the aerosol is consistent with the chemical composition described by Putaud et al. (2004, but no closure between known chemical composition and measured hygroscopicity could be made because the hygroscopic properties of the water-soluble organic matter (WSOM are not known. The data suggest that WSOM is slightly-to-moderately hygroscopic (hygroscopic growth factor GF at 90% relative humidity between 1.05 and 1.51, and that this property may well depend on the air mass origin and history. External mixing of aerosol particles is observed in all air masses through the occurrence of two hygroscopicity modes (average GF of 1.22 and 1

Biological Effects of Sunlight, Ultraviolet Radiation, Visible Light, Infrared Radiation and Vitamin D for Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Holick, Michael F

2016-03-01

Humans evolved in sunlight and had depended on sunlight for its life giving properties that was appreciated by our early ancestors. However, for more than 40 years the lay press and various medical and dermatology associations have denounced sun exposure because of its association with increased risk for skin cancer. The goal of this review is to put into perspective the many health benefits that have been associated with exposure to sunlight, ultraviolet A (UVA) ultraviolet B (UVB), visible and infrared radiation. Copyright© 2016 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.

Hot-wire air flow meter for gasoline fuel-injection system. Calculation of air mass in cylinder during transient condition; Gasoline funsha system yo no netsusenshiki kuki ryuryokei. Kato untenji no cylinder juten kukiryo no keisan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oyama, Y [Hitachi Car Engineering, Ltd., Tokyo (Japan); Nishimura, Y; Osuga, M; Yamauchi, T [Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

1997-10-01

Air flow characteristics of hot-wire air flow meters for gasoline fuel-injection systems with supercharging and exhaust gas recycle during transient conditions were investigated to analyze a simple method for calculating air mass in cylinder. It was clarified that the air mass in cylinder could be calculated by compensating for the change of air mass in intake system by using aerodynamic models of intake system. 3 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab.

Imperiling urban environment through varying air pollution rein in measures and mass transit policies - a case study of Lahore

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aziz, A.

2015-01-01

Gargantuan expansion of big cities has increased motor vehicular tremendously. Lahore, a primitive green city is now gripped with swelling motor vehicular air pollution. Mass public transport, a back bone of city transportation network, due to erroneous running significantly contributes toward motor vehicular air pollution. Policy initiatives of the Government to curb motor vehicular air pollution are merely focused upon reduction of air pollution at source by the use of technology and clean fuel programmes. The policies for introduction of mass transit remained imprecise which lead to rise in transportation demand and increase in surfeit emission; Half-baked policies normally stem out to get political popularity which imperils urban environment. The paper highlights inconsistent policy measures and unsound air pollution control strategies adopted in big cities of Pakistan. Furthermore it gives guidance for sustainable mass transit policy measures. (author)

Sunlight inactivation of Escherichia coli in waste stabilization microcosms in a sahelian region (Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso).

Science.gov (United States)

Maïga, Ynoussa; Denyigba, Kokou; Wethe, Joseph; Ouattara, Aboubakar Sidiki

2009-02-09

Experiments on sunlight inactivation of Escherichia coli were conducted from November 2006 to June 2007 in eight outdoors microcosms with different depths filled with maturation pond wastewater in order to determine pond depth influence on sunlight inactivation of E. coli. The long-term aim was to maximize sunlight inactivation of waterborne pathogens in waste stabilization ponds (WSPs) in sahelian regions where number of sunny days enable longer exposure of wastewater to sunlight. The inactivation was followed during daylight from 8.00 h to 17.00 h and during the night. Sunlight inactivation rates (K(S)), as a function of cumulative global solar radiation (insolation), were 16 and 24 times higher than the corresponding dark inactivation (K(D)) rates, respectively in cold and warm season. In warm season, E. coli was inactivated far more rapidly. Inactivation of E. coli follows the evolution of radiation during the day. In shallow depth microcosms, E. coli was inactivated far more rapidly than in high depth microcosms. The physical chemical parameters [pH, dissolved oxygen (DO)] of microcosms water were higher in shallow depth microcosms than in high depth microcosms suggesting a synergistic effect of sunlight and these parameters to damage E. coli. To increase the efficiency of the elimination of waterborne bacteria, the use of maturation ponds with intermediate depths (0.4m) would be advisable in view of the high temperatures and thus evaporation recorded in sahelian regions.

Sunlight persistence and rainfastness of spray-dried formulations of baculovirus isolated from Anagrapha falcifera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Tamez-Guerra, P; McGuire, M R; Behle, R W; Hamm, J J; Sumner, H R; Shasha, B S

2000-04-01

Nuclear polyhedrosis viruses such as the one isolated from the celery looper, Anagrapha falcifera (Kirby) (AfMNPV), have the potential to be successful bioinsecticides if improved formulations can prevent rapid loss of insecticidal activity from environmental conditions such as sunlight and rainfall. We tested 16 spray-dried formulations of AfMNPV to determine the effect of different ingredients (e.g., lignin, corn flour, and so on) on insecticidal activity after simulated rain and simulated sunlight (at Peoria, IL) and natural sunlight exposures (at Tifton, GA). The most effective formulation contained pregelatinized corn flour and potassium lignate, which retained more than half of its original activity after 5 cm of simulated rain, and almost full activity after 8 h of simulated sunlight. In Georgia, formulations made with and without lignin were compared for persistence of insecticidal activity when exposed to natural sunlight. In addition, the effect of fluorescent brighteners as formulation components and spray tank additives was tested. Results showed that the formulations with lignin had more insecticidal activity remaining after sunlight exposure than formulations without lignin. The inclusion of brighteners in the formulation did not improve initial activity or virus persistence. However, a 1% tank mix significantly enhanced activity and improved persistence. Scanning electron micrographs revealed discreet particles, and transmission electron micrographs showed virus embedded within microgranules. Results demonstrated that formulations made with natural ingredients could improve persistence of virus-based biopesticides.

Bioaccumulation Potential Of Air Contaminants: Combining Biological Allometry, Chemical Equilibrium And Mass-Balances To Predict Accumulation Of Air Pollutants In Various Mammals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Veltman, Karin; McKone, Thomas E.; Huijbregts, Mark A.J.; Hendriks, A. Jan

2009-03-01

In the present study we develop and test a uniform model intended for single compartment analysis in the context of human and environmental risk assessment of airborne contaminants. The new aspects of the model are the integration of biological allometry with fugacity-based mass-balance theory to describe exchange of contaminants with air. The developed model is applicable to various mammalian species and a range of chemicals, while requiring few and typically well-known input parameters, such as the adult mass and composition of the species, and the octanol-water and air-water partition coefficient of the chemical. Accumulation of organic chemicals is typically considered to be a function of the chemical affinity forlipid components in tissues. Here, we use a generic description of chemical affinity for neutral and polar lipids and proteins to estimate blood-air partition coefficients (Kba) and tissue-air partition coefficients (Kta) for various mammals. This provides a more accurate prediction of blood-air partition coefficients, as proteins make up a large fraction of total blood components. The results show that 75percent of the modeled inhalation and exhalation rate constants are within a factor of 2 from independent empirical values for humans, rats and mice, and 87percent of the predicted blood-air partition coefficients are within a factor of 5 from empirical data. At steady-state, the bioaccumulation potential of air pollutants is shown to be mainly a function of the tissue-air partition coefficient and the biotransformation capacity of the species and depends weakly on the ventilation rate and the cardiac output of mammals.

Influence of air mass source sector on variations in CO2 mixing ratio at a boreal site in northern Finland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aalto, T.; Hatakka, J.; Viisanen, Y.

2003-01-01

CO 2 mixing ratio in air masses coming from different source sectors was studied at Pallas measurement station in Lapland. Source sectors were defined using back trajectories and wind direction measurements. Air masses from the North and West sectors showed an annual variation of 17 ppm, possibly affected by a long range transported marine air. A larger variation of 20 ppm was observed in air masses from the more continental South and East sectors. During late autumn mixing ratios in air masses from the South sector were high in comparison with the other sectors. Different methods for a source sector definition were considered for the site, located in a contoured terrain. 52%-73% of wind direction-based source sector definitions agreed with trajectory- based definitions. However, the number of cases with reliable sector definitions may remain low when considering all observations. Different definition methods can cause differences of the order of 1 ppm in sectorially selected monthly mean CO 2 mixing ratios. (orig.)

Turning Sunlight into Electricity-Inorganic Solar Cells and Beyond

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 16; Issue 12. Turning Sunlight into Electricity - Inorganic Solar Cells and Beyond. A K Shukla. Volume 16 Issue 12 December 2011 pp 1294-1302. Fulltext. Click here to view fulltext PDF. Permanent link:

Sunlight-enhanced catalytic degradation over Ag–CuO ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Herein, we report sunlight-activated photo-catalysis response of direct current radio frequency (DC/RF)-sputtered Ag–CuO nanoparticles thin films.We have adopted this approach for facile removal and easy recovery of thin filmsafter use. Ag was incorporated at 2.5 and 5.4 wt% with reference to pure CuO. Structural ...

Aerosol concentration measurements and correlations with air mass trajectories at the Pierre Auger Observatory

Science.gov (United States)

Micheletti, M. I.; Louedec, K.; Freire, M.; Vitale, P.; Piacentini, R. D.

2017-06-01

Aerosols play an important role in radiative transfer processes involved in different fields of study. In particular, their influence is crucial in the attenuation of light at astronomical and astrophysical observatories, and has to be taken into account in light transfer models employed to reconstruct the signals. The Andean Argentinean region is increasingly being considered as a good candidate to host such facilities, as well as the ones for solar-energy resources, and an adequate knowledge of aerosols characteristics there is needed, but it is not always possible due to the vast area involved and the scarce atmospheric data at ground. The aim of this work is to find correlations between aerosol data and particle trajectories that can give an insight into the origin and behaviour of aerosols in this zone and can be employed in situations in which one does not have local aerosol measurements. For this purpose, an aerosol spectrometer and dust monitor (Grimm 1.109) was installed at the Pierre Auger Observatory of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays, to record aerosol concentrations in different size intervals, at surface level. These measurements are analysed and correlated with air mass trajectories obtained from HYSPLIT (NOAA) model calculations. High aerosol concentrations are registered predominantly when air masses have travelled mostly over continental areas, mainly from the NE direction, while low aerosol concentrations are found in correspondence with air masses coming from the Pacific Ocean, from the NW direction. Different size distribution patterns were found for the aerosols depending on their origin: marine or continental. This work shows for the first time the size distribution of aerosols registered at the Pierre Auger Observatory. The correlations found between mass and particle concentrations (total and for different size ranges) and HYSPLIT air mass trajectories, confirm that the latter can be employed as a useful tool to infer the sources, evolution

PRKCZ methylation is associated with sunlight exposure in a North American but not a Mediterranean population

Science.gov (United States)

Sunlight exposure has been shown to alter DNA methylation patterns across several human cell-types, including T-lymphocytes. Since epigenetic changes establish gene expression profiles, changes in DNA methylation induced by sunlight exposure warrant investigation. The purpose of this study was to as...

Spatial variability of hailfalls in France: an analysis of air mass retro-trajectories

Science.gov (United States)

Hermida, Lucía; Merino, Andrés; Sánchez, José Luis; Berthet, Claude; Dessens, Jean; López, Laura; Fernández-González, Sergio; Gascón, Estíbaliz; García-Ortega, Eduardo

2014-05-01

Hail is the main meteorological risk in south-west France, with the strongest hailfalls being concentrated in just a few days. Specifically, this phenomenon occurs most often and with the greatest severity in the Midi-Pyrénées area. Previous studies have revealed the high spatial variability of hailfall in this part of France, even leading to different characteristics being recorded on hailpads that were relatively close together. For this reason, an analysis of the air mass trajectories was carried out at ground level and at altitude, which subsequently led to the formation of the hail recorded by these hailpads. It is already known that in the study zone, the trajectories of the storms usually stretch for long distances and are oriented towards the east, leading to hailstones with diameters in excess of 3 cm, and without any change in direction above 3 km. We analysed different days with hail precipitation where there was at least one stone with a diameter of 3 cm or larger. Using the simulations from these days, an analysis of the backward trajectories of the air masses was carried out. We used the HYSPLIT (Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory Model) to determine the origin of the air masses, and tracked them toward each of the hailpads that were hit during the day studied. The height of the final points was the height of the impacted hailpads. Similarly, the backward trajectories for different heights were also established. Finally, the results show how storms that affect neighbouring hailpads come from very different air masses; and provide a deeper understanding of the high variability that affects the characteristics of hailfalls. Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank the Regional Government of Castile-León for its financial support through the project LE220A11-2. This study was supported by the following grants: GRANIMETRO (CGL2010-15930); MICROMETEO (IPT-310000-2010-22).

''Anomalous'' air showers from point sources: Mass limits and light curves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Domokos, G.; Elliott, B.; Kovesi-Domokos, S.

1993-01-01

We describe a method to obtain upper limits on the mass of the primaries of air showers associated with point sources. One also obtains the UHE pulse shape of a pulsar if its period is observed in the signal. As an example, we analyze the data obtained during a recent burst of Hercules-X1

Effects of Sunlight Exposure on the Quality Parameters of Bottled ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

PROF HORSFALL

microbial population (total coliform) of the bottled water with increasing exposure to sunlight was observed. ... safe drinking water which has led to the tremendous ... degradation under high temperature (Bach et al., ..... Solar and photocatalytic.

Analytic Models for Sunlight Charging of a Rapidly Spinning Satellite

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Tautz, Maurice

2003-01-01

... photoelectrons can be blocked by local potential barriers. In this report, we discuss two analytic models for sunlight charging of a rapidly spinning spherical satellite, both of which are based on blocked photoelectron currents...

Evolution of charged species in propane/air flames: mass-spectrometric analysis and modelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodrigues, J M; Agneray, A; Jaffrezic, X; Bellenoue, M; Labuda, S; Leys, C; Chernukho, A P; Migoun, A N; Cenian, A; Savel'ev, A M; Titova, N S; Starik, A M

2007-01-01

Experimental and modelling studies of ion formation during combustion of propane/air mixtures are presented. The positive and negative ions mass/charge spectra in propane/air stoichiometric flame at atmospheric pressure are recorded in the range from 0 to 512 atomic mass units. The C 2 H 3 O + and HCO 2 - ions are found to be the most abundant ionic species in the flame front region. By increasing the distance from the flame front the ion composition changes significantly. In the burnt gas region the H 3 O + , NO + , CO 3 - , HCO 3 - ions are found to be the major charged species. To explain the experimental results the extended kinetic model describing the ion formation in flame and in the extraction system of the mass-spectrometer as well as ion-soot interaction is developed. It is shown that the ionic clusters, which are observed experimentally, form during the adiabatic expansion in the extraction system, and the presence of soot particles may change the total positive and negative ion concentrations in the gas phase

Temporal Stability of the Microbial Community in Sewage-Polluted Seawater Exposed to Natural Sunlight Cycles and Marine Microbiota

Science.gov (United States)

Sassoubre, Lauren M.; Yamahara, Kevan M.

2015-01-01

Billions of gallons of untreated wastewater enter the coastal ocean each year. Once sewage microorganisms are in the marine environment, they are exposed to environmental stressors, such as sunlight and predation. Previous research has investigated the fate of individual sewage microorganisms in seawater but not the entire sewage microbial community. The present study used next-generation sequencing (NGS) to examine how the microbial community in sewage-impacted seawater changes over 48 h when exposed to natural sunlight cycles and marine microbiota. We compared the results from microcosms composed of unfiltered seawater (containing naturally occurring marine microbiota) and filtered seawater (containing no marine microbiota) to investigate the effect of marine microbiota. We also compared the results from microcosms that were exposed to natural sunlight cycles with those from microcosms kept in the dark to investigate the effect of sunlight. The microbial community composition and the relative abundance of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) changed over 48 h in all microcosms. Exposure to sunlight had a significant effect on both community composition and OTU abundance. The effect of marine microbiota, however, was minimal. The proportion of sewage-derived microorganisms present in the microcosms decreased rapidly within 48 h, and the decrease was the most pronounced in the presence of both sunlight and marine microbiota, where the proportion decreased from 85% to 3% of the total microbial community. The results from this study demonstrate the strong effect that sunlight has on microbial community composition, as measured by NGS, and the importance of considering temporal effects in future applications of NGS to identify microbial pollution sources. PMID:25576619

Examination of solar simulators used for the determination of sunscreen UVA efficacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Sayre, Robert M; Dowdy, John C

2010-01-01

The U.S. FDA recently proposed both in vivo and in vitro UVA efficacy tests for sunscreen products with the lower result used to establish the sunscreen's labeled UVA protection claim. The FDA stated their rationale for dual tests was concern that the in vivo test method overemphasizes UVA-2 (320-340 nm) photoprotection. We attribute FDA's observation to the relative lack, compared to sunlight, of UVA-1 (340-400 nm) radiation in the current JCIA UVA solar simulator specification, allowing the method to generate higher UVA protection factors than sunscreens will provide in sunlight. Our work is based upon comparisons of Air Mass 1.0 sunlight to variously filtered UVA solar simulators. Sources near the JCIA UVA-2/UVA limits (8-20%) had a goodness of fit to solar UVA of only 67-79%. We propose that instead of using ratios of UVA-2 to UVA the standard should be a goodness of fit to the UVA region of an Air Mass 1 solar reference spectrum. As the spectral distribution of solar UVA varies much less than UVB, sunlight of reasonable zenith angles of < or = 60 degrees will have similar spectral shapes and approximate risk spectrum. Goodness of fit to this spectrum will produce UVA protection values predictive to those actually achieved in sunlight of different zenith angles.

Effect of sunlight irradiation on photocatalytic pyrene degradation in contaminated soils by micro-nano size TiO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang Chien, S.W.; Chang, C.H.; Chen, S.H.; Wang, M.C.; Madhava Rao, M.; Satya Veni, S.

2011-01-01

The enhanced catalytic pyrene degradation in quartz sand and alluvial and red soils by micro-nano size TiO 2 in the presence and absence of sunlight was investigated. The results showed that the synergistic effect of sunlight irradiation and TiO 2 was more efficient on pyrene degradation in quartz sand and red and alluvial soils than the corresponding reaction system without sunlight irradiation. In the presence of sunlight irradiation, the photooxidation (without TiO 2 ) of pyrene was very pronounced in alluvial and red soils and especially in quartz sand. However, in the absence of sunlight irradiation, the catalytic pyrene degradation by TiO 2 and the photooxidation (without TiO 2 ) of pyrene were almost nil. This implicates that ultra-violet (UV) wavelength range of sunlight plays an important role in TiO 2 -enhanced photocatalytic pyrene degradation and in photooxidation (without TiO 2 ) of pyrene. The percentages of photocatalytic pyrene degradation by TiO 2 in quartz sand, alluvial and red soils under sunlight irradiation were 78.3, 23.4, and 31.8%, respectively, at 5 h reaction period with a 5% (w/w) dose of the amended catalyst. The sequence of TiO 2 -enhanced catalytic pyrene degradation in quartz sand and alluvial and red soils was quartz sand > red soil > alluvial soil, due to different texture and total organic carbon (TOC) contents of the quartz sand and other two soils. The differential Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra of degraded pyrene in alluvial soil corroborate that TiO 2 -enhanced photocatalytic degradation rate of degraded pyrene was much greater than photooxidation (without TiO 2 ) rate of degraded pyrene. Based on the data obtained, the importance for the application of TiO 2 -enhanced photocatalytic pyrene degradation and associated organic contaminants in contaminated soils was elucidated. - Highlights: → Synergistic effect of sunlight irradiation and TiO 2 promoted degradation of pyrene. → Micro-nano size TiO 2 enhanced

Variability of aerosol, gaseous pollutants and meteorological characteristics associated with changes in air mass origin at the SW Atlantic coast of Iberia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J.-M. Diesch

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Measurements of the ambient aerosol were performed at the Southern coast of Spain, within the framework of the DOMINO (Diel Oxidant Mechanisms In relation to Nitrogen Oxides project. The field campaign took place from 20 November until 9 December 2008 at the atmospheric research station "El Arenosillo" (37°5'47.76" N, 6°44'6.94" W. As the monitoring station is located at the interface between a natural park, industrial cities (Huelva, Seville and the Atlantic Ocean, a variety of physical and chemical parameters of aerosols and gas phase could be characterized in dependency on the origin of air masses. Backwards trajectories were examined and compared with local meteorology to classify characteristic air mass types for several source regions. Aerosol number and mass as well as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and black carbon concentrations were measured in PM₁ and size distributions were registered covering a size range from 7 nm up to 32 μm. The chemical composition of the non-refractory submicron aerosol (NR-PM₁ was measured by means of an Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (Aerodyne HR-ToF-AMS. Gas phase analyzers monitored various trace gases (O₃, SO₂, NO, NO₂, CO₂ and a weather station provided meteorological parameters.

Lowest average submicron particle mass and number concentrations were found in air masses arriving from the Atlantic Ocean with values around 2 μg m⁻³ and 1000 cm⁻³. These mass concentrations were about two to four times lower than the values recorded in air masses of continental and urban origins. For some species PM₁-fractions in marine air were significantly larger than in air masses originating from Huelva, a closely located city with extensive industrial activities. The largest fraction of sulfate (54% was detected in marine air masses and was to a high degree not neutralized. In addition, small concentrations of

Variability of aerosol, gaseous pollutants and meteorological characteristics associated with changes in air mass origin at the SW Atlantic coast of Iberia

Science.gov (United States)

Diesch, J.-M.; Drewnick, F.; Zorn, S. R.; von der Weiden-Reinmüller, S.-L.; Martinez, M.; Borrmann, S.

2012-04-01

Measurements of the ambient aerosol were performed at the Southern coast of Spain, within the framework of the DOMINO (Diel Oxidant Mechanisms In relation to Nitrogen Oxides) project. The field campaign took place from 20 November until 9 December 2008 at the atmospheric research station "El Arenosillo" (37°5'47.76" N, 6°44'6.94" W). As the monitoring station is located at the interface between a natural park, industrial cities (Huelva, Seville) and the Atlantic Ocean, a variety of physical and chemical parameters of aerosols and gas phase could be characterized in dependency on the origin of air masses. Backwards trajectories were examined and compared with local meteorology to classify characteristic air mass types for several source regions. Aerosol number and mass as well as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and black carbon concentrations were measured in PM1 and size distributions were registered covering a size range from 7 nm up to 32 μm. The chemical composition of the non-refractory submicron aerosol (NR-PM1) was measured by means of an Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (Aerodyne HR-ToF-AMS). Gas phase analyzers monitored various trace gases (O3, SO2, NO, NO2, CO2) and a weather station provided meteorological parameters. Lowest average submicron particle mass and number concentrations were found in air masses arriving from the Atlantic Ocean with values around 2 μg m-3 and 1000 cm-3. These mass concentrations were about two to four times lower than the values recorded in air masses of continental and urban origins. For some species PM1-fractions in marine air were significantly larger than in air masses originating from Huelva, a closely located city with extensive industrial activities. The largest fraction of sulfate (54%) was detected in marine air masses and was to a high degree not neutralized. In addition, small concentrations of methanesulfonic acid (MSA), a product of biogenic dimethyl sulfate (DMS) emissions, could be identified in the particle phase

Dietary calcium intake and sunlight exposure among children aged ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Nutritional rickets can be caused by either or both calcium and vitamin D deficiencies, and can frequently occur in Africa. In Ethiopia, limited evidence exists regarding the calcium intake of children and their sunlight exposure practices. The purpose of this study was to assess information regarding dietary calcium intake and ...

A Comparison of the Red Green Blue (RGB) Air Mass Imagery and Hyperspectral Infrared Retrieved Profiles and NOAA G-IV Dropsondes

Science.gov (United States)

Berndt, Emily; Folmer, Michael; Dunion, Jason

2014-01-01

RGB air mass imagery is derived from multiple channels or paired channel differences. The combination of channels and channel differences means the resulting imagery does not represent a quantity or physical parameter such as brightness temperature in conventional single channel imagery. Without a specific quantity to reference, forecasters are often confused as to what RGB products represent. Hyperspectral infrared retrieved profiles and NOAA G-IV dropsondes provide insight about the vertical structure of the air mass represented on the RGB air mass imagery and are a first step to validating the imagery.

Comparison of germicidal activity of sunlight with the response of a sunburning meter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Billen, D; Green, A E.S.

1975-01-01

In the present work, we compare germicidal activity of sunlight on strain AB 2480 with the irradiance of sunlight as measured with a Sunburning Ultraviolet Meter (manufactured by the Skin and Cancer Hospital, Temple University Health Sciences Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). This instrument, an adaptation by Berger of one developed by Robertson (1972), uses a magnesium tungstate phosphor with a response approximating that of the erythema action spectrum. The light emitted by the phosphor is detected by a phototube which produces a proportional electric current, the signal used in these experiments. (auth)

Effect of sunlight, transport and storage vessels on drinking water ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Effect of sunlight, transport and storage vessels on drinking water quality in rural Ghana. ... on drinking water quality in rural Ghana. K Obiri-Danso, E Amevor, LA Andoh, K Jones ... Full Text: EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT

Holick's rule and vitamin D from sunlight.

Science.gov (United States)

Dowdy, John C; Sayre, Robert M; Holick, Michael F

2010-07-01

Holick's rule says that sun exposure 1/4 of a minimal erythemal dose (MED) over 1/4 of a body is equivalent to 1000 International Units (IU) oral vitamin D3. Webb and Engelsen recently commented that the ultraviolet (UV) spectrum used to establish Holick's rule is unknown. They consequently used a spring midday Boston solar spectrum to estimate ample sunlight exposures for previtamin D3 (preD3) at various locations. Literature review found the source upon which this rule is based was a fluorescent sunlamp (FS lamp). The FS spectrum is known and its relative weighting against the action spectra for erythema and the preD3 is significantly different from the solar spectrum used to derive the standard vitamin D effective dose (SDD). The preD3 effectiveness of the solar spectrum per unit erythemal hazard is greater than the FS lamp by a factor of 1.32. Consequently, UV exposure estimates based on Boston reference sunlight, instead of the UV lamp employed in the originating experiments, over estimate UV exposure equivalent to approximately 1000 IU orally by approximately 1/3. This redefinition of SDD impacts risk/benefit assessments of optimal/feasible sun exposure for vitamin D maintenance and the application of Holick's rule to rational public health messages. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of volatile compounds by open-air ionization mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Meher, Anil Kumar; Chen, Yu-Chie

2017-05-08

This study demonstrates a simple method for rapid and in situ identification of volatile and endogenous compounds in culinary spice samples through mass spectrometry (MS). This method only requires a holder for solid spice sample (2-3 mm) that is placed close to a mass spectrometer inlet, which is applied with a high voltage. Volatile species responsible for the aroma of the spice samples can be readily detected by the mass spectrometer. Sample pretreatment is not required prior to MS analysis, and no solvent was used during MS analysis. The high voltage applied to the inlet of the mass spectrometer induces the ionization of volatile compounds released from the solid spice samples. Furthermore, moisture in the air also contributes to the ionization of volatile compounds. Dried spices including cinnamon and cloves are used as the model sample to demonstrate this straightforward MS analysis, which can be completed within few seconds. Furthermore, we also demonstrate the suitability of the current method for rapid screening of cinnamon quality through detection of the presence of a hepatotoxic agent, i.e. coumarin. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Carcinogenic effect of sequential artificial sunlight and UV-A irradiation in hairless mice. Consequences for solarium 'therapy'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Staberg, B.; Wulf, H.C.; Poulsen, T.; Klemp, P.; Brodthagen, H.

1983-01-01

The carcinogenic effect of artificial UV sunlight followed by UV-A irradiation in human solaria doses has been studied with the use of the hairless mouse as an animal model. Artificial sunlight exposure alone induced only a moderate skin tumor incidence (animals with at least one tumor) of 0.15 after one year, and UV-A irradiation alone induced no tumor formation. However, the combination of artificial sunlight exposure and subsequent UV-A irradiation significantly increased the tumor incidence to 0.72. We conclude that, in humans, tanning with UV-A for cosmetic purposes may not be an innocuous procedure

Modified optical fiber daylighting system with sunlight transportation in free space.

Science.gov (United States)

Vu, Ngoc-Hai; Pham, Thanh-Tuan; Shin, Seoyong

2016-12-26

We present the design, optical simulation, and experiment of a modified optical fiber daylighting system (M-OFDS) for indoor lighting. The M-OFDS is comprised of three sub-systems: concentration, collimation, and distribution. The concentration part is formed by coupling a Fresnel lens with a large-core plastic optical fiber. The sunlight collected by the concentration sub-system is propagated in a plastic optical fiber and then collimated by the collimator, which is a combination of a parabolic mirror and a convex lens. The collimated beam of sunlight travels in free space and is guided to the interior by directing flat mirrors, where it is diffused uniformly by a distributor. All parameters of the system are calculated theoretically. Based on the designed system, our simulation results demonstrated a maximum optical efficiency of 71%. The simulation results also showed that sunlight could be delivered to the illumination destination at distance of 30 m. A prototype of the M-OFDS was fabricated, and preliminary experiments were performed outdoors. The simulation results and experimental results confirmed that the M-OFDS was designed effectively. A large-scale system constructed by several M-OFDSs is also proposed. The results showed that the presented optical fiber daylighting system is a strong candidate for an inexpensive and highly efficient application of solar energy in buildings.

Variability of aerosol, gaseous pollutants and meteorological characteristics associated with continental, urban and marine air masses at the SW Atlantic coast of Iberia

Science.gov (United States)

Diesch, J.-M.; Drewnick, F.; Zorn, S. R.; von der Weiden-Reinmüller, S.-L.; Martinez, M.; Borrmann, S.

2011-12-01

Measurements of the ambient aerosol were performed at the Southern coast of Spain, within the framework of the DOMINO (Diel Oxidant Mechanisms In relation to Nitrogen Oxides) project. The field campaign took place from 20 November until 9 December 2008 at the atmospheric research station "El Arenosillo" (37°5'47.76" N, 6°44'6.94" W). As the monitoring station is located at the interface between a natural park, industrial cities (Huelva, Seville) and the Atlantic Ocean a variety of physical and chemical parameters of aerosols and gas phase could be characterized in dependency on the origin of air masses. Backwards trajectories were examined and compared with local meteorology to classify characteristic air mass types for several source regions. Aerosol number and mass as well as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and black carbon concentrations were measured in PM1 and size distributions were registered covering a size range from 7 nm up to 32 μm. The chemical composition of the non-refractory submicron aerosol was measured by means of an Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (Aerodyne HR-ToF-AMS). Gas phase analyzers monitored various trace gases (O3, SO2, NO, NO2, CO2) and a weather station provided meteorological parameters. Lowest average submicron particle mass and number concentrations were found in air masses arriving from the Atlantic Ocean with values around 2 μg m-3 and 1000 cm-3. These mass concentrations were about two to four times lower than the values recorded in air masses of continental and urban origins. For some species PM1-fractions in marine air were significantly larger than in air masses originating from Huelva, a closely located city with extensive industrial activities. The largest fraction of sulfate (54%) was detected in marine air masses and was to a high degree not neutralized. In addition small concentrations of methanesulfonic acid (MSA), a product of biogenic dimethyl sulfate (DMS) emissions could be identified in the particle phase. In all

Sunlight exposure or vitamin D supplementation for vitamin D-deficient non-western immigrants: a randomized clinical trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wicherts, I.S.; Boeke, A.J.P.; van der Meer, I.M.; van Schoor, N.M.; Knol, D.L.; Lips, P.T.A.M.

2011-01-01

Summary: Vitamin D deficiency is very common in non-western immigrants. In this randomized clinical trial, vitamin D 800 IU/day or 100,000 IU/3 months were compared with advised sunlight exposure. Vitamin D supplementation was more effective than advised sunlight exposure in improving vitamin D

Southeast Atlantic Cloud Properties in a Multivariate Statistical Model - How Relevant is Air Mass History for Local Cloud Properties?

Science.gov (United States)

Fuchs, Julia; Cermak, Jan; Andersen, Hendrik

2017-04-01

This study aims at untangling the impacts of external dynamics and local conditions on cloud properties in the Southeast Atlantic (SEA) by combining satellite and reanalysis data using multivariate statistics. The understanding of clouds and their determinants at different scales is important for constraining the Earth's radiative budget, and thus prominent in climate-system research. In this study, SEA stratocumulus cloud properties are observed not only as the result of local environmental conditions but also as affected by external dynamics and spatial origins of air masses entering the study area. In order to assess to what extent cloud properties are impacted by aerosol concentration, air mass history, and meteorology, a multivariate approach is conducted using satellite observations of aerosol and cloud properties (MODIS, SEVIRI), information on aerosol species composition (MACC) and meteorological context (ERA-Interim reanalysis). To account for the often-neglected but important role of air mass origin, information on air mass history based on HYSPLIT modeling is included in the statistical model. This multivariate approach is intended to lead to a better understanding of the physical processes behind observed stratocumulus cloud properties in the SEA.

Persistence of marine fish environmental DNA and the influence of sunlight.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elizabeth A Andruszkiewicz

Full Text Available Harnessing information encoded in environmental DNA (eDNA in marine waters has the potential to revolutionize marine biomonitoring. Whether using organism-specific quantitative PCR assays or metabarcoding in conjunction with amplicon sequencing, scientists have illustrated that realistic organism censuses can be inferred from eDNA. The next step is establishing ways to link information obtained from eDNA analyses to actual organism abundance. This is only possible by understanding the processes that control eDNA concentrations. The present study uses mesocosm experiments to study the persistence of eDNA in marine waters and explore the role of sunlight in modulating eDNA persistence. We seeded solute-permeable dialysis bags with water containing indigenous eDNA and suspended them in a large tank containing seawater. Bags were subjected to two treatments: half the bags were suspended near the water surface where they received high doses of sunlight, and half at depth where they received lower doses of sunlight. Bags were destructively sampled over the course of 87 hours. eDNA was extracted from water samples and used as template for a Scomber japonicus qPCR assay and a marine fish-specific 12S rRNA PCR assay. The latter was subsequently sequenced using a metabarcoding approach. S. japonicus eDNA, as measured by qPCR, exhibited first order decay with a rate constant ~0.01 hr -1 with no difference in decay rate constants between the two experimental treatments. eDNA metabarcoding identified 190 organizational taxonomic units (OTUs assigned to varying taxonomic ranks. There was no difference in marine fish communities as measured by eDNA metabarcoding between the two experimental treatments, but there was an effect of time. Given the differences in UVA and UVB fluence received by the two experimental treatments, we conclude that sunlight is not the main driver of fish eDNA decay in the experiments. However, there are clearly temporal effects that

Evaluating heat-related mortality in Korea by objective classifications of 'air masses'

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kyselý, Jan; Huth, Radan; Kim, J.

2010-01-01

Roč. 30, č. 10 (2010), s. 1484-1501 ISSN 0899-8418 R&D Projects: GA ČR GC205/07/J044 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z30420517 Keywords : weather type classifications * air masses * biometeorology * human mortality * South Korea Subject RIV: DG - Athmosphere Sciences, Meteorology Impact factor: 2.479, year: 2010

Electricity from Sunlight: The Future of Photovoltaics. Worldwatch Paper 52.

Science.gov (United States)

Flavin, Christopher

Solar photovoltaic cells have been called the ultimate energy technology, environmentally benign and without moving parts, solar cells directly convert sunlight into electricity. Photovoltaic energy conversion is fundamentally different from all other forms of electricity generation. Without turbines, generators or other mechanical equipment, it…

Reversible degradation in ITO-containing organic photovoltaics under concentrated sunlight

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Galagan, Y.O.; Mescheloff, A.; Veenstra, S.C.; Andriessen, H.A.J.M.; Katz, E.A.

2015-01-01

Stabilities of ITO-containing and ITO-free organic solar cells were investigated under simulated AM 1.5G illumination and under concentrated natural sunlight. In both cases ITO-free devices exhibit high stability, while devices containing ITO show degradation of their photovoltaic performance. The

Technical-economic feasibility of orbiting sunlight reflectors

Science.gov (United States)

Alferov, Z.; Minin, V.

1986-02-01

The use of deflectors in orbit as a means of providing artificial illumination is examined. Considerations of technical and economic feasibility are addressed. Three main areas of application are distinguished: reflecting sunlight onto the surface of the Earth; concentration of the flow of solar energy on an orbiting receiver; and retransmission of optical radiation. The advantages of the artificial Earth illumination application of the orbiting reflector scheme in terms of energy savings in lighting cities, and additional daylight time for critical periods of farming operations are discussed.

Commonly recommended daily intake of vitamin D is not sufficient if sunlight exposure is limited

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Glerup, H; Mikkelsen, K; Poulsen, L

2000-01-01

OBJECTIVES: Sunlight exposure of the skin is known to be the most important source of vitamin D. The aims of this study were: (i) to estimate vitamin D status amongst sunlight-deprived individuals (veiled Arab women, veiled ethnic Danish Moslem women and Danish controls); and (ii) through food...... intake analysis to estimate the oral intake of vitamin D necessary to keep a normal vitamin D status in sunlight-deprived individuals. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study amongst randomly selected Moslem women of Arab origin living in Denmark. Age-matched Danish women were included as controls. To control...... for racial differences, a group of veiled ethnic Danish Moslem women (all Caucasians) was included. SETTING: Primary Health Care Centre, City Vest and Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism C, University Hospital of Aarhus, Aarhus Amtssygehus, Aarhus, Denmark. SUBJECTS: Sixty-nine Arab women (60 veiled...

Effect of sunlight on the survival of pathogenic E. coli in freshwater and sea water

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Surendraraj, Alagarsamy; Farvin, Sabeena; Thampuran, N.

2011-01-01

An enteropathogenic group of E. coli are the emerging category of pathogen of public health significance. Several recent pathogenic E. coli outbreaks are associated with drinking water. Aquaculture, the fast emerging food production sector also poses a pathogenic EHEC outbreak risk, as it regularly...... uses cow dung, a reservoir of this organism. Hence, a experiment was set up to study the duration of survival of pathogenic E. coli under sunlight and darkness. Eight pathogenic E. coli isolates from clinical (EPEC, ETEC, EHEC, EAEC), veterinary (CTE3, CTE4) and environmental sources (ASHE3, Rao II......) were studied for their survival under sunlight and darkness in fresh water and seawater. Effect of direct sunlight on the viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state of cultures was also studied. The results of the study indicated a distinct pattern between freshwater system and seawater system. Pathogenic E...

Mass spectrometry of solid samples in open air using combined laser ionization and ambient metastable ionization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He, X.N.; Xie, Z.Q.; Gao, Y.; Hu, W.; Guo, L.B.; Jiang, L.; Lu, Y.F.

2012-01-01

Mass spectrometry of solid samples in open air was carried out using combined laser ionization and metastable ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LI-MI-TOFMS) in ambient environment for qualitative and semiquantitative (relative analyte information, not absolute information) analysis. Ambient metastable ionization using a direct analysis in realtime (DART) ion source was combined with laser ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LI-TOFMS) to study the effects of combining metastable and laser ionization. A series of metallic samples from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST 494, 495, 498, 499, and 500) and a pure carbon target were characterized using LI-TOFMS in open air. LI-MI-TOFMS was found to be superior to laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). Laser pulse energies between 10 and 200 mJ at the second harmonic (532 nm) of an Nd:YAG laser were applied in the experiment to obtain a high degree of ionization in plasmas. Higher laser pulse energy improves signal intensities of trace elements (such as Fe, Cr, Mn, Ni, Ca, Al, and Ag). Data were analyzed by numerically calculating relative sensitivity coefficients (RSCs) and limit of detections (LODs) from mass spectrometry (MS) and LIBS spectra. Different parameters, such as boiling point, ionization potential, RSC, LOD, and atomic weight, were shown to analyze the ionization and MS detection processes in open air.

Variability of Atmospheric Radon-222 and Secondary Aerosol Components in Accordance with Air Mass Transport Pathways at Jeju Island, Korea, during 2011-2014

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bu, Jun-Oh; Song, Jung-Min; Kim, Won-Hyung; Kang, Chang-Hee; Chambers, Scott D.; Williams, Alastair G.; Lee, Chulkyu

2016-01-01

Real-time monitoring of hourly atmospheric Radon-222 concentration and three daily monitoring of the secondary aerosol components of PM_1_0 were performed throughout 2011-2014 at Gosan station, Jeju Island, in order to characterize their background levels and temporal variation. The annual mean radon and PM_1_0 mass concentrations were 2326 ± 1198 mBq/m"3 and 37.1 ± 19.5 μg/m"3, respectively. Based on cluster analyses of air mass back trajectories, the frequencies of air masses originating from continental China, the Korean Peninsula, and North Pacific Ocean routes were 53, 28, and 19%, respectively. When the air masses were transported to Jeju Island from continental China, the concentrations of radon and secondary aerosol components (nss-SO_4"2"-, NO_3"-, NH_4"+) were relatively high: 2577 mBq/m"3 and 14.4 μg/m"3, respectively. In cases when the air masses have moved from the Korean Peninsula, the corresponding concentrations were 2247 mBq/m"3 and 11.4 μg/m"3, respectively. On the other hand, when the air masses came from the North Pacific Ocean, their radon and secondary aerosol concentrations decreased much further, 1372 mBq/m"3 and 10.5 μg/m"3, respectively. Consequently, the variability of atmospheric radon concentrations at Gosan station might be characterized by synoptic changes in air mass fetch as well as diurnal changes in atmospheric mixing depth.

Effect of sunlight shielding on leaf structure and amino acids ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Light sensitive albino tea cultivar 'Jinguang' (Camellia sinensis) which grows albinism leaf in yellow colour, results to high level of amino acids but low levels of photosynthetic pigments including chlorophylls, neoxanthin, violaxanthin, phytoxanthin and β-carotene when it is exposed to high sunlight illumination in the ...

Air mass origins by back trajectory analysis for evaluating atmospheric 210Pb concentrations at Rokkasho, Aomori, Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akata, N.; Kawabata, H.; Hasegawa, H.; Kondo, K.; Chikuchi, Y.; Hisamatsu, S.; Inaba, J.; Sato, T.

2009-01-01

Atmospheric concentrations of 210 Pb change with various factors such as meso-scale meteorological conditions. We have already reported the biweekly atmospheric 210 Pb concentrations in Rokkasho, Japan for 5 years and found that they had clear seasonal variations: low concentrations in summer and high values in winter to spring. To study the reasons for the seasonal variations, the origins of the air mass flowing to Rokkasho were analyzed by 3-D backward air mass trajectory analysis. Routes of the calculated trajectories were classified into four regions: northeastern and southeastern Asian Continent, sea and other regions. The atmospheric 210 Pb concentrations were well correlated with the frequency of the routes through the northeastern Asian Continent. A non-linear multiple regression analysis of the 210 Pb concentrations and the relative frequencies of the four routes showed good fitting of the predicted values to the observed ones, and indicated that the atmospheric 210 Pb concentrations in Rokkasho depended on the frequency of the air mass from the northeastern Asian Continent. (author)

Biodegradation and photooxidation of crude oil under natural sunlight in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Bacosa, H. P.; Erdner, D.; Liu, Z.

2016-02-01

An enormous amount of oil was observed in the deep and surface waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGoM) following the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) spill. While the oil degradation and bacterial communities in the deep-sea plume have been widely investigated, the effect of sunlight on oil and bacterial assemblages in surface waters have received less attention. In this study, we amended surface water collected near the DWH site with crude oil and/or Corexit dispersant and incubated under natural sunlight in the nGoM for 36 d in summer of 2013. The residual alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and alkalyted PAHs were analyzed by GC-MS, and bacterial community was determined via pyrosequencing. The results show that n-alkane biodegradation rate constants (first order) were ca. ten-fold higher than the photooxidation rate constants. While biodegradation was characterized by a lag phase, photooxidation rate constants for the 2-3 ring and 4-5 ring PAHs, were 0.08-0.98 day-1 and 0.01-0.07 day-1, respectively. Compared to biodegradation, photooxidation increased the transformation of 4-5 ring PAHs by 70% and 3-4 ring alkylated PAHs by 36%. Sunlight significantly reduced bacterial diversity and a driver of shifts in bacterial community structure in oil and Corexit treatments. In amended treatments, sunlight increased the relative abundances of Alteromonas, Marinobacter, Labrenzia, Sandarakinotalea, Halomonas and Bartonella, while the dark treatments enriched Thalassobius, Winogradskyella, Alcanivorax, Formosa, Eubacterium, Erythrobacter, Natronocella, and Pseudomonas. This suggests that different bacteria are degrading the hydrocarbons in the dark and under light exposure. In a follow up study using DNA-Stable isotope probing (SIP), we identified the alkane and PAH degraders using 13C-labeled hexadecane and phenanthrene, respectively. The results of metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analyses in the light and dark incubations will be presented. For the first

Errors in short circuit measurements due to spectral mismatch between sunlight and solar simulators

Science.gov (United States)

Curtis, H. B.

1976-01-01

Errors in short circuit current measurement were calculated for a variety of spectral mismatch conditions. The differences in spectral irradiance between terrestrial sunlight and three types of solar simulator were studied, as well as the differences in spectral response between three types of reference solar cells and various test cells. The simulators considered were a short arc xenon lamp AMO sunlight simulator, an ordinary quartz halogen lamp, and an ELH-type quartz halogen lamp. Three types of solar cells studied were a silicon cell, a cadmium sulfide cell and a gallium arsenide cell.

The Photocatalytic Activity of TiO2-Zeolite Composite for Degradation of Dye Using Synthetic UV and Jeddah Sunlight

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laila M. Al-Harbi

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In this research different composites of impregnated TiO2 with LTA or FAU zeolites were used as different weight% ratio for photodegradation of organic dye. Normal laboratory UV-lamps were used as a source of UV irradiation. In addition a setup of system of mirrors was used to collect real Jeddah sunlight. A comparison of UV and real sunlight photodegradation activity showed that the real sunlight enhances new centers of active sites exhibiting higher catalytic activity than that of UV irradiated samples.

On the apparent velocity of integrated sunlight. 2: 1983-1992 and comparisons with magnetograms

Science.gov (United States)

Deming, Drake; Plymate, Claude

1994-01-01

We report additional results in our program to monitor the wavelength stability of lines in the 2.3 micrometer spectrum of integrated sunlight. We use the McMath Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) of the National Solar Observatory to monitor 16 delta V = 2 lines of (12)C(16)O, as well as five atomic lines. Wavenumber calibration is achieved using a low-pressure N2O absorption cell and checked against terrestrial atmospheric lines. Imperfect optical integration of the solar disk remains the principal source of error, but this error has been reduced by improved FTS/telescope collimation and observing procedures. The present results include data from an additional 13 quarterly observing runs since 1985. We continue to find that the apparent velocity of integrated sunlight is variable, in the sense of having a greater reshift at solar maximum. This is supported by the temporal dependence of the integrated light velocity, and by the presence of a correlation between velocity and the disk-averaged magnetic flux derived from Kitt Peak magnetograms. The indicated peak-to-peak apparent velocity amplitude over a solar cycle is approximately the same as the velocity amplitude of the Sun's motion about the solar system barycenter. This represents about half the amplitude which we inferred in Paper I (Deming et al. 1987), but the present result has a much greater statistical significance. Our results have implications for those investigations which search for the Doppler signatures of planetary-mass companions to solar-type stars. We contrast our results to the recent finding by McMillan et al. 1993 that solar absorption lines in the violet spectral region are wavelength-stable over the solar cycle.

Variability of Atmospheric Radon-222 and Secondary Aerosol Components in Accordance with Air Mass Transport Pathways at Jeju Island, Korea, during 2011-2014

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bu, Jun-Oh; Song, Jung-Min; Kim, Won-Hyung; Kang, Chang-Hee [Jeju National University, Jeju (Korea, Republic of); Chambers, Scott D.; Williams, Alastair G. [Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Kirrawee DC (Australia); Lee, Chulkyu [Korea Meteorological Administration, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2016-06-15

Real-time monitoring of hourly atmospheric Radon-222 concentration and three daily monitoring of the secondary aerosol components of PM{sub 10} were performed throughout 2011-2014 at Gosan station, Jeju Island, in order to characterize their background levels and temporal variation. The annual mean radon and PM{sub 10} mass concentrations were 2326 ± 1198 mBq/m{sup 3} and 37.1 ± 19.5 μg/m{sup 3}, respectively. Based on cluster analyses of air mass back trajectories, the frequencies of air masses originating from continental China, the Korean Peninsula, and North Pacific Ocean routes were 53, 28, and 19%, respectively. When the air masses were transported to Jeju Island from continental China, the concentrations of radon and secondary aerosol components (nss-SO{sub 4}{sup 2-}, NO{sub 3}{sup -}, NH{sub 4}{sup +}) were relatively high: 2577 mBq/m{sup 3} and 14.4 μg/m{sup 3}, respectively. In cases when the air masses have moved from the Korean Peninsula, the corresponding concentrations were 2247 mBq/m{sup 3} and 11.4 μg/m{sup 3}, respectively. On the other hand, when the air masses came from the North Pacific Ocean, their radon and secondary aerosol concentrations decreased much further, 1372 mBq/m{sup 3} and 10.5 μg/m{sup 3}, respectively. Consequently, the variability of atmospheric radon concentrations at Gosan station might be characterized by synoptic changes in air mass fetch as well as diurnal changes in atmospheric mixing depth.

Satellite measurements of aerosol mass and transport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fraser, R.S.; Kaufman, Y.J.; Mahoney, R.L.

1984-01-01

The aerosol optical thickness over land is derived from satellite measurements of the radiance of scattered sunlight. These data are used to estimate the columnar mass density of particulate sulfur on a day with a large amount of sulfur. The horizontal transport of the particulate sulfur is calculated using wing vectors measured with rawins. 33 references, 7 figures, 1 table.

Preparation of K-doped TiO{sub 2} nanostructures by wet corrosion and their sunlight-driven photocatalytic performance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shin, Eunhye; Jin, Saera; Kim, Jiyoon; Chang, Sung-Jin [Department of Chemistry, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974 (Korea, Republic of); Jun, Byung-Hyuk [Neutron Science Division, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon 34057 (Korea, Republic of); Park, Kwang-Won, E-mail: bryan.kwangwon.park@gmail.com [Department of Chemistry, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974 (Korea, Republic of); Hong, Jongin, E-mail: hongj@cau.ac.kr [Department of Chemistry, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974 (Korea, Republic of)

2016-08-30

Highlights: • Potassium-doped TiO{sub 2} nanowire networks were prepared by the corrosion reaction of Ti nanoparticles in an alkaline solution. • They were applied to sunlight-driven photocatalytic degradation of differently charged dye molecules. • The adsorption of the dye molecules on the photocatalyst surface is crucial for their sunlight-driven photodegradation. - Abstract: K-doped TiO{sub 2} nanowire networks were prepared by the corrosion reaction of Ti nanoparticles in an alkaline (potassium hydroxide: KOH) solution. The prepared nanostructures were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and photoluminescence (PL) spectra. Their sunlight-driven photocatalytic activity was also investigated with differently charged dye molecules, such as methylene blue, rhodamine B and methyl orange. The adsorption of the dye molecules on the photocatalyst surface would play a critical role in their selective photodegradation under sunlight illumination.

Comparison Study On Sunlight Or Gamma Radiation Aging Resistance Of Poly (Vinyl Pyrrolidone) Aqueous Solution With PVP Nanogel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doan Binh; Pham Thu Hong; Nguyen Nguyet Dieu; Nguyen Thanh Duoc

2011-01-01

Comparison study on sunlight or gamma-radiation aging resistance of poly (vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) aqueous solution with PVP nanogel at 0.5% was carried out. Sunlight or gamma- radiation aging resistance of PVP aqueous solution and nanogel was evaluated on the basis of their intrinsic viscosity, UV-VIS absorbance, weight averaged molecular weight (M w ). The PVP aqueous solution and nanogel exposed to sunlight in the storage duration of 3 months and to gamma radiation at absorbed doses of 0, 15, 30, 50 kGy were used for this study. Furthermore, the stability of PVP nanogel and of PVP aqueous solution was also studied on the change of their intrinsic viscosity, UV-VIS absorbance, weight averaged molecular weight, particle size distribution and coil size. The experimental results were shown that the aging resistance of PVP nanogel was higher than that of PVP aqueous solution when exposed to gamma radiation or sunlight. (author)

Sunlight-enhanced calcareous deposition on cathodic stainless steel in natural seawater

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Eashwar, M.; SathishKumar, P.; Ravishankar, R.; Subramanian, G.

In replicate series of experiments in natural seawater, one in full darkness and the other in a 1:1 diurnal cycle with as little as 5 percent of natural solar illumination, sunlight promoted calcareous deposition on cathodic stainless steel surfaces...

Colour Counts: Sunlight and Skin Type as Drivers of Vitamin D Deficiency at UK Latitudes.

Science.gov (United States)

Webb, Ann R; Kazantzidis, Andreas; Kift, Richard C; Farrar, Mark D; Wilkinson, Jack; Rhodes, Lesley E

2018-04-07

Sunlight exposure, with resulting cutaneous synthesis, is a major source of vitamin D for many, while dietary intake is low in modern diets. The constitutive pigment in skin determines skin type, observed as white, brown, or black skin. The melanin pigment absorbs ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and protects underlying skin from damage caused by UVR. It also reduces the UVR available for vitamin D synthesis in the skin. It has been shown that the white-skinned population of the UK are able to meet their vitamin D needs with short, daily lunchtime exposures to sunlight. We have followed the same methodology, based on a 10-year UK all-weather UVR climatology, observation (sun exposure, diet, vitamin D status), and UVR intervention studies with Fitzpatrick skin type V (brown) adults, to determine whether sunlight at UK latitudes could provide an adequate source of vitamin D for this section of the population. Results show that to meet vitamin D requirements, skin type V individuals in the UK need ~25 min daily sunlight at lunchtime, from March to September. This makes several assumptions, including that forearms and lower legs are exposed June-August; only exposing hands and face at this time is inadequate. For practical and cultural reasons, enhanced oral intake of vitamin D should be considered for this population.

Colour Counts: Sunlight and Skin Type as Drivers of Vitamin D Deficiency at UK Latitudes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ann R. Webb

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Sunlight exposure, with resulting cutaneous synthesis, is a major source of vitamin D for many, while dietary intake is low in modern diets. The constitutive pigment in skin determines skin type, observed as white, brown, or black skin. The melanin pigment absorbs ultraviolet radiation (UVR and protects underlying skin from damage caused by UVR. It also reduces the UVR available for vitamin D synthesis in the skin. It has been shown that the white-skinned population of the UK are able to meet their vitamin D needs with short, daily lunchtime exposures to sunlight. We have followed the same methodology, based on a 10-year UK all-weather UVR climatology, observation (sun exposure, diet, vitamin D status, and UVR intervention studies with Fitzpatrick skin type V (brown adults, to determine whether sunlight at UK latitudes could provide an adequate source of vitamin D for this section of the population. Results show that to meet vitamin D requirements, skin type V individuals in the UK need ~25 min daily sunlight at lunchtime, from March to September. This makes several assumptions, including that forearms and lower legs are exposed June–August; only exposing hands and face at this time is inadequate. For practical and cultural reasons, enhanced oral intake of vitamin D should be considered for this population.

Why We Need More Nature at Work: Effects of Natural Elements and Sunlight on Employee Mental Health and Work Attitudes.

Science.gov (United States)

An, Mihyang; Colarelli, Stephen M; O'Brien, Kimberly; Boyajian, Melanie E

2016-01-01

This study investigated the effects of natural elements and direct and indirect sunlight exposure on employee mental health and work attitudes. We recruited participants via an online panel from the United States and India, and analyzed data from 444 employees. Natural elements and sunlight exposure related positively to job satisfaction and organizational commitment, and negatively to depressed mood and anxiety. Direct sunlight was a dominant predictor of anxiety; indirect sunlight was a dominant predictor of depressed mood, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. Natural elements buffered the relationship between role stressors and job satisfaction, depressed mood, and anxiety. We also found that depressed mood partially mediated the relationship between natural elements and job satisfaction. We discuss scientific and policy implications of these findings.

Why We Need More Nature at Work: Effects of Natural Elements and Sunlight on Employee Mental Health and Work Attitudes

Science.gov (United States)

An, Mihyang; Colarelli, Stephen M.; O'Brien, Kimberly; Boyajian, Melanie E.

2016-01-01

This study investigated the effects of natural elements and direct and indirect sunlight exposure on employee mental health and work attitudes. We recruited participants via an online panel from the United States and India, and analyzed data from 444 employees. Natural elements and sunlight exposure related positively to job satisfaction and organizational commitment, and negatively to depressed mood and anxiety. Direct sunlight was a dominant predictor of anxiety; indirect sunlight was a dominant predictor of depressed mood, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. Natural elements buffered the relationship between role stressors and job satisfaction, depressed mood, and anxiety. We also found that depressed mood partially mediated the relationship between natural elements and job satisfaction. We discuss scientific and policy implications of these findings. PMID:27214041

Natural Sunlight Shapes Crude Oil-Degrading Bacterial Communities in Northern Gulf of Mexico Surface Waters

OpenAIRE

Bacosa, Hernando P.; Liu, Zhanfei; Erdner, Deana L.

2015-01-01

Following the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) spill in 2010, an enormous amount of oil was observed in the deep and surface waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Surface waters are characterized by intense sunlight and high temperature during summer. While the oil-degrading bacterial communities in the deep-sea plume have been widely investigated, the effect of natural sunlight on those in oil polluted surface waters remains unexplored to date. In this study, we incubated surface water from the DWH ...

Decontamination of poultry feed from ochratoxin A by UV and sunlight radiations.

Science.gov (United States)

Ameer Sumbal, Gul; Hussain Shar, Zahid; Hussain Sherazi, Syed Tufail; Sirajuddin; Nizamani, Shafi Muhammad; Mahesar, Safaraz Ahmed

2016-06-01

Mycotoxin-contaminated feed is very dangerous for the growth and even life of poultry. The objective of the current study was to investigate the efficacy of ultra-violet irradiation for decontamination of ochratoxin A (OTA) in spiked and naturally contaminated poultry feed samples. Spiked and naturally contaminated feed samples were irradiated with ultra-violet light (UV) at distance of 25 cm over the feed samples. In vitro, the effect of UV intensity (0.1 mW cm(-2) at 254 nm UV-C) on different types of poultry feeds contaminated with OTA was evaluated. The same samples were also irradiated with sunlight and analysed for OTA by an indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay method. Poultry feed samples containing 500 µg kg(-1) were 100% decontaminated in 180 min with UV radiation while OTA was decreased to 70-95 µg kg(-1) using the same poultry feed samples after 8 h sunlight irradiation. Therefore, UV light was found to be more effective. Only 1 h of UV irradiation was found to be sufficient to bring the OTA level to the maximum regulatory limit suggested for poultry feeds (100 µg kg(-1) ), while 8 h were needed to obtain this level using sunlight radiations. The proposed approach is a viable option to reduce the level of OTA in contaminated poultry feeds. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Tropospheric nitrogen dioxide inversions based on spectral measurements of scattered sunlight

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vlemmix, T.

2011-01-01

This thesis describes the development of inversion methods for tropospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2), based on ground based observations of scattered sunlight with themulti-axis differential optical absorption spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) technique. NO2 is an atmospheric trace gas which, when present near

Modification of Sunlight Radiation through Colored Photo-Selective Nets Affects Anthocyanin Profile in Vaccinium spp. Berries.

Science.gov (United States)

Zoratti, Laura; Jaakola, Laura; Häggman, Hely; Giongo, Lara

2015-01-01

In recent years, the interest on the effects of the specific wavelengths of the light spectrum on growth and metabolism of plants has been increasing markedly. The present study covers the effect of modified sunlight conditions on the accumulation of anthocyanin pigments in two Vaccinium species: the European wild bilberry (V. myrtillus L.) and the cultivated highbush blueberry (V. corymbosum L.). The two Vaccinium species were grown in the same test field in the Alps of Trentino (Northern Italy) under modified light environment. The modification of sunlight radiation was carried out in field, through the use of colored photo-selective nets throughout the berry ripening during two consecutive growing seasons. The anthocyanin profile was then assessed in berries at ripeness. The results indicated that the light responses of the two Vaccinium species studied were different. Although both studied species are shade-adapted plants, 90% shading of sunlight radiation was beneficial only for bilberry plants, which accumulated the highest content of anthocyanins in both seasons. The same condition, instead, was not favorable for blueberries, whose maturation was delayed for at least two weeks, and anthocyanin accumulation was significantly decreased compared to berries grown under sunlight conditions. Moreover, the growing season had strong influence on the anthocyanin accumulation in both species, in relation to temperature flow and sunlight spectra composition during the berry ripening period. Our results suggest that the use of colored photo-selective nets may be a complementary agricultural practice for cultivation of Vaccinium species. However, further studies are needed to analyze the effect of the light spectra modifications to other nutritional properties, and to elucidate the molecular mechanisms behind the detected differences between the two relative Vaccinium species.

Mass transfer characteristics of bisporus mushroom ( Agaricus bisporus) slices during convective hot air drying

Science.gov (United States)

Ghanbarian, Davoud; Baraani Dastjerdi, Mojtaba; Torki-Harchegani, Mehdi

2016-05-01

An accurate understanding of moisture transfer parameters, including moisture diffusivity and moisture transfer coefficient, is essential for efficient mass transfer analysis and to design new dryers or improve existing drying equipments. The main objective of the present study was to carry out an experimental and theoretical investigation of mushroom slices drying and determine the mass transfer characteristics of the samples dried under different conditions. The mushroom slices with two thicknesses of 3 and 5 mm were dried at air temperatures of 40, 50 and 60 °C and air flow rates of 1 and 1.5 m s-1. The Dincer and Dost model was used to determine the moisture transfer parameters and predict the drying curves. It was observed that the entire drying process took place in the falling drying rate period. The obtained lag factor and Biot number indicated that the moisture transfer in the samples was controlled by both internal and external resistance. The effective moisture diffusivity and the moisture transfer coefficient increased with increasing air temperature, air flow rate and samples thickness and varied in the ranges of 6.5175 × 10-10 to 1.6726 × 10-9 m2 s-1 and 2.7715 × 10-7 to 3.5512 × 10-7 m s-1, respectively. The validation of the Dincer and Dost model indicated a good capability of the model to describe the drying curves of the mushroom slices.

Mass and chemically speciated size distribution of Prague aerosol using an aerosol dryer - The influence of air mass origin

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Schwarz, Jaroslav; Štefancová, Lucia; Maenhaut, W.; Smolík, Jiří; Ždímal, Vladimír

2012-01-01

Roč. 437, OCT 15 (2012), s. 348-362 ISSN 0048-9697 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA205/09/2055; GA ČR GAP209/11/1342; GA MŠk ME 941 Grant - others:SRF GU(BE) 01S01306 Institutional support: RVO:67985858 Keywords : atmospheric aerosols * mass size distribution * chemical composition Subject RIV: DI - Air Pollution ; Quality Impact factor: 3.258, year: 2012

Increased polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon toxicity following their photomodification in natural sunlight: impacts on the duckweed Lemna gibba L. G-3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, X.D.; Dixon, D.G.; Greenberg, B.M.

1995-01-01

The authors previously demonstrated that simulated solar radiation (SSR), with a fluence rate of only 40 mumol m -2 sec -1 , increased polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) toxicity to the duckweed Lemna gibba and that PAHs photomodified in SSR (generally oxygenation of the ring system) are more toxic than the parent compounds (Huang et al., Environ. Toxicol. Chem., 1993, 12, 1067-1077). It is not known, however, to what extent toxicity of PAHs can increase due to photomodification. Thus, natural sunlight, which has a high fluence rate (approximately 2000 mumol m -2 sec -1 ), was used to photomodify anthracene, benzo[a]pyrene, fluoranthene, phenanthrene, and pyrene. Toxicity was based on growth inhibition of L. gibba, measured as the rate of production of new leaves over an 8-day period. Initially, the toxicity of the PAHs applied in intact form was probed, with the compounds demonstrating greater toxicity in sunlight than in SSR. Next the PAHs were photomodified in sunlight prior to incubation with the plants. The half-lives of the PAHs in sunlight ranged from 12 min to 30 hr. Although most of the products of PAH photomodification are not yet identified, the degree that PAH toxicity increased following photomodification in sunlight could still be probed. The mixtures of photomodified chemicals that were derived from each PAH in sunlight were applied of L. gibba and growth inhibition under 100 mumol m -2 sec -1 of SSR was determined. The LC50s for the PAH photoproducts generated in sunlight were an order of magnitude lower than the LC50s for the PAHs applied in intact form. (author)

IS THERE A LINK BETWEEN SUNLIGHT EXPOSURE AND 25-HYDROXYVITAMIN D DEFICIENCY IN CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE PATIENTS?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angela Yee-Moon Wang

2012-06-01

In conclusion, our study confirmed an extremely high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and an important association between outdoor sunlight exposure and 25(OHD deficiency in Chinese stage 3-5 CKD patients. Further study is needed to determine whether increasing daily outdoor sunlight exposure may represent a cost-free treatment for correcting nutritional 25(OHD deficiency in the CKD population.

Liquid phase mass production of air-stable black phosphorus/phospholipids nanocomposite with ultralow tunneling barrier

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Qiankun; Liu, Yinan; Lai, Jiawei; Qi, Shaomian; An, Chunhua; Lu, Yao; Duan, Xuexin; Pang, Wei; Zhang, Daihua; Sun, Dong; Chen, Jian-Hao; Liu, Jing

2018-04-01

Few-layer black phosphorus (FLBP), a recently discovered two-dimensional semiconductor, has attracted substantial attention in the scientific and technical communities due to its great potential in electronic and optoelectronic applications. However, reactivity of FLBP flakes with ambient species limits its direct applications. Among various methods to passivate FLBP in ambient environment, nanocomposites mixing FLBP flakes with stable matrix may be one of the most promising approaches for industry applications. Here, we report a simple one-step procedure to mass produce air-stable FLBP/phospholipids nanocomposite in liquid phase. The resultant nanocomposite is found to have ultralow tunneling barrier for charge carriers which can be described by an Efros-Shklovskii variable range hopping mechanism. Devices made from such mass-produced FLBP/phospholipids nanocomposite show highly stable electrical conductivity and opto-electrical response in ambient conditions, indicating its promising applications in both electronic and optoelectronic applications. This method could also be generalized to the mass production of nanocomposites consisting of other air-sensitive 2D materials, such as FeSe, NbSe2, WTe2, etc.

Influence of inlet velocity of air and solid particle feed rate on holdup mass and heat transfer characteristics in cyclone heat exchanger

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mothilal, T.; Pitchandi, K.

2015-01-01

Present work elaborates the effect of inlet velocity of air and solid particle feed rate on holdup mass and heat transfer characteristics in a cyclone heat exchanger. The RNG k-ε turbulence model was adopted for modeling high turbulence flow and Discrete phase model (DPM) to track solid particles in a cyclone heat exchanger by ANSYS FLUENT software. The effect of inlet air velocity (5 to 25 m/s) and inlet solid particle feed rate of (0.2 to 2.5 g/s) at different particle diameter (300 to 500 μm) on holdup mass and heat transfer rate in cyclone heat exchanger was studied at air inlet temperature of 473 K. Results show that holdup mass and heat transfer rate increase with increase in inlet air velocity and inlet solid particle feed rate. Influence of solid particle feed rate on holdup mass has more significance. Experimental setup was built for high efficiency cyclone. Good agreement was found between experimental and simulation pressure drop. Empirical correlation was derived for dimensionless holdup mass and Nusselt number based on CFD data by regression technique. Correlation predicts dimensional holdup mass with +5% to -8% errors of experimental data and Nusselt number with +9% to -3%

Influence of inlet velocity of air and solid particle feed rate on holdup mass and heat transfer characteristics in cyclone heat exchanger

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mothilal, T. [T. J. S. Engineering College, Gummidipoond (India); Pitchandi, K. [Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering, Sriperumbudur (India)

2015-10-15

Present work elaborates the effect of inlet velocity of air and solid particle feed rate on holdup mass and heat transfer characteristics in a cyclone heat exchanger. The RNG k-ε turbulence model was adopted for modeling high turbulence flow and Discrete phase model (DPM) to track solid particles in a cyclone heat exchanger by ANSYS FLUENT software. The effect of inlet air velocity (5 to 25 m/s) and inlet solid particle feed rate of (0.2 to 2.5 g/s) at different particle diameter (300 to 500 μm) on holdup mass and heat transfer rate in cyclone heat exchanger was studied at air inlet temperature of 473 K. Results show that holdup mass and heat transfer rate increase with increase in inlet air velocity and inlet solid particle feed rate. Influence of solid particle feed rate on holdup mass has more significance. Experimental setup was built for high efficiency cyclone. Good agreement was found between experimental and simulation pressure drop. Empirical correlation was derived for dimensionless holdup mass and Nusselt number based on CFD data by regression technique. Correlation predicts dimensional holdup mass with +5% to -8% errors of experimental data and Nusselt number with +9% to -3%.

The relationship between long-term sunlight radiation and cognitive decline in the REGARDS cohort study

Science.gov (United States)

Kent, Shia T.; Kabagambe, Edmond K.; Wadley, Virginia G.; Howard, Virginia J.; Crosson, William L.; Al-Hamdan, Mohammad Z.; Judd, Suzanne E.; Peace, Fredrick; McClure, Leslie A.

2014-04-01

Sunlight may be related to cognitive function through vitamin D metabolism or circadian rhythm regulation. The analysis presented here sought to test whether ground and satellite measures of solar radiation are associated with cognitive decline. The study used a 15-year residential history merged with satellite and ground monitor data to determine sunlight (solar radiation) and air temperature exposure for a cohort of 19,896 cognitively intact black and white participants aged 45+ from the 48 contiguous United States. Exposures of 15, 10, 5, 2, and 1-year were used to predict cognitive status at the most recent assessment in logistic regression models; 1-year insolation and maximum temperatures were chosen as exposure measures. Solar radiation interacted with temperature, age, and gender in its relationships with incident cognitive impairment. After adjustment for covariates, the odds ratio (OR) of cognitive decline for solar radiation exposure below the median vs above the median in the 3rd tertile of maximum temperatures was 1.88 (95 % CI: 1.24, 2.85), that in the 2nd tertile was 1.33 (95 % CI: 1.09, 1.62), and that in the 1st tertile was 1.22 (95 % CI: 0.92, 1.60). We also found that participants under 60 years old had an OR = 1.63 (95 % CI: 1.20, 2.22), those 60-80 years old had an OR = 1.18 (95 % CI: 1.02, 1.36), and those over 80 years old had an OR = 1.05 (0.80, 1.37). Lastly, we found that males had an OR = 1.43 (95 % CI: 1.22, 1.69), and females had an OR = 1.02 (0.87, 1.20). We found that lower levels of solar radiation were associated with increased odds of incident cognitive impairment.

Ocean color remote sensing using polarization properties of reflected sunlight

Science.gov (United States)

Frouin, R.; Pouliquen, E.; Breon, F.-M.

1994-01-01

The effects of the atmosphere and surface on sunlight backscattered to space by the ocean may be substantially reduced by using the unpolarized component of reflectance instead of total reflectance. At 450 nm, a wavelength of interest in ocean color remote sensing, and for typical conditions, 45% of the unpolarized reflectance may originate from the water body instead of 20% of the total reflectance, which represents a gain of a factor 2.2 in useful signal for water composition retrieval. The best viewing geometries are adjacent to the glitter region; they correspond to scattering angles around 100 deg, but they may change slightly depending on the polarization characteristics of the aerosols. As aerosol optical thickness increases, the atmosphere becomes less efficient at polarizing sunlight, and the enhancement of the water body contribution to unpolarized reflectance is reduced. Since the perturbing effects are smaller on unpolarized reflectance, at least for some viewing geometries, they may be more easily corrected, leading to a more accurate water-leaving signal and, therefore, more accurate estimates of phytoplankton pigment concentration.

Atmospheric pollutants in Chiang Mai (Thailand) over a five-year period (2005-2009), their possible sources and relation to air mass movement

Science.gov (United States)

Chantara, Somporn; Sillapapiromsuk, Sopittaporn; Wiriya, Wan

2012-12-01

Monitoring and analysis of the chemical composition of air pollutants were conducted over a five-year period (2005-2009) in the sub-urban area of Chiang Mai, Thailand. This study aims to determine the seasonal variation of atmospheric ion species and gases, examine their correlations, identify possible sources and assess major air-flow patterns to the receptor. The dominant gas and particulate pollutants were NH3 (43-58%) and SO42- (39-48%), respectively. The annual mean concentrations of NH3 (μg m-3) in descending order were 4.08 (2009) > 3.32 (2007) > 2.68 (2008) > 2.47 (2006) and 1.87 (2005), while those of SO42- (μg m-3) were 2.60 (2007) > 2.20 (2006) > 1.95 (2009) > 1.75 (2008) and 1.26 (2005). Concentrations of particulate ions were analyzed by principle component analysis to find out the possible sources of air pollutants in this area. The first component of each year had a high loading of SO42- and NH4+, which probably came from fuel combustion and agricultural activity, respectively. K+, a tracer of biomass burning, also contributed to the first or the second components of each year. Concentrations of NH4+ and SO42- were well correlated (r > 0.777, p Chiang Mai from 2005 to 2009 were analyzed using the hybrid single particle langrangian integrated trajectory (HYSPLIT) model and grouped by cluster analysis. The air mass data was analyzed for the dry season (n = 18; 100%). The trajectory of air mass in 2005 mainly originated locally (67%). In 2006, the recorded data showed that 56% of air mass was emitted from the western continental region of Thailand. In 2007, the percent ratios from the western and eastern continental areas were equal (39%). In 2008, 67% originated from the western continental area. In 2009, the recorded air mass mainly came from the western continental area (72%). In conclusion, the major trajectories of air mass from 2006 to 2009 originated from the southwest direction of the receptor, but in 2005, the air mass appeared to be locally

Columnar aerosol optical and radiative properties according to season and air mass transport pattern over East Asia.

Science.gov (United States)

Noh, Young M; Müller, Detlef; Lee, Hanlim; Lee, Kwonho; Kim, Young Joon

2012-08-01

The column-integrated optical and radiative properties of aerosols in the downwind area of East Asia were investigated based on sun/sky radiometer measurements performed from February 2004 to June 2005 at Gwangju (35.23° N, 126.84° E) and Anmyeon (36.54° N, 126.33° E), Korea. The observed aerosol data were analyzed for differences among three seasons: spring (March-May), summer (June-August), and autumn/winter (September-February). The data were also categorized into five types depending on the air mass origin in arriving in the measurement sites: (a) from a northerly direction in spring (S(N)), (b) from a westerly direction in spring (S(W)), (c) cases with a low Ångström exponent (air mass origin. The forcing efficiency in summer was -131.7 and -125.6 W m(-2) at the surface in Gwangju and Anmyeon, respectively. These values are lower than those under the atmospheric conditions of spring and autumn/winter. The highest forcing efficiencies in autumn/winter were -214.3 and -255.9 W m(-2) at the surface in Gwangju and Anmyeon, respectively, when the air mass was transported from westerly directions.

Relation of air mass history to nucleation events in Po Valley, Italy, using back trajectories analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Sogacheva

2007-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we study the transport of air masses to San Pietro Capofiume (SPC in Po Valley, Italy, by means of back trajectories analysis. Our main aim is to investigate whether air masses originate over different regions on nucleation event days and on nonevent days, during three years when nucleation events have been continuously recorded at SPC. The results indicate that nucleation events occur frequently in air masses arriving from Central Europe, whereas event frequency is much lower in the air transported from southern directions and from the Atlantic Ocean. We also analyzed the behaviour of meteorological parameters during 96 h transport to SPC, and found that, on average, event trajectories undergo stronger subsidence during the last 12 h before the arrival at SPC than nonevent trajectories. This causes a reversal in the temperature and relative humidity (RH differences between event and nonevent trajectories: between 96 and 12 h back time, temperature is lower and RH is higher for event than nonevent trajectories and between 12 and 0 h vice versa. Boundary layer mixing is stronger along the event trajectories compared to nonevent trajectories. The absolute humidity (AH is similar for the event and nonevent trajectories between about 96 h and about 60 h back time, but after that, the event trajectories AH becomes lower due to stronger rain. We also studied transport of SO2 to SPC, and conclude that although sources in Po Valley most probably dominate the measured concentrations, certain Central and Eastern European sources also make a substantial contribution.

Characterization of key aerosol, trace gas and meteorological properties and particle formation and growth processes dependent on air mass origins in coastal Southern Spain

Science.gov (United States)

Diesch, J.; Drewnick, F.; Sinha, V.; Williams, J.; Borrmann, S.

2011-12-01

The chemical composition and concentration of aerosols at a certain site can vary depending on season, the air mass source region and distance from sources. Regardless of the environment, new particle formation (NPF) events are one of the major sources for ultrafine particles which are potentially hazardous to human health. Grown particles are optically active and efficient CCN resulting in important implications for visibility and climate (Zhang et al., 2004). The study presented here is intended to provide information about various aspects of continental, urban and marine air masses reflected by wind patterns of the air arriving at the measurement site. Additionally we will be focusing on NPF events associated with different types of air masses affecting their emergence and temporal evolution. Measurements of the ambient aerosol, various trace gases and meteorological parameters were performed within the framework of the DOMINO (Diel Oxidant Mechanisms In relation to Nitrogen Oxides) project. The field campaign took place from mid-November to mid-December 2008 at the atmospheric research station "El Arenosillo" located at the interface between a natural park, industrial cities (Huelva, Seville) and the Atlantic Ocean. Number and mass as well as PAH and black carbon concentrations were measured in PM1 and size distribution instruments covered the size range 6 nm up to 32 μm. The chemical composition of the non-refractory submicron aerosol was measured by means of an Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS). In order to evaluate the characteristics of different air masses linking local and regional sources as well as NPF processes, characteristic air mass types were classified dependent on backwards trajectory pathways and local meteorology. Large nuclei mode concentrations in the number size distribution were found within continental and urban influenced air mass types due to frequently occurring NPF events. Exploring individual production and sink variables, sulfuric

A new mathematical approximation of sunlight attenuation in rocks for surface luminescence dating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laskaris, Nikolaos, E-mail: nick.laskaris@gmail.com [University of the Aegean, Department of Mediterranean Studies, Laboratory of Archaeometry, 1 Demokratias Avenue, Rhodes 85100 (Greece); Liritzis, Ioannis, E-mail: liritzis@rhodes.aegean.gr [University of the Aegean, Department of Mediterranean Studies, Laboratory of Archaeometry, 1 Demokratias Avenue, Rhodes 85100 (Greece)

2011-09-15

The attenuation of sunlight through different rock surfaces and the thermoluminescence (TL) or Optical stimulated luminescence (OSL) residuals clock resetting derived from sunlight induced eviction of electrons from electron traps, is a prerequisite criterion for potential dating. The modeling of change of residual luminescence as a function of two variables, the solar radiation path length (or depth) and exposure time offers further insight into the dating concept. The double exponential function modeling based on the Lambert-Beer law, valid under certain assumptions, constructed by a quasi-manual equation fails to offer a general and statistically sound expression of the best fit for most rock types. A cumulative log-normal distribution fitting provides a most satisfactory mathematical approximation for marbles, marble schists and granites, where absorption coefficient and residual luminescence parameters are defined per each type of rock or marble quarry. The new model is applied on available data and age determination tests. - Highlights: > Study of aattenuation of sunlight through different rock surfaces. > Study of the thermoluminescence (TL) or Optical stimulated luminescence (OSL) residuals as a function of depth. > A Cumulative Log-Normal Distribution fitting provides the most satisfactory modeling for marbles, marble schists and granites. > The new model (Cummulative Log-Norm Fitting) is applied on available data and age determination tests.

A new mathematical approximation of sunlight attenuation in rocks for surface luminescence dating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laskaris, Nikolaos; Liritzis, Ioannis

2011-01-01

The attenuation of sunlight through different rock surfaces and the thermoluminescence (TL) or Optical stimulated luminescence (OSL) residuals clock resetting derived from sunlight induced eviction of electrons from electron traps, is a prerequisite criterion for potential dating. The modeling of change of residual luminescence as a function of two variables, the solar radiation path length (or depth) and exposure time offers further insight into the dating concept. The double exponential function modeling based on the Lambert-Beer law, valid under certain assumptions, constructed by a quasi-manual equation fails to offer a general and statistically sound expression of the best fit for most rock types. A cumulative log-normal distribution fitting provides a most satisfactory mathematical approximation for marbles, marble schists and granites, where absorption coefficient and residual luminescence parameters are defined per each type of rock or marble quarry. The new model is applied on available data and age determination tests. - Highlights: → Study of aattenuation of sunlight through different rock surfaces. → Study of the thermoluminescence (TL) or Optical stimulated luminescence (OSL) residuals as a function of depth. → A Cumulative Log-Normal Distribution fitting provides the most satisfactory modeling for marbles, marble schists and granites. → The new model (Cummulative Log-Norm Fitting) is applied on available data and age determination tests.

The effect of long-range air mass transport pathways on PM10 and NO2 concentrations at urban and rural background sites in Ireland: Quantification using clustering techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Donnelly, Aoife A; Broderick, Brian M; Misstear, Bruce D

2015-01-01

The specific aims of this paper are to: (i) quantify the effects of various long range transport pathways nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter with diameter less than 10μm (PM10) concentrations in Ireland and identify air mass movement corridors which may lead to incidences poor air quality for application in forecasting; (ii) compare the effects of such pathways at various sites; (iii) assess pathways associated with a period of decreased air quality in Ireland. The origin of and the regions traversed by an air mass 96h prior to reaching a receptor is modelled and k-means clustering is applied to create air-mass groups. Significant differences in air pollution levels were found between air mass cluster types at urban and rural sites. It was found that easterly or recirculated air masses lead to higher NO2 and PM10 levels with average NO2 levels varying between 124% and 239% of the seasonal mean and average PM10 levels varying between 103% and 199% of the seasonal mean at urban and rural sites. Easterly air masses are more frequent during winter months leading to higher overall concentrations. The span in relative concentrations between air mass clusters is highest at the rural site indicating that regional factors are controlling concentration levels. The methods used in this paper could be applied to assist in modelling and forecasting air quality based on long range transport pathways and forecast meteorology without the requirement for detailed emissions data over a large regional domain or the use of computationally demanding modelling techniques.

Sunlight exposure is important for preventing hip fractures in patients with Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, or stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

Iwamoto, J; Takeda, T; Matsumoto, H

2012-04-01

Hypovitaminosis D as a result of malnutrition or sunlight deprivation, increased bone resorption, low bone mineral density (BMD), or an increased risk of falls may contribute to an increased risk of hip fractures in patients with neurological diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and stroke. The purpose of this study was to clarify the efficacy of sunlight exposure for reducing the risk of hip fractures in patients with such neurological diseases. The English literature was searched using PubMed, and randomized controlled trials evaluating the efficacy of sunlight exposure for reducing the risk of hip fractures in patients with Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and stroke were identified. The relative risk and the 95% confidence interval were calculated for individual randomized controlled trials, and a pooled data analysis (meta-analysis) was performed. Three randomized controlled trials were identified. Sunlight exposure improved hypovitaminosis D and increased the BMD. The relative risk (95% confidence interval) of hip fractures was 0.22 (0.05, 1.01) for Alzheimer's disease, 0.27 (0.08, 0.96) for Parkinson's disease, and 0.17 (0.02, 1.36) for stroke. The relative risk (95% confidence interval) calculated for the pooled data analysis was 0.23 (0.10, 0.56) (P = 0.0012), suggesting a significant risk reduction rate of 77%. The present meta-analysis added additional evidence indicating the efficacy of sunlight exposure for reducing the risk of hip fractures in patients with Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and stroke. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Spectropolarimetric Measurements of Scattered Sunlight in the Huggins Bands: Retrieval of Tropospheric Ozone Profiles

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, D.; Sander, S. P.; Stutz, J.; Pongetti, T. J.; Yung, Y. L.; Wong, M.; Natraj, V.; Li, K.; Shia, R.

2009-12-01

Ozone concentrations in the troposphere have increased over the past century as a result of anthropogenic emissions of NOx and volatile organic compounds. In addition to being harmful to human health and plant life, ozone is an important greenhouse gas, especially in the middle and upper troposphere. Therefore, accurate monitoring of tropospheric ozone vertical distributions is crucial for a better understanding of air quality and climate change. Simulations of vector radiative transfer in the near ultraviolet region have shown that tropospheric ozone profiles can be retrieved using polarization measurements. However, to date there has been no experimental test of this method. A new compact, portable spectropolarimeter has been built for atmospheric remote sensing. The first comprehensive description of the configuration and performance of this instrument for ground-based operation is provided and sample atmospheric scattered sunlight spectra are shown. Using optimal estimation retrieval theory we study the information content of polarization spectra in the Huggins band and uncertainties in the retrieval associated with the measurement parameters, such as aerosol scattering.

Modification of Sunlight Radiation through Colored Photo-Selective Nets Affects Anthocyanin Profile in Vaccinium spp. Berries.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura Zoratti

Full Text Available In recent years, the interest on the effects of the specific wavelengths of the light spectrum on growth and metabolism of plants has been increasing markedly. The present study covers the effect of modified sunlight conditions on the accumulation of anthocyanin pigments in two Vaccinium species: the European wild bilberry (V. myrtillus L. and the cultivated highbush blueberry (V. corymbosum L..The two Vaccinium species were grown in the same test field in the Alps of Trentino (Northern Italy under modified light environment. The modification of sunlight radiation was carried out in field, through the use of colored photo-selective nets throughout the berry ripening during two consecutive growing seasons. The anthocyanin profile was then assessed in berries at ripeness.The results indicated that the light responses of the two Vaccinium species studied were different. Although both studied species are shade-adapted plants, 90% shading of sunlight radiation was beneficial only for bilberry plants, which accumulated the highest content of anthocyanins in both seasons. The same condition, instead, was not favorable for blueberries, whose maturation was delayed for at least two weeks, and anthocyanin accumulation was significantly decreased compared to berries grown under sunlight conditions. Moreover, the growing season had strong influence on the anthocyanin accumulation in both species, in relation to temperature flow and sunlight spectra composition during the berry ripening period.Our results suggest that the use of colored photo-selective nets may be a complementary agricultural practice for cultivation of Vaccinium species. However, further studies are needed to analyze the effect of the light spectra modifications to other nutritional properties, and to elucidate the molecular mechanisms behind the detected differences between the two relative Vaccinium species.

Photoelectrochemical-type sunlight photodetector based on MoS2/graphene heterostructure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Zongyu; Han, Weijia; Chander, D Sathish; Qi, Xiang; Zhang, Han; Tang, Hongli; Ren, Long

2015-01-01

We have fabricated a novel sunlight photo-detector based on a MoS 2 /graphene heterostructure. The MoS 2 /graphene heterostructure was prepared by a facile hydrothermal method along with a subsequent annealing process followed by a substrate-induced high selective nucleation and growth mechanism. The microstructures and morphologies of the two-dimensional MoS 2 /graphene heterostructure can be experimentally confirmed by x-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and a UV–vis absorption spectrometer. Photoresponse investigations performed by a photoelectrochemical (PEC) measurement system indicate that the synthesized MoS 2 /graphene heterostructure shows superior photoresponse activities under the illumination of sunlight in contrast with bare MoS 2 and graphene. The improved photoresponsivity can be attributed to the enhanced light absorption, strong light–matter interaction and the extremely efficient charge separation of the heterostructure. The structure and performances of the MoS 2 /graphene heterostructure suggest promising applications in the field of photonics and optoelectronics. (paper)

Photodegradation of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment by sunlight and UV-A, -B and -C irradiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kawabata, Kohei; Sugihara, Kazumi; Sanoh, Seigo; Kitamura, Shigeyuki; Ohta, Shigeru

2013-01-01

In order to investigate the effect of sunlight on the persistence and ecotoxicity of pharmaceuticals contaminating the aquatic environment, we exposed nine pharmaceuticals (acetaminophen (AA), amiodarone (AM), dapsone (DP), dexamethasone (DX), indomethacin (IM), naproxen (NP), phenytoin (PH), raloxifene (RL), and sulindac (SL)) in aqueous media to sunlight and to ultraviolet (UV) irradiation at 254, 302 or 365 nm (UV-C, UV-B or UV-A, respectively). Degradation of the pharmaceuticals was monitored by means of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Sunlight completely degraded AM, DP and DX within 6 hr, and partly degraded the other pharmaceuticals, except AA and PH, which were not degraded. Similar results were obtained with UV-B, while UV-A was less effective (both UV-A and -B are components of sunlight). All the pharmaceuticals were photodegraded by UV-C, which is used for sterilization in sewage treatment plants. Thus, the photodegradation rates of pharmaceuticals are dependent on both chemical structure and the wavelength of UV exposure. Toxicity assay using the luminescent bacteria test (ISO11348) indicated that UV irradiation reduced the toxicity of some pharmaceuticals to aquatic organisms by decreasing their amount (photodegradation) and increased the toxicity of others by generating toxic photoproduct(s). These results indicate the importance of investigating not only parent compounds, but also photoproducts in the risk assessment of pharmaceuticals in aquatic environments.

Research on mass transfer and actual performance of the membrane regeneration air-conditioning system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Xiu-Wei; Zhang, Xiao-Song; Chen, Qing

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Experimental research has been made on the membrane air-conditioning system. • We develop mass transfer models for the membrane regeneration process. • The paper exposes the actual performance of the system. • Increase of membrane pairs improves the performance. - Abstract: Absorption air-conditioning system has great advantages in energy conservation and environmental protection. To improve the performance of the traditional system, the membrane regeneration absorption system was proposed. Its COP could approach 6 by regenerating absorbent solution with the ion exchange membranes. However, the theoretical conclusion has not been supported by the experiment. This paper presents the experimental research of the membrane regeneration process. It has investigated the mass transfer process, energy efficiency and actual performance under different working conditions. Based on that, a mass transfer model has been developed and the influences of some key parameters have been exposed. It found the regeneration performance is mainly influenced by the current intensity. The calculation results with the model agree well the experimental data. The actual efficiency was lower than 50%, caused by energy loss in heat and electrochemical reactions. The actual COP is between 1 and 3, lower current intensity and more membrane pairs could improve it.

Effect of grape bunch sunlight exposure and UV radiation on phenolics and volatile composition of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Pinot noir wine.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Jianqiang; Smart, Richard; Wang, Hua; Dambergs, Bob; Sparrow, Angela; Qian, Michael C

2015-04-15

The effect of canopy leaf removal and ultraviolet (UV) on Pinot noir grape and wine composition was investigated in this study. Limited basal leaf removal in the fruit zone was conducted, compared to shaded bunches. The UV exposure was controlled using polycarbonate screens to block UV radiation, and acrylic screens to pass the UV. The results showed that bunch sunlight and UV exposure significantly increased the Brix and pH in the grape juice, and increased substantially wine colour density, anthocyanins, total pigment, total phenolics and tannin content. Bunch sunlight and UV exposure affected terpene alcohols, C13-norisprenoids and other volatile composition of the wine differently. Sunlight exposure and UV resulted in increase of nerol, geraniol and citronellol but not linalool. Sunlight exposure slightly increased the concentration of β-ionone, but the increase was not statistically significant for UV treatment. Neither sunlight nor UV treatment showed any impact on the concentration of β-damascenone. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transport Regimes of Air Masses Affecting the Tropospheric Composition of the Canadian and European Arctic During RACEPAC 2014 and NETCARE 2014/2015

Science.gov (United States)

Bozem, H.; Hoor, P. M.; Koellner, F.; Kunkel, D.; Schneider, J.; Schulz, C.; Herber, A. B.; Borrmann, S.; Wendisch, M.; Ehrlich, A.; Leaitch, W. R.; Willis, M. D.; Burkart, J.; Thomas, J. L.; Abbatt, J.

2015-12-01

The Arctic is warming much faster than any other place in the world and undergoes a rapid change dominated by a changing climate in this region. The impact of polluted air masses traveling to the Arctic from various remote sources significantly contributes to the observed climate change, in contrast there are additional local emission sources contributing to the level of pollutants (trace gases and aerosol). Processes affecting the emission and transport of these pollutants are not well understood and need to be further investigated. We present aircraft based trace gas measurements in the Arctic during RACEPAC (2014) and NETCARE (2014 and 2015) with the Polar 6 aircraft of Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) covering an area from 134°W to 17°W and 68°N to 83°N. We focus on cloud, aerosol and general transport processes of polluted air masses into the high Arctic. Based on CO and CO2 measurements and kinematic 10-day back trajectories we analyze the transport regimes prevalent during spring (RACEPAC 2014 and NETCARE 2015) and summer (NETCARE 2014) in the observed region. Whereas the eastern part of the Canadian Arctic is affected by air masses with their origin in Asia, in the central and western parts of the Canadian and European Arctic air masses from North America are predominant at the time of the measurement. In general the more northern parts of the Arctic were relatively unaffected by pollution from mid-latitudes since air masses mostly travel within the polar dome, being quite isolated. Associated mixing ratios of CO and CO2 fit into the seasonal cycle observed at NOAA ground stations throughout the Arctic, but show a more mid-latitudinal characteristic at higher altitudes. The transition is remarkably sharp and allows for a chemical definition of the polar dome. At low altitudes, synoptic disturbances transport polluted air masses from mid-latitudes into regions of the polar dome. These air masses contribute to the Arctic pollution background, but also

Standard Test Method for Electrical Performance of Concentrator Terrestrial Photovoltaic Modules and Systems Under Natural Sunlight

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2009-01-01

1.1 This test method covers the determination of the electrical performance of photovoltaic concentrator modules and systems under natural sunlight using a normal incidence pyrheliometer. 1.2 The test method is limited to module assemblies and systems where the geometric concentration ratio specified by the manufacturer is greater than 5. 1.3 This test method applies to concentrators that use passive cooling where the cell temperature is related to the air temperature. 1.4 Measurements under a variety of conditions are allowed; results are reported under a select set of concentrator reporting conditions to facilitate comparison of results. 1.5 This test method applies only to concentrator terrestrial modules and systems. 1.6 This test method assumes that the module or system electrical performance characteristics do not change during the period of test. 1.7 The performance rating determined by this test method applies only at the period of the test, and implies no past or future performance level. 1.8...

Techno-economic evaluation of a ventilation system assisted with exhaust air heat recovery, electrical heater and solar energy

OpenAIRE

Özyoğurtçu, Gamze; Mobedi, Moghtada; Özerdem, Barış

2014-01-01

The energy consumed to condition fresh air is considerable, particularly for the buildings such as cinema, theatre or gymnasium saloons. The aim of the present study is to design a ventilation system assisted with exhaust air heat recovery unit, electrical heater and stored solar energy, then to make an economical analysis based on life cycle cost (LCC) to find out its payback period. The system is able to recover thermal energy of exhaust air, store solar energy during the sunlight period an...

Condensation of atmospheric moisture from tropical maritime air masses as a freshwater resource.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerard, R D; Worzel, J L

1967-09-15

A method is proposed whereby potable water may be obtained by condensing moisture from the atmosphere in suitable seashore or island areas. Deep, cold, offshore seawater is used as a source of cold and is pumped to condensers set up on shore to intercept the flow of highly humid, tropical, maritime air masses. This air, when cooled, condenses moisture, which is conducted away and stored for use as a water supply. Windmill-driven generators would supply low-cost power for the operation. Side benefits are derived by using the nutritious deep water to support aquiculture in nearby lagoons or to enhance the productivity of the outfall area. Additional benefits are derived from the condenser as an air-conditioning device for nearby residents. The islands of the Caribbean are used as an example of a location in the trade-winds belt where nearly optimum conditions for the operation of this system can be found.

Use of sunlight to degrade oxytetracycline in marine aquaculture's waters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leal, J.F.; Esteves, V.I.; Santos, E.B.H.

2016-01-01

Oxytracycline (OTC) is a broad spectrum antibiotic authorized for use in European aquaculture. Its photo-degradation has been widely studied in synthetic aqueous solutions, sometimes resorting to expensive methods and without proven effectiveness in natural waters. Thus, this work studied the possibility to apply the solar photo-degradation for removal of OTC from marine aquaculture's waters. For that, water samples were collected at different locals of the water treatment circuit, from two different aquaculture companies. Water samples were firstly characterized regarding to pH, salinity, total suspended solids (TSS), organic carbon and UV–Vis spectroscopic characteristics. Then, the samples were spiked with OTC and irradiated using simulated sunlight in order to evaluate the matrix effects on OTC photo-degradation. From kinetic results, the apparent quantum yields and the outdoor half-life times, at 40°N for midsummer and midwinter days were estimated by the first time for these conditions. For a midsummer day, at sea level, the outdoor half-life time predicted for OTC in these aquaculture's waters ranged between 21 and 25 min. Additionally, the pH and salinity effects on the OTC photo-degradation were evaluated and it has been shown that high pH values and the presence of sea salt increase the OTC photo-degradation rate in aquaculture's waters, compared to results in deionised water. The results are very promising to apply this low-cost methodology using the natural sunlight in aquaculture's waters to remove OTC. - Highlights: • Oxytetracycline (OTC) is one of the most used antibiotics in aquaculture. • OTC photolysis in marine aquaculture's water is faster than in deionised water. • The sunlight radiation quickly remove the OTC from aquaculture's water. • Outdoor half-life for a midsummer day is 21–25 min in aquaculture's water. • High pH's and salinities increase the OTC photo-degradation. - This work

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

Science.gov (United States)

Shirley, John A.; Winter, Michael

1993-01-01

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

Vitamin D, cod-liver oil, sunlight, and rickets: a historical perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Rajakumar, Kumaravel

2003-08-01

Rickets, a disease of vitamin D deficiency, is rarely confronted by the practicing pediatrician in the United States today. At the turn of the 20th century, rickets was rampant among the poor children living in the industrialized and polluted northern cities of the United States. With the discovery of vitamin D and the delineation of the anti-rachitic properties of cod-liver oil by the 1930s, it became possible to not only treat but also eradicate rickets in the United States. Rickets was a common disease in 17th century England. Frances Glisson's treatise on rickets published in 1650, a glorious contribution to English medicine, described the clinical and anatomic features of rickets in great detail. The exact etiology of rickets had been elusive until the 1920s. During the Glissonian era, rickets was a mysterious disease. By the late 19th and early 20th century, faulty diet or faulty environment (poor hygiene, lack of fresh air and sunshine) or lack of exercise was implicated in its etiology. Animal experiments, appreciation of folklore advocating the benefits of cod-liver oil, and the geographical association of rickets to lack of sunshine were all relevant factors in the advancement of knowledge in the conquest of this malady. In this article, the history of rickets pertaining to the discovery of vitamin D, cod-liver oil, and sunlight is reviewed.

Examining the feasibility of converting New York State’s all-purpose energy infrastructure to one using wind, water, and sunlight

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacobson, Mark Z.; Howarth, Robert W.; Delucchi, Mark A.; Scobie, Stan R.; Barth, Jannette M.; Dvorak, Michael J.; Klevze, Megan; Katkhuda, Hind; Miranda, Brian; Chowdhury, Navid A.; Jones, Rick; Plano, Larsen; Ingraffea, Anthony R.

2013-01-01

This study analyzes a plan to convert New York State's (NYS's) all-purpose (for electricity, transportation, heating/cooling, and industry) energy infrastructure to one derived entirely from wind, water, and sunlight (WWS) generating electricity and electrolytic hydrogen. Under the plan, NYS's 2030 all-purpose end-use power would be provided by 10% onshore wind (4020 5-MW turbines), 40% offshore wind (12,700 5-MW turbines), 10% concentrated solar (387 100-MW plants), 10% solar-PV plants (828 50-MW plants), 6% residential rooftop PV (∼5 million 5-kW systems), 12% commercial/government rooftop PV (∼500,000 100-kW systems), 5% geothermal (36 100-MW plants), 0.5% wave (1910 0.75-MW devices), 1% tidal (2600 1-MW turbines), and 5.5% hydroelectric (6.6 1300-MW plants, of which 89% exist). The conversion would reduce NYS's end-use power demand ∼37% and stabilize energy prices since fuel costs would be zero. It would create more jobs than lost because nearly all NYS energy would now be produced in-state. NYS air pollution mortality and its costs would decline by ∼4000 (1200–7600) deaths/yr, and $33 (10–76) billion/yr (3% of 2010 NYS GDP), respectively, alone repaying the 271 GW installed power needed within ∼17 years, before accounting for electricity sales. NYS's own emission decreases would reduce 2050 U.S. climate costs by ∼$3.2 billion/yr. - Highlights: ► New York State's all-purpose energy can be derived from wind, water, and sunlight. ► The conversion reduces NYS end-use power demand by ∼37%. ► The plan creates more jobs than lost since most energy will be from in state. ► The plan creates long-term energy price stability since fuel costs will be zero. ► The plan decreases air pollution deaths 4000/yr ($33 billion/yr or 3% of NYS GDP)

Overview of Megacity Air Pollutant Emissions and Impacts

Science.gov (United States)

Kolb, C. E.

2013-05-01

The urban metabolism that characterizes major cities consumes very large qualities of humanly produced and/or processed food, fuel, water, electricity, construction materials and manufactured goods, as well as, naturally provided sunlight, precipitation and atmospheric oxygen. The resulting urban respiration exhalations add large quantities of trace gas and particulate matter pollutants to urban atmospheres. Key classes of urban primary air pollutants and their sources will be reviewed and important secondary pollutants identified. The impacts of these pollutants on urban and downwind regional inhabitants, ecosystems, and climate will be discussed. Challenges in quantifying the temporally and spatially resolved urban air pollutant emissions and secondary pollutant production rates will be identified and possible measurement strategies evaluated.

Cluster Analysis of the Organic Peaks in Bulk Mass Spectra Obtained During the 2002 New England Air Quality Study with an Aerodyne Aerosol Mass Spectrometer

Science.gov (United States)

Marcolli, C.; Canagaratna, M. R.; Worsnop, D. R.; Bahreini, R.; de Gouw, J. A.; Warneke, C.; Goldan, P. D.; Kuster, W. C.; Williams, E. J.; Lerner, B. M.; Roberts, J. M.; Meagher, J. F.; Fehsenfeld, F. C.; Marchewka, M.; Bertman, S. B.; Middlebrook, A. M.

2006-12-01

We applied hierarchical cluster analysis to an Aerodyne aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) bulk mass spectral dataset collected aboard the NOAA research vessel R. H. Brown during the 2002 New England Air Quality Study off the east coast of the United States. Emphasizing the organic peaks, the cluster analysis yielded a series of categories that are distinguishable with respect to their mass spectra and their occurrence as a function of time. The differences between the categories mainly arise from relative intensity changes rather than from the presence or absence of specific peaks. The most frequent category exhibits a strong signal at m/z 44 and represents oxidized organic matter probably originating from both anthropogenic as well as biogenic sources. On the basis of spectral and trace gas correlations, the second most common category with strong signals at m/z 29, 43, and 44 contains contributions from isoprene oxidation products. The third through the fifth most common categories have peak patterns characteristic of monoterpene oxidation products and were most frequently observed when air masses from monoterpene rich regions were sampled. Taken together, the second through the fifth most common categories represent on average 17% of the total organic mass that stems likely from biogenic sources during the ship's cruise. These numbers have to be viewed as lower limits since the most common category was attributed to anthropogenic sources for this calculation. The cluster analysis was also very effective in identifying a few contaminated mass spectra that were not removed during pre-processing. This study demonstrates that hierarchical clustering is a useful tool to analyze the complex patterns of the organic peaks in bulk aerosol mass spectra from a field study.

Characterization of ion processes in a GC/DMS air quality monitor by integration of the instrument to a mass spectrometer.

Science.gov (United States)

Limero, T F; Nazarov, E G; Menlyadiev, M; Eiceman, G A

2015-02-07

The air quality monitor (AQM), which included a portable gas chromatograph (GC) and a detector was interfaced to a mass spectrometer (MS) by introducing flow from the GC detector to the atmospheric pressure ion source of the MS. This small GC system, with a gas recirculation loop for carrier and detector make-up gases, comprised an inlet to preconcentrate volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in air, a thermal desorber before the GC column, a differential mobility spectrometer (DMS), and another DMS as an atmospheric pressure ionization source for the MS. Return flow to the internally recirculated air system of the AQM's DMS was replenished using purified air. Although ions and unreacted neutral vapors flowed from the detector through Viton® tubing into the source of the MS, ions were not detected in the MS without the auxillary ion source, (63)Ni as in the mobility detector. The GC-DMS-MS instrument provided a 3-D measurement platform (GC, DMS, and MS analysis) to explore the gas composition inside the GC-DMS recirculation loop and provide DMS-MS measurement of the components of a complex VOC mixture with performance significantly enhanced by mass-analysis, either with mass spectral scans or with an extracted ion chromatogram. This combination of a mobility spectrometer and a mass spectrometer was possible as vapors and ions are carried together through the DMS analyzer, thereby preserving the chromatographic separation efficiency. The critical benefit of this instrument concept is that all flows in and through the thoroughly integrated GC-DMS analyzer are kept intact allowing a full measure of the ion and vapor composition in the complete system. Performance has been evaluated using a synthetic air sample and a sample of airborne vapors in a laboratory. Capabilities and performance values are described using results from AQM-MS analysis of purified air, ambient air from a research laboratory in a chemistry building, and a sample of synthetic air of known composition

Origin of polluted air masses in the Alps. An overview and first results for MONARPOP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaiser, August

2009-01-01

The contribution of ZAMG to MONAROP consists of special weather forecasts to control the SOCs sampling procedure and of the analysis of the specific transport processes for SOCs, which is still in progress. In this paper, air pollutant transport into the Alps is demonstrated by examples of inorganic pollutants: Measurements of NO x and ozone provide evidence for air pollutant transport by local wind systems (valley and slope winds), especially at low elevated sites of the Alps. In addition, trajectory analyses for the high elevation sites demonstrate the importance of large scale synoptic air pollutant transport. The effects of these transport processes with different spatial and temporal scales are governed by the physical and chemical properties of the particular pollutant. First results for the high alpine MONARPOP stations show that air masses from east Europe influence mostly Sonnblick (Austria), whereas the influence of the Po basin is strongest at Weissfluhjoch (Switzerland). - Effects of meteorological transport processes on air pollution in the Alps are demonstrated by examples of inorganic pollutants and first conclusions for SOCs are drawn.

Overview of aerosol properties associated with air masses sampled by the ATR-42 during the EUCAARI campaign (2008

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Crumeyrolle

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Within the frame of the European Aerosol Cloud Climate and Air Quality Interactions (EUCAARI project, the Météo-France aircraft ATR-42 performed 22 research flights over central Europe and the North Sea during the intensive observation period in May 2008. For the campaign, the ATR-42 was equipped to study the aerosol physical, chemical, hygroscopic and optical properties, as well as cloud microphysics. For the 22 research flights, retroplume analyses along the flight tracks were performed with FLEXPART in order to classify air masses into five sectors of origin, allowing for a qualitative evaluation of emission influence on the respective air parcel. This study shows that the extensive aerosol parameters (aerosol mass and number concentrations show vertical decreasing gradients and in some air masses maximum mass concentrations (mainly organics in an intermediate layer (1–3 km. The observed mass concentrations (in the boundary layer (BL: between 10 and 30 μg m−3; lower free troposphere (LFT: 0.8 and 14 μg m−3 are high especially in comparison with the 2015 European norms for PM2.5 (25 μg m−3 and with previous airborne studies performed over England (Morgan et al., 2009; McMeeking et al., 2012. Particle number size distributions show a larger fraction of particles in the accumulation size range in the LFT compared to BL. The chemical composition of submicron aerosol particles is dominated by organics in the BL, while ammonium sulphate dominates the submicron aerosols in the LFT, especially in the aerosol particles originated from north-eastern Europe (~ 80%, also experiencing nucleation events along the transport. As a consequence, first the particle CCN acting ability, shown by the CCN/CN ratio, and second the average values of the scattering cross sections of optically active particles (i.e. scattering coefficient divided by the optical active particle concentration are increased in the LFT compared to BL.

Genome-Wide Transcriptional Profiles of the Berry Skin of Two Red Grape Cultivars (Vitis vinifera) in Which Anthocyanin Synthesis Is Sunlight-Dependent or -Independent

Science.gov (United States)

Guan, Le; Xin, Hai-Ping; Li, Ji-Hu; Li, Shao-Hua

2014-01-01

Global gene expression was analyzed in the berry skin of two red grape cultivars, which can (‘Jingyan’) or cannot (‘Jingxiu’) synthesize anthocyanins after sunlight exclusion from fruit set until maturity. Gene transcripts responding to sunlight exclusion in ‘Jingyan’ were less complex than in ‘Jingxiu’; 528 genes were induced and 383 repressed in the former, whereas 2655 genes were induced and 205 suppressed in ‘Jingxiu’. They were regulated either in the same or opposing manner in the two cultivars, or in only one cultivar. In addition to VvUFGT and VvMYBA1, some candidate genes (e.g. AOMT, GST, and ANP) were identified which are probably involved in the differential responses of ‘Jingxiu’ and ‘Jingyan’ to sunlight exclusion. In addition, 26 MYB, 14 bHLH and 23 WD40 genes responded differently to sunlight exclusion in the two cultivars. Interestingly, all of the 189 genes classified as being relevant to ubiquitin-dependent protein degradation were down-regulated by sunlight exclusion in ‘Jingxiu’, but the majority (162) remained unchanged in ‘Jingyan’ berry skin. It would be of interest to determine the precise role of the ubiquitin pathway following sunlight exclusion, particularly the role of COP9 signalosome, cullins, RING-Box 1, and COP1-interacting proteins. Only a few genes in the light signal system were found to be regulated by sunlight exclusion in either or both cultivars. This study provides a valuable overview of the transcriptome changes and gives insight into the genetic background that may be responsible for sunlight-dependent versus -independent anthocyanin biosynthesis in berry skin. PMID:25158067

Heat and mass transfer in air-fed pressurised suits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tesch, K.; Collins, M.W.; Karayiannis, T.G.; Atherton, M.A.; Edwards, P.

2009-01-01

Air-fed pressurised suits are used to protect workers against contamination and hazardous environments. The specific application here is the necessity for regular clean-up maintenance within the torus chamber of fusion reactors. The current design of suiting has been developed empirically. It is, therefore, very desirable to formulate a thermo-fluids model, which will be able to define optimum designs and operating parameters. Two factors indicate that the modelling should be as comprehensive as possible. Firstly, the overall thermo-fluids problem is three-dimensional and includes mass as well as heat transfer. The fluid field is complex, bounded on one side by the human body and on the other by what may be distensible, porous and multi-layer clothing. In this paper, we report firstly the modelling necessary for the additional mass and heat transport processes. This involves the use of Fick's and Fourier's laws and conjugate heat transfer. The results of an initial validation study are presented. Temperatures at the outlet of the suits were obtained experimentally and compared with those predicted by the overall CFD model. Realistic three-dimensional geometries were used for the suit and human body. Calculations were for turbulent flow with single- and two-component (species) models

Sunlight Induced Rapid Oil Absorption and Passive Room-Temperature Release: An Effective Solution toward Heavy Oil Spill Cleanup

KAUST Repository

Wu, Mengchun

2018-05-18

Rapid cleanup and easy recovery of spilled heavy oils is always a great challenge due to their high viscosity (>103 mPa s). One of the efficient methods to absorb highly viscous oils is to reduce their viscosity by increasing their temperature. In this work, the authors integrate the sunlight‐induced light‐to‐heat conversion effect of polypyrrole (PPy) and thermoresponsive property of poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm) into the melamine sponge, which successfully delivers a fast heavy oil absorption under sunlight and passive oil release underwater at room temperature. Thanks to the rationally designed functionalities, the PNIPAm/PPy functionalized sponges possess oleophilicity and hydrophobicity under sunlight. Due to the photothermal effect of PPy, the sponges locally heat up contacting heavy oil under sunlight and reduce its viscosity to a point where the oil voluntarily flow into the pores of the sponge. The material in this work is able to rapidly absorb the heavy oil with room temperature viscosity as high as ≈1.60 × 105 mPa s. The absorbed oil can be passively forced out the sponge underwater at room temperature due to the hydrophilicity of PNIPAm. The sunlight responsive and multifunctional sponge represents a meaningful attempt in coming up with a sustainable solution toward heavy oil spill.

Sunlight Induced Rapid Oil Absorption and Passive Room-Temperature Release: An Effective Solution toward Heavy Oil Spill Cleanup

KAUST Repository

Wu, Mengchun; Shi, Yusuf; Chang, Jian; Li, Renyuan; Ong, Chi Siang; Wang, Peng

2018-01-01

Rapid cleanup and easy recovery of spilled heavy oils is always a great challenge due to their high viscosity (>103 mPa s). One of the efficient methods to absorb highly viscous oils is to reduce their viscosity by increasing their temperature. In this work, the authors integrate the sunlight‐induced light‐to‐heat conversion effect of polypyrrole (PPy) and thermoresponsive property of poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm) into the melamine sponge, which successfully delivers a fast heavy oil absorption under sunlight and passive oil release underwater at room temperature. Thanks to the rationally designed functionalities, the PNIPAm/PPy functionalized sponges possess oleophilicity and hydrophobicity under sunlight. Due to the photothermal effect of PPy, the sponges locally heat up contacting heavy oil under sunlight and reduce its viscosity to a point where the oil voluntarily flow into the pores of the sponge. The material in this work is able to rapidly absorb the heavy oil with room temperature viscosity as high as ≈1.60 × 105 mPa s. The absorbed oil can be passively forced out the sponge underwater at room temperature due to the hydrophilicity of PNIPAm. The sunlight responsive and multifunctional sponge represents a meaningful attempt in coming up with a sustainable solution toward heavy oil spill.

Toward a better understanding of the impact of mass transit air pollutants on human health.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Ki-Hyun; Kumar, Pawan; Szulejko, Jan E; Adelodun, Adedeji A; Junaid, Muhammad Faisal; Uchimiya, Minori; Chambers, Scott

2017-05-01

Globally, modern mass transport systems whether by road, rail, water, or air generate airborne pollutants in both developing and developed nations. Air pollution is the primary human health concern originating from modern transportation, particularly in densely-populated urban areas. This review will specifically focus on the origin and the health impacts of carbonaceous traffic-related air pollutants (TRAP), including particulate matter (PM), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and elemental carbon (EC). We conclude that the greatest current challenge regarding urban TRAP is understanding and evaluating the human health impacts well enough to set appropriate pollution control measures. Furthermore, we provide a detailed discussion regarding the effects of TRAP on local environments and pedestrian health in low and high traffic-density environments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Finite element analysis of an inflatable torus considering air mass structural element

Science.gov (United States)

Gajbhiye, S. C.; Upadhyay, S. H.; Harsha, S. P.

2014-01-01

Inflatable structures, also known as gossamer structures, are at high boom in the current space technology due to their low mass and compact size comparing to the traditional spacecraft designing. Internal pressure becomes the major source of strength and rigidity, essentially stiffen the structure. However, inflatable space based membrane structure are at high risk to the vibration disturbance due to their low structural stiffness and material damping. Hence, the vibration modes of the structure should be known to a high degree of accuracy in order to provide better control authority. In the past, most of the studies conducted on the vibration analysis of gossamer structures used inaccurate or approximate theories in modeling the internal pressure. The toroidal shaped structure is one of the important key element in space application, helps to support the reflector in space application. This paper discusses the finite-element analysis of an inflated torus. The eigen-frequencies are obtained via three-dimensional small-strain elasticity theory, based on extremum energy principle. The two finite-element model (model-1 and model-2) have cases have been generated using a commercial finite-element package. The structure model-1 with shell element and model-2 with the combination of the mass of enclosed fluid (air) added to the shell elements have been taken for the study. The model-1 is computed with present analytical approach to understand the convergence rate and the accuracy. The convergence study is made available for the symmetric modes and anti-symmetric modes about the centroidal-axis plane, meeting the eigen-frequencies of an inflatable torus with the circular cross section. The structural model-2 is introduced with air mass element and analyzed its eigen-frequency with different aspect ratio and mode shape response using in-plane and out-plane loading condition are studied.

Radon derived air mass fetch regions during the ACE-Asia campaign

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chambers, S.; Zahorowski, W.; Werczynski, S.; Wang, T.; Poon, S.; Kim, J.; Oh, S.-N.; Knag, H.; Uematsu, M.; Matsumoto, K.

2003-01-01

Seasonal variations in fetch regions for air masses exhibiting the greatest and least terrestrial influence at three sites in East Asia are discussed. Results are based on the first year of hourly atmospheric radon concentration observations made as part of the Asian Aerosol Characterisation Experiment (ACE-Asia). Fetch regions for Asian continental outflow to the Pacific Basin within the boundary layer are shown to be distinct from corresponding tropospheric outflow events. Analysis of the hourly radon time series in conjunction with back trajectory analysis indicates the presence of a large localised radon source in south eastern China

Sunlight and Vitamin D: A global perspective for health.

Science.gov (United States)

Wacker, Matthias; Holick, Michael F

2013-01-01

Vitamin D is the sunshine vitamin that has been produced on this earth for more than 500 million years. During exposure to sunlight 7-dehydrocholesterol in the skin absorbs UV B radiation and is converted to previtamin D3 which in turn isomerizes into vitamin D3. Previtamin D3 and vitamin D3 also absorb UV B radiation and are converted into a variety of photoproducts some of which have unique biologic properties. Sun induced vitamin D synthesis is greatly influenced by season, time of day, latitude, altitude, air pollution, skin pigmentation, sunscreen use, passing through glass and plastic, and aging. Vitamin D is metabolized sequentially in the liver and kidneys into 25-hydroxyvitamin D which is a major circulating form and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D which is the biologically active form respectively. 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D plays an important role in regulating calcium and phosphate metabolism for maintenance of metabolic functions and for skeletal health. Most cells and organs in the body have a vitamin D receptor and many cells and organs are able to produce 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. As a result 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D influences a large number of biologic pathways which may help explain association studies relating vitamin D deficiency and living at higher latitudes with increased risk for many chronic diseases including autoimmune diseases, some cancers, cardiovascular disease, infectious disease, schizophrenia and type 2 diabetes. A three-part strategy of increasing food fortification programs with vitamin D, sensible sun exposure recommendations and encouraging ingestion of a vitamin D supplement when needed should be implemented to prevent global vitamin D deficiency and its negative health consequences.

Cluster Analysis of the Organic Peaks in Bulk Mass Spectra Obtained During the 2002 New England Air Quality Study with an Aerodyne Aerosol Mass Spectrometer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Marcolli

2006-01-01

Full Text Available We applied hierarchical cluster analysis to an Aerodyne aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS bulk mass spectral dataset collected aboard the NOAA research vessel R. H. Brown during the 2002 New England Air Quality Study off the east coast of the United States. Emphasizing the organic peaks, the cluster analysis yielded a series of categories that are distinguishable with respect to their mass spectra and their occurrence as a function of time. The differences between the categories mainly arise from relative intensity changes rather than from the presence or absence of specific peaks. The most frequent category exhibits a strong signal at m/z 44 and represents oxidized organic matter probably originating from both anthropogenic as well as biogenic sources. On the basis of spectral and trace gas correlations, the second most common category with strong signals at m/z 29, 43, and 44 contains contributions from isoprene oxidation products. The third through the fifth most common categories have peak patterns characteristic of monoterpene oxidation products and were most frequently observed when air masses from monoterpene rich regions were sampled. Taken together, the second through the fifth most common categories represent on average 17% of the total organic mass that stems likely from biogenic sources during the ship's cruise. These numbers have to be viewed as lower limits since the most common category was attributed to anthropogenic sources for this calculation. The cluster analysis was also very effective in identifying a few contaminated mass spectra that were not removed during pre-processing. This study demonstrates that hierarchical clustering is a useful tool to analyze the complex patterns of the organic peaks in bulk aerosol mass spectra from a field study.

Seasonal and air mass trajectory effects on dissolved organic matter of bulk deposition at a coastal town in south-western Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Patrícia S M; Santos, Eduarda B H; Duarte, Armando C

2013-01-01

Rainwater contains a complex mixture of organic compounds which may influence climate, terrestrial and maritime ecosystems and thus human health. In this work, the characteristics of DOM of bulk deposition at a coastal town on the southwest of Europe were assessed by UV-visible and three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopies and by dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content. The seasonal and air mass trajectory effects on dissolved organic matter (DOM) of bulk deposition were evaluated. The absorbance at 250 nm (UV(250 nm)) and integrated fluorescence showed to be positively correlated with each other, and they were also positively correlated to the DOC in bulk deposition, which suggest that a constant fraction of DOM is likely to fluoresce. There was more chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) present in summer and autumn seasons than in winter and spring. Bulk deposition associated with terrestrial air masses contained a higher CDOM content than bulk deposition related to marine air masses, thus highlighting the contribution of terrestrial/anthropogenic sources.

Patterns and timing of sunlight exposure and risk of basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas of the skin – a case–control study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iannacone, Michelle R; Fenske, Neil A; Rollison, Dana E; Wang, Wei; Stockwell, Heather G; O’Rourke, Kathleen; Giuliano, Anna R; Sondak, Vernon K; Messina, Jane L; Roetzheim, Richard G; Cherpelis, Basil S

2012-01-01

Non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC), comprised of basal (BCC) and squamous (SCC) cell carcinomas, is the most common cancer in Caucasians. Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure is the most important environmental risk factor for NMSC. However, the precise relationship between UVR and the risk of NMSC is complex, and the relationship may differ by skin cancer type. A case–control study was conducted among Florida residents to investigate measures of patterns (intermittent vs. continuous) and timing (childhood vs. adulthood) of sunlight exposure in BCC and SCC. Participants included 218 BCC and 169 SCC cases recruited from a university dermatology clinic and 316 controls with no history of skin or other cancers. A history of blistering sunburn (a measure of intermittent sunlight exposure) was associated with both BCC (OR = 1.96, 95% CI = 1.27-3.03) and SCC (OR = 2.02, 95% CI = 1.22-3.33). Additionally, having a job in the sun for ≥3 months for 10 years or longer (a measure of continuous sunlight exposure) was also associated with both BCC and SCC in our study population. With the exception of younger age at first blistering sunburn, measures of younger age at sunlight exposure tended to be associated with SCC, but not BCC risk. Results from the current study suggest that sunlight exposure is associated with both BCC and SCC risk regardless of the pattern in which the exposure was received (i.e. intermittent vs. continuous). The data also suggest that sunlight exposure at a younger age may be more important for SCC but not BCC, however additional studies are needed to further characterize sunlight exposure-response relationships in different types of NMSC

Diffused sunlight driven highly synergistic pathway for complete mineralization of organic contaminants using reduced graphene oxide supported photocatalyst

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Babu, Sundaram Ganesh; Ramalingam Vinoth [SRM Research Institute, SRM University, Kattankulathur 603203, Chennai, Tamilnadu (India); Neppolian, Bernaurdshaw, E-mail: neppolian.b@res.srmuniv.ac.in [SRM Research Institute, SRM University, Kattankulathur 603203, Chennai, Tamilnadu (India); Dionysiou, Dionysios D. [Environmental Engineering and Science Program, Department of Biomedical, Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0012 (United States); Ashokkumar, Muthupandian [The School of Chemistry, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria 3010 (Australia)

2015-06-30

Highlights: • Diffused sunlight is firstly used as an effective source for the degradation of organics. • More than 10 fold synergistic effect is achieved by sono-photocatalysis. • rGO enhances the degradation efficiency up to 54% as compared with CuO–TiO{sub 2} alone. • Plausible mechanism and intermediates formed are supported with experimental studies. - Abstract: Diffused sunlight is found to be an effective light source for the efficient degradation and mineralization of organic pollutant (methyl orange as a probe) by sono-photocatalytic degradation using reduced graphene oxide (rGO) supported CuO–TiO{sub 2} photocatalyst. The prepared catalysts are characterized by XRD, XPS, UV–vis DRS, PL, photoelectrochemical, SEM-EDS and TEM. A 10 fold synergy is achieved for the first time by combining sonochemical and photocatalytic degradation under diffused sunlight. rGO loading augments the activity of bare CuO–TiO{sub 2} more than two fold. The ability of rGO in storing, transferring, and shuttling electrons at the heterojunction between TiO{sub 2} and CuO facilitates the separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs, as evidenced by the photoluminescence results. The complete mineralization of MO and the by-products within a short span of time is confirmed by TOC analysis. Further, hydroxyl radical mediated degradation under diffused sunlight is confirmed by LC–MS. This system shows similar activity for the degradation of methylene blue and 4-chlorophenol indicating the versatility of the catalyst for the degradation of various pollutants. This investigation is likely to open new possibilities for the development of highly efficient diffused sunlight driven TiO{sub 2} based photocatalysts for the complete mineralization of organic contaminants.

Photodegradation of 2,4-Dichlorophenol in Aqueous Systems under Simulated and Natural Sunlight

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dorota Gryglik

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The work presents results of studies on 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP degradation in aqueous solutions using photochemically initiated processes by simulated and natural sunlight. A number of possible substrate photodegradation routes were investigated, by both direct photolysis and photosensitized oxidation process. The major role of singlet oxygen in 2,4-DCP photodegradation was proved. Rose Bengal and derivatives of porphine and phthalocyanine were used as sensitizers. The influences of various process parameters on the reaction rate were investigated. On the basis of experimental data reaction rate constants of 2,4-DCP photosensitized oxidation were determined. The possibility of using natural sunlight to degrade 2,4-DCP in water in the middle latitudes was stated. The acute toxicity bioassay was conducted with the marine bacterium Vibrio fischeri as a bioluminescent indicator. The obtained results encourage further research on this process.

Reflected Sunlight Reduction and Characterization for a Deep-Space Optical Receiver Antenna (DSORA)

Science.gov (United States)

Clymer, B. D.

1990-01-01

A baffle system for the elimination of first-order specular and diffuse reflection of sunlight from the sunshade of a deep-space optical receiver telescope is presented. This baffle system consists of rings of 0.5cm blades spaced 2.5 cm apart on the walls of GO hexagonal sunshade tubes that combine to form the telescope sunshade. The shadow cast by the blades, walls, and rims of the tubes prevent all first-order reflections of direct sunlight from reaching the primary mirror of the telescope. A reflection model of the sunshade without baffles is also presented for comparison. Since manufacturers of absorbing surfaces do not measure data near grazing incidence, the reflection properties at anticipated angles of incidence must be characterized. A description of reflection from matte surfaces in term of bidirectional reflection distribution function (BRDF) is presented along with a discussion of measuring BRDF near grazing incidence.

Sunlight Effects on Immune System: Is There Something Else in addition to UV-Induced Immunosuppression?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. H. González Maglio

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Sunlight, composed of different types of radiation, including ultraviolet wavelengths, is an essential source of light and warmth for life on earth but has strong negative effects on human health, such as promoting the malignant transformation of skin cells and suppressing the ability of the human immune system to efficiently detect and attack malignant cells. UV-induced immunosuppression has been extensively studied since it was first described by Dr. Kripke and Dr. Fisher in the late 1970s. However, skin exposure to sunlight has not only this and other unfavorable effects, for example, mutagenesis and carcinogenesis, but also a positive one: the induction of Vitamin D synthesis, which performs several roles within the immune system in addition to favoring bone homeostasis. The impact of low levels of UV exposure on the immune system has not been fully reported yet, but it bears interesting differences with the suppressive effect of high levels of UV radiation, as shown by some recent studies. The aim of this article is to put some ideas in perspective and pose some questions within the field of photoimmunology based on established and new information, which may lead to new experimental approaches and, eventually, to a better understanding of the effects of sunlight on the human immune system.

Sunlight Effects on Immune System: Is There Something Else in addition to UV-Induced Immunosuppression?

Science.gov (United States)

Paz, M. L.; Leoni, J.

2016-01-01

Sunlight, composed of different types of radiation, including ultraviolet wavelengths, is an essential source of light and warmth for life on earth but has strong negative effects on human health, such as promoting the malignant transformation of skin cells and suppressing the ability of the human immune system to efficiently detect and attack malignant cells. UV-induced immunosuppression has been extensively studied since it was first described by Dr. Kripke and Dr. Fisher in the late 1970s. However, skin exposure to sunlight has not only this and other unfavorable effects, for example, mutagenesis and carcinogenesis, but also a positive one: the induction of Vitamin D synthesis, which performs several roles within the immune system in addition to favoring bone homeostasis. The impact of low levels of UV exposure on the immune system has not been fully reported yet, but it bears interesting differences with the suppressive effect of high levels of UV radiation, as shown by some recent studies. The aim of this article is to put some ideas in perspective and pose some questions within the field of photoimmunology based on established and new information, which may lead to new experimental approaches and, eventually, to a better understanding of the effects of sunlight on the human immune system. PMID:28070504

Effects of air pollution on plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seidman, G.

1965-01-01

Weather, automobile exhaust, waste dumps and industrial activities are major factors in the creation of air pollution problems. The first indication of an air pollution problem is often the injury that appears on comparatively sensitive vegetation. Sulfur dioxide causes both acute and chronic plant injury. Plants especially sensitive to SO/sub 2/ are alfalfa, cosmos, sweet pea, bachelor's button, and blackberry. Fluoride causes characteristic injury on plants. Plants sensitive to fluoride injury are gladiolus, azalea, tulip, and young needles of pine. Ethylene damage to plants was initially noted in greenhouses using artificial gas for heating. Orchids and carnations are sensitive to ethylene. Ozone is highly reactive and causes typical spotting injury to the upper surface of leaves. PAN causes injury to vegetation, especially petunia and lettuce. Other pollutants also cause plant injury. Mercury vapor, chlorine gas, ammonia, H/sub 2/S, CO, and nitrogen oxides are minor hazards. Susceptibility of vegetation to air pollution depends on various things such as variety of plants, amount of moisture available to the plants, temperature, and amount of sunlight during the period of air pollution. 8 references.

Relationships between summer air masses and mortality in Seoul: Comparison of weather-type classifications

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kyselý, Jan; Huth, Radan

2010-01-01

Roč. 35, 9-12 (2010), s. 536-543 ISSN 1474-7065 R&D Projects: GA ČR GC205/07/J044 Grant - others: Korea Research Foundation(KR) KRF-2006-C00005 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z30420517 Keywords : Classification of weather types * Air masses * Biometeorology * Human mortality * East Asia Subject RIV: DG - Athmosphere Sciences, Meteorology Impact factor: 0.917, year: 2010

Mass casualty tracking with air traffic control methodologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoskins, Jason D; Graham, Ross F; Robinson, Duane R; Lutz, Clifford C; Folio, Les R

2009-06-01

An intrahospital casualty throughput system modeled after air traffic control (ATC) tracking procedures was tested in mass casualty exercises. ATC uses a simple tactile process involving informational progress strips representing each aircraft, which are held in bays representing each stage of flight to prioritize and manage aircraft. These strips can be reordered within the bays to indicate a change in priority of aircraft sequence. In this study, a similar system was designed for patient tracking. We compared the ATC model and traditional casualty tracking methods of paper and clipboard in 18 four-hour casualty scenarios, each with 5 to 30 mock casualties. The experimental and control groups were alternated to maximize exposure and minimize training effects. Results were analyzed with Mann-Whitney statistical analysis with p value < 0.05 (two-sided). The ATC method had significantly (p = 0.017) fewer errors in critical patient data (eg, name, social security number, diagnosis). Specifically, the ATC method better tracked the mechanism of injury, working diagnosis, and disposition of patients. The ATC method also performed considerably better with patient accountability during mass casualty scenarios. Data strips were comparable with the control method in terms of ease of use. In addition, participants preferred the ATC method to the control (p = 0.003) and preferred using the ATC method (p = 0.003) to traditional methods in the future. The ATC model more effectively tracked patient data with fewer errors when compared with the clipboard method. Application of these principles can enhance trauma management and can have application in civilian and military trauma centers and emergency rooms.

Knowledge of vitamin D and perceptions and attitudes toward sunlight among Chinese middle-aged and elderly women: a population survey in Hong Kong

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lee Ka-Kui

2006-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Physical and biological risk factors for vitamin D inadequacy are known; however, cultural- and population-specific behaviours and attitudes that influence these risk factors, particularly among Asian people, are less well documented. To understand more about prevailing attitudes and behaviour toward sunlight and knowledge of vitamin D among a population at greater risk of impaired vitamin D status, poor bone health and osteoporosis, we conducted a telephone interview survey of 547 middle-aged and elderly Chinese women living in Hong Kong. Methods All telephone interviews were conducted using the Computer Assisted Telephone Technique and target respondents were selected by random sampling. Interviews were conducted in Cantonese and eighteen main questions were asked pertaining to personal characteristics, perceptions, attitudes and behaviour toward sunlight, and knowledge about vitamin D. Results The survey results showed that 62.3% (n = 341 did not like going in the sun and 66.7% of respondents spent an average of 6–10 hours indoors, between 6:30 am and 7:00 pm, during weekdays. However, 58% of people thought that they had enough exposure to sunlight. The majority had heard of vitamin D, but knowledge about the role and sources of vitamin D was low. Among those who knew that sunlight was a source of vitamin D, the majority spent less than 1 h in the sun in the past week (76.4% vs 23.6%, 1 h in the sun in the past week, chi-square p Conclusion The survey revealed considerable ignorance and confusion about the role of sunlight in vitamin D production, and the function and sources of vitamin D. Attitudes and behaviour toward sunlight were largely negative and many took measures to avoid sunlight, particularly among younger (middle-aged women who had good awareness of vitamin D.

Patterns and timing of sunlight exposure and risk of basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas of the skin – a case–control study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iannacone Michelle R

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC, comprised of basal (BCC and squamous (SCC cell carcinomas, is the most common cancer in Caucasians. Ultraviolet radiation (UVR exposure is the most important environmental risk factor for NMSC. However, the precise relationship between UVR and the risk of NMSC is complex, and the relationship may differ by skin cancer type. Methods A case–control study was conducted among Florida residents to investigate measures of patterns (intermittent vs. continuous and timing (childhood vs. adulthood of sunlight exposure in BCC and SCC. Participants included 218 BCC and 169 SCC cases recruited from a university dermatology clinic and 316 controls with no history of skin or other cancers. Results A history of blistering sunburn (a measure of intermittent sunlight exposure was associated with both BCC (OR = 1.96, 95% CI = 1.27-3.03 and SCC (OR = 2.02, 95% CI = 1.22-3.33. Additionally, having a job in the sun for ≥3 months for 10 years or longer (a measure of continuous sunlight exposure was also associated with both BCC and SCC in our study population. With the exception of younger age at first blistering sunburn, measures of younger age at sunlight exposure tended to be associated with SCC, but not BCC risk. Conclusions Results from the current study suggest that sunlight exposure is associated with both BCC and SCC risk regardless of the pattern in which the exposure was received (i.e. intermittent vs. continuous. The data also suggest that sunlight exposure at a younger age may be more important for SCC but not BCC, however additional studies are needed to further characterize sunlight exposure-response relationships in different types of NMSC.

Urban Air Pollution in Taiwan before and after the Installation of a Mass Rapid Transit System.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Pei-Hsiou; Wang, Gen-Shuh; Chen, Bing-Yu; Wan, Gwo-Hwa

2016-09-01

Urbanization causes air pollution in metropolitan areas, coupled with meteorological factors that affect air quality. Although previous studies focused on the relationships of urbanization, air pollution, and climate change in Western countries, this study evaluated long-term variations of air quality and meteorological factors in Taiwanese metropolitan areas (Taipei area, Taichung City, and Kaohsiung City) and a rural area (Hualien County) between 1993 and 2012. The influence of a mass rapid transit (MRT) system on air quality was also evaluated. Air pollutant concentrations and meteorology data were collected from Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration (TEPA) air monitoring stations and Central Weather Bureau stations in the surveyed areas, respectively. Analyses indicate that levels of air pollution in metropolitan areas were greater than in the rural area. Kaohsiung City had the highest levels of O, SO, and particulate matter 2.5 or 10 µm in diameter (PM and PM). Clear downward trends for CO, NO, PM, PM, and especially SO concentrations were found in the surveyed areas, whereas O showed no decrease. Both O and PM concentrations showed similar bimodal seasonal distributions. Taiwan's air quality has improved significantly since 1993, indicating the effectiveness of promoting air pollution strategies and policies by the TEPA. Air pollution had an obvious improvement in Taipei area after the MRT system began operations in 1996. Because global climate may potentially affect urban air pollution in Taiwan, further study to clarify the mechanisms by which air pollution may affect human health and other biological effects is warranted. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Features of air masses associated with the deposition of Pseudomonas syringae and Botrytis cinerea by rain and snowfall.

Science.gov (United States)

Monteil, Caroline L; Bardin, Marc; Morris, Cindy E

2014-11-01

Clarifying the role of precipitation in microbial dissemination is essential for elucidating the processes involved in disease emergence and spread. The ecology of Pseudomonas syringae and its presence throughout the water cycle makes it an excellent model to address this issue. In this study, 90 samples of freshly fallen rain and snow collected from 2005-2011 in France were analyzed for microbiological composition. The conditions favorable for dissemination of P. syringae by this precipitation were investigated by (i) estimating the physical properties and backward trajectories of the air masses associated with each precipitation event and by (ii) characterizing precipitation chemistry, and genetic and phenotypic structures of populations. A parallel study with the fungus Botrytis cinerea was also performed for comparison. Results showed that (i) the relationship of P. syringae to precipitation as a dissemination vector is not the same for snowfall and rainfall, whereas it is the same for B. cinerea and (ii) the occurrence of P. syringae in precipitation can be linked to electrical conductivity and pH of water, the trajectory of the air mass associated with the precipitation and certain physical conditions of the air mass (i.e. temperature, solar radiation exposure, distance traveled), whereas these predictions are different for B. cinerea. These results are pertinent to understanding microbial survival, emission sources and atmospheric processes and how they influence microbial dissemination.

A full-sunlight-driven photocatalyst with super long-persistent energy storage ability.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jie; Liu, Yuan; Zhu, Zhijian; Zhang, Guozhu; Zou, Tao; Zou, Zhijun; Zhang, Shunping; Zeng, Dawen; Xie, Changsheng

2013-01-01

A major drawback of traditional photocatalysts like TiO2 is that they can only work under illumination, and the light has to be UV. As a solution for this limitation, visible-light-driven energy storage photocatalysts have been developed in recent years. However, energy storage photocatalysts that are full-sunlight-driven (UV-visible-NIR) and possess long-lasting energy storage ability are lacking. Here we report, a Pt-loaded and hydrogen-treated WO3 that exhibits a strong absorption at full-sunlight spectrum (300-1,000 nm), and with a super-long energy storage time of more than 300 h to have formaldehyde degraded in dark. In this new material system, the hydrogen treated WO3 functions as the light harvesting material and energy storage material simultaneously, while Pt mainly acts as the cocatalyst to have the energy storage effect displayed. The extraordinary full-spectrum absorption effect and long persistent energy storage ability make the material a potential solar-energy storage and an effective photocatalyst in practice.

Natural Flow Air Cooled Photovoltaics

Science.gov (United States)

Tanagnostopoulos, Y.; Themelis, P.

2010-01-01

Our experimental study aims to investigate the improvement in the electrical performance of a photovoltaic installation on buildings through cooling of the photovoltaic panels with natural air flow. Our experimental study aims to investigate the improvement in the electrical performance of a photovoltaic installation on buildings through cooling of the photovoltaic panels with natural air flow. We performed experiments using a prototype based on three silicon photovoltaic modules placed in series to simulate a typical sloping building roof with photovoltaic installation. In this system the air flows through a channel on the rear side of PV panels. The potential for increasing the heat exchange from the photovoltaic panel to the circulating air by the addition of a thin metal sheet (TMS) in the middle of air channel or metal fins (FIN) along the air duct was examined. The operation of the device was studied with the air duct closed tightly to avoid air circulation (CLOSED) and the air duct open (REF), with the thin metal sheet (TMS) and with metal fins (FIN). In each case the experiments were performed under sunlight and the operating parameters of the experimental device determining the electrical and thermal performance of the system were observed and recorded during a whole day and for several days. We collected the data and form PV panels from the comparative diagrams of the experimental results regarding the temperature of solar cells, the electrical efficiency of the installation, the temperature of the back wall of the air duct and the temperature difference in the entrance and exit of the air duct. The comparative results from the measurements determine the improvement in electrical performance of the photovoltaic cells because of the reduction of their temperature, which is achieved by the naturally circulating air.

New air Cherenkov light detectors to study mass composition of cosmic rays with energies above knee region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsunesada, Yoshiki, E-mail: tsunesada@cr.phys.titech.ac.jp [Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro, Tokyo 152-8550 Japan (Japan); Katsuya, Ryoichi, E-mail: katsuya@cr.phys.titech.ac.jp [Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro, Tokyo 152-8550 Japan (Japan); Mitsumori, Yu; Nakayama, Keisuke; Kakimoto, Fumio; Tokuno, Hisao [Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro, Tokyo 152-8550 Japan (Japan); Tajima, Norio [RIKEN, Wako, Saitama 351-0198 (Japan); Miranda, Pedro; Salinas, Juan; Tavera, Wilfredo [Instituto de Investigaciones Físicas, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, La Paz (Bolivia, Plurinational State of)

2014-11-01

We have installed a hybrid detection system for air showers generated by cosmic rays with energies greater than 3×10{sup 15}eV at Mount Chacaltaya (5200 m above the sea level), in order to study the mass composition of cosmic rays above the knee region. This detection system comprises an air shower array with 49 scintillation counters in an area of 500 m×650 m, and seven new Cherenkov light detectors installed in a radial direction from the center of the air shower array with a separation of 50 m. It is known that the longitudinal development of a particle cascade in the atmosphere strongly depends on the type of the primary nucleus, and an air shower initiated by a heavier nucleus develops faster than that by a lighter primary of the same energy, because of the differences in the interaction cross-section and the energy per nucleon. This can be measured by detecting the Cherenkov radiation emitted from charged particles in air showers at higher altitudes. In this paper we describe the design and performance of our new non-imaging Cherenkov light detectors at Mount Chacaltaya that are operated in conjunction with the air shower array. The arrival directions and energies of air showers are determined by the shower array, and information about the primary masses is obtained from the Cherenkov light data including the time profiles and lateral distributions. The detector consists of photomultiplier tube (PMT), high-speed ADCs, other control modules, and data storage device. The Cherenkov light signals from an air shower are typically 10–100 ns long, and the waveforms are digitized with a sampling frequency of 1 GHz and recorded in situ without long-distance analog signal transfers. All the Cherenkov light detectors record their time-series data by receiving a triggering signal transmitted from the trigger module of the air shower array, which is fired by a coincidence of shower signals in four neighboring scintillation counters. The optical characteristics of the

An anthropometric model to estimate neonatal fat mass using air displacement plethysmography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deierlein Andrea L

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Current validated neonatal body composition methods are limited/impractical for use outside of a clinical setting because they are labor intensive, time consuming, and require expensive equipment. The purpose of this study was to develop an anthropometric model to estimate neonatal fat mass (kg using an air displacement plethysmography (PEA POD® Infant Body Composition System as the criterion. Methods A total of 128 healthy term infants, 60 females and 68 males, from a multiethnic cohort were included in the analyses. Gender, race/ethnicity, gestational age, age (in days, anthropometric measurements of weight, length, abdominal circumference, skin-fold thicknesses (triceps, biceps, sub scapular, and thigh, and body composition by PEA POD® were collected within 1-3 days of birth. Backward stepwise linear regression was used to determine the model that best predicted neonatal fat mass. Results The statistical model that best predicted neonatal fat mass (kg was: -0.012 -0.064*gender + 0.024*day of measurement post-delivery -0.150*weight (kg + 0.055*weight (kg2 + 0.046*ethnicity + 0.020*sum of three skin-fold thicknesses (triceps, sub scapular, and thigh; R2 = 0.81, MSE = 0.08 kg. Conclusions Our anthropometric model explained 81% of the variance in neonatal fat mass. Future studies with a greater variety of neonatal anthropometric measurements may provide equations that explain more of the variance.

Measurement of the mass energy-absorption coefficient of air for x-rays in the range from 3 to 60 keV.

Science.gov (United States)

Buhr, H; Büermann, L; Gerlach, M; Krumrey, M; Rabus, H

2012-12-21

For the first time the absolute photon mass energy-absorption coefficient of air in the energy range of 10 to 60 keV has been measured with relative standard uncertainties below 1%, considerably smaller than those of up to 2% assumed for calculated data. For monochromatized synchrotron radiation from the electron storage ring BESSY II both the radiant power and the fraction of power deposited in dry air were measured using a cryogenic electrical substitution radiometer and a free air ionization chamber, respectively. The measured absorption coefficients were compared with state-of-the art calculations and showed an average deviation of 2% from calculations by Seltzer. However, they agree within 1% with data calculated earlier by Hubbell. In the course of this work, an improvement of the data analysis of a previous experimental determination of the mass energy-absorption coefficient of air in the range of 3 to 10 keV was found to be possible and corrected values of this preceding study are given.

Aerosol composition in a stagnant air mass impacted by dense fogs: preliminary results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jacob, D.J.; Munger, J.W.; Waldman, J.M.; Hoffman, M.R.

1984-01-01

Over the last two winters, our research group has been investigating the chemical composition of fogwater and haze aerosol during wintertime stagnation episodes in the San Joaquin Valley of California. The valley is encompassed by mountain ranges. During the winter a strong subsidence inversion based below the natural boundaries of the valley restricts the ventilation of the air masses below the inversion. The residence time of an air parcel in the valley under these stagnation conditions is on the order of 8 days. Because the trapped air is very humid, stagnation episodes are associated with a persistent thick haze and frequent widespread nighttime fogs. During the winter 1982-1983 the authors sampled fog and haze at one site (Bakersfield); results from this preliminary study have been discussed in detail in a previous report. In the winter 1983-1984 the scale of the program was expanded in order to test hypotheses formulated as a result of first year data. The present paper first reports briefly on the 1982-1983 results and outlines the essential conclusions. They then describe the large-scale experiment conducted during the winter of 1983-1984, and discuss some preliminary fogwater data.

Persistence of Bacteroides ovatus under simulated sunlight irradiation

KAUST Repository

Dong, Shengkun

2014-07-04

Background: Bacteroides ovatus, a member of the genus Bacteroides, is considered for use in molecular-based methods as a general fecal indicator. However, knowledge on its fate and persistence after a fecal contamination event remains limited. In this study, the persistence of B. ovatus was evaluated under simulated sunlight exposure and in conditions similar to freshwater and seawater. By combining propidium monoazide (PMA) treatment and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) detection, the decay rates of B. ovatus were determined in the presence and absence of exogenous photosensitizers and in salinity up to 39.5 parts per thousand at 27°C. Results: UVB was found to be important for B. ovatus decay, averaging a 4 log10 of decay over 6 h of exposure without the presence of extracellular photosensitizers. The addition of NaNO2, an exogenous sensitizer producing hydroxyl radicals, did not significantly change the decay rate of B. ovatus in both low and high salinity water, while the exogenous sensitizer algae organic matter (AOM) slowed down the decay of B. ovatus in low salinity water. At seawater salinity, the decay rate of B. ovatus was slower than that in low salinity water, except when both NaNO2 and AOM were present. Conclusion: The results of laboratory experiments suggest that if B. ovatus is released into either freshwater or seawater environment in the evening, 50% of it may be intact by the next morning; if it is released at noon, only 50% may be intact after a mere 5 min of full spectrum irradiation on a clear day. This study provides a mechanistic understanding to some of the important environmental relevant factors that influenced the inactivation kinetics of B. ovatus in the presence of sunlight irradiation, and would facilitate the use of B. ovatus to indicate the occurrence of fecal contamination.

Prevention of hip fractures by exposure to sunlight and pharmacotherapy in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Iwamoto, Jun; Sato, Yoshihiro; Tanaka, Kiyoshi; Takeda, Tsuyoshi; Matsumoto, Hideo

2009-01-01

Hypovitaminosis D and K due to malnutrition or sunlight deprivation, compensatory hyperparathyroidism, increased bone resorption, low bone mineral density (BMD), and an increased risk of falls may contribute to an increased risk of hip fractures in patients with Alzheimer's disease. The purpose of the present study was to clarify the efficacy of interventions against hip fractures in patients with Alzheimer's disease. With respect to randomized controlled trials (RCTs) regarding Alzheimer's disease and hip fractures, the literature was searched with PubMed. Three RCTs were identified, and the relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated for individual RCTs. Exposure to sunlight with calcium supplementation, menatetrenone (vitamin K2) plus calcium and vitamin D supplementation, and risedronate plus calcium and vitamin D supplementation improved hypovitaminosis D and hyperparathyroidism, contributing to a reduction in bone resorption. Risedronate itself strongly decreased bone resorption. Menatetrenone also decreased the serum level of undercarboxylated osteocalcin. The three interventions increased metacarpal BMD and reduced the incidence of hip fractures. The respective RRs (95% CI) were 0.22 (0.049-0.999), 0.13 (0.031-0.554), and 0.26 (0.100- 0.690). The present study clarified the efficacy of three interventions, including exposure to sunlight, menatetrenone, and risedronate with calcium and/or vitamin D supplementation against hip fractures in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Neonatal Presentation of an Air-Filled Neck Mass that Enlarges with Valsalva: A Case Report

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Jasminkumar Bharatbhai; Kilbride, Howard; Paulson, Lorien

2015-01-01

Branchial cleft cysts are common causes of congenital neck masses in the pediatric population. However, neonatal presentation of branchial cleft cysts is uncommon, but recognizable secondary to acute respiratory distress from airway compression or complications secondary to infection. We report a 1-day-old infant presenting with an air-filled neck mass that enlarged with Valsalva and was not associated with respiratory distress. The infant was found to have a third branchial cleft cyst with an internal opening into the pyriform sinus. The cyst was conservatively managed with endoscopic surgical decompression and cauterization of the tract and opening. We review the embryology of branchial cleft cysts and current management. PMID:26495186

Chemical composition of air masses transported from Asia to the U.S. West Coast during ITCT 2K2: Fossil fuel combustion versus biomass-burning signatures

Science.gov (United States)

de Gouw, J. A.; Cooper, O. R.; Warneke, C.; Hudson, P. K.; Fehsenfeld, F. C.; Holloway, J. S.; Hübler, G.; Nicks, D. K., Jr.; Nowak, J. B.; Parrish, D. D.; Ryerson, T. B.; Atlas, E. L.; Donnelly, S. G.; Schauffler, S. M.; Stroud, V.; Johnson, K.; Carmichael, G. R.; Streets, D. G.

2004-12-01

As part of the Intercontinental Transport and Chemical Transformation experiment in 2002 (ITCT 2K2), a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) WP-3D research aircraft was used to study the long-range transport of Asian air masses toward the west coast of North America. During research flights on 5 and 17 May, strong enhancements of carbon monoxide (CO) and other species were observed in air masses that had been transported from Asia. The hydrocarbon composition of the air masses indicated that the highest CO levels were related to fossil fuel use. During the flights on 5 and 17 May and other days, the levels of several biomass-burning indicators increased with altitude. This was true for acetonitrile (CH3CN), methyl chloride (CH3Cl), the ratio of acetylene (C2H2) to propane (C3H8), and, on May 5, the percentage of particles measured by the particle analysis by laser mass spectrometry (PALMS) instrument that were attributed to biomass burning based on their carbon and potassium content. An ensemble of back-trajectories, calculated from the U.S. west coast over a range of latitudes and altitudes for the entire ITCT 2K2 period, showed that air masses from Southeast Asia and China were generally observed at higher altitudes than air from Japan and Korea. Emission inventories estimate the contribution of biomass burning to the total emissions to be low for Japan and Korea, higher for China, and the highest for Southeast Asia. Combined with the origin of the air masses versus altitude, this qualitatively explains the increase with altitude, averaged over the whole ITCT 2K2 period, of the different biomass-burning indicators.

HISTORY OF SUNLIGHT EXPOSURE IS A RISK FACTOR FOR AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schick, T.; Ersoy, L.; Lechanteur, Y.T.; Saksens, N.T.; Hoyng, C.B.; Hollander, A.I. den; Kirchhof, B.; Fauser, S.

2016-01-01

PURPOSE: To evaluate effects of current and past sunlight exposure and iris color on early and late age-related macular degeneration (AMD). METHODS: Of 3,701 individuals from the EUGENDA database, 752 (20.3%) showed early AMD, 1,179 (31.9%) late AMD, and 1,770 (47.8%) were controls. Information

Morphology-controlled electrodeposition of Cu2O microcrystalline particle films for application in photocatalysis under sunlight

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Guodong; Zhai, Wei; Sun, Fengqiang; Chen, Wei; Pan, Zizhao; Li, Weishan

2012-01-01

Graphical abstract: Display Omitted Highlights: ► PEG was used to electro-deposit Cu 2 O microcrystalline particle films. ► Morphologies of Cu 2 O microcrystals could be controlled by the amount of PEG. ► The films showed regularly varied photocatalytic activities under sunlight. ► The films could be recycled and showed stable activities. -- Abstract: Morphology-controlled Cu 2 O microcrystalline particle films had been successfully electrodeposited on tin-doped indium oxide glass substrates in CuSO 4 solutions containing different amounts of polyethylene glycol (PEG) additives. With an increase of PEG, microcrystals gradually changed from irregular shapes to cubes, octahedrons, and spherical shapes. Sizes increasingly became smaller with an increase of PEG under the same deposition time. These films had been first used as recyclable photocatalysts and showed excellent and photocatalytic activities in photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) under sunlight. Activities were regularly varied relative to the morphologies of films controlled by the amount of PEG and could be further enhanced by adding a little amount of hydrogen peroxide in the MB solution. The method for controllable preparation of Cu 2 O microcrystals with photocatalytic activities was simple and inexpensive. The as-prepared particle films could also be used in photodegradation of many other pollutants under sunlight.

Air trapping on computed tomography images of healthy individuals: effects of respiration and body mass index

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashimoto, M.; Tate, E.; Watarai, J.; Sasaki, M.

2006-01-01

Aim: To evaluate the relationships of changes in the lung area during respiration and of individual body mass index (BMI) to air trapping on expiratory computed tomography (CT) in young non-smoking adults of either gender. Methods: The volunteers were 10 women and 10 men (mean age 25.7 years) who were healthy lifelong non-smokers. We obtained both end-inspiratory and end-expiratory CT images at three levels: the upper, middle and lower lung. The ratio of cross-sectional lung area upon expiration to cross-sectional lung area upon inspiration (lung area ratio) was determined for each lung at each of the three levels. In cases showing air trapping, we calculated the percentage of area of air in relation to the total lung area in each section. BMI was calculated for each participant. Results: Air trapping was present in dependent areas of the lungs of 6 women and 5 men. The mean percentage of area of air trapped was statistically greater for men (9.8 ± 9.2%) than for women (4.9 ± 5.2%). The mean lung area ratio was 0.52 ± 0 14 among volunteers with air trapping (66 sections) and 0.69 ± 0.12 among those without air trapping (54 sections) (p < 0.001). At each lung level, the mean lung area ratio was greater in individuals with air trapping than in those without. Mean BMI was also greater in these people (p = 0.009). Conclusion: Change in the respiratory lung area and BMI contribute to development of air trapping

A study on the effects of system pressure on heat and mass transfer rates of an air cooler

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Hyung Ho

2002-01-01

In the present paper, the effects of inlet pressure on the heat and mass transfer rates of an air cooler are numerically predicted by a local analysis method. The pressures of the moist air vary from 2 to 4 bars. The psychometric properties such as dew point temperature, relative humidity and humidity ratio are employed to treat the condensing water vapor in the moist air when the surface temperatures are dropped below the dew point. The effects of the inlet pressures on the heat transfer rate, the dew point temperature, the rate of condensed water, the outlet temperature of air and cooling water are calculated. The condensation process of water vapor is discussed in detail. The results of present calculations are compared with the test data and shows good agreements

Sunlight Modulates Fruit Metabolic Profile and Shapes the Spatial Pattern of Compound Accumulation within the Grape Cluster.

Science.gov (United States)

Reshef, Noam; Walbaum, Natasha; Agam, Nurit; Fait, Aaron

2017-01-01

Vineyards are characterized by their large spatial variability of solar irradiance (SI) and temperature, known to effectively modulate grape metabolism. To explore the role of sunlight in shaping fruit composition and cluster uniformity, we studied the spatial pattern of incoming irradiance, fruit temperature and metabolic profile within individual grape clusters under three levels of sunlight exposure. The experiment was conducted in a vineyard of Cabernet Sauvignon cv. located in the Negev Highlands, Israel, where excess SI and midday temperatures are known to degrade grape quality. Filtering SI lowered the surface temperature of exposed fruits and increased the uniformity of irradiance and temperature in the cluster zone. SI affected the overall levels and patterns of accumulation of sugars, organic acids, amino acids and phenylpropanoids, across the grape cluster. Increased exposure to sunlight was associated with lower accumulation levels of malate, aspartate, and maleate but with higher levels of valine, leucine, and serine, in addition to the stress-related proline and GABA. Flavan-3-ols metabolites showed a negative response to SI, whereas flavonols were highly induced. The overall levels of anthocyanins decreased with increased sunlight exposure; however, a hierarchical cluster analysis revealed that the members of this family were grouped into three distinct accumulation patterns, with malvidin anthocyanins and cyanidin-glucoside showing contrasting trends. The flavonol-glucosides, quercetin and kaempferol, exhibited a logarithmic response to SI, leading to improved cluster uniformity under high-light conditions. Comparing the within-cluster variability of metabolite accumulation highlighted the stability of sugars, flavan-3-ols, and cinnamic acid metabolites to SI, in contrast to the plasticity of flavonols. A correlation-based network analysis revealed that extended exposure to SI modified metabolic coordination, increasing the number of negative

Coupled optic-thermodynamic analysis of a novel wireless power transfer system using concentrated sunlight for space applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhong, Ming-Liang; Li, Yun-Ze; Mao, Yu-Feng; Liang, Yi-Hao; Liu, Jia

2017-01-01

Highlights: • A novel space wireless power transfer system is proposed. • Concentrated sunlight is used as the medium to avoid multiple conversions. • Fresnel lens and optical fiber bundle make the system compact and space-qualified. • Coupled optic-thermodynamic model is developed to analyze link efficiencies. • End-to-end efficiency achieved is as twice as that of microwave or laser system. - Abstract: The energy generation and supply for in-orbit spacecraft have become an urgent problem concerning efficient and economical utilization of spacecraft formation flying. To fill the gap between the requirement of inter-spacecraft energy transfer and the development of wireless power transfer, this paper presents a novel wireless power transfer system whose transmission medium is concentrated sunlight. The system concentrates sunlight using a Fresnel lens, and changes the direction of concentrated sunlight beam with optical fibers. The light energy is converted to thermal form by a heat collector, and then it is utilized to generate electricity by a Stirling engine integrated with linear alternator. Equipments employed on fractionated spacecraft shall be supported by this electric energy. A coupled optic-thermodynamic model was developed to analyze system link efficiencies. This system offers characteristics such as high flexibility, relatively low cost for launch and maintenance, and most importantly, high end-to-end efficiency. Simulation results show that the geometric concentration ratio and the temperature ratio of expansion and compression spaces are two key parameters of this system. Output power of 234.3 W was achieved on the distance of 100 m, and the end-to-end efficiency of the system was above 20%.

Mass loss and chemical structures of wheat and maize straws in response to ultraviolet-B radiation and soil contact

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Guixiang; Zhang, Jiabao; Mao, Jingdong; Zhang, Congzhi; Chen, Lin; Xin, Xiuli; Zhao, Bingzi

2015-01-01

The role of photodegradation, an abiotic process, has been largely overlooked during straw decomposition in mesic ecosystems. We investigated the mass loss and chemical structures of straw decomposition in response to elevated UV-B radiation with or without soil contact over a 12-month litterbag experiment. Wheat and maize straw samples with and without soil contact were exposed to three radiation levels: a no-sunlight control, ambient solar UV-B, and artificially elevated UV-B radiation. A block control with soil contact was not included. Compared with the no-sunlight control, UV-B radiation increased the mass loss by 14–19% and the ambient radiation by 9–16% for wheat and maize straws without soil contact after 12 months. Elevated UV-B exposure decreased the decomposition rates of both wheat and maize straws when in contact with soil. Light exposure resulted in decreased O-alkyl carbons and increased alkyl carbons for both the wheat and maize straws compared with no-sunlight control. The difference in soil contact may influence the contribution of photodegradation to the overall straw decomposition process. These results indicate that we must take into account the effects of photodegradation when explaining the mechanisms of straw decomposition in mesic ecosystems. PMID:26423726

Mass loss and chemical structures of wheat and maize straws in response to ultraviolet-B radiation and soil contact.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Guixiang; Zhang, Jiabao; Mao, Jingdong; Zhang, Congzhi; Chen, Lin; Xin, Xiuli; Zhao, Bingzi

2015-10-01

The role of photodegradation, an abiotic process, has been largely overlooked during straw decomposition in mesic ecosystems. We investigated the mass loss and chemical structures of straw decomposition in response to elevated UV-B radiation with or without soil contact over a 12-month litterbag experiment. Wheat and maize straw samples with and without soil contact were exposed to three radiation levels: a no-sunlight control, ambient solar UV-B, and artificially elevated UV-B radiation. A block control with soil contact was not included. Compared with the no-sunlight control, UV-B radiation increased the mass loss by 14-19% and the ambient radiation by 9-16% for wheat and maize straws without soil contact after 12 months. Elevated UV-B exposure decreased the decomposition rates of both wheat and maize straws when in contact with soil. Light exposure resulted in decreased O-alkyl carbons and increased alkyl carbons for both the wheat and maize straws compared with no-sunlight control. The difference in soil contact may influence the contribution of photodegradation to the overall straw decomposition process. These results indicate that we must take into account the effects of photodegradation when explaining the mechanisms of straw decomposition in mesic ecosystems.

The impact of mass flow and masking on the pressure drop of air filter in heavy-duty diesel engine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gorji-Bandpy Mofid

2012-04-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a computational fluid dynamics (CFD calculation approach to predict and evaluate the impact of the mass-flow inlet on the pressure drop of turbocharger`s air filtfer in heavy-duty diesel engine. The numerical computations were carried out using a commercial CFD program whereas the inlet area of the air filter consisted of several holes connected to a channel. After entering through the channel, the air passes among the holes and enters the air filter. The effect of masking holes and hydraulic diameter is studied and investigated on pressure drop. The results indicate that pressure drop increase with decreasing of hydraulic diameter and masking of the holes has considerable affect on the pressure drop.

Photolysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons adsorbed on spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] needles under sunlight irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niu Junfeng; Chen Jingwen; Martens, D.; Quan Xie; Yang Fenglin; Kettrup, A.; Schramm, K.-W.

2003-01-01

Photolysis of PAHs on surfaces may determine their ultimate fate in the environment. - Photolysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) sorbed on surfaces of spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] needles under sunlight irradiation was investigated. PAHs were produced by combustion of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), wood, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and styrene in a stove. The factors of sunlight irradiation on the surfaces of spruce needles were taken into consideration when investigating the kinetic parameters. The photolysis of the 18 PAHs under study follows first-order kinetics. The photolysis half-lives range from 15 h for dibenzo(a,h)anthracene to 75 h for phenanthrene. Photolysis of some PAHs on surfaces of spruce needles may play an important role on the fate of PAHs in the environment

The convective noise floor for the spectroscopic detection of low mass companions to solar type stars

Science.gov (United States)

Deming, D.; Espenak, F.; Jennings, D. E.; Brault, J. W.

1986-01-01

The threshold mass for the unambiguous spectroscopic detection of low mass companions to solar type stars is defined here as the time when the maximum acceleration in the stellar radial velocity due to the Doppler reflex of the companion exceeds the apparent acceleration produced by changes in convection. An apparent acceleration of 11 m/s/yr in integrated sunlight was measured using near infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy. This drift in the apparent solar velocity is attributed to a lessening in the magnetic inhibition of granular convection as solar minimum approaches. The threshold mass for spectroscopic detection of companions to a one solar mass star is estimated at below one Jupiter mass.

Sunlight reflection off the spacecraft with a solar sail on the surface of mars

Science.gov (United States)

Starinova, O. L.; Rozhkov, M. A.; Gorbunova, I. V.

2018-05-01

Modern technologies make it possible to fulfill many projects in the field of space exploration. One such project is the colonization of Mars and providing favorable conditions for living on it. Authors propose principles of functioning of the spacecraft with a solar sail, intended to create a thermal and light spot in a predetermined area of the Martian surface. This additional illumination can maintain and support certain climatic conditions on a small area where a Mars base could be located. This paper investigate the possibility of the spacecraft continuously reflect the sunlight off the solar sail on the small area of the Mars surface. The mathematical motion model in such condition of the solar sail's orientation is considered and used for motion simulation session. Moreover, the analysis of this motion is performed. Thus, were obtained parameters of the synchronic non-Keplerian orbit and spacecraft construction. In addition, were given recommendations for further applying satellites to reflect the sunlight on a planet's surface.

Effects of UV, sunlight and X-ray radiation on quiescent human cells in culture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kantor, G.J.

1986-01-01

Nondividing human diploid fibroblasts (HDF) in culture have been used to study the effect on cell lethality of ultraviolet light, natural sunlight and X-rays. A lethal effect is defined as cellular degeneration, loss from the culture and inability to exclude vital strains. Far- and mid-UV have a readily observable lethal effect (cell loss), with DNA and DNA damage as the critical target and critical damage respectively. In part, natural sunlight kills cells by a similar mechanism but has an additional lethal effect at longer exposure times. This additional effect is expressed by the retention of the dead cells in culture, in contrast to the UV-induced promotion of cell degeneration and loss. Relatively large doses of X-rays that destroy proliferative capacity, have no detectable lethal effect on the maintenance of non-dividing cells. The biological response of nondividing HDF to radiations from different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum is dissimilar. (author)

International system of units traceable results of Hg mass concentration at saturation in air from a newly developed measurement procedure.

Science.gov (United States)

Quétel, Christophe R; Zampella, Mariavittoria; Brown, Richard J C; Ent, Hugo; Horvat, Milena; Paredes, Eduardo; Tunc, Murat

2014-08-05

Data most commonly used at present to calibrate measurements of mercury vapor concentrations in air come from a relationship known as the "Dumarey equation". It uses a fitting relationship to experimental results obtained nearly 30 years ago. The way these results relate to the international system of units (SI) is not known. This has caused difficulties for the specification and enforcement of limit values for mercury concentrations in air and in emissions to air as part of national or international legislation. Furthermore, there is a significant discrepancy (around 7% at room temperature) between the Dumarey data and data calculated from results of mercury vapor pressure measurements in the presence of only liquid mercury. As an attempt to solve some of these problems, a new measurement procedure is described for SI traceable results of gaseous Hg concentrations at saturation in milliliter samples of air. The aim was to propose a scheme as immune as possible to analytical biases. It was based on isotope dilution (ID) in the liquid phase with the (202)Hg enriched certified reference material ERM-AE640 and measurements of the mercury isotope ratios in ID blends, subsequent to a cold vapor generation step, by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The process developed involved a combination of interconnected valves and syringes operated by computer controlled pumps and ensured continuity under closed circuit conditions from the air sampling stage onward. Quantitative trapping of the gaseous mercury in the liquid phase was achieved with 11.5 μM KMnO4 in 2% HNO3. Mass concentrations at saturation found from five measurements under room temperature conditions were significantly higher (5.8% on average) than data calculated from the Dumarey equation, but in agreement (-1.2% lower on average) with data based on mercury vapor pressure measurement results. Relative expanded combined uncertainties were estimated following a model based approach. They ranged from 2

Progress Toward a Global, EOS-Era Aerosol Air Mass Type Climatology

Science.gov (United States)

Kahn, Ralph A.

2012-01-01

The MISR and MODIS instruments aboard the NASA Earth Observing System's Terra Satellite have been collecting data containing information about the state of Earth's atmosphere and surface for over eleven years. Data from these instruments have been used to develop a global, monthly climatology of aerosol amount that is widely used as a constraint on climate models, including those used for the 2007 IPCC assessment report. The next frontier in assessing aerosol radiative forcing of climate is aerosol type, and in particular, the absorption properties of major aerosol air masses. This presentation will focus on the prospects for constraining aerosol type globally, and the steps we are taking to apply a combination of satellite and suborbital data to this challenge.

Constraining Aerosol Optical Models Using Ground-Based, Collocated Particle Size and Mass Measurements in Variable Air Mass Regimes During the 7-SEAS/Dongsha Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, Shaun W.; Hansell, Richard A.; Chow, Judith C.; Tsay, Si-Chee; Wang, Sheng-Hsiang; Ji, Qiang; Li, Can; Watson, John G.; Khlystov, Andrey

2012-01-01

During the spring of 2010, NASA Goddard's COMMIT ground-based mobile laboratory was stationed on Dongsha Island off the southwest coast of Taiwan, in preparation for the upcoming 2012 7-SEAS field campaign. The measurement period offered a unique opportunity for conducting detailed investigations of the optical properties of aerosols associated with different air mass regimes including background maritime and those contaminated by anthropogenic air pollution and mineral dust. What appears to be the first time for this region, a shortwave optical closure experiment for both scattering and absorption was attempted over a 12-day period during which aerosols exhibited the most change. Constraints to the optical model included combined SMPS and APS number concentration data for a continuum of fine and coarse-mode particle sizes up to PM2.5. We also take advantage of an IMPROVE chemical sampler to help constrain aerosol composition and mass partitioning of key elemental species including sea-salt, particulate organic matter, soil, non sea-salt sulphate, nitrate, and elemental carbon. Our results demonstrate that the observed aerosol scattering and absorption for these diverse air masses are reasonably captured by the model, where peak aerosol events and transitions between key aerosols types are evident. Signatures of heavy polluted aerosol composed mostly of ammonium and non sea-salt sulphate mixed with some dust with transitions to background sea-salt conditions are apparent in the absorption data, which is particularly reassuring owing to the large variability in the imaginary component of the refractive indices. Extinctive features at significantly smaller time scales than the one-day sample period of IMPROVE are more difficult to reproduce, as this requires further knowledge concerning the source apportionment of major chemical components in the model. Consistency between the measured and modeled optical parameters serves as an important link for advancing remote

Effects of Thermal Mass, Window Size, and Night-Time Ventilation on Peak Indoor Air Temperature in the Warm-Humid Climate of Ghana

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Amos-Abanyie

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Most office buildings in the warm-humid sub-Saharan countries experience high cooling load because of the predominant use of sandcrete blocks which are of low thermal mass in construction and extensive use of glazing. Relatively, low night-time temperatures are not harnessed in cooling buildings because office openings remain closed after work hours. An optimization was performed through a sensitivity analysis-based simulation, using the Energy Plus (E+ simulation software to assess the effects of thermal mass, window size, and night ventilation on peak indoor air temperature (PIAT. An experimental system was designed based on the features of the most promising simulation model, constructed and monitored, and the experimental data used to validate the simulation model. The results show that an optimization of thermal mass and window size coupled with activation of night-time ventilation provides a synergistic effect to obtain reduced peak indoor air temperature. An expression that predicts, indoor maximum temperature has been derived for models of various thermal masses.

Air pollution episodes in Stockholm regional background air due to sources in Europe and their effects on human population

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andersson, C. [Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Inst., Norrkoping (Sweden)], E-mail: camilla.andersson@smhi.se; Joensson, O. [Stockholm Univ. (Sweden). Dept. of Applied Environmental Science; Forsberg, B. [Umea Univ. (Sweden), Occupational and Environmental Medicine; Johansson, C. [Environmental and Health Administration, Stockholm (Sweden)

2013-09-01

Using air quality measurements, we categorized air pollution according to source sectors in a rural background environment in southern Sweden based on hourly air-mass backward trajectories during 1997-2010. Concentrations of fine (PM{sub 2.5}) and sum of fine and coarse particulate matter (PM{sub 10}), accumulation mode particle number, black carbon and surface ozone were 4.0, 3.9, 4.5, 6.8 and 1.3 times higher, respectively, in air masses from the southeast as compared with those in air masses from the cleanest sector in the northwest, consistent with air-mass transport over areas with relatively high emissions of primary particulate matter (PM) and secondary PM precursors. The highest ultrafine particle numbers were associated with clean air from the northwest. We estimate that almost 7.8% and 0.6% higher premature human mortality is caused by PM{sub 2.5} and ozone exposure, respectively, when air originates from the southeast as compared with that when air originates from the northwest. Reductions of emissions in eastern Europe would reduce the highest air pollution concentrations and associated health risks. However, since air masses from the southwest are more frequent, emissions in the western part of Europe are more important for annual mean premature mortality. (orig.)

Dose-Response Effect of Sunlight on Vitamin D2 Production in Agaricus bisporus Mushrooms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Urbain, Paul; Jakobsen, Jette

2015-01-01

The dose response effect of UV-B irradiation from sunlight on vitamin D2 content of sliced Agaricus bisporus (white button mushroom) during the process of sun-drying was investigated.Real-time UV-B and UV-A data were obtained using a high-performance spectroradiometer. During the first hour...

Fullerene Soot in Eastern China Air: Results from Soot Particle-Aerosol Mass Spectrometer

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, J.; Ge, X.; Chen, M.; Zhang, Q.; Yu, H.; Sun, Y.; Worsnop, D. R.; Collier, S.

2015-12-01

In this work, we present for the first time, the observation and quantification of fullerenes in ambient airborne particulate using an Aerodyne Soot Particle - Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (SP-AMS) deployed during 2015 winter in suburban Nanjing, a megacity in eastern China. The laser desorption and electron impact ionization techniques employed by the SP-AMS allow us to differentiate various fullerenes from other aerosol components. Mass spectrum of the identified fullerene soot is consisted by a series of high molecular weight carbon clusters (up to m/z of 2000 in this study), almost identical to the spectral features of commercially available fullerene soot, both with C70 and C60 clusters as the first and second most abundant species. This type of soot was observed throughout the entire study period, with an average mass loading of 0.18 μg/m3, accounting for 6.4% of the black carbon mass, 1.2% of the total organic mass. Temporal variation and diurnal pattern of fullerene soot are overall similar to those of black carbon, but are clearly different in some periods. Combining the positive matrix factorization, back-trajectory and analyses of the meteorological parameters, we identified the petrochemical industrial plants situating upwind from the sampling site, as the major source of fullerene soot. In this regard, our findings imply the ubiquitous presence of fullerene soot in ambient air of industry-influenced area, especially the oil and gas production regions. This study also offers new insights into the characterization of fullerenes from other environmental samples via the advanced SP-AMS technique.

Effect of exposure to sunlight and phosphorus-limitation on bacterial degradation of coloured dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in freshwater.

Science.gov (United States)

Kragh, Theis; Søndergaard, Morten; Tranvik, Lars

2008-05-01

This study reports on the interacting effect of photochemical conditioning of dissolved organic matter and inorganic phosphorus on the metabolic activity of bacteria in freshwater. Batch cultures with lake-water bacteria and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) extracted from a humic boreal river were arranged in an experimental matrix of three levels of exposure to simulated sunlight and three levels of phosphorus concentration. We measured an increase in bacterial biomass, a decrease in DOC and bacterial respiration as CO(2) production and O(2) consumption over 450 h. These measurements were used to calculate bacterial growth efficiency (BGE). Bacterial degradation of DOC increased with increasing exposure to simulated sunlight and availability of phosphorus and no detectable growth occurred on DOC that was not pre-exposed to simulated sunlight. The outcome of photochemical degradation of DOC changed with increasing availability of phosphorus, resulting in an increase in BGE from about 5% to 30%. Thus, the availability of phosphorus has major implications for the quantitative transfer of carbon in microbial food webs.

Prevalence and sunlight photolysis of controlled and chemotherapeutic drugs in aqueous environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Angela Yu-Chen; Lin, Yen-Ching; Lee, Wan-Ning

2014-01-01

This study addresses the occurrences and natural fates of chemotherapeutics and controlled drugs when found together in hospital effluents and surface waters. The results revealed the presence of 11 out of 16 drugs in hospital effluents, and the maximum detected concentrations were at the μg L −1 level in the hospital effluents and the ng L −1 level in surface waters. The highest concentrations corresponded to meperidine, morphine, 5-fluorouracil and cyclophosphamide. The sunlight photolysis of the target compounds was investigated, and the results indicated that morphine and codeine can be significantly attenuated, with half-lives of 0.27 and 2.5 h, respectively, in natural waters. Photolysis can lower the detected environmental concentrations, also lowering the estimated environmental risks of the target drugs to human health. Nevertheless, 5-fluorouracil and codeine were found to have a high risk quotient (RQ), demonstrating the high risks of directly releasing hospital wastewater into the environment. - Highlights: • High occurrence of chemotherapeutics and controlled substances in aqueous systems. • Photolysis lowers the detected concentrations of morphine and codeine. • 5-fluorouracil and codeine in hospital effluents have high risk quotients. - Chemotherapeutics and controlled drugs occur at significant levels in hospital effluents and surface waters. Natural sunlight photolysis reduces their environmental occurrence

Sunlight exposure and sun sensitivity associated with disability progression in multiple sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

D'hooghe, M B; Haentjens, P; Nagels, G; Garmyn, M; De Keyser, J

2012-04-01

Sunlight and vitamin D have been inversely associated with the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS). We investigated sunlight exposure and sun sensitivity in relation to disability progression in MS. We conducted a survey among persons with MS, registered by the Flemish MS society, Belgium, and stratified data according to relapsing-onset and progressive-onset MS. We used Kaplan-Meier survival and Cox proportional hazard regression analyses with time to Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) 6 as outcome measure. Hazard ratios for the time from onset and from birth were calculated for the potentially predictive variables, adjusting for age at onset, gender and immunomodulatory treatment. 704 (51.3%) of the 1372 respondents had reached EDSS 6. In relapsing-onset MS, respondents reporting equal or higher levels of sun exposure than persons of the same age in the last 10 years had a decreased risk of reaching EDSS 6. In progressive-onset MS, increased sun sensitivity was associated with an increased hazard of reaching EDSS 6. The association of higher sun exposure with a better outcome in relapsing-onset MS may be explained by either a protective effect or reverse causality. Mechanisms underlying sun sensitivity might influence progression in progressive-onset MS.

Transfer coefficients of energy in mass for X radiation-air: the kV relation and effective energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teixeira, G.J.; Sousa, C.H.S.; Peixoto, J.G.P.

2014-01-01

The objective was to determine, through specific software, the mass-energy transfer coefficients by X-ray beams in air between 30-150 kV. Were generated by the Spectrum Processor program, the spectra and calculated their mass coefficients. The results behaved numerically decreasing order, ranging between 0.3733 and 0.0439 cm 2 /g, inversely proportional to the voltage used and differing behavior of mono-energetic beams above 100 keV. Values align with literal definitions of the interaction of radiation with matter, being useful for dosimetry in diagnostic radiology, including for systems not using an ionization chamber. (author)

Investigation of tungsten mass transfer in rarefied air oxygen and water vapors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evsikov, A.S.; Makeev, A.A.; Lyubimova, L.L.; Sinyavskij, V.V.

1989-01-01

The results of experimental investigations of oxygen and water vapor effect on the rate of tungsten evaporation are presented. Methods for carrying out an experiment are presented. The experiments are carried out at the 2600 degC tungsten wire temperature and the pressure of oxygen and water vapors (2x10 -3 -5) Pa. Registration of final products of mass transfer is carried out by the DRON-2.0 diffractometer using a detachable substrate. Empirical dependence taking into account oxygen and water vapor effect on the rate of tungsten evaporation is suggested. It is marked that air oxygen and water vapor increase evaporation rate uniformly the difference is observed only in final products of interaction

Ring waves as a mass transport mechanism in air-driven core-annular flows.

Science.gov (United States)

Camassa, Roberto; Forest, M Gregory; Lee, Long; Ogrosky, H Reed; Olander, Jeffrey

2012-12-01

Air-driven core-annular fluid flows occur in many situations, from lung airways to engineering applications. Here we study, experimentally and theoretically, flows where a viscous liquid film lining the inside of a tube is forced upwards against gravity by turbulent airflow up the center of the tube. We present results on the thickness and mean speed of the film and properties of the interfacial waves that develop from an instability of the air-liquid interface. We derive a long-wave asymptotic model and compare properties of its solutions with those of the experiments. Traveling wave solutions of this long-wave model exhibit evidence of different mass transport regimes: Past a certain threshold, sufficiently large-amplitude waves begin to trap cores of fluid which propagate upward at wave speeds. This theoretical result is then confirmed by a second set of experiments that show evidence of ring waves of annular fluid propagating over the underlying creeping flow. By tuning the parameters of the experiments, the strength of this phenomenon can be adjusted in a way that is predicted qualitatively by the model.

Plant Leaf Imaging using Time of Flight Camera under Sunlight, Shadow and Room Conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kazmi, Wajahat; Foix, Sergi; Alenya, Guillem

2012-01-01

In this article, we analyze the effects of ambient light on Time of Flight (ToF) depth imaging for a plant's leaf in sunlight, shadow and room conditions. ToF imaging is sensitive to ambient light and we try to find the best possible integration times (IT) for each condition. This is important in...

Influence of air mass origins on optical properties and PM concentrations measured at a high mountain station located in the southwestern Mediterranean

Science.gov (United States)

Castañer, R.; Nicolás, J. F.; Crespo, J.; Yubero, E.; Galindo, N.; Caballero, S.; Pastor, C.

2017-11-01

The influence of air mass origins on aerosol optical properties and particulate matter (PM) concentrations measured from January 2014 to December 2015 at a high mountain station in the southwestern Mediterranean was analyzed. Mean values of extensive aerosol optical properties (scattering, backscattering and absorption coefficients) and PM mass fractions: σsp (30.7 ± 1.1 Mm- 1), σbsp (3.9 ± 0.1 Mm- 1), σap (2.4 ± 0.1 Mm- 1), PM10 (13.1 ± 0.6 μg·m- 3) and PM1 (4.0 ± 0.1 μg·m- 3) were in the range of values reported in most studies carried out at high altitude locations. Nevertheless, a significant variation of these concentrations according to the air mass origin has been noticed. Transport from North Africa (NAF back-trajectories) and regional recirculations (REG) were the two air mass types in which the highest values of PM concentrations and optical properties were registered. Alternatively, the lowest values were recorded under Atlantic advections. Noticeable differences between NAF and REG categories were observed when intensive optical properties of aerosols were analyzed. During NAF scenarios the lowest value of SAE (0.91 ± 0.06) was obtained as well as the greatest AAE value (1.30 ± 0.02), with daily levels higher than 1.90. This result suggests that OC and hematite compounds were relevant in the absorption process during NAF events. However, during REG episodes the AAE mean value declined to 1.18 ± 0.01, since the highest mean concentration of BC was recorded under this category, and the SAE value was maximum (1.70 ± 0.05) due to the smaller size of PM. It has also been documented that during the study period a great number of REG back-trajectories occurred just after the transport of air masses from North Africa. In these situations, AAE and SAE values showed slight variations due to the persistence of mineral dust in the local atmosphere.

Size distributions of non-volatile particle residuals (Dp<800 nm at a rural site in Germany and relation to air mass origin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Tuch

2007-11-01

Full Text Available Atmospheric aerosol particle size distributions at a continental background site in Eastern Germany were examined for a one-year period. Particles were classified using a twin differential mobility particle sizer in a size range between 3 and 800 nm. As a novelty, every second measurement of this experiment involved the removal of volatile chemical compounds in a thermodenuder at 300°C. This concept allowed to quantify the number size distribution of non-volatile particle cores – primarily associated with elemental carbon, and to compare this to the original non-conditioned size distribution. As a byproduct of the volatility analysis, new particles originating from nucleation inside the thermodenuder can be observed, however, overwhelmingly at diameters below 6 nm. Within the measurement uncertainty, every particle down to particle sizes of 15 nm is concluded to contain a non-volatile core. The volume fraction of non-volatile particulate matter (non-conditioned diameter < 800 nm varied between 10 and 30% and was largely consistent with the experimentally determined mass fraction of elemental carbon. The average size of the non-volatile particle cores was estimated as a function of original non-conditioned size using a summation method, which showed that larger particles (>200 nm contained more non-volatile compounds than smaller particles (<50 nm, thus indicating a significantly different chemical composition. Two alternative air mass classification schemes based on either, synoptic chart analysis (Berliner Wetterkarte or back trajectories showed that the volume and number fraction of non-volatile cores depended less on air mass than the total particle number concentration. In all air masses, the non-volatile size distributions showed a more and a less volatile ("soot" mode, the latter being located at about 50 nm. During unstable conditions and in maritime air masses, smaller values were observed compared to stable or continental conditions

A pathway for sustainable conversion of sunlight to hydrogen using proposed compact CPV system

KAUST Repository

Burhan, Muhammad; Shahzad, Muhammad Wakil; Oh, Seung Jin; Ng, Kim Choon

2018-01-01

Solar energy being intermittent in nature, can provide a sustainable, steady and high density energy source when converted into electrolytic hydrogen. However, in current photovoltaic market trend with 99% conventional single junction PV panels, this cannot be achieved efficiently and economically. The advent of the multi-junction solar cells (MJCs), with cell-efficiency exceeding 46%, has yet to receive wide spread acceptance in the current PV market in form of concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) system, because of its system design complexity, limiting its application scope and customers. The objective of this paper is to develop a low cost compact CPV system that will not only eliminate its application and installation related restrictions but it is also introducing a highly efficient and sustainable photovoltaic system for common consumer, to convert intermittent sunlight into green hydrogen. The developed CPV system negates the common conviction by showing two times more power output than the flat plate PV, in tropical region. In addition, sunlight to hydrogen conversion efficiency of 18% is recorded for CPV, which is two times higher than alone electricity production efficiency of flat plate PV.

A pathway for sustainable conversion of sunlight to hydrogen using proposed compact CPV system

KAUST Repository

Burhan, Muhammad

2018-03-22

Solar energy being intermittent in nature, can provide a sustainable, steady and high density energy source when converted into electrolytic hydrogen. However, in current photovoltaic market trend with 99% conventional single junction PV panels, this cannot be achieved efficiently and economically. The advent of the multi-junction solar cells (MJCs), with cell-efficiency exceeding 46%, has yet to receive wide spread acceptance in the current PV market in form of concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) system, because of its system design complexity, limiting its application scope and customers. The objective of this paper is to develop a low cost compact CPV system that will not only eliminate its application and installation related restrictions but it is also introducing a highly efficient and sustainable photovoltaic system for common consumer, to convert intermittent sunlight into green hydrogen. The developed CPV system negates the common conviction by showing two times more power output than the flat plate PV, in tropical region. In addition, sunlight to hydrogen conversion efficiency of 18% is recorded for CPV, which is two times higher than alone electricity production efficiency of flat plate PV.

Converting sunlight into red light in fluorosilicate glass for amorphous silicon solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ming, Chengguo, E-mail: mingchengguo1978@163.com [Physics Department, School of Sciences, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin 300457 (China); Song, Feng [Photonics Center, College of Physical Science, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071 (China); Ren, Xiaobin [Physics Department, School of Sciences, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin 300457 (China); Yuan, Fengying; Qin, Yueting [Physics Department, School of Sciences, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin 300457 (China); Photonics Center, College of Physical Science, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071 (China); An, Liqun; Cai, Yuanxue [Physics Department, School of Sciences, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin 300457 (China)

2017-03-15

Fluorosilicate glass was prepared by high-temperature melting method to explore highly efficient luminescence materials for amorphous silicon solar cells. Absorption, excitation and emission spectra of the glass were measured. The optical characters of the glass were discussed in details. The glass can efficiently convert sunlight into red light. Our glass can be applied to amorphous silicon solar cells as a converter of solar spectrum.

Interrelationships Between Walkability, Air Pollution, Greenness, and Body Mass Index.

Science.gov (United States)

James, Peter; Kioumourtzoglou, Marianthi-Anna; Hart, Jaime E; Banay, Rachel F; Kloog, Itai; Laden, Francine

2017-11-01

Recent studies have linked urban environmental factors and body mass index (BMI); however, such factors are often examined in isolation, ignoring correlations across exposures. Using data on Nurses' Health Study participants living in the Northeastern United States in 2006, we estimated associations between neighborhood walkability (a composite of population density, street connectivity, and business access), greenness (from satellite imagery), and ambient air pollution (from satellite-based spatiotemporally resolved PM2.5 predictions and weighted monthly average concentrations of NO2 from up to five nearest monitors) and self-reported BMI using generalized additive models, allowing for deviations from linearity using penalized splines. Among 23,435 women aged 60-87 years, we observed nonlinear associations between walkability and BMI and between PM2.5 and BMI in single-exposure models adjusted for age, race, and individual- and area-level socioeconomic status. When modeling all exposures simultaneously, only the association between walkability and BMI remained nonlinear and nonmonotonic. Increasing walkability was associated with increasing BMI at lower levels of walkability (walkability index walkability was linked to lower BMI in areas of higher walkability (walkability index >1.8). A 10 percentile increase in walkability, right above 1.8 was associated with a 0.84% decrease in log BMI. The relationship between walkability and BMI existed only among younger participants (walkability was nonlinearly linked to lower BMI independent of air pollution and greenness. Our findings highlight the importance of accounting for nonlinear confounding by interrelated urban environmental factors when investigating associations between the environment and BMI.

Concentration of sunlight to solar-surface levels using non-imaging optics

Science.gov (United States)

Gleckman, Philip; O'Gallagher, Joseph; Winston, Roland

1989-05-01

An account is given of the design and operational principles of a solar concentrator that employs nonimaging optics to achieve a solar flux equal to 56,000 times that of ambient sunlight, yielding temperatures comparable to, and with further development of the device, exceeding those of the solar surface. In this scheme, a parabolic mirror primary concentrator is followed by a secondary concentrator, designed according to the edge-ray method, which is filled with a transparent oil. The device may be used in materials-processing, waste-disposal, and solar-pumped laser applications.

Session 6: photo-catalytic degradation of Toluene using sunlight-type excitation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fuerte, A.; Hernandez-Alonso, M.D.; Martinez-Arias, A.; Conesa, J.C.; Soria, J.; Fernandez-Garcia, M. [Instituto de Catalisis y Petroleoquimica, CSIC, -Madrid (Spain)

2004-07-01

In this report we investigate the doping of anatase-TiO{sub 2} with nine different cations. It is shown that W can be one of the best options for toluene photo-degradation using sunlight-type excitation. Thermal and hydrothermal treatments were applied to amorphous Ti-W mixed oxide precursors with varying W:Ti atomic ratio for obtaining nano-structured particles having different properties. All Ti-W precursors were prepared by a microemulsion method and the mixed oxides characterized by using XRD, XPS, as well as XAFS, Raman and UV-Vis Spectroscopies. (authors)

pH Control in Fog and Rain in East Asia: Temporal Advection of Clean Air Masses to Mt. Bamboo, Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Otto Klemm

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Fog and rain was collected during an 18-day period in January 2011 at Mt. Bamboo, northern Taiwan. Almost 300 hourly fog samples and 16 daily rain samples were taken. One single fog sample (pH 3.17 was influenced by local volcanic activity, otherwise the pH ranged from 3.23 to 6.41 in fog and from 3.59 to 6.31 in rain. All the respective air masses arrived from the northeast, but exhibited two distinct groups: Group_1 had high concentrations of all ions (median interquartile range of total ion concentrations 3200–6200 µeq.·L−1 and low pHs (median 3.52, the respective air masses had travelled over densely populated and industrialized regions of mainland China. Group_2 was from air masses with long travel times over the ocean and relatively low total ion concentrations (80–570 µeq.·L−1 and higher pHs (median 4.80. The cleanest samples are among the cleanest reported in the literature of worldwide fog and rain. In both groups, the pH was governed by the balance of sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, and, in some cases, calcium. The variability of these ions was higher than the variability of 10−pH, which shows that the pH is a rather robust parameter in contrast to its drivers such as non-sea-salt sulfate.

Measurement of volatile plant compounds in field ambient air by thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Xiao-Ming; Xu, Xiu-Xiu; Bian, Lei; Luo, Zong-Xiu; Chen, Zong-Mao

2015-12-01

Determination of volatile plant compounds in field ambient air is important to understand chemical communication between plants and insects and will aid the development of semiochemicals from plants for pest control. In this study, a thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS) method was developed to measure ultra-trace levels of volatile plant compounds in field ambient air. The desorption parameters of TD, including sorbent tube material, tube desorption temperature, desorption time, and cold trap temperature, were selected and optimized. In GC-MS analysis, the selected ion monitoring mode was used for enhanced sensitivity and selectivity. This method was sufficiently sensitive to detect part-per-trillion levels of volatile plant compounds in field ambient air. Laboratory and field evaluation revealed that the method presented high precision and accuracy. Field studies indicated that the background odor of tea plantations contained some common volatile plant compounds, such as (Z)-3-hexenol, methyl salicylate, and (E)-ocimene, at concentrations ranging from 1 to 3400 ng m(-3). In addition, the background odor in summer was more abundant in quality and quantity than in autumn. Relative to previous methods, the TD-GC-MS method is more sensitive, permitting accurate qualitative and quantitative measurements of volatile plant compounds in field ambient air.

Improved Flexible Transparent Conductive Electrodes based on Silver Nanowire Networks by a Simple Sunlight Illumination Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Kou, Pengfei; Yang, Liu; Chang, Cheng; He, Sailing

2017-01-01

Silver nanowire (Ag NW) networks have attracted wide attention as transparent electrodes for emerging flexible optoelectronics. However, the sheet resistance is greatly limited by large wire-to-wire contact resistances. Here, we propose a simple sunlight illumination approach to remarkably improve their electrical conductivity without any significant degradation of the light transmittance. Because the power density is extremely low (0.1 W/cm2, 1-Sun), only slight welding between Ag NWs has been observed. Despite this, a sheet resistance of solar concentrations. Due to the reduced resistance, high-performance transparent film heaters as well as efficient defrosters have been demonstrated, which are superior to the previously-reported Ag NW based film heaters. Since the sunlight is environmentally friendly and easily available, sophisticated or expensive facilities are not necessary. Our findings are particularly meaningful and show enormous potential for outdoor applications. PMID:28169343

Mass balance for lead in the California South Coast Air Basin: An update

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lankey, R.L.; Davidson, C.I.; McMichael, F.C.

1998-01-01

A mass balance for lead for the year 1989 in the South Coast Air Basin has inputs to the atmosphere of 600 ± 190 kg/day and outputs of 580 ± 160 kg/day, showing rough agreement. Stationary sources are responsible for only about 5% of the total lead emissions. The bulk of the lead is emitted from vehicles using leaded gasoline (37%) and unleaded gasoline (15%), as well as from resuspension of previously deposited lead on roads (43%). Over half of the total emitted lead deposits on roads and nearby soil, while about one-third is carried out of the basin by wind. A small amount, less than 10%, is deposited on surfaces throughout the basin. These percentages are approximately the same as those in a mass balance for the same region calculated for 1972, when lead emissions from leaded gasoline were about a factor of 70 greater than leaded gas emissions in 1989. When the lead emissions re used as inputs o a simple continuously stirred flow reactor model for the basin, reasonable, agreement is obtained between calculated and measured concentrations

Investigation of cannabis biomarkers and transformation products in waters by liquid chromatography coupled to time of flight and triple quadrupole mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Boix, Clara; Ibáñez, María; Bijlsma, Lubertus; Sancho, Juan V; Hernández, Félix

2014-03-01

11-Nor-9-carboxy-Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC-COOH) is commonly selected as biomarker for the investigation of cannabis consumption through wastewater analysis. The removal efficiency of THC-COOH in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) has been reported to vary between 31% and 98%. Accordingly, possible transformation products (TPs) of this metabolite might be formed during treatment processes or in receiving surface water under environmental conditions. In this work, surface water was spiked with THC-COOH and subjected to hydrolysis, chlorination and photo-degradation (both ultraviolet and simulated sunlight) experiments under laboratory-controlled conditions. One hydrolysis, eight chlorination, three ultraviolet photo-degradation and seven sunlight photo-degradation TPs were tentatively identified by liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer (LC-QTOF MS). In a subsequent step, THC-COOH and the identified TPs were searched in wastewater samples using LC coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with triple quadrupole. THC-COOH was found in all influent and effluent wastewater samples analyzed, although at significant lower concentrations in the effluent samples. The removal efficiency of WWTP under study was approximately 86%. Furthermore, THC-COOH was also investigated in several surface waters, and it was detected in 50% of the samples analyzed. Regarding TPs, none were found in influent wastewater, while one hydrolysis and five photo-degradation (simulated sunlight) TPs were detected in effluent and surface waters. The most detected compound, resulting from sunlight photo-degradation, was found in 60% of surface waters analyzed. This fact illustrates the importance of investigating these TPs in the aquatic environment. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Meteorological Reference Years of Daily Mean Temperature during the Sunlight Time; Anos Tipos de Temperaturas Medias Diarias durante las Horas de Sol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marchante Jimenez, M.; Ramirez Santigosa, L.N.; Mora Lopez, L.; Sidrach de Cardona Ortin, M.

2002-07-01

In this work the characterization of the daily mean temperature during the sunlight time has been analyzed. An algorithm for the hourly series generation from extreme daily values has been applied to evaluate the daily mean temperature during the sunlight time. A generic algorithm has been enounced as a function of the sunrise time. This algorithm allows taking into account the fractions related to the sunrise and sunset hours. This methodology has been applied in data from 45 Spanish stations, uniformly distributed in the Iberian Peninsula. Data for a period of 14 years has been used in most of locations, and once the interest variable has been calculated, the meteorological reference year of the daily mean temperature during the sunlight time has been evaluated in each stations. The next step is the evaluation of the daily mean temperature during the sunlight time in any point into the zone of evaluation, not only in the measured stations. >From the result data in each measured station, an geographic information system has been used in order to calculate the interpolation, obtaining maps with a data each 5 km for each of the 365 days of the year. Then, this results can be superposed with the solar radiation evaluation obtaining the input data for the sizing of the photovoltaic grid connected system in any point of the Spanish geography. (Author) 8 refs.

Small photovoltaic setup for the air conditioning system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masiukiewicz Maciej

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The increasing interest in air conditioning systems for residential applications in Poland will certainly increase the demand for electricity during the summer period. Due to this fact a growing interest in solutions that help to lower the electricity consumption in this sector is observed. The problem of increased energy demand for air conditioning purposes can be solved by transfer the consumption of electricity from the grid system to renewable energy sources (RES. The greatest demand for cooling occurs during the biggest sunlight. This is the basis for the analysis of technical power system based on photovoltaic cells (PV to power the split type air conditioner. The object of the study was the commercial residential airconditioning inverter units with a capacity of 2.5kW. A network electricity production system for their own use with the possibility of buffering energy in batteries (OFF-GRID system. Currently, on the Polish market, there are no developed complete solutions dedicated to air conditioning systems based on PV. In Poland, solar energy is mainly used for heat production in solar collectors. The proposed solution will help to increase the popularity of PV systems in the Polish market as an alternative to other RES. The basic conclusion is that the amount of PV energy generated was sufficient to cover the daily energy requirement of the air conditioner.

Small photovoltaic setup for the air conditioning system

Science.gov (United States)

Masiukiewicz, Maciej

2017-10-01

The increasing interest in air conditioning systems for residential applications in Poland will certainly increase the demand for electricity during the summer period. Due to this fact a growing interest in solutions that help to lower the electricity consumption in this sector is observed. The problem of increased energy demand for air conditioning purposes can be solved by transfer the consumption of electricity from the grid system to renewable energy sources (RES). The greatest demand for cooling occurs during the biggest sunlight. This is the basis for the analysis of technical power system based on photovoltaic cells (PV) to power the split type air conditioner. The object of the study was the commercial residential airconditioning inverter units with a capacity of 2.5kW. A network electricity production system for their own use with the possibility of buffering energy in batteries (OFF-GRID system). Currently, on the Polish market, there are no developed complete solutions dedicated to air conditioning systems based on PV. In Poland, solar energy is mainly used for heat production in solar collectors. The proposed solution will help to increase the popularity of PV systems in the Polish market as an alternative to other RES. The basic conclusion is that the amount of PV energy generated was sufficient to cover the daily energy requirement of the air conditioner.

Non-proximate mass spectrometry using a heated 1-m long PTFE tube and an air-tight APCI ion source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Usmanov, Dilshadbek T.; Hiraoka, Kenzo; Wada, Hiroshi; Matsumura, Masaya; Sanada-Morimura, Sachiyo; Nonami, Hiroshi; Yamabe, Shinichi

2017-01-01

Direct and rapid trace-level gas analysis is highly needed in various fields such as safety and security, quality control, food analysis, and forensic medicine. In many cases, the real samples are bulky and are not accessible to the space-limited ion source of the mass spectrometer. In order to circumvent this problem, we developed an airtight atmospheric-pressure chemical ionization (APCI) ion source equipped with a flexible 1-m-long, 2-mm-i.d. PTFE sniffing tube. The ambient air bearing sample gas was sucked into the heated PTFE tube (130 °C) and was transported to the air-tight ion source without using any extra pumping system or a Venturi device. Analytes were ionized by an ac corona discharge located at 1.5 mm from the inlet of the mass spectrometer. By using the airtight ion source, all the ionized gas in the ion source was introduced into the vacuum of the mass spectrometer via only the evacuation of the mass spectrometer (1.6 l min"−"1). Sub-pg limits of detection were obtained for carbaryl and trinitrotoluene. Owing to its flexibility and high sensitivity, the sniffing tube coupled with a mass spectrometer can be used as the stethoscope for the high-sensitive gas analysis. The experimental results obtained for drugs, hydrogen peroxide and small alkanes were discussed by DFT calculations. - Highlights: • Non-proximate mass spectrometry for the trace-level gas analysis was developed. • Using a 1-m long flexible PTFE tube, it can be applicable to complicated-shape real-world samples. • By atmospheric pressure chemical ionization in the airtight ion source, sub-pg limits of detection were attained. • Adsorption of less-volatility compounds was negligible with the tube temperature at 130° C. • Novel experimental results obtained were fully examined by density functional theory calculations.

Non-proximate mass spectrometry using a heated 1-m long PTFE tube and an air-tight APCI ion source

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Usmanov, Dilshadbek T. [Clean Energy Research Center, University of Yamanashi, Takeda-4, Kofu, Yamanashi, 400-8511 (Japan); Institute of Ion-Plasma and Laser Technologies, Durmon Yoli Street 33, 100125, Tashkent (Uzbekistan); Hiraoka, Kenzo, E-mail: hiraoka@yamanashi.ac.jp [Clean Energy Research Center, University of Yamanashi, Takeda-4, Kofu, Yamanashi, 400-8511 (Japan); Wada, Hiroshi [Kyushu Okinawa Agricultural Research Center, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, 496 Izumi, Chikugo, Fukuoka 833-0041 (Japan); Matsumura, Masaya; Sanada-Morimura, Sachiyo [Kyushu Okinawa Agricultural Research Center, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Suya 2421, shiKo, Kumamoto 861-1192 (Japan); Nonami, Hiroshi [Plant Biophysics/Biochemistry Research Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Ehime University, 3-5-7 T Tarumi, 790-0905, Matsuyama (Japan); Yamabe, Shinichi, E-mail: yamabesh@gmail.com [Department of Material Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Takayama-cho, 8916-5, Ikoma, Nara, 630−0101 (Japan)

2017-06-22

Direct and rapid trace-level gas analysis is highly needed in various fields such as safety and security, quality control, food analysis, and forensic medicine. In many cases, the real samples are bulky and are not accessible to the space-limited ion source of the mass spectrometer. In order to circumvent this problem, we developed an airtight atmospheric-pressure chemical ionization (APCI) ion source equipped with a flexible 1-m-long, 2-mm-i.d. PTFE sniffing tube. The ambient air bearing sample gas was sucked into the heated PTFE tube (130 °C) and was transported to the air-tight ion source without using any extra pumping system or a Venturi device. Analytes were ionized by an ac corona discharge located at 1.5 mm from the inlet of the mass spectrometer. By using the airtight ion source, all the ionized gas in the ion source was introduced into the vacuum of the mass spectrometer via only the evacuation of the mass spectrometer (1.6 l min{sup −1}). Sub-pg limits of detection were obtained for carbaryl and trinitrotoluene. Owing to its flexibility and high sensitivity, the sniffing tube coupled with a mass spectrometer can be used as the stethoscope for the high-sensitive gas analysis. The experimental results obtained for drugs, hydrogen peroxide and small alkanes were discussed by DFT calculations. - Highlights: • Non-proximate mass spectrometry for the trace-level gas analysis was developed. • Using a 1-m long flexible PTFE tube, it can be applicable to complicated-shape real-world samples. • By atmospheric pressure chemical ionization in the airtight ion source, sub-pg limits of detection were attained. • Adsorption of less-volatility compounds was negligible with the tube temperature at 130° C. • Novel experimental results obtained were fully examined by density functional theory calculations.

A Method for Estimating Mass-Transfer Coefficients in a Biofilter from Membrane Inlet Mass Spectrometer Data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Anders Michael; Nielsen, Lars Peter; Feilberg, Anders

2009-01-01

A membrane inlet mass spectrometer (MIMS) was used in combination with a developed computer model to study and improve management of a biofilter (BF) treating malodorous ventilation air from a meat rendering facility. The MIMS was used to determine percentage removal efficiencies (REs) of selected...... sulfur gases and to provide toluene retention profiles for the model to determine the air velocity and overall mass-transfer coefficient of toluene. The mass-transfer coefficient of toluene was used as a reference for determining the mass transfer of sulfur gases. By presenting the model to scenarios...... of a filter bed with a consortium of effective sulfur oxidizers, the most likely mechanism for incomplete removal of sulfur compounds from the exhaust air was elucidated. This was found to be insufficient mass transfer and not inadequate bacterial activity as anticipated by the manager of the BF. Thus...

Effects of P25 TiO2 Nanoparticles on the Free Radical-Scavenging Ability of Antioxidants upon Their Exposure to Simulated Sunlight.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Meng; Chong, Yu; Fu, Peter P; Xia, Qingsu; Croley, Timothy R; Lo, Y Martin; Yin, Jun-Jie

2017-11-15

Although nanosized ingredients, including TiO 2 nanoparticles (NPs), can be found in a wide range of consumer products, little is known about the effects these particles have on other active compounds in product matrices. These NPs can interact with reactive oxygen species (ROS), potentially disrupting or canceling the benefits expected from antioxidants. We used electron spin resonance spectrometry to assess changes in the antioxidant capacities of six dietary antioxidants (ascorbic acid, α-tocopherol, glutathione, cysteine, epicatechin, and epicatechin gallate) during exposure to P25 TiO 2 and/or simulated sunlight. Specifically, we determined the ability of these antioxidants to scavenge 1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl radical, superoxide radical, and hydroxyl radical. Exposure to simulated sunlight alone did not lead to noticeable changes in radical-scavenging abilities; however, in combination with P25 TiO 2 NPs, the scavenging abilities of most antioxidants were weakened. We found glutathione to be the most resistant to treatment with sunlight and NPs among these six antioxidants.

Mass transfer behavior of tritium from air to water through the water surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takata, Hiroki; Nishikawa, Masabumi; Kamimae, Kozo

2005-01-01

It is anticipated that a certain amount of tritiated water exists in the atmosphere of tritium handling facilities, and it is recognized that the hazardous potential of tritiated water is rather high. Then, it is important to grasp the behavior of tritiated water for preserving of the radiation safety. The mass transfer behavior of tritium from air to water through the water surface was discussed in this study. The evaporation rate of water and the condensation rate of water were experimentally examined from measurement of change of the weight of distilled water. The tritium transfer rate from the tritiated water in air to the distilled water was also experimentally examined by using a liquid scintillation counter. Experimental results about change of tritium level in a small beaker placed in the atmosphere with tritiated water showed that diffusion of tritium in water and gas flow in the atmosphere gives considerable effect on tritium transfer. The estimation method of the tritium transfer made in this study was applied to explain the data at The Japan Atomic Power Company second power station at Tsuruga and good agreement was obtained. (author)

Comparison of mass and energy balances for air blown and thermally ballasted fluidized bed gasifiers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lysenko, Steve; Sadaka, Samy; Brown, Robert C.

2012-01-01

The objective of this study was to compare the mass and energy balances for a conventional air blown fluidized bed gasifier and a ballasted fluidized bed gasifier developed at Iowa State University. The ballasted gasifier is an indirectly heated gasifier that uses a single reactor for both combustion and pyrolysis. Heat accumulated in high-temperature phase change material during the combustion phase is released during the pyrolysis phase to generate producer gas. Gas composition, tar and char contents, cold gas efficiency, carbon conversion, and hydrogen yield per unit biomass input were determined as part of these evaluation. During the pyrolysis phase of ballasted gasification, higher volumetric concentrations of hydrogen and methane were obtained than during air blown gasification. Hydrogen yield for ballasted gasification was 14 g kg −1 of biomass, which was about 20% higher than that obtained during air blown gasification. The higher heating value of the producer gas also reached higher levels during the ballasted pyrolysis phase than that of air blown gasification. Heating value for air blown gasification was 5.2 MJ m −3 whereas the heating value for the ballasted pyrolysis phase averaged 5.5 MJ m −3 , reaching a maximum of 8.0 MJ m −3 . The ballasted gasifier was expected to yield producer gas with average heating value as high as 15 MJ m −3 but excessive use of nitrogen to purge and cool the fuel feeder system greatly diluted the producer gas. Relatively simple redesign of the feeder system would greatly reduce the use of purge gas and may increase the heating values to about 17.5 MJ m −3 . Higher char production per kilogram of biomass was associated with the ballasted system, producing 140 g kg −1 of biomass compared to only 53 g kg −1 of biomass during air blown gasification. On the other hand, tar concentrations in the producer gas were 6.0 g m −3 for ballasted gasification compared to 11.7 g m −3 for air blown gasification. On

Formation of rutile fasciculate zone induced by sunlight irradiation at room temperature and its hemocompatibility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Xuan-Hui; Zheng, Xiang; Cheng, Yuan; Li, Guo-Hua; Chen, Xiao-Ping; Zheng, Jian-Hui

2013-01-01

The fasciculate zone of phase pure rutile was fabricated under sunlight irradiation at room temperature, using titanium tetrachloride as a sole precursor. The crystal phase, morphology and microstructure, and optical absorption behavior of the samples were characterized by X-ray Diffraction, High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscope (HRTEM) and UV–vis Diffuse Reflectance Spectra (DRS), respectively. XRD results show that the crystal phase of the sample is composed of rutile only, and a lattice distortion displays in the crystallite of the sample. HRTEM results show that the morphology of rutile particle is fasciculate zone constituted of nanoparticles with a diameter of 4–7 nm, and these particles grow one by one and step by step. The pattern of the selected area electron diffraction of the sample is Kikuchi type, which can be attributed to the predominant orientation growth of rutile nanoparticles along [001] induced by sunlight irradiation. DRS results show that the absorption threshold of the sample is 415 nm, corresponding to the band gap energy of 2.99 eV, which is lower than the band gap energy of rutile, 3.03 eV. Blood compatibility measurement shows that the sample has no remarkable effect on hemolytic and coagulation activity. The percent hemolysis of red blood cells is less than 5% even treated with a big dosage of the fasciculate rutile and under UV irradiation, and there are no obvious changes of plasma recalcification time after the rutile treatment. Thus, the novel structure of rutile fasciculate has low potential toxicity for blood and is hemocompatibility safe. Highlights: • A novel approach to fabricate the fasciculate zone of phase pure rutile • The fasciculate grows from a particle to nanorod and to fasciculate, step by step. • A preferred orientation growth induced by sunlight irradiation in the fasciculate • The rutile fasciculate is low toxicity for blood and is hemocompatibility safe

Ultraviolet- and sunlight-induced lipid peroxidation in liposomal membrane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mandal, T.K.; Chatterjee, S.N.

1980-01-01

Ultraviolet radiation and sunlight caused lipid peroxidation in the liposomal membrane (as detected by measurement of the oxidation index, A 233 /A 215 , and the amount of malondialdehyde formed) and made the membrane leaky (as revealed by the release of the trapped chromate anions). The oxidation index and the formation of malondialdehyde increased linearly with increasing dose of radiation and depended significantly on the dose rate. The effects were smaller in liposomes derived from Vibrio cholerae phospholipid than in those derived from egg lecithin. The effects of the radiation dose and dose rate on hemolysis and peroxidation (MDA formation) of the erythrocyte membrane followed a similar pattern. A direct correlation between the percentage leakage of chromate (Y) and the oxidation index (X) of the liposomal system was obtained as Y = 236.5 x X

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

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Freutel

2013-01-01

Full Text Available During July 2009, a one-month measurement campaign was performed in the megacity of Paris. Amongst other measurement platforms, three stationary sites distributed over an area of 40 km in diameter in the greater Paris region enabled a detailed characterization of the aerosol particle and gas phase. Simulation results from the FLEXPART dispersion model were used to distinguish between different types of air masses sampled. It was found that the origin of air masses had a large influence on measured mass concentrations of the secondary species particulate sulphate, nitrate, ammonium, and oxygenated organic aerosol measured with the Aerodyne aerosol mass spectrometer in the submicron particle size range: particularly high concentrations of these species (about 4 μg m⁻³, 2 μg m⁻³, 2 μg m⁻³, and 7 μg m⁻³, respectively were measured when aged material was advected from continental Europe, while for air masses originating from the Atlantic, much lower mass concentrations of these species were observed (about 1 μg m⁻³, 0.2 μg m⁻³, 0.4 μg m⁻³, and 1–3 μg m⁻³, respectively. For the primary emission tracers hydrocarbon-like organic aerosol, black carbon, and NO_x it was found that apart from diurnal source strength variations and proximity to emission sources, local meteorology had the largest influence on measured concentrations, with higher wind speeds leading to larger dilution and therefore smaller measured concentrations. Also the shape of particle size distributions was affected by wind speed and air mass origin. Quasi-Lagrangian measurements performed under connected flow conditions between the three stationary sites were used to estimate the influence of the Paris emission plume onto its surroundings, which was found to be rather small. Rough estimates for the impact of the Paris emission plume on the suburban areas can be

Reduction of energy essential to human life by 70%. Environment-friendly residence `ED-1` utilizing the sunlight effectively; Seikatsu ni hitsuyona energy no 70% sakugen. Taiyoko riyo no kankyo kyosei jutaku ED-1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-09-01

This paper presents the environment-friendly residence `ED-1` utilizing the sunlight effectively. ED-1 of 97m{sup 2} in first floor area and 81m{sup 2} in second one has, on its roof, the photovoltaic power generation system, the solar hot water collector which supplies hot water by circulating heated antifreezing solution into a hot storage tank, and the solar hot wind collector which largely contributes to energy saving together with a hot room named an S unit on the first floor. The small S unit faced toward the south adjacent to a dining room is made of timber and thermal insulation glass. The S unit stores heat in a floor by taking the sunlight into a room in winter, while enhances a heating effect by discharging stored heat in nighttime. In some cases, duct circulation of heated wind is possible. Solar radiation of 90% can be removed by outside glass fiber screen of the S unit together with double glazing coated by special metal film. Roof material is superior in heat insulation, air tightness and energy saving, while floor material in sound insulation and heat storage. The target for reducing energy essential to human life by 70% was thus nearly achieved. 1 fig.

Fabrication of Heterostructured g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4}/Ag-TiO{sub 2} Hybrid Photocatalyst with Enhanced Performance in Photocatalytic Conversion of CO{sub 2} Under Simulated Sunlight Irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Hailong [School of Energy Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410083 (China); Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Hong Kong); Gao, Yan; Wu, Xianying [School of Energy Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410083 (China); Lee, Po-Heng [Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Hong Kong); Shih, Kaimin, E-mail: kshih@hku.hk [Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Hong Kong)

2017-04-30

Highlights: • Combination of g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} and Ag-TiO{sub 2} resulted in significant synergy for CO{sub 2} reduction. • The optimal electron consumption rate for CN/AgTi was 12.7 times higher than that for TiO{sub 2}. • CN/AgTi was superior than g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} and Ag-TiO{sub 2} in use of sunlight for CO{sub 2} conversion. - Abstract: Heterostructured g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4}/Ag-TiO{sub 2} (CN/AgTi) hybrid catalysts were fabricated through a facile solvent evaporation followed by a calcination process, using graphitic carbon nitride (g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4}) and Ag-TiO{sub 2} (AgTi) as precursors. The phase compositions, optical properties, and morphologies of the catalysts were systematically characterized. The heterostructured combination of g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4}, titania (TiO{sub 2}) and silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) resulted in significant synergy for catalytic conversion of CO{sub 2} in the presence of water vapor under simulated sunlight irradiation. The optimal CN/AgTi composite with a g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} to AgTi mass ratio of 8% exhibited the maximum CO{sub 2} photoreduction activity, achieving a CO{sub 2} conversion of 47 μmol, CH{sub 4} yield of 28 μmol, and CO yield of 19 μmol per gram of catalyst during a 3 h simulated sunlight irradiation. Under the experimental conditions, the rate of electron consumption was calculated to be 87.3 μmol/g·h, which was 12.7 times, 7.9 times, and 2.0 times higher than those for TiO{sub 2}, g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} and AgTi, respectively. The combination of g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} and AgTi resulted in more sunlight harvesting for electron and hole generations. Photoinduced electrons transferred through the heterjunction between g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} and TiO{sub 2}, and further from TiO{sub 2} to Ag NPs with lower Fermi level greatly suppressed the recombination of electron-hole pairs, and hence resulted in electron accumulation on Ag NPs deposited on the TiO{sub 2} surface in the CN/AgTi. Abundant electrons accumulated on the Ag

Roadmaps for powering the world, U.S., and individual states for all purposes with wind, water, and sunlight (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobson, M. Z.

2013-12-01

Global warming, air pollution, and energy insecurity are three of the most significant problems facing the world today. This talk discusses these problems and technical and economic plans to solve them by powering 100% of the world, individual countries, and states for all purposes, including electricity, transportation, industry, and heating/cooling, with wind, water, and sunlight (WWS) together with efficiency measures, within 20-40 years. Specific plans for New York State and California are discussed. For California, the plan contemplates all new energy powered with WWS by 2020, 80-85% of existing energy replaced by 2030, and 100% replaced by 2050. Electrification plus modest efficiency measures would reduce California's end-use power demand ~44% and stabilize energy prices since WWS fuel costs are zero. Even without additional efficiency improvements, remaining all-purpose 2030 end-use demand could be met with 25% onshore and 10% offshore wind, 15% concentrated solar, 15% utility-scale PV, 10% residential PV, 15% commercial/government PV, 5% geothermal, 0.5% wave, 0.5% tidal, and 4% hydroelectric. These percentages will shift upon implementation. Converting would create ~137,000 net permanent jobs, decrease ~16,000 (4,800-29,600) state air pollution deaths/yr, and avoid 131 (39-296) billion/yr in health costs (6.9% of California's 2010 gross domestic product), repaying the 1 trillion capital cost for 573 GW installed power within ~7.3 yr. California's emission decreases would reduce 2050 U.S. and global climate costs by ~6 and 60 billion/yr, respectively.

Evaluation of sunlight induced structural changes and their effect on the photocatalytic activity of V{sub 2}O{sub 5} for the degradation of phenols

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aslam, M. [Centre of Excellence in Environmental Studies (CEES), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589 (Saudi Arabia); Ismail, Iqbal M.I. [Centre of Excellence in Environmental Studies (CEES), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589 (Saudi Arabia); Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589 (Saudi Arabia); Salah, Numan [Centre of Nanotechnology, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589 (Saudi Arabia); Chandrasekaran, S. [Centre of Excellence in Environmental Studies (CEES), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589 (Saudi Arabia); Qamar, M.Tariq [Centre of Excellence in Environmental Studies (CEES), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589 (Saudi Arabia); Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589 (Saudi Arabia); Hameed, A., E-mail: afmuhammad@kau.edu.sa [Centre of Excellence in Environmental Studies (CEES), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589 (Saudi Arabia); National Centre for Physics, Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad 44000 (Pakistan)

2015-04-09

Highlights: • The interaction of UV photons of sunlight induces defects in V{sub 2}O{sub 5}. • The photon induced defects promotes the trapping and transfer of excited electrons. • The nature of the substituent at 2-position affects the degradation process. • The formation of the intermediates is influenced by the nature of substituents. • The released ions are subjected further transformation. - Abstract: Despite knowing the fact that vanadium pentoxide is slightly soluble in aqueous medium, its photocatalytic activity was evaluated for the degradation of phenol and its derivatives (2-hydroxyphenol, 2-chlorophenol, 2-aminophenol and 2-nitrophenol) in natural sunlight exposure. The prime objective of the study was to differentiate between the homogeneous and heterogeneous photocatalysis incurred by dissolved and undissolved V{sub 2}O{sub 5} in natural sunlight exposure. V{sub 2}O{sub 5} was synthesized by chemical precipitation procedure using Triton X-100 as morphology mediator and characterized by DRS, PLS, Raman, FESEM and XRD. A lower solubility of ∼5% per 100 ml of water at 23 °C was observed after calcination at 600 °C. The study revealed no contribution of the dissolved V{sub 2}O{sub 5} in the photocatalytic process. In sunlight exposure, V{sub 2}O{sub 5} powder exhibited substantial activity for the degradation, however, a low mineralization of phenolic substrates was observed. The initial low activity of V{sub 2}O{sub 5} followed by a sharp increase both in degradation and mineralization in complete spectrum sunlight exposure, was further investigated that revealed the decrease in the bandgap and the reduction in the particle size with the interaction of UV photons (<420 nm) as this effect was not observable in the exposure of visible region of sunlight. The role of the chemically different substituents attached to an aromatic ring at 2-positions and the secondary interaction of released ions during the degradation process with the reactive

Use of sunlight to partially detoxify groundnut (peanut) cake flour and casein contaminated with aflatoxin B1.

Science.gov (United States)

Shantha, T; Murthy, V S

1981-03-01

Sunlight destroyed 83 and 50% of the toxin added to casein and groundnut cake flour, respectively. Equilibrium dialysis revealed that both casein and groundnut protein bind aflatoxin but the toxin bound to casein appeared more photo-labile than that bound to groundnut protein.

Sunlight-Induced Photochemical Degradation of Methylene Blue by Water-Soluble Carbon Nanorods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anshu Bhati

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Water-soluble graphitic hollow carbon nanorods (wsCNRs are exploited for their light-driven photochemical activities under outdoor sunlight. wsCNRs were synthesized by a simple pyrolysis method from castor seed oil, without using any metal catalyst or template. wsCNRs exhibited the light-induced photochemical degradation of methylene blue used as a model pollutant by the generation of singlet oxygen species. Herein, we described a possible degradation mechanism of methylene blue under the irradiation of visible photons via the singlet oxygen-superoxide anion pathway.

Sunlight simulators-the key to understanding the physiological effects of the sun

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Singh, A

2006-07-01

Full Text Available simulator Slide 4 © CSIR 2006 www.csir.co.za ۞ Benefits of natural sunlight ۞ Restrictions of lifestyles ۞ Common misconceptions ۞ Experimental setups Slide 5 © CSIR 2006 www.csir.co.za Cancer Males...,043 181,439 Lung 965,241 848,132 386,891 330,786 Melanoma of skin 79,043 21,952 81,134 18,829 Breast 1,151,298 410,712 Leukemia 171,037 125,142 129,485 97,364 All sites but skin 5,801,839 3,795,991 5,060,657 2...

The real-time gas mass filter system for the analysis of products from trichloroethylene-air mixture during electron beam irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hakoda, Teruyuki; Arai, Hidehiko; Hashimoto, Shoji

2001-01-01

The real-time gas mass filter system consisting of a mass filter and a capillary sampling tube was developed for the analysis of products during electron beam (EB) irradiation of trichloroethylene (TCE)-air mixture. Interesting trace substances in gases are analyzed by this gas mass filter system in real time. The gases at atmospheric pressure are introduced to the mass filter under vacuum through a capillary tube without packing. The system was calibrated with three different standard mono-gases which contain known concentrations of sulfur dioxide, benzene and chlorobenzene for each. And its detectable limits for each gas were in the range of 0.7-1 ppmv. Products of irradiated TCE-air mixture were analyzed with the system in real time. The concentrations of dichloroacetyl chloride and carbonyl chloride (COCl 2 ) increased by low dose irradiation when TCE was decomposed. These products decreased by higher dose irradiation and were identified as primary products. Trichloroethylene and these primary products were oxidized into CO 2 , Cl 2 , and HCl at 15 kGy. Carbonyl chloride was dissolved in NaOH aq for natural-oxidation into CO 3 2- and Cl - . The doses for the complete oxidation of TCE and the products were decreased from 15 to 7 kGy by the combination of the irradiation and the dissolution of the irradiated gas. The decomposition mechanism of TCE, especially formation of COCl 2 , was clarified from the change of the products as a function of dose. (author)

Analysis of air-, moisture- and solvent-sensitive chemical compounds by mass spectrometry using an inert atmospheric pressure solids analysis probe.

Science.gov (United States)

Mosely, Jackie A; Stokes, Peter; Parker, David; Dyer, Philip W; Messinis, Antonis M

2018-02-01

A novel method has been developed that enables chemical compounds to be transferred from an inert atmosphere glove box and into the atmospheric pressure ion source of a mass spectrometer whilst retaining a controlled chemical environment. This innovative method is simple and cheap to implement on some commercially available mass spectrometers. We have termed this approach inert atmospheric pressure solids analysis probe ( iASAP) and demonstrate the benefit of this methodology for two air-/moisture-sensitive chemical compounds whose characterisation by mass spectrometry is now possible and easily achieved. The simplicity of the design means that moving between iASAP and standard ASAP is straightforward and quick, providing a highly flexible platform with rapid sample turnaround.

Enhanced photocatalytic activity of nanocellulose supported zinc oxide composite for RhB dye as well as ciprofloxacin drug under sunlight/visible light

Science.gov (United States)

Tavker, Neha; Sharma, Manu

2018-05-01

Zinc oxide nanoparticles were synthesised from zinc acetate di-hydrate via co-precipitation method. Nanocellulose was isolated from agrowaste using chemo-mechanical treatments and characterized. Nanocellulose supported zinc oxide composites were prepared through in-situ method by adding different amounts of nanocellulose. The photocatalytic efficiency of pure Zno and nanocellulose supported ZnO was calculated using RhB dye under visible light and sun light. The composites which had nanocellulose in greater ratio showed higher degradation efficiency in sunlight rather than visible light for both; dye and drug. All the composites showed high rate of photodegradation compared to bare ZnO and bare nanocellulose. The enhancement in photocatalytic activity was observed maximum where the amount of cellulose was maximum. The maximum observed rate was 0.025 min-1 using Ciprofloxacin drug due to the increase in lifetime of Z4 sample delaying the electron and hole pair recombination. The degrading efficiency of nanocellulose supported zinc oxide (NC/ZnO) composite for RhB was found to be 35% in visible, 76% in sunlight and 75% for ciprofloxacin under sunlight.

Dispersed single-phase-step Michelson interferometer for Doppler imaging using sunlight.

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Xiaoke; Ge, Jian

2012-09-15

A Michelson interferometer is dispersed with a fiber array-fed spectrograph, providing 59 Doppler sensing channels using sunlight in the 510-570 nm wavelength region. The interferometer operates at a single-phase-step mode, which is particularly advantageous in multiplexing and data processing compared to the phase-stepping mode of other interferometer spectrometer instruments. Spectral templates are prepared using a standard solar spectrum and simulated interferometer modulations, such that the correlation function with a measured 1D spectrum determines the Doppler shift. Doppler imaging of a rotating cylinder is demonstrated. The average Doppler sensitivity is ~12 m/s, with some channels reaching ~5 m/s.

Community air monitoring for pesticides-part 2: multiresidue determination of pesticides in air by gas chromatography, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Hengel, Matt; Lee, P

2014-03-01

Two multiresidue methods were developed to determine pesticides in air collected in California. Pesticides were trapped using XAD-4 resin and extracted with ethyl acetate. Based on an analytical method from the University of California Davis Trace Analytical Laboratory, pesticides were detected by analyzing the extract by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to determine chlorothalonil, chlorthal-dimethyl, cycloate, dicloran, dicofol, EPTC, ethalfluralin, iprodione, mefenoxam, metolachlor, PCNB, permethrin, pronamide, simazine, trifluralin, and vinclozolin. A GC with a flame photometric detector was used to determine chlorpyrifos, chlorpyrifos oxon, diazinon, diazinon oxon, dimethoate, dimethoate oxon, fonophos, fonophos oxon, malathion, malathion oxon, naled, and oxydemeton. Trapping efficiencies ranged from 78 to 92 % for low level (0.5 μg) and 37-104 % for high level (50 and 100 μg) recoveries. Little to no degradation of compounds occurred over 31 days; recoveries ranged from 78 to 113 %. In the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) method, pesticides were detected by analyzing the extract by GC-MS to determine chlorothalonil, chlorpyrifos, cypermethrin, dichlorvos, dicofol, endosulfan 1, endosulfan sulfate, oxyfluorfen, permethrin, propargite, and trifluralin. A liquid chromatograph coupled to a MS was used to determine azinphos-methyl, chloropyrifos oxon, DEF, diazinon, diazinon oxon, dimethoate, dimethoate oxon, diuron, EPTC, malathion, malathion oxon, metolachlor, molinate, norflurazon, oryzalin, phosmet, propanil, simazine and thiobencarb. Trapping efficiencies for compounds determined by the CDFA method ranged from 10 to 113, 22 to 114, and 56 to 132 % for 10, 5, and 2 μg spikes, respectively. Storage tests yielded 70-170 % recovery for up to 28 days. These multiresidue methods represent flexible, sensitive, accurate, and cost-effective ways to determine residues of various pesticides in ambient air.

Matching demand with supply at low cost in 139 countries among 20 world regions with 100% intermittent wind, water, and sunlight (WWS) for all purposes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jacobson, Mark Z.; Delucchi, Mark A.; Cameron, Mary A.

2018-01-01

Matching electricity, heat, and cold demand with supply at low cost is the greatest concern facing countries seeking to provide their all-purpose energy with 100% clean, renewable wind, water, and sunlight (WWS). Implementing WWS worldwide could eliminate 4–7 million annual air pollution deaths......, first slow then reverse global warming, and provide energy sustainably. This study derives zero-load-loss technical solutions to matching demand with 100% WWS supply; heat, cold, and electricity storage; hydrogen production; assumed all-distance transmission; and demand response for 20 world regions...... are similar, WWS requires ∼42.5% less energy in a base case and ∼57.9% less in a heat-pump case so may reduce capital and consumer costs significantly. Further, WWS social (energy + health + climate) costs per unit energy are one-fourth BAU's. By reducing water vapor, the wind turbines proposed may rapidly...

Enhancement of combined heat and mass transfer in a vertical-tube heat and mass exchanger

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Webb, R.L.; Perez-Blanco, H.

1986-01-01

This paper studies enhancement of heat and mass transfer between a countercurrent, gravity-drained water film and air flowing in a vertical tube. The enhancement technique employed is spaced, transverse wires placed in the air boundary layer, near the air--water interface. Heat transfer correlations for turbulent, single-phase heat transfer in pipes having wall-attached spaced ribs are used to select the preferred wire diameter, and to predict the gas phase heat and mass transfer coefficients. Tests were run with two different radial placements of the rib roughness: (1) at the free surface of the liquid film, and (2) the base of the roughness displaced 0.51 mm into the air flow. The authors hypothesize that the best heat/mass transfer and friction performance will be obtained with the roughness at the surface of the water film. Experiments conducted with both roughness placements show that the authors' hypothesis is correct. The measured heat/mass transfer enhancement agreed very closely with the predicted values. A unique feature of the enhancement concept is that it does not require surface wetting of the enhancement device to provide enhancement

Effect of humidity and particle hygroscopicity on the mass loading capacity of high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, A.; Biswas, P.; Monson, P.R.; Novick, V.J.

1993-01-01

The effect of humidity, particle hygroscopicity, and size on the mass loading capacity of glass fiber high efficiency particulate air filters was studied. Above the deliquescent point, the pressure drop across the filter increased nonlinearly with areal loading density (mass collected/filtration area) of a NaCl aerosol, thus significantly reducing the mass loading capacity of the filter compared to dry hygroscopic or nonhygroscopic particle mass loadings. The specific cake resistance K 2 was computed for different test conditions and used as a measure of the mass loading capacity. K 2 was found to decrease with increasing humidity for nonhygroscopic aluminum oxide particles and for hygroscopic NaCl particles (at humidities below the deliquescent point). It is postulated that an increase in humidity leads to the formation of a more open particulate cake which lowers the pressure drop for a given mass loading. A formula for predicting K 2 for lognormally distributed aerosols (parameters obtained from impactor data) was derived. The resistance factor, R, calculated using this formula was compared to the theoretical R calculated using the Rudnick-Happel expression. For the nonhygroscopic aluminum oxide, the agreement was good but for the hygroscopic sodium chloride, due to large variation in the cake porosity estimates, the agreement was poor. 17 refs., 6 figs., 3 tabs

Factors influencing adherence with therapeutic sunlight exposure in older people in intermediate care facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Durvasula, Seeta; Sambrook, Philip N; Cameron, Ian D

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors influencing low adherence with therapeutic sunlight exposure in a randomized controlled trial conducted with older people living in intermediate care facilities. The study involved participants in the FREEDOM (Falls Risk Epidemiology: Effect of vitamin D on skeletal Outcomes and other Measures) study, a randomized controlled trial of therapeutic sun exposure to reduce falls in older people in intermediate care facilities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with thirty participants in the FREEDOM trial, and with ten sunlight officers who were employed to facilitate the sun exposure. Two focus groups involving 10 participants in the FREEDOM trial were also held at the end of the intervention period. Common themes were derived from the interview and focus group transcripts. The study showed that the perceived health benefits did not influence adherence with the sun exposure. Factors such as socializing with others and being outdoors were more important in encouraging attendance. The main barriers to adherence included the perceived inflexibility and regimentation of daily attendance, clash with other activities, unsuitable timing and heat discomfort. This study showed that providing greater flexibility and autonomy to older people in how and when they receive sun exposure is likely to improve adherence. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Measurement of spatial and temporal variation in volatile hazardous air pollutants in Tacoma, Washington, using a mobile membrane introduction mass spectrometry (MIMS) system.

Science.gov (United States)

Davey, Nicholas G; Fitzpatrick, Cole T E; Etzkorn, Jacob M; Martinsen, Morten; Crampton, Robert S; Onstad, Gretchen D; Larson, Timothy V; Yost, Michael G; Krogh, Erik T; Gilroy, Michael; Himes, Kathy H; Saganić, Erik T; Simpson, Christopher D; Gill, Christopher G

2014-09-19

The objective of this study was to use membrane introduction mass spectrometry (MIMS), implemented on a mobile platform, in order to provide real-time, fine-scale, temporally and spatially resolved measurements of several hazardous air pollutants. This work is important because there is now substantial evidence that fine-scale spatial and temporal variations of air pollutant concentrations are important determinants of exposure to air pollution and adverse health outcomes. The study took place in Tacoma, WA during periods of impaired air quality in the winter and summer of 2008 and 2009. Levels of fine particles were higher in winter compared to summer, and were spatially uniform across the study area. Concentrations of vapor phase pollutants measured by membrane introduction mass spectrometry (MIMS), notably benzene and toluene, had relatively uniform spatial distributions at night, but exhibited substantial spatial variation during the day-daytime levels were up to 3-fold higher at traffic-impacted locations compared to a reference site. Although no direct side-by-side comparison was made between the MIMS system and traditional fixed site monitors, the MIMS system typically reported higher concentrations of specific VOCs, particularly benzene, ethylbenzene and naphthalene, compared to annual average concentrations obtained from SUMA canisters and gas chromatographic analysis at the fixed sites.

Comparison of desiccant air conditioning systems with different indirect evaporative air coolers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pandelidis, Demis; Anisimov, Sergey; Worek, William M.; Drąg, Paweł

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A numerical study of desiccant air conditioning systems is presented. • The ε-NTU model is used for the analysis. • Different arrangements of the desiccant systems were compared. • The systems were compared under different operating conditions. - Abstract: This paper presents a numerical analysis of three desiccant air-conditioning systems equipped with different indirect evaporative air coolers: (1) the cross-flow Maisotsenko cycle heat and mass exchanger (HMX), (2) the regenerative counter-flow Maisotsenko cycle heat and mass exchanger and (3) the standard cross-flow evaporative air cooler. To analyze the desiccant wheel and the indirect evaporative air coolers, the modified ε-NTU-model was used. The simulations were performed under assumption that the desiccant wheel is regenerated with air heated to relatively low temperature values (50–60 °C), which can be produced with solar panels in typical moderate climatic conditions. It was established that the main advantage of the presented solutions is that they can provide comfort conditions even with less effective dehumidification. The different systems were compared under variable selected operational factors (i.e. inlet air temperature, humidity and regeneration air temperature). The analysis allowed establishing the advantages and disadvantages of presented solutions and allowed estimating their application potential.

Sunlight triggers cutaneous lupus through a CSF-1-dependent mechanism in MRL-Fas(lpr) mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Menke, Julia; Hsu, Mei-Yu; Byrne, Katelyn T; Lucas, Julie A; Rabacal, Whitney A; Croker, Byron P; Zong, Xiao-Hua; Stanley, E Richard; Kelley, Vicki R

2008-11-15

Sunlight (UVB) triggers cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) and systemic lupus through an unknown mechanism. We tested the hypothesis that UVB triggers CLE through a CSF-1-dependent, macrophage (Mø)-mediated mechanism in MRL-Fas(lpr) mice. By constructing mutant MRL-Fas(lpr) strains expressing varying levels of CSF-1 (high, intermediate, none), and use of an ex vivo gene transfer to deliver CSF-1 intradermally, we determined that CSF-1 induces CLE in lupus-susceptible MRL-Fas(lpr) mice, but not in lupus-resistant BALB/c mice. UVB incites an increase in Møs, apoptosis in the skin, and CLE in MRL-Fas(lpr), but not in CSF-1-deficient MRL-Fas(lpr) mice. Furthermore, UVB did not induce CLE in BALB/c mice. Probing further, UVB stimulates CSF-1 expression by keratinocytes leading to recruitment and activation of Møs that, in turn, release mediators, which induce apoptosis in keratinocytes. Thus, sunlight triggers a CSF-1-dependent, Mø-mediated destructive inflammation in the skin leading to CLE in lupus-susceptible MRL-Fas(lpr) but not lupus-resistant BALB/c mice. Taken together, CSF-1 is envisioned as the match and lupus susceptibility as the tinder leading to CLE.

Asteroid thermal modeling in the presence of reflected sunlight

Science.gov (United States)

Myhrvold, Nathan

2018-03-01

A new derivation of simple asteroid thermal models is presented, investigating the need to account correctly for Kirchhoff's law of thermal radiation when IR observations contain substantial reflected sunlight. The framework applies to both the NEATM and related thermal models. A new parameterization of these models eliminates the dependence of thermal modeling on visible absolute magnitude H, which is not always available. Monte Carlo simulations are used to assess the potential impact of violating Kirchhoff's law on estimates of physical parameters such as diameter and IR albedo, with an emphasis on NEOWISE results. The NEOWISE papers use ten different models, applied to 12 different combinations of WISE data bands, in 47 different combinations. The most prevalent combinations are simulated and the accuracy of diameter estimates is found to be depend critically on the model and data band combination. In the best case of full thermal modeling of all four band the errors in an idealized model the 1σ (68.27%) confidence interval is -5% to +6%, but this combination is just 1.9% of NEOWISE results. Other combinations representing 42% of the NEOWISE results have about twice the CI at -10% to +12%, before accounting for errors due to irregular shape or other real world effects that are not simulated. The model and data band combinations found for the majority of NEOWISE results have much larger systematic and random errors. Kirchhoff's law violation by NEOWISE models leads to errors in estimation accuracy that are strongest for asteroids with W1, W2 band emissivity ɛ12 in both the lowest (0.605 ≤ɛ12 ≤ 0 . 780), and highest decile (0.969 ≤ɛ12 ≤ 0 . 988), corresponding to the highest and lowest deciles of near-IR albedo pIR. Systematic accuracy error between deciles ranges from a low of 5% to as much as 45%, and there are also differences in the random errors. Kirchhoff's law effects also produce large errors in NEOWISE estimates of pIR, particularly for high

Identification of aerosol types over an urban site based on air-mass trajectory classification

Science.gov (United States)

Pawar, G. V.; Devara, P. C. S.; Aher, G. R.

2015-10-01

Columnar aerosol properties retrieved from MICROTOPS II Sun Photometer measurements during 2010-2013 over Pune (18°32‧N; 73°49‧E, 559 m amsl), a tropical urban station in India, are analyzed to identify aerosol types in the atmospheric column. Identification/classification is carried out on the basis of dominant airflow patterns, and the method of discrimination of aerosol types on the basis of relation between aerosol optical depth (AOD500 nm) and Ångström exponent (AE, α). Five potential advection pathways viz., NW/N, SW/S, N, SE/E and L have been identified over the observing site by employing the NOAA-HYSPLIT air mass back trajectory analysis. Based on AE against AOD500 nm scatter plot and advection pathways followed five major aerosol types viz., continental average (CA), marine continental average (MCA), urban/industrial and biomass burning (UB), desert dust (DD) and indeterminate or mixed type (MT) have been identified. In winter, sector SE/E, a representative of air masses traversed over Bay of Bengal and Eastern continental Indian region has relatively small AOD (τpλ = 0.43 ± 0.13) and high AE (α = 1.19 ± 0.15). These values imply the presence of accumulation/sub-micron size anthropogenic aerosols. During pre-monsoon, aerosols from the NW/N sector have high AOD (τpλ = 0.61 ± 0.21), and low AE (α = 0.54 ± 0.14) indicating an increase in the loading of coarse-mode particles over Pune. Dominance of UB type in winter season for all the years (i.e. 2010-2013) may be attributed to both local/transported aerosols. During pre-monsoon seasons, MT is the dominant aerosol type followed by UB and DD, while the background aerosols are insignificant.

Anisotropic diffusion of volatile pollutants at air-water interface

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li-ping Chen

2013-04-01

Full Text Available The volatile pollutants that spill into natural waters cause water pollution. Air pollution arises from the water pollution because of volatilization. Mass exchange caused by turbulent fluctuation is stronger in the direction normal to the air-water interface than in other directions due to the large density difference between water and air. In order to explore the characteristics of anisotropic diffusion of the volatile pollutants at the air-water interface, the relationship between velocity gradient and mass transfer rate was established to calculate the turbulent mass diffusivity. A second-order accurate smooth transition differencing scheme (STDS was proposed to guarantee the boundedness for the flow and mass transfer at the air-water interface. Simulations and experiments were performed to study the trichloroethylene (C2HCl3 release. By comparing the anisotropic coupling diffusion model, isotropic coupling diffusion model, and non-coupling diffusion model, the features of the transport of volatile pollutants at the air-water interface were determined. The results show that the anisotropic coupling diffusion model is more accurate than the isotropic coupling diffusion model and non-coupling diffusion model. Mass transfer significantly increases with the increase of the air-water relative velocity at a low relative velocity. However, at a higher relative velocity, an increase in the relative velocity has no effect on mass transfer.

Sunlight-Driven Forging of Amide/Ester Bonds from Three Independent Components: An Approach to Carbamates.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yating; Huang, Binbin; Yang, Chao; Chen, Qingqing; Xia, Wujiong

2016-11-04

A photoredox catalytic route to carbamates enabled by visible irradiation (or simply sunlight) has been developed. This process leads to a novel approach to the construction of heterocyclic rings wherein the amide or ester motifs of carbamates were assembled from three isolated components. Large-scale experiments were realized by employing continuous flow techniques, and reuse of photocatalyst demonstrated the green and sustainable aspects of this method.

Bacterial growth in humic waters exposed to UV-radiation and simulated sunlight

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Corin, N.; Backlund, P.; Wiklund, T.

1998-01-01

Sterile filtered (0.45 mu m) humic lake water was exposed to simulated sunlight (300-800 nm) or W-radiation (254 run)for various periods of times and the dissolved organic carbon content, absorbance at 254 and 460 nm and PH were recorded. The irradiated water was inoculated with a natural bacterial...... assemblage and the number of viable bacteria war estimated 3 and 5 days after the inoculation using the plate count technique. The number of viable bacteria increased with the irradiation time indicating that the chemical changes of the humus macromolecules observed during irradiation resulted...

Greenhouse Effect: Temperature of a Metal Sphere Surrounded by a Glass Shell and Heated by Sunlight

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Phuc H.; Matzner, Richard A.

2012-01-01

We study the greenhouse effect on a model satellite consisting of a tungsten sphere surrounded by a thin spherical, concentric glass shell, with a small gap between the sphere and the shell. The system sits in vacuum and is heated by sunlight incident along the "z"-axis. This development is a generalization of the simple treatment of the…

Fate of kelthane residues on apple pomace exposed to drying in the dark, sunlight, and ultraviolet light irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Archer, T.E.; Toscano, R.A.

1972-01-01

The present investigations were undertaken to determine the fate of Kelthane residues intentionally applied to apples under controlled laboratory conditions and the reduction of these residues in the pomace by exposure to drying in the dark, in sunlight, and ultraviolet light irradiation

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

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

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

2010-01-01

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

Aerosol composition and properties variation at the ground and over the column under different air masses advection in South Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Pavese, G; Lettino, A; Calvello, M; Esposito, F; Fiore, S

2016-04-01

Aerosol composition and properties variation under the advection of different air masses were investigated, as case studies, by contemporary measurements over the atmospheric column and at the ground in a semi-rural site in South Italy. The absence of local strong sources in this area allowed to characterize background aerosol and to compare particle mixing effects under various atmospheric circulation conditions. Aerosol optical depth (AOD) and Ǻngström parameters from radiometric measurements allowed the detection and identification of polluted, dust, and volcanic atmospheric conditions. AODs were the input for a suitable model to evaluate the columnar aerosol composition, according to six main atmospheric components (water-soluble, soot, sea salt accumulation, sea salt coarse, mineral dus,t and biological). Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis of particulate sampled with a 13-stage impactor at the ground showed not only fingerprints typical of the different air masses but also the effects of transport and aging on atmospheric particles, suggesting processes that changed their chemical and optical properties. Background columnar aerosol was characterized by 72% of water-soluble and soot, in agreement with ground-based findings that highlighted 60% of contribution from anthropogenic carbonate particles and soot. In general, a good agreement between ground-based and columnar results was observed. Under the advection of trans-boundary air masses, water-soluble and soot were always present in columnar aerosol, whereas, in variable percentages, sea salt and mineral particles characterized both dust and volcanic conditions. At the ground, sulfates characterized the amorphous matrix produced in finer stages by the evaporation of solutions of organic and inorganic aerosols. Sulfates were also one of the key players involved in heterogeneous chemical reactions, producing complex secondary aerosol, as such clay-sulfate internally mixed particle externally mixed

Direct detection of benzene, toluene, and ethylbenzene at trace levels in ambient air by atmospheric pressure chemical ionization using a handheld mass spectrometer.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Guangming; Gao, Liang; Duncan, Jason; Harper, Jason D; Sanders, Nathaniel L; Ouyang, Zheng; Cooks, R Graham

2010-01-01

The capabilities of a portable mass spectrometer for real-time monitoring of trace levels of benzene, toluene, and ethylbenzene in air are illustrated. An atmospheric pressure interface was built to implement atmospheric pressure chemical ionization for direct analysis of gas-phase samples on a previously described miniature mass spectrometer (Gao et al. Anal. Chem.2006, 78, 5994-6002). Linear dynamic ranges, limits of detection and other analytical figures of merit were evaluated: for benzene, a limit of detection of 0.2 parts-per-billion was achieved for air samples without any sample preconcentration. The corresponding limits of detection for toluene and ethylbenzene were 0.5 parts-per-billion and 0.7 parts-per-billion, respectively. These detection limits are well below the compounds' permissible exposure levels, even in the presence of added complex mixtures of organics at levels exceeding the parts-per-million level. The linear dynamic ranges of benzene, toluene, and ethylbenzene are limited to approximately two orders of magnitude by saturation of the detection electronics. 2010 American Society for Mass Spectrometry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Multiple diagnostic approaches to palpable breast mass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chin, Soo Yil; Kim, Kie Hwan; Moon, Nan Mo; Kim, Yong Kyu; Jang, Ja June [Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

1985-12-15

The combination of the various diagnostic methods of palpable breast mass has improved the diagnostic accuracy. From September 1983 to August 1985 pathologically proven 85 patients with palpable breast masses examined with x-ray mammography, ultrasonography, penumomammography and aspiration cytology at Korea Cancer Center Hospital were analyzed. The diagnostic accuracies of each methods were 77.6% of mammogram, 74.1% of ultrasonogram, 90.5% of penumomammogram and 92.4% of aspiration cytology. Pneumomammograms was accomplished without difficulty or complication and depicted more clearly delineated mass with various pathognomonic findings; air-ductal pattern in fibroadenoma (90.4%) and cystosarcoma phylloides (100%), air-halo in fibrocystic disease (14.2%), fibroadenoma (100%), cystosarcoma phylloides (100%), air-cystogram in cystic type of fibrocystic disease (100%) and vaculoar pattern or irregular air collection without retained peripheral gas in carcinoma.

Multiple diagnostic approaches to palpable breast mass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chin, Soo Yil; Kim, Kie Hwan; Moon, Nan Mo; Kim, Yong Kyu; Jang, Ja June

1985-01-01

The combination of the various diagnostic methods of palpable breast mass has improved the diagnostic accuracy. From September 1983 to August 1985 pathologically proven 85 patients with palpable breast masses examined with x-ray mammography, ultrasonography, penumomammography and aspiration cytology at Korea Cancer Center Hospital were analyzed. The diagnostic accuracies of each methods were 77.6% of mammogram, 74.1% of ultrasonogram, 90.5% of penumomammogram and 92.4% of aspiration cytology. Pneumomammograms was accomplished without difficulty or complication and depicted more clearly delineated mass with various pathognomonic findings; air-ductal pattern in fibroadenoma (90.4%) and cystosarcoma phylloides (100%), air-halo in fibrocystic disease (14.2%), fibroadenoma (100%), cystosarcoma phylloides (100%), air-cystogram in cystic type of fibrocystic disease (100%) and vaculoar pattern or irregular air collection without retained peripheral gas in carcinoma

Global Air Quality and Climate

Science.gov (United States)

Fiore, Arlene M.; Naik, Vaishali; Steiner, Allison; Unger, Nadine; Bergmann, Dan; Prather, Michael; Righi, Mattia; Rumbold, Steven T.; Shindell, Drew T.; Skeie, Ragnhild B.;

Estructura vertical, temporal y espacial de las masas de aire extremas en la República Argentina en invierno Vertical, temporal and spatial structure of the extreme air masses in Argentine during winter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alejandra S Coronel

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Se identificó la masa de aire a través de la temperatura potencial adiabática equivalente (θae en 850 hPa, en Resistencia, Ezeiza y Comodoro Rivadavia, en los inviernos del período 1959/1991. Se definieron las masas extremas frías y cálidas a partir del primer y último quintil de θae en 850 hPa., respectivamente, y se analizó el primer día de ocurrencia de estas masas: evento frío y evento cálido. La selección de eventos extremos realizada es un discriminante estadísticamente significativo en el comportamiento de los parámetros de superficie como temperatura, presión y humedad en diferentes horas del día. En los días previos y posteriores a la ocurrencia del evento frío se identificó: en superficie un máximo de presión, un mínimo de temperatura que ocurre el día del evento y una mayor probabilidad de precipitación previa a la ocurrencia del evento. En la tropósfera se manifestó un máximo enfriamiento y estabilización de la masa de aire a partir del día del evento. Con referencia al evento cálido se pudo identificar: en superficie un mínimo de presión y un máximo de temperatura y una mayor probabilidad de precipitación posterior a la ocurrencia del evento. En la tropósfera se observó el máximo calentamiento el día del evento.Using the potential equivalent adiabatic temperature in 850 hPa at Resistencia, Ezeiza y Comodoro Rivadavia the air mass is identified. Extreme cold and warm air masses were defined, both identified using quantiles classification of θae at 850 hPa. The relationship of the values of θae at 850 hPa of extreme cold and warm air masses with surface parameters as temperature, pressure and humidity at different hours of the day is statistically significant using a discriminant analysis. The temporal evolution of the variables at surface as well as in the troposphere during the days before and after the occurrence of the cold event helped to identify that: on the surface a pressure maximum

Type II GaSb quantum ring solar cells under concentrated sunlight.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Che-Pin; Hsu, Shun-Chieh; Lin, Shih-Yen; Chang, Ching-Wen; Tu, Li-Wei; Chen, Kun-Cheng; Lay, Tsong-Sheng; Lin, Chien-Chung

2014-03-10

A type II GaSb quantum ring solar cell is fabricated and measured under the concentrated sunlight. The external quantum efficiency confirms the extended absorption from the quantum rings at long wavelength coinciding with the photoluminescence results. The short-circuit current of the quantum ring devices is 5.1% to 9.9% more than the GaAs reference's under various concentrations. While the quantum ring solar cell does not exceed its GaAs counterpart in efficiency under one-sun, the recovery of the open-circuit voltages at higher concentration helps to reverse the situation. A slightly higher efficiency (10.31% vs. 10.29%) is reported for the quantum ring device against the GaAs one.

Efficacy of a dose range of simulated sunlight exposures in raising vitamin D status in South Asian adults: implications for targeted guidance on sun exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Farrar, Mark D; Webb, Ann R; Kift, Richard; Durkin, Marie T; Allan, Donald; Herbert, Annie; Berry, Jacqueline L; Rhodes, Lesley E

2013-06-01

Vitamin D is essential for bone health, and cutaneous synthesis is an important source. South Asians cannot attain adequate amounts of vitamin D by following general recommendations on summer sunlight exposure at northerly latitudes, and increased exposure may be appropriate for improving their vitamin D status. We examined the efficacy of a dose range of simulated summer sunlight exposures in raising vitamin D status in UK adults of South Asian ethnicity. In a dose-response study, healthy adults of South Asian ethnicity (n = 60; 20-60 y old) received 1 of 6 ultraviolet exposures ranging from 0.65 to 3.9 standard erythema doses (SEDs), which were equivalent to 15-90 min unshaded noontime summer sunlight at 53.5°N (Manchester, United Kingdom), 3 times/wk for 6 wk, while wearing casual clothes that revealed a 35% skin area. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] was measured weekly, and dietary vitamin D was estimated. At baseline, all completing participants (n = 51) were vitamin D insufficient [25(OH)D concentrations 10 ng/mL. Targeted guidance on sunlight exposure could usefully enhance vitamin D status to avoid deficiency [25(OH)D concentration >10 ng/mL] in South Asians living at latitudes distant from the equator. This trial was registered at the ISRCTN Register (www.isrctn.org) as 07565297.

Characterization of NOx-Ox relationships during daytime interchange of air masses over a mountain pass in the Mexico City megalopolis

Science.gov (United States)

García-Yee, J. S.; Torres-Jardón, R.; Barrera-Huertas, H.; Castro, T.; Peralta, O.; García, M.; Gutiérrez, W.; Robles, M.; Torres-Jaramillo, J. A.; Ortínez-Álvarez, A.; Ruiz-Suárez, L. G.

2018-03-01

The role of the Tenango del Aire mountain pass, located southeast of the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA), in venting the city's air pollution has already been studied from a meteorological standpoint. To better understand the transport of gaseous air pollutants through the Tenango del Aire Pass (TAP), and its influence on the air quality of the MCMA, three mobile air quality monitoring units were deployed during a 31-day field campaign between February and March of 2011. Surface O3, NOx, and meteorological variables were continuously measured at the three sites. Vertical profiles of O3 and meteorological variables were also obtained at one of the sites using a tethered balloon. Days were classified as being under low pressure synoptic systems (LPS, 13 days), high pressure synoptic systems (HPS, 13 days), or as transition days (TR). The Mexican ozone standards at the Pass were not exceeded during LPS days, but were exceeded on almost all HPS days. A detailed analysis was performed using data from two typical days, one representative of LPS and the other of HPS. In both cases, morning vertical profiles of O3 showed a strong thermal inversion layer and near-surface O3 titration due to fresh NOx. In the LPS early morning, a single O3 layer of close to 45 ppb was observed from 150 to 700 magl. In the HPS early morning, 50 ppb was observed from 150 to 400 magl followed by a 400-m-thick layer with up to 80 ppb. These layers were the source of the morning increase of O3, with a simultaneous sharp decrease of NOx and CO as the mixing layer started to rise. During the LPS day, a southerly wind dominated throughout most of the daytime, with surface O3 lower than 60 ppb. The same was observed for the well-mixed midday and afternoon vertical profiles. Under HPS, northerly winds transported photochemically active air masses from the MCMA all morning, as observed by a smoother increase of Ox and O3, reaching 110 ppb of O3. Just after midday, the wind shifted back, carrying

Light extinction by fine atmospheric particles in the White Mountains region of New Hampshire and its relationship to air mass transport.

Science.gov (United States)

Slater, John F; Dibb, Jack E; Keim, Barry D; Talbot, Robert W

2002-03-27

Chemical, optical, and physical measurements of fine aerosols (aerodynamic diameter mass origin. Filter-based, 24-h integrated samples were collected and analyzed for major inorganic ions, as well as organic (OC), elemental (EC), and total carbon. Light scattering and light absorption coefficients were measured at 5-min intervals using an integrating nephelometer and a light absorption photometer. Fine particle number density was measured with a condensation particle counter. Air mass origins and transport patterns were investigated through the use of 3-day backward trajectories and a synoptic climate classification system. Two distinct transport regimes were observed: (1) flow from the north/northeast (N/NE) occurred during 9 out of 18 sample-days; and (2) flow from the west/southwest (W/SW) occurred 8 out of 18 sample-days. All measured and derived aerosol and meteorological parameters were separated into two categories based on these different flow scenarios. During W/SW flow, higher values of aerosol chemical concentration, absorption and scattering coefficients, number density, and haziness were observed compared to N/NE flow. The highest level of haziness was associated with the climate classification Frontal Atlantic Return, which brought polluted air into the region from the mid-Atlantic corridor. Fine particle mass scattering efficiencies of (NH4)2SO4 and OC were 5.35 +/- 0.42 m2 g(-1) and 1.56 +/- 0.40 m2 g(-1), respectively, when transport was out of the N/NE. When transport was from the W/SW the values were 4.94 +/- 0.68 m2 g(-1) for (NH4)2SO4 and 2.18 +/- 0.91 m2 g(-1) for OC. EC mass absorption efficiency when transport was from the N/NE was 9.66 +/- 1.06 m2 g(-1) and 10.80 +/- 1.76 m2 g(-1) when transport was from the W/SW. Results from this work can be used to predict visual air quality in the White Mountain National Forest based on a forecasted synoptic climate classification and its associated visibility.

Solar Hot Air Balloons: A Low Cost, Multi-hour Flight System for Lightweight Scientific Instrumentation Packages

Science.gov (United States)

Bowman, D. C.; Albert, S.; Dexheimer, D.; Murphy, S.; Mullen, M.

2017-12-01

Existing scientific ballooning solutions for multi hour flights in the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere are expensive and/or technically challenging. In contrast, solar hot air balloons are inexpensive and simple to construct. These balloons, which rely solely on sunlight striking a darkened envelope, can deliver payloads to 22 km altitude and maintain level flight until sunset. We describe an experimental campaign in which five solar hot air balloons launched in 45 minutes created a free flying infrasound (low frequency sound) microphone network that remained in the air for over 12 hours. We discuss the balloons' trajectory, maximum altitude, and stability as well as present results from the infrasound observations. We assess the performance and limitations of this design for lightweight atmospheric instrumentation deployments that require multi-hour flight times. Finally, we address the possibilities of multi day flights during the polar summer and on other planets.

Sunlight-driven eco-friendly smart curtain based on infrared responsive graphene oxide-polymer photoactuators.

Science.gov (United States)

Leeladhar; Raturi, Parul; Singh, J P

2018-02-27

Photomechanical actuation is the conversion of light energy into mechanical energy through some smart materials. Infrared-responsive smart materials have become an emerging field of research due to easy availability and eco-friendly nature of their stimulus in the form of sunlight, which contains about 50% of near-infrared(nIR) making these materials useful at macro-scale photoactuator applications. Here, we demonstrate fabrication of highly versatile nIR triggered photoactuators based on graphene oxide/polycarbonate bilayers that offers fast, low-cost fabrication, large deflection, reversible actuation and wavelength-selective response. The photoactuators are realized by vacuum filtration of graphene oxide/water dispersion through polycarbonate membrane resulting graphene oxide/polymer bilayer structure. The photoactuation response was measured in the form of deflection from equilibrium position as a result of infrared-irradiation. The deflection is caused by the generated thermal stress at the interface of bilayers due to mismatch of thermal expansion coefficient as a results of nIR absorption by graphene oxide and subsequent temperature rise. A maximum deflection of 12 mm (circular-shaped structure with diameter 28 mm) with corresponding bending curvature of 0.33 cm -1 was shown by this photoactuator for illumination intensity of 106 mW/cm 2 . Few applications of these photoactuators such as sunlight-driven smart curtain, infrared actuated curtain and self-folding box are also demonstrated.

Dissolved organic carbon biodegradability from thawing permafrost stimulated by sunlight rather than inorganic nitrogen

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, F.; Chen, L.; Zhang, B.; Wang, G.; Qin, S.; Yang, Y.

2017-12-01

Permafrost thaw could result in a large portion of frozen carbon being laterally transferred to aquatic ecosystems as dissolved organic carbon (DOC). During this delivery process, the size of biodegradable DOC (BDOC) determines the proportion of DOC mineralized by microorganisms and associated carbon loss to the atmosphere, which may further trigger positive carbon-climate feedback. Thermokarst is an abrupt permafrost thaw process that can enhance DOC export and also impact DOC processing through increased inorganic nitrogen (N) and sunlight exposure. However, it remains unclear how thermokarst-impacted BDOC responds to inorganic N addition and ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation. Here we explored the responses of DOC concentration, composition and its biodegradability to inorganic N and UV light in a typical thermokarst on the Tibetan Plateau, by combining field observation and laboratory incubation with spectra analyses (UV-visible absorption and three-dimensional fluorescence spectra) and parallel factor analyses. Our results showed that BDOC in thermokarst feature outflows was significantly higher than in reference water. Furthermore, inorganic N addition had no influence on thermokarst-impacted BDOC, whereas exposure to UV light significantly increased BDOC by as much as 2.3 times higher than the dark-control. Moreover, N addition and UV irradiation did not generate additive effects on BDOC. These results imply that sunlight rather than inorganic N can increase thermokarst-derived BDOC, potentially strengthening the positive permafrost carbon-climate feedback.

Natural organic matter and sunlight accelerate the degradation of 17ss-estradiol in water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leech, Dina M.; Snyder, Matthew T.; Wetzel, Robert G.

2009-01-01

Nanomolar concentrations of steroid hormones such as 17β-estradiol can influence the reproductive development and sex ratios of invertebrate and vertebrate populations. Thus their release into surface and ground waters from wastewater facilities and agricultural applications of animal waste is of environmental concern. Many of these compounds are chromophoric and susceptible to photolytic degradation. High intensity UV-C radiation has been demonstrated to degrade some of these compounds in engineered systems. However, the degradation efficacy of natural solar radiation in shallow fresh waters is less understood. Here photolytic experiments with 17β-estradiol demonstrated modest photodegradation (∼ 26%) when exposed to simulated sunlight between 290 and 720 nm. Photodegradation significantly increased (∼ 40-50%) in the presence of 2.0-15.0 mg/l of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) derived from humic acids of the Suwannee River, GA. However, rates of photodegradation reached a threshold at approximately 5.0 mg/l DOC. Observed suppression of photolysis in the presence of a radical inhibitor (i.e. 2-propanol) indicated that a significant proportion of the degradation was due to radicals formed from the photolysis of DOC. Although photodegradation was greatest in full sunlight containing UV-B (290-320 nm), degradation was also detected with UV-A (320-400 nm) and visible light (400-720 nm) alone

Natural organic matter and sunlight accelerate the degradation of 17ss-estradiol in water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leech, Dina M. [Institute of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 3431 Arendell Street, Morehead City, NC 28557 (United States)], E-mail: dmleech@email.unc.edu; Snyder, Matthew T.; Wetzel, Robert G. [Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 (United States)

2009-03-01

Nanomolar concentrations of steroid hormones such as 17{beta}-estradiol can influence the reproductive development and sex ratios of invertebrate and vertebrate populations. Thus their release into surface and ground waters from wastewater facilities and agricultural applications of animal waste is of environmental concern. Many of these compounds are chromophoric and susceptible to photolytic degradation. High intensity UV-C radiation has been demonstrated to degrade some of these compounds in engineered systems. However, the degradation efficacy of natural solar radiation in shallow fresh waters is less understood. Here photolytic experiments with 17{beta}-estradiol demonstrated modest photodegradation ({approx} 26%) when exposed to simulated sunlight between 290 and 720 nm. Photodegradation significantly increased ({approx} 40-50%) in the presence of 2.0-15.0 mg/l of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) derived from humic acids of the Suwannee River, GA. However, rates of photodegradation reached a threshold at approximately 5.0 mg/l DOC. Observed suppression of photolysis in the presence of a radical inhibitor (i.e. 2-propanol) indicated that a significant proportion of the degradation was due to radicals formed from the photolysis of DOC. Although photodegradation was greatest in full sunlight containing UV-B (290-320 nm), degradation was also detected with UV-A (320-400 nm) and visible light (400-720 nm) alone.

Theory of direct sunlight transmission through orthogonal screen cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aljofi, E.K.

2006-01-01

The Purpose of this paper is to investigate the feasibility of using the Rawshan screens to control high light intensity and to avoid excessive solar radiation penetrating inside the building interior. The exploration of the environmental characteristics of this device indicates an ideal solution to utilize available daylight in the arid atmosphere, reduces energy consumption due to the us of artificial light and ensures the continuity of the traditional architecture and the country heritage. A systematic analysis of direct sunlight transmission has been explored using a mathematical approach. The study intends to construct a predictive tool for the architects through which different specifications of the Rawshan screens were identified as far as direct beam of light concerned. The predictive tool was set-up to investigate various parameters of the screen such as the screen configurations, the aperture configurations, the change in orientation and the effect of the sky condition. The analysis of light transmission through the screen were set-up for orthogonal shapes

Interacting effects of sunlight, agriculturally derived dissolved organic matter and reactive oxygen species on fecal indicator bacteria growth dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Bacterial survival in agriculturally impacted surface waters is dependent on resource availability and also on potential resource transformations, mediated by biotic and abiotic processes. In this study, we focused on the effect of sunlight irradiated cattle fecal extract (CFE) a...

ADEQUATE UV EXPOSURES FOR HEALTHY LIFE: IN SITU MONITORING AND MODEL CALCULATION OF THE VITAMIN-D-SYNTHETIC CAPACITY OF SUNLIGHT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irina Terenetskaya

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Vitamin D which is formed upon UV solar radiation in human skin is essential in many physiological functions. To estimate beneficial vitamin-D-synthetic capacity of sunlight a bio-equivalent UV dosimeter that is based on the same molecular photochemistry from which vitamin D is photosynthesized in human skin has been developed. The examples of an in situ monitoring of the vitamin-D-synthetic capacity of sunlight using an in vitro model of vitamin D synthesis are presented, and various operational principles of the UV biodosimeter are discussed. In addition, reliable algorithm is presented for direct calculation of previtamin D3 accumulation using the photoreaction mathematical model with solar UV spectra as input data. Critical dependence of previtamin D3 accumulation on cloudiness and aerosols is demonstrated.

Inactivation and mutation induction in Saccharomyces cerevisiae exposed to simulated sunlight: evaluation of action spectra.

Science.gov (United States)

Schenk-Meuser, K; Pawlowsky, K; Kiefer, J

1992-07-15

The effectiveness of polychromatic light irradiation was investigated for haploid yeast cells. Inactivation and mutation induction were measured in both a RAD-wildtype strain and an excision-repair defective strain. The behaviour of vegetative "wet" cells was compared to that of dehydrated cells. The aim of the study was to assess the interaction of UVC with other wavelengths in cells of different states of humidity. The irradiation procedure was therefore carried out using a solar simulator either with full spectrum or with a UVC-blocking filter (modified sunlight) added. The results were analysed on the basis of separately determined action spectra. The summation of the efficiency of individual wavelengths was compared to the values obtained from polychromatic irradiation. It is shown that the effects caused by the whole-spectrum irradiation in wet cells can be predicted sufficiently from the calculation, while dried wildtype cells exhibit higher mutation rates. Thus it can be assumed that drying-specific damage leads to lethal and mutagenic lesions which are processed in different ways, causing a synergistic behaviour in mutation induction. Irradiation of vegetative cells with modified sunlight (UVC-) results in less inactivation and lower mutation rates than were calculated. From these results it can be concluded that this antagonistic behaviour is caused by the interaction of near-UV photoproducts.

76 FR 50493 - Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the Desert Sunlight Holdings, LLC, Desert...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-15

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [CACA-48649, LLCAD06000 L51010000 ER0000... right-of-way (ROW) application CACA-48649 for the Desert Sunlight Solar Farm Project (DSSF). The DSSF is... (CACA-052682) where the project would interconnect with the SCE regional transmission system. The DSSF...

Persistent organic contaminants in Saharan dust air masses in West Africa, Cape Verde and the eastern Caribbean

Science.gov (United States)

Garrison, Virginia H.; Majewski, Michael S.; Foreman, William T.; Genualdi, Susan A.; Mohammed, Azad; Massey Simonich, Stacy L.

2014-01-01

Anthropogenic semivolatile organic compounds (SOCs) that persist in the environment, bioaccumulate, are toxic at low concentrations, and undergo long-range atmospheric transport (LRT) were identified and quantified in the atmosphere of a Saharan dust source region (Mali) and during Saharan dust incursions at downwind sites in the eastern Caribbean (U.S. Virgin Islands, Trinidad and Tobago) and Cape Verde. More organochlorine and organophosphate pesticides (OCPPs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners were detected in the Saharan dust region than at downwind sites. Seven of the 13 OCPPs detected occurred at all sites: chlordanes, chlorpyrifos, dacthal, dieldrin, endosulfans, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and trifluralin. Total SOCs ranged from 1.9–126 ng/m3 (mean = 25 ± 34) at source and 0.05–0.71 ng/m3 (mean = 0.24 ± 0.18) at downwind sites during dust conditions. Most SOC concentrations were 1–3 orders of magnitude higher in source than downwind sites. A Saharan source was confirmed for sampled air masses at downwind sites based on dust particle elemental composition and rare earth ratios, atmospheric back trajectory models, and field observations. SOC concentrations were considerably below existing occupational and/or regulatory limits; however, few regulatory limits exist for these persistent organic compounds. Long-term effects of chronic exposure to low concentrations of SOCs are unknown, as are possible additive or synergistic effects of mixtures of SOCs, biologically active trace metals, and mineral dust particles transported together in Saharan dust air masses.

76 FR 62052 - Issuance of a Loan Guarantee to First Solar, Inc., for the Desert Sunlight Solar Farm Project

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-06

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Issuance of a Loan Guarantee to First Solar, Inc., for the Desert Sunlight Solar Farm Project AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy. ACTION: Record of decision. SUMMARY: The U.S... The proposed DSSFP is a photovoltaic solar electrical generating facility using commercial, thin-film...

Degradation of 4-Chlorophenol Under Sunlight Using ZnO Nanoparticles as Catalysts

Science.gov (United States)

Rajar, Kausar; Sirajuddin; Balouch, Aamna; Bhanger, M. I.; Sherazi, Tufail H.; Kumar, Raj

2018-03-01

Herein we demonstrate a simplistic microwave assisted chemical precipitation approach regarding the synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles. As-prepared ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and x-ray diffractometry and scrutinized as photo-catalysts for degradation of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) under sunlight. The study substantiated that 98.5% of 4-CP was degraded within 20 min in the absence of initiator like H2O2 which reflects an outstanding prospective use for ZnO NPs as photo-catalysts. The nanocatalysts were recycled four times and still showed catalytic efficiency up to 95.5% for degradation of 4-CP in the specified 20 min.

A comprehensive investigation of tetragonal Gd-doped BiVO{sub 4} with enhanced photocatalytic performance under sun-light

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luo, Yangyang; Tan, Guoqiang, E-mail: tan3114@163.com; Dong, Guohua; Ren, Huijun; Xia, Ao

2016-02-28

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Tetragonal Gd-BiVO{sub 4} with enhanced photocatalytic activity was synthesized. • Gd doping can induce the phase transition from monoclinic to tetragonal BiVO{sub 4}. • GdVO{sub 4} seeds as crystal nucleus dominate the formation of tetragonal Gd-BiVO{sub 4}. • Tetragonal Gd-BiVO{sub 4} exhibits the excellent separation of electrons and holes. • The contribution of high photocatalytic activity under sun-light is from UV-light. - Abstract: Tetragonal Gd-doped BiVO{sub 4} having enhanced photocatalytic activity have been synthesized by a facile microwave hydrothermal method. The structural analysis indicates that Gd doping can induce the phase transition from monoclinic to tetragonal BiVO{sub 4}. The reaction results in precursor solutions imply that tetragonal GdVO{sub 4} seeds as crystal nucleus are the original and determined incentives to force the formation of tetragonal Gd-BiVO{sub 4}. The influences of the surface defect, band structure, and BET surface area on the improved photocatalytic activities of tetragonal Gd-doped BiVO{sub 4} are investigated systematically. The results demonstrate that the more surface oxygen deficiencies as active sites and the excellent mobility and separation of photogenerated electrons and holes are beneficial to the enhancement of the photocatalytic performance of tetragonal Gd-BiVO{sub 4}. The RhB photodegradation experiments indicate that the contribution of high photocatalytic activities under simulated sun-light is mainly from UV-light region due to the tetragonal structure feature. The best photocatalytic performance is obtained for tetragonal 10 at% Gd-BiVO{sub 4}, of which the RhB degradation rate can reach to 96% after 120 min simulated sun-light irradiation. The stable tetragonal Gd-BiVO{sub 4} with efficient mineralization will be a promising photocatalytic material applied in water purification.

Numerical simulation for the influence of laser-induced plasmas addition on air mass capture of hypersonic inlet

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Wei; Dou, Zhiguo; Li, Qian

2012-03-01

The theory of laser-induced plasmas addition to hypersonic airflow off a vehicle to increase air mass capture and improve the performance of hypersonic inlets at Mach numbers below the design value is explored. For hypersonic vehicles, when flying at mach numbers lower than the design one, we can increase the mass capture ratio of inlet through laser-induced plasmas injection to the hypersonic flow upstream of cowl lip to form a virtual cowl. Based on the theory, the model of interaction between laser-induced plasmas and hypersonic flow was established. The influence on the effect of increasing mass capture ratio was studied at different positions of laser-induced plasmas region for the external compression hypersonic inlet at Mach 5 while the design value is 6, the power of plasmas was in the range of 1-8mJ. The main results are as follows: 1. the best location of the plasma addition region is near the intersection of the nose shock of the vehicle with the continuation of the cowl line, and slightly below that line. In that case, the shock generated by the heating is close to the shock that is a reflection of the vehicle nose shock off the imaginary solid surface-extension of the cowl. 2. Plasma addition does increase mass capture, and the effect becomes stronger as more energy is added, the peak value appeared when the power of plasma was about 4mJ, when the plasma energy continues to get stronger, the mass capture will decline slowly.

Proton Transfer Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Watson, Thomas B. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)

2016-03-01

The Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometer (PTRMS) measures gas-phase compounds in ambient air and headspace samples before using chemical ionization to produce positively charged molecules, which are detected with a time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer. This ionization method uses a gentle proton transfer reaction method between the molecule of interest and protonated water, or hydronium ion (H₃O⁺), to produce limited fragmentation of the parent molecule. The ions produced are primarily positively charged with the mass of the parent ion, plus an additional proton. Ion concentration is determined by adding the number of ions counted at the molecular ion’s mass-to-charge ratio to the number of air molecules in the reaction chamber, which can be identified according to the pressure levels in the reaction chamber. The PTRMS allows many volatile organic compounds in ambient air to be detected at levels from 10–100 parts per trillion by volume (pptv). The response time is 1 to 10 seconds.

Differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS and air mass factor concept for a multiply scattering vertically inhomogeneous medium: theoretical consideration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. V. Rozanov

2010-06-01

Full Text Available The Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS technique is widely used to retrieve amounts of atmospheric species from measurements of the direct solar light transmitted through the Earth's atmosphere as well as of the solar light scattered in the atmosphere or reflected from the Earth's surface. For the transmitted direct solar light the theoretical basis of the DOAS technique represented by the Beer-Lambert law is well studied. In contrast, scarcely investigated is the theoretical basis and validity range of the DOAS method for those cases where the contribution of the multiple scattering processes is not negligible. Our study is intended to fill this gap by means of a theoretical investigation of the applicability of the DOAS technique for the retrieval of amounts of atmospheric species from observations of the scattered solar light with a non-negligible contribution of the multiple scattering.

Starting from the expansion of the intensity logarithm in the functional Taylor series we formulate the general form of the DOAS equation. The thereby introduced variational derivative of the intensity logarithm with respect to the variation of the gaseous absorption coefficient, which is often referred to as the weighting function, is demonstrated to be closely related to the air mass factor. Employing some approximations we show that the general DOAS equation can be rewritten in the form of the weighting function (WFDOAS, the modified (MDOAS, and the standard DOAS equations. For each of these forms a specific equation for the air mass factor follows which, in general, is not suitable for other forms of the DOAS equation. Furthermore, the validity range of the standard DOAS equation is quantitatively investigated using a suggested criterion of a weak absorption.

The results presented in this study are intended to provide a basis for a better understanding of the applicability range of different forms of the DOAS equation as

Conjugate heat and mass transfer in heat mass exchanger ducts

CERN Document Server

Zhang, Li-Zhi

2013-01-01

Conjugate Heat and Mass Transfer in Heat Mass Exchanger Ducts bridges the gap between fundamentals and recent discoveries, making it a valuable tool for anyone looking to expand their knowledge of heat exchangers. The first book on the market to cover conjugate heat and mass transfer in heat exchangers, author Li-Zhi Zhang goes beyond the basics to cover recent advancements in equipment for energy use and environmental control (such as heat and moisture recovery ventilators, hollow fiber membrane modules for humidification/dehumidification, membrane modules for air purification, desi

The influence of continental air masses on the aerosols and nutrients deposition over the western North Pacific

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Jiangping; Wang, Bo; Chen, Ying; Ma, Qingwei

2018-01-01

The air masses transported from East Asia have a strong impact on the aerosol properties and deposition in the marine boundary layer of the western North Pacific (WNP) during winter and spring. We joined a cruise between 17 Mar. and 22 Apr. 2014 and investigated the changes of aerosol composition and size distribution over the remote WNP and marginal seas. Although the secondary aerosol species (SO42-, NO3- and NH4+) in remote WNP were influenced significantly by the continental transport, NH4+ concentrations were lower than 2.7 μg m-3 in most sampling days and not correlated with non-sea-salt (nss)-SO42- suggesting that the ocean could be a primary source of NH4+. Moderate Cl- depletion (23%) was observed in remote WNP, and the inverse relationship between Cl- depletion percentages and nss-K+ in aerosols suggested that the transport of biomass burning smoke from East Asia might be a vital extra source of Cl-. Both Asian dust and haze events were encountered during the cruise. Asian dust carried large amounts of crustal elements such as Al and Ti to the WNP, and the dusty Fe deposition may double its background concentration in seawater. Differently, a dramatic increase of dry deposition flux of dissolved particulate inorganic nitrogen was observed during the haze event. Our study reveals that the transport of different continental air masses may have distinct biogeochemical impacts on the WNP by increasing the fluxes of different nutrient elements and potentially changing the nutrient stoichiometry.

Combining Experiments and Simulation of Gas Absorption for Teaching Mass Transfer Fundamentals: Removing CO2 from Air Using Water and NaOH

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, William M.; Jackson, Yaminah Z.; Morin, Michael T.; Ferraro, Giacomo P.

2011-01-01

Laboratory experiments and computer models for studying the mass transfer process of removing CO2 from air using water or dilute NaOH solution as absorbent are presented. Models tie experiment to theory and give a visual representation of concentration profiles and also illustrate the two-film theory and the relative importance of various…

Molecular and sensory mechanisms to mitigate sunlight-induced DNA damage in treefrog tadpoles.

Science.gov (United States)

Schuch, André P; Lipinski, Victor M; Santos, Mauricio B; Santos, Caroline P; Jardim, Sinara S; Cechin, Sonia Z; Loreto, Elgion L S

2015-10-01

The increased incidence of solar ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation has been proposed as an environmental stressor, which may help to explain the enigmatic decline of amphibian populations worldwide. Despite growing knowledge regarding the UV-induced biological effects in several amphibian models, little is known about the efficacy of DNA repair pathways. In addition, little attention has been given to the interplay between these molecular mechanisms with other physiological strategies that avoid the damage induced by sunlight. Here, DNA lesions induced by environmental doses of solar UVB and UVA radiation were detected in genomic DNA samples of treefrog tadpoles (Hypsiboas pulchellus) and their DNA repair activity was evaluated. These data were complemented by monitoring the induction of apoptosis in blood cells and tadpole survival. Furthermore, the tadpoles' ability to perceive and escape from UV wavelengths was evaluated as an additional strategy of photoprotection. The results show that tadpoles are very sensitive to UVB light, which could be explained by the slow DNA repair rates for both cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) and pyrimidine (6,4) pyrimidone photoproducts (6,4PPs). However, they were resistant to UVA, probably as a result of the activation of photolyases during UVA irradiation. Surprisingly, a sensory mechanism that triggers their escape from UVB and UVA light avoids the generation of DNA damage and helps to maintain the genomic integrity. This work demonstrates the genotoxic impact of both UVB and UVA radiation on tadpoles and emphasizes the importance of the interplay between molecular and sensory mechanisms to minimize the damage caused by sunlight. © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Analysis of air mass trajectories to explain observed variability of tritium in precipitation at the Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory, California, USA.

Science.gov (United States)

Visser, Ate; Thaw, Melissa; Esser, Brad

2018-01-01

Understanding the behavior of tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen, in the environment is important to evaluate the exposure risk of anthropogenic releases, and for its application as a tracer in hydrology and oceanography. To understand and predict the variability of tritium in precipitation, HYSPLIT air mass trajectories were analyzed for 16 aggregate precipitation samples collected over a 2 year period at irregular intervals at a research site located at 2000 m elevation in the southern Sierra Nevada (California, USA). Attributing the variation in tritium to specific source areas confirms the hypothesis that higher latitude or inland sources bring higher tritium levels in precipitation than precipitation originating in the lower latitude Pacific Ocean. In this case, the source of precipitation accounts for 79% of the variation observed in tritium concentrations. Air mass trajectory analysis is a promising tool to improve the predictions of tritium in precipitation at unmonitored locations and thoroughly understand the processes controlling transport of tritium in the environment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sensitive and comprehensive detection of chemical warfare agents in air by atmospheric pressure chemical ionization ion trap tandem mass spectrometry with counterflow introduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Seto, Yasuo; Sekiguchi, Hiroshi; Maruko, Hisashi; Yamashiro, Shigeharu; Sano, Yasuhiro; Takayama, Yasuo; Sekioka, Ryoji; Yamaguchi, Shintaro; Kishi, Shintaro; Satoh, Takafumi; Sekiguchi, Hiroyuki; Iura, Kazumitsu; Nagashima, Hisayuki; Nagoya, Tomoki; Tsuge, Kouichiro; Ohsawa, Isaac; Okumura, Akihiko; Takada, Yasuaki; Ezawa, Naoya; Watanabe, Susumu; Hashimoto, Hiroaki

2014-05-06

A highly sensitive and specific real-time field-deployable detection technology, based on counterflow air introduction atmospheric pressure chemical ionization, has been developed for a wide range of chemical warfare agents (CWAs) comprising gaseous (two blood agents, three choking agents), volatile (six nerve gases and one precursor agent, five blister agents), and nonvolatile (three lachrymators, three vomiting agents) agents in air. The approach can afford effective chemical ionization, in both positive and negative ion modes, for ion trap multiple-stage mass spectrometry (MS(n)). The volatile and nonvolatile CWAs tested provided characteristic ions, which were fragmented into MS(3) product ions in positive and negative ion modes. Portions of the fragment ions were assigned by laboratory hybrid mass spectrometry (MS) composed of linear ion trap and high-resolution mass spectrometers. Gaseous agents were detected by MS or MS(2) in negative ion mode. The limits of detection for a 1 s measurement were typically at or below the microgram per cubic meter level except for chloropicrin (submilligram per cubic meter). Matrix effects by gasoline vapor resulted in minimal false-positive signals for all the CWAs and some signal suppression in the case of mustard gas. The moisture level did influence the measurement of the CWAs.

Relevance of sunscreen application method, visible light and sunlight intensity to free-radical protection: A study of ex vivo human skin.

Science.gov (United States)

Haywood, Rachel

2006-01-01

With the continued rise in skin cancers worldwide there is a need for effective skin protection against sunlight damage. It was shown previously that sunscreens, which claimed UVA protection (SPF 20+), provided limited protection against UV-induced ascorbate radicals in human skin. Here the results of an electron spin resonance (ESR) investigation to irradiate ex vivo human skin with solar-simulated light are reported. The ascorbate radical signal in the majority of skin samples was directly proportional to the irradiance over relevant sunlight intensities (0.9-2.9 mW cm(-2)). Radical production (substratum-corneum) by UV (wavelengths 400 nm) was approximately 67% and 33% respectively. Ascorbate radicals were in steady state concentration at low irradiance (approximately 1 mW cm(-2) equivalent to UK sunlight), but at higher irradiance (approximately 3 mW cm(-2)) decreased with time, suggesting ascorbate depletion. Radical protection by a four star-rated sunscreen (with UVA protection) was optimal when applied as a thin film (40-60% at 2 mg cm(-2)) but less so when rubbed into the skin (37% at 4 mg cm(-2) and no significant protection at 2 mg cm(-2)), possibly due to cream filling crevices, which reduced film thickness. This study validates ESR determinations of the ascorbate radical for quantitative protection measurements. Visible light contribution to radical production, and loss of protection when sunscreen is rubbed into skin, has implications for sunscreen design and use for the prevention of free-radical damage.

Evaluation of the effects of repeated hand washing, sunlight, smoke and dirt on the persistence of deltamethrin on insecticide-treated nets.

Science.gov (United States)

Kayedi, M H; Lines, J D; Haghdoost, A A; Vatandoost, M H; Rassi, Y; Khamisabady, K

2008-08-01

Field studies were carried out in Iran to evaluate the effect of various factors (washing, sun, smoke, dust and dirt) on the residual insecticidal activity of PermaNet (a brand of long-lasting insecticidal net), and on nets conventionally treated with deltamethrin (K-O Tab), using bioassay tests. Thirty-two nets were washed five or 15 times, and eight nets were not washed at all. Nets were washed vigorously in cold tap water (17 degrees C, pH 8.9) with a detergent. Hand rubbing continued for 3min. After washing, some nets were exposed to dense smoke from a dung-hay fire for 3min and were also left exposed to the dusty wind between washes. One group of nets was exposed to the sunlight for the full 3-d interval between washes; another was exposed to sunlight for just 3h after each wash; two other groups were kept in the shade. There was a significantly greater loss of activity in nets exposed to the sun throughout the 3-d interval between washes: that is, for a total of 15 to 45 d. However, short sunlight exposure (maximum 3h between washes) during drying did not have any effect. We did not find any significant effect of exposure to dirt, dust and smoke after washing. It is concluded that the effect of sun is much smaller than that of washing, and that drying nets for a few hours in the sun is not harmful.

A study of photochemical againg of ambient air using Potential Aerosol Mass (PAM) chamber under the different sources and types of emissions

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, T.; Son, J.; Kim, J.; Kim, S.; Sung, K.; Park, G.; Link, M.; Park, T.; Kim, K.; Kang, S.; Ban, J.; Kim, D. S.

2016-12-01

Recent research proposed that Secondary Aerosol (SA) is important class of predicting future climate change scenarios, health effect, and a general air quality. However, there has been lack of studies to investigate SA formation all over the world. This study tried to focus on understanding potential secondary aerosol formation and its local impact by the photochemical aging of inorganic and organic aerosols in the ambient air using the Potential Aerosol Mass (PAM) chamber under the different sources and types of emissions. PAM chamber manufactured by Aerodyne make an oxidizing environment that simulates oxidation processes on timescales of 12-15 hrs in the atmosphere. Chemical compositions of ambient aerosol and aerosol that was aged in the PAM chamber were alternately measured every 2-minutes using the High Resolution-Time of Flight-Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS). HR-ToF-AMS provides non-refractory aerosol mass concentrations including nitrate, sulfate, hydrocarbon-like and oxygenated organic aerosol in real time. This study includes a residence area of mixture of sources, a forest site of dominant source of biogenic VOCs, an underground parking lot of dominant vehicle emission, and laboratory experiment of vehicle emissions under different fuels and speeds using the chassis dynamometer. As a result, it was revealed that gasoline and LPG vehicle relatively made more potential SA than diesel vehicle.

Hygroscopic growth of particles nebulized from water-soluble extracts of PM2.5 aerosols over the Bay of Bengal: Influence of heterogeneity in air masses and formation pathways.

Science.gov (United States)

Boreddy, S K R; Kawamura, Kimitaka; Bikkina, Srinivas; Sarin, M M

2016-02-15

Hygroscopic properties of water-soluble matter (WSM) extracted from fine-mode aerosols (PM2.5) in the marine atmospheric boundary layer of the Bay of Bengal (BoB) have been investigated during a cruise from 27th December 2008 to 30th January 2009. Hygroscopic growth factors were measured on particles generated from the WSM using an H-TDMA system with an initial dry size of 100 nm in the range of 5-95% relative humidity (RH). The measured hygroscopic growth of WSM at 90% RH, g(90%)WSM, were ranged from 1.11 to 1.74 (mean: 1.43 ± 0.19) over the northern BoB and 1.12 to 1.38 (mean: 1.25 ± 0.09) over the southern BoB. A key finding is that distinct hygroscopic growth factors are associated with the air masses from the Indo-Gangetic plains (IGP), which are clearly distinguishable from those associated with air masses from Southeast Asia (SEA). We found higher (lower) g(90%)WSM over the northern (southern) BoB, which were associated with an IGP (SEA) air masses, probably due the formation of high hygroscopic salts such as (NH4)2SO4. On the other hand, biomass burning influenced SEA air masses confer the low hygroscopic salts such as K2SO4, MgSO4, and organic salts over the southern BoB. Interestingly, mass fractions of water-soluble organic matter (WSOM) showed negative and positive correlations with g(90%)WSM over the northern and southern BoB, respectively, suggesting that the mixing state of organic and inorganic fractions could play a major role on the g(90%)WSM over the BoB. Further, WSOM/SO4(2-) mass ratios suggest that SO4(2-) dominates the g(90%)WSM over the northern BoB whereas WSOM fractions were important over the southern BoB. The present study also suggests that aging process could significantly alter the hygroscopic growth of aerosol particles over the BoB, especially over the southern BoB. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Real-time measurement of plutonium in air by direct-inlet surface ionization mass spectrometry. Status report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stoffels, J.J.

1980-04-01

A new technique is being developed for monitoring low-level airborne plutonium on a real-time basis. The technique is based on surface ionization mass spectrometry of airborne particles. It will be capable of measuring plutonium concentrations below the maximum permissible concentration (MPC) level. A complete mass spectrometer was designed and constructed for this purpose. Major components which were developed and made operational for the instrument include an efficient inlet for directly sampling particles in air, a wide dynamic range ion detector and a minicomputer-based ion-burst measurement system. Calibration of the direct-inlet mass spectrometer (DIMS) was initiated to establish the instrument's response to plutonium dioxide as a function of concentration and particle size. This work revealed an important problem - bouncing of particles upon impact with the ionizing filament. Particle bounce results in a significant loss of measurement sensitivity. The feasibility of using an oven ionizer to overcome the particle bounce problem has been demonstrated. A rhenium oven ionizer was designed and constructed for the purpose of trapping particles which enter via the direct inlet. High-speed particles were trapped in the oven yielding a measurement sensitivity comparable to that for particles which are preloaded. Development of the Pu DIMS can now be completed by optimizing the oven design and calibrating the instrument's performance with UO 2 and CeO 2 particles as analogs to PuO 2 particles

An investigation on the supersonic ejectors working with mixture of air and steam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shafaee, Maziar; Tavakol, Mohsen; Riazi, Rouzbeh; Sharifi, Navid

2015-01-01

This study evaluated the performance of an ejector using two streams of fluids as suction flow. Three motive flow pressures were considered when investigating ejector performance; the suction flow pressure was assumed to be constant. The suction flow consisted of a mixture of air and steam and the mass fraction of air in this mixture varied from 0 to 1. The ejector performance curves were analyzed for different mass fractions of air. The results indicate that variation of the mass fraction of air in the suction flow mixture had a significant effect on ejector performance. At all motive flow pressures, the ejector entertainment ratio increased as the mass fraction of air in the suction flow increased. The results also show that the sensitivity of ejector performance to variation in the mass fraction of air in the suction flow decreases at higher motive flow pressures. An increase in motive flow pressure caused the transition from supersonic to subsonic flow to occur at higher ejector discharge pressures

An investigation on the supersonic ejectors working with mixture of air and steam

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shafaee, Maziar; Tavakol, Mohsen; Riazi, Rouzbeh [University of Tehran, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Sharifi, Navid [Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2015-11-15

This study evaluated the performance of an ejector using two streams of fluids as suction flow. Three motive flow pressures were considered when investigating ejector performance; the suction flow pressure was assumed to be constant. The suction flow consisted of a mixture of air and steam and the mass fraction of air in this mixture varied from 0 to 1. The ejector performance curves were analyzed for different mass fractions of air. The results indicate that variation of the mass fraction of air in the suction flow mixture had a significant effect on ejector performance. At all motive flow pressures, the ejector entertainment ratio increased as the mass fraction of air in the suction flow increased. The results also show that the sensitivity of ejector performance to variation in the mass fraction of air in the suction flow decreases at higher motive flow pressures. An increase in motive flow pressure caused the transition from supersonic to subsonic flow to occur at higher ejector discharge pressures.

MAXIMUM AIR SUCTION INTO HORIZONTAL OPEN ENDED CYLINDRICAL LOUVERED PIPE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

SAMEER RANJAN SAHU

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The main approach behind the present numerical investigation is to estimate the mass flow rate of air sucked into a horizontal open-ended louvered pipe from the surrounding atmosphere. The present numerical investigation has been performed by solving the conservation equations for mass, momentum and energy along with two equation based k-ɛ model for a louvered horizontal cylindrical pipe by finite volume method. It has been found from the numerical investigation that mass suction rate of air into the pipe increases with increase in louvered opening area and the number of nozzles used. Keeping other parameters fixed, for a given mass flow rate there exists an optimum protrusion of nozzle for highest mass suction into the pipe. It was also found from the numerical investigation that increasing the pipe diameter the suction mass flow rate of air was increased.

A Lagrangian model of air-mass photochemistry and mixing using a trajectory ensemble: the Cambridge Tropospheric Trajectory model of Chemistry And Transport (CiTTyCAT version 4.2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. A. M. Pugh

2012-01-01

Full Text Available A Lagrangian model of photochemistry and mixing is described (CiTTyCAT, stemming from the Cambridge Tropospheric Trajectory model of Chemistry And Transport, which is suitable for transport and chemistry studies throughout the troposphere. Over the last five years, the model has been developed in parallel at several different institutions and here those developments have been incorporated into one "community" model and documented for the first time. The key photochemical developments include a new scheme for biogenic volatile organic compounds and updated emissions schemes. The key physical development is to evolve composition following an ensemble of trajectories within neighbouring air-masses, including a simple scheme for mixing between them via an evolving "background profile", both within the boundary layer and free troposphere. The model runs along trajectories pre-calculated using winds and temperature from meteorological analyses. In addition, boundary layer height and precipitation rates, output from the analysis model, are interpolated to trajectory points and used as inputs to the mixing and wet deposition schemes. The model is most suitable in regimes when the effects of small-scale turbulent mixing are slow relative to advection by the resolved winds so that coherent air-masses form with distinct composition and strong gradients between them. Such air-masses can persist for many days while stretching, folding and thinning. Lagrangian models offer a useful framework for picking apart the processes of air-mass evolution over inter-continental distances, without being hindered by the numerical diffusion inherent to global Eulerian models. The model, including different box and trajectory modes, is described and some output for each of the modes is presented for evaluation. The model is available for download from a Subversion-controlled repository by contacting the corresponding authors.

Elbow mass flow meter

Science.gov (United States)

McFarland, A.R.; Rodgers, J.C.; Ortiz, C.A.; Nelson, D.C.

1994-08-16

The present invention includes a combination of an elbow pressure drop generator and a shunt-type mass flow sensor for providing an output which gives the mass flow rate of a gas that is nearly independent of the density of the gas. For air, the output is also approximately independent of humidity. 3 figs.

Quantification of topographic venting of boundary layer air to the free troposphere

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Henne

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Net vertical air mass export by thermally driven flows from the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL to the free troposphere (FT above deep Alpine valleys was investigated. The vertical export of pollutants above mountainous terrain is presently poorly represented in global chemistry transport models (GCTMs and needs to be quantified. Air mass budgets were calculated using aircraft observations obtained in deep Alpine valleys. The results show that on average 3 times the valley air mass is exported vertically per day under fair weather conditions. During daytime the type of valleys investigated in this study can act as an efficient 'air pump' that transports pollutants upward. The slope wind system within the valley plays an important role in redistributing pollutants. Nitrogen oxide emissions in mountainous regions are efficiently injected into the FT. This could enhance their ozone (O3 production efficiency and thus influences tropospheric pollution budgets. Once lifted to the FT above the Alps pollutants are transported horizontally by the synoptic flow and are subject to European pollution export. Forward trajectory studies show that under fair weather conditions two major pathways for air masses above the Alps dominate. Air masses moving north are mixed throughout the whole tropospheric column and further transported eastward towards Asia. Air masses moving south descend within the subtropical high pressure system above the Mediterranean.

Aromatic/heterocyclic amino acids and the simulated sunlight-ultraviolet inactivation of the Heliothis/Helicoverpa baculovirus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ignoffo, C.M.; Garcia, C.

1995-01-01

Tryptophan, of five aromatic/heterocyclic amino acids (tyrosine, phenylalanine, proline, histidine) provided significant protection of the Heliothis baculovirus (HzSNPV) from inactivation by simulated ultraviolet (SUV). Fifty percent of SUV protection of HzSNPV with tryptophan or tyrosine was obtained at 0.03 mg/ml and 0.5 mg/ml, respectively. Rates as high as 100.0 mg/ml of phenylalanine, histidine, or proline provided <50% protection. The extent of tryptophan protection was correlated with its absorption in the sunlight UV-B spectra. 16 refs., 2 tabs

Modeling 3D conjugate heat and mass transfer for turbulent air drying of Chilean papaya in a direct contact dryer

Science.gov (United States)

Lemus-Mondaca, Roberto A.; Vega-Gálvez, Antonio; Zambra, Carlos E.; Moraga, Nelson O.

2017-01-01

A 3D model considering heat and mass transfer for food dehydration inside a direct contact dryer is studied. The k- ɛ model is used to describe turbulent air flow. The samples thermophysical properties as density, specific heat, and thermal conductivity are assumed to vary non-linearly with temperature. FVM, SIMPLE algorithm based on a FORTRAN code are used. Results unsteady velocity, temperature, moisture, kinetic energy and dissipation rate for the air flow are presented, whilst temperature and moisture values for the food also are presented. The validation procedure includes a comparison with experimental and numerical temperature and moisture content results obtained from experimental data, reaching a deviation 7-10 %. In addition, this turbulent k- ɛ model provided a better understanding of the transport phenomenon inside the dryer and sample.

Evaluation of chemical transport model predictions of primary organic aerosol for air masses classified by particle-component-based factor analysis

OpenAIRE

C. A. Stroud; M. D. Moran; P. A. Makar; S. Gong; W. Gong; J. Zhang; J. G. Slowik; J. P. D. Abbatt; G. Lu; J. R. Brook; C. Mihele; Q. Li; D. Sills; K. B. Strawbridge; M. L. McGuire

2012-01-01

Observations from the 2007 Border Air Quality and Meteorology Study (BAQS-Met 2007) in Southern Ontario, Canada, were used to evaluate predictions of primary organic aerosol (POA) and two other carbonaceous species, black carbon (BC) and carbon monoxide (CO), made for this summertime period by Environment Canada's AURAMS regional chemical transport model. Particle component-based factor analysis was applied to aerosol mass spectrometer measurements made at one urban site (Windsor, ON) and two...

The Potential of The Synergy of Sunphotometer and Lidar Data to Validate Vertical Profiles of The Aerosol Mass Concentration Estimated by An Air Quality Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siomos N.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Vertical profiles of the aerosol mass concentration derived by the Lidar/Radiometer Inversion Code (LIRIC, that uses combined sunphotometer and lidar data, were used in order to validate the aerosol mass concentration profiles estimated by the air quality model CAMx. Lidar and CIMEL measurements performed at the Laboratory of Atmospheric Physics of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece (40.5N, 22.9E from the period 2013-2014 were used in this study.

Preservation of glutamic acid-iron chelate into montmorillonite to efficiently degrade Reactive Blue 19 in a Fenton system under sunlight irradiation at neutral pH

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Zhujian [College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642 (China); Wu, Pingxiao, E-mail: pppxwu@scut.edu.cn [School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre, Guangzhou 510006 (China); The Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Clusters, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Gong, Beini; Yang, Shanshan; Li, Hailing [School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Zhu, Ziao; Cui, Lihua [College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642 (China)

2016-05-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • G–Fe chelate molecules were well preserved into montmorillonite. • The product shows an excellent catalytic activity under sunlight at neutral pH value. • G–Fe–Mt is a promising catalyst for advanced oxidation processes. - Abstract: To further enhance the visible light responsive property and the chemical stability of Fe/clay mineral catalysts, glutamic acid-iron chelate intercalated montmorillonite (G–Fe–Mt) was developed. The physiochemical properties of G–Fe–Mt were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), etc. The results showed that glutamic acid-iron chelates were successfully intercalated into the gallery of montmorillonite and the intercalated glutamic acid-iron chelate molecules were well preserved. The product G–Fe–Mt displayed excellent catalytic performance in heterogeneous photo-Fenton reaction under sunlight irradiation at acidic and neutral pH values. The chelation and the visible light responsiveness of glutamic acid produce a synergistic effect leading to greatly enhanced sunlight-Fenton reaction catalyzed by the heterogeneous G–Fe–Mt under neutral pH. G–Fe–Mt is a promising catalyst for advanced oxidation processes.

Simultaneous mass detection for direct inlet mass spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gordon, R.L.

1979-05-01

The evolution of analytical techniques for application in trace analysis has led to interest in practical methods for real-time monitoring. Direct inlet mass spectrometry (DIMS) has been the subject of considerable activity in recent years. A DIMS instrument is described which consists of an inlet system designed to permit particles entrained in the inlet air stream to strike a hot, oxidized rhenium filament which serves as a surface ionization source. A mass analyzer and detection system then permits identification of the elemental composition of particulates which strike the filament

The Air Blast Wave from a Nuclear Explosion

Science.gov (United States)

Reines, Frederick

The sudden, large scale release of energy in the explosion of a nuclear bomb in air gives rise, in addition to nuclear emanations such as neutrons and gamma rays, to an extremely hot, rapidly expanding mass of air.** The rapidly expanding air mass has an initial temperature in the vicinity of a few hundred thousand degrees and for this reason it glows in its early stages with an intensity of many suns. It is important that the energy density in this initial "ball of fire" is of the order of 3 × 103 times that found in a detonating piece of TNT and hence that the initial stages of the large scale air motion produced by a nuclear explosion has no counterpart in an ordinary. H. E. explosion. Further, the relatively low temperatures ˜2,000°C associated with the initial stages of an H. E. detonation implies that the thermal radiation which it emits is a relatively insignificant fraction of the total energy involves. This point is made more striking when it is remembered that the thermal energy emitted by a hot object varies directly with the temperature in the Rayleigh Jeans region appropriate to the present discussion. The expansion of the air mass heated by the nuclear reaction produces, in qualitatively the same manner as in an H.E. explosion or the bursting of a high pressure balloon, an intense sharp pressure pulse, a shock wave, in the atmosphere. As the pressure pulse spreads outward it weakens due to the combined effects of divergence and the thermodynamically irreversible nature of the shock wave. The air comprising such a pressure pulse or blast wave moves first radially outward and then back towards the center as the blast wave passes. Since a permanent outward displacement of an infinite mass of air would require unlimited energy, the net outward displacement of the air distant from an explosion must approach zero with increasing distance. As the distance from the explosion is diminished the net outward displacement due to irreversible shock heating of

Interactions of Climate Change, Air Pollution, and Human Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Kinney, Patrick L

2018-03-01

I review literature on the impacts of climate change on air quality and human health, with a focus on articles published from 2013 on ozone and airborne particles. Selected previous literature is discussed where relevant in tracing the origins of our current knowledge. Climate and weather have strong influences on the spatial and temporal distribution of air pollution concentrations. Emissions of ozone and PM 2.5 precursors increase at higher ambient temperatures. The reactions that form ozone occur faster with greater sunlight and higher temperatures. Weather systems influence the movement and dispersion of air pollutants in the atmosphere through the action of winds, vertical mixing, and precipitation, all of which are likely to alter in a changing climate. Recent studies indicate that, holding anthropogenic air pollution emissions constant, ozone concentrations in populated regions will tend to increase in future climate scenarios. For the USA, the climate impact on ozone is most consistently seen in north-central and north-eastern states, with the potential for many thousands of additional ozone-related deaths. The sensitivity of anthropogenic PM 2.5 to climate is more variable across studies and regions, owing to the varied nature of PM constituents, as well as to less complete characterization of PM reaction chemistry in available atmospheric models. However, PM emitted by wildland fires is likely to become an increasing health risk in many parts of the world as climate continues to change. The complex interactions between climate change and air quality imply that future policies to mitigate these twin challenges will benefit from greater coordination. Assessing the health implications of alternative policy approaches towards climate and pollution mitigation will be a critical area of future work.

Thermal process of an air column

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, F.T.

1994-01-01

Thermal process of a hot air column is discussed based on laws of thermodynamics. The kinetic motion of the air mass in the column can be used as a power generator. Alternatively, the column can also function as a exhaust/cooler

An integrated effect of protein intake at breakfast and morning exposure to sunlight on the circadian typology in Japanese infants aged 2-6 years.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakade, Miyo; Takeuchi, Hitomi; Taniwaki, Nozomi; Noji, Teruki; Harada, Tetsuo

2009-09-01

Tryptophan (Trp) intake at breakfast promotes morning-typed circadian typology and higher sleep quality in Japanese children aged 0-6 yrs (Harada et al., 2007). This effect may be accelerated by morning exposure to sunlight, which has not yet been tested. This study aimed to investigate such an effect in Japanese children. In May, 2006, an integrated questionnaire was administered to 0-6-year-old children attending one of 12 kindergartens. 906 parents answered the questionnaire for their children and themselves (response rate: 67.4%). The integrated questionnaire included the revised version for children of the Morningness-Eveningness (M-E) Questionnaire and questions on sleep, nutritional balance, mental health, and sunlight exposure. Analysis was made on data from 744 children aged 2-6 (385 girls, 359 boys) whose average M-E score was 20.6+/-3.46. Children who had breakfast at regular times tended to be more morning-typed and were less frequently angry (p=0.001) and depressed (p=0.007). Children who had nutritionally well-balanced breakfasts tended to be more morning-typed (pbreakfast might be a strong zeitgeber for circadian oscillators of children, and the morning-type driving effect of protein intake could be accelerated by morning exposure to sunlight.

Thermal assessment of sunlight impinging on OSIRIS-REx OCAMS PolyCam, OTES, and IMU-sunshade MLI blankets in flight

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Michael K.

2017-09-01

The NASA Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft was successfully launched into orbit on September 8, 2016. It is traveling to a near-Earth asteroid (101955) Bennu, study it in detail, and bring back a pristine sample to Earth for scientific analyses. At the Outbound Cruise nominal spacecraft attitude, with Sun on +X, sunlight impinges on the OSIRIS-REx camera suite (OCAMS) PolyCam sunshade multilayer insulation (MLI) with microporous black polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), a portion of the PolyCam optics support tube (MLI with germanium black Kapton (GBK)), a portion of the OSIRIS-REx Thermal Emission Spectrometer (OTES) sunshade (MLI with GBK), the Inertia Measurement Unit (IMU) sunshade (MLI with GBK), and the OSIRIS-REx Laser Altimeter (OLA) sunshade (MLI with GBK). Sunlight is reflected or scattered by the above MLIs to the other components on the forward (+Z) deck. It illuminates the forward deck. A detailed thermal assessment on the solar impingement has been performed for the Proximity Ops at the asteroid, Touch-and-Go sample acquisition, and Return Cruise mission phases.

Evidence for three types of x-ray damage repair in yeast and sensitivity of totally repair deficient strains to sunlight

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Game, J.C.; Schild, D.; Mortimer, R.K.

1987-01-01

Mutants of yeast that confer sensitivity to x-rays are known to fall into two epistasis groups, called here the RAD51 and RAD18 groups, which are each thought to control a different type of x-ray repair. They examine here the role of genes in a third repair pathways in x-ray repair. RAD1 and RAD3 are known to be important in the repair of pyrimidine dimers after uv-irradiation. They find that these genes can also play an important role in x-ray repair, but that this role is only exposed when both the other pathways of x-ray repair are blocked. Double mutants blocked in the RAD51 and RAD18 pathways are significantly less x-ray sensitive than triple mutants blocked in these pathways but also mutant in either the RAD1 or RAD3 genes. In a related experiment, they tested the importance of DNA repair in nature by determining the sensitivity to natural unfiltered sunlight of a strain lacking all known DNA repair pathways. They constructed a quadruple mutant strain containing RAD1-1, RAD18-2, RAD51-1 and PHR1-1. The latter mutation blocks the cell's ability to photoreactivate uv damage. They found that this strain was so sensitive to sunlight that less than three seconds' exposure would cause an average of one lethal hit per cell, and survival was less than 2% after ten seconds' exposure. Wild type yeast at sea level showed no killing after thirty minutes. the quadruple mutant is approximately one thousand times more sensitive to sunlight than the related wild type

Terrestrial photovoltaic power systems with sunlight concentration. Annual progress report, January 1, 1975--December 31, 1975

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Backus, C.E.

1976-01-31

This annual report is for the second year of a program to investigate the characteristics of the components and the total system using sunlight concentrated onto solar cells. The second year was primarily to experimentally investigate the conclusions of the first year of analytical studies. Cells have been fabricated that are designed for different intensities. Typically the efficiency of a cell will increase from its 11 percent at AM1 peak to efficiency at the designed concentration level and return to its initial efficiency at about 3 times its designed concentration level. The developed cells have been tested under high intensity simulators and in concentrated sunlight and have shown to have the predicted response. The experimental testing of passive cooling limitations for cooling cells with just finned arrangements in the back of the cell has been completed in the controlled environment of a wind tunnel. These experiments have confirmed the heat transfer coefficients that had been used in the analytical studies. Testing was done to collect heat transfer coefficients for actual wind conditions and these data show good agreement with the controlled wind tunnel data. Four photovoltaic/concentrator system experiments have been started with CR of about 3, 10, 25, and 100. System analysis has indicated that photovoltaic concentration systems may be attractive in low solar irradiation areas such as Cleveland.

Sunlight Triggers Cutaneous Lupus through a Colony Stimulating Factor-1 (CSF-1) Dependent Mechanism in MRL-Faslpr mice

Science.gov (United States)

Menke, Julia; Hsu, Mei-Yu; Byrne, Katelyn T.; Lucas, Julie A.; Rabacal, Whitney A.; Croker, Byron P.; Zong, Xiao-Hua; Stanley, E. Richard; Kelley, Vicki R.

2008-01-01

Sunlight (UVB) triggers cutaneous (CLE) and systemic lupus through an unknown mechanism. We tested the hypothesis that UVB triggers CLE through a CSF-1-dependent, macrophage (Mø) -mediated mechanism in MRL-Faslpr mice. By constructing mutant MRL-Faslpr strains expressing varying levels of CSF-1 (high, intermediate, none), and use of an ex-vivo gene transfer to deliver CSF-1 intra-dermally, we determined that CSF-1 induces CLE in lupus-susceptible, MRL-Faslpr mice, but not in lupus-resistant, BALB/c mice. Notably, UVB incites an increase in Mø, apoptosis in the skin and CLE in MRL-Faslpr, but not in CSF-1-deficient MRL-Faslpr mice. Furthermore, UVB did not induce CLE in BALB/c mice. Probing further, UVB stimulates CSF-1 expression by keratinocytes leading to recruitment and activation of Mø that, in turn, release mediators, which induce apoptosis in keratinocytes. Thus, sunlight triggers a CSF-1-dependent, Mø-mediated destructive inflammation in the skin leading to CLE in lupus-susceptible MRL-Faslpr, but not lupus-resistant BALB/c mice. Taken together, we envision CSF-1 as the “match” and lupus-susceptibility as the “tinder” leading to CLE. PMID:18981160

MEMBRANE BIOTREATMENT OF VOC-LADEN AIR

Science.gov (United States)

The paper discusses membrane biotreatment of air laden with volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Microporous flat-sheet and hollow-fiber membrane contactors were used to support air-liquid mass transfer interfaces. These modules were used in a two-step process to transfer VOCs fr...

Pengaruh Suhu Terhadap Tegangan Permukaan Sabun Cuci Piring Cair Buatan Sendiri, Sunlight, Dan S.O.S

OpenAIRE

Siahaan, Okio Patar

2011-01-01

The effect of temperature on the surface tension of homemade liquid dish soap, Sunlight, and SOS was carried out. The temperatures was variated 280C(without heating), 300C, 400C and 500C. The homemade liquid dish soap was prepared by using an active ingredients. The active ingredient of the liquid dishwashing soap were sodium lauryl ether sulphate, sodium alkyl benzene sulfonate, and sodium lauril ether sulfate, respectively. The determination of surface tension was based the increasing of t...

Highly sensitive determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in ambient air dust by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry after molecularly imprinted polymer extraction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krupadam, Reddithota J.; Bhagat, Bhagyashree; Khan, Muntazir S. [National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur (India)

2010-08-15

A method based on solid-phase extraction with a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) has been developed to determine five probable human carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in ambient air dust by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Molecularly imprinted poly(vinylpyridine-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) was chosen as solid-phase extraction (SPE) material for PAHs. The conditions affecting extraction efficiency, for example surface properties, concentration of PAHs, and equilibration times were evaluated and optimized. Under optimum conditions, pre-concentration factors for MIP-SPE ranged between 80 and 93 for 10 mL ambient air dust leachate. PAHs recoveries from MIP-SPE after extraction from air dust were between 85% and 97% and calibration graphs of the PAHs showed a good linearity between 10 and 1000 ng L{sup -1} (r=0.99). The extraction efficiency of MIP for PAHs was compared with that of commercially available SPE materials - powdered activated carbon (PAC) and polystyrene-divinylbenzene resin (XAD) - and it was shown that the extraction capacity of the MIP was better than that of the other two SPE materials. Organic matter in air dust had no effect on MIP extraction, which produced a clean extract for GC-MS analysis. The detection limit of the method proposed in this article is 0.15 ng L{sup -1} for benzo[a]pyrene, which is a marker molecule of air pollution. The method has been applied to the determination of probable carcinogenic PAHs in air dust of industrial zones and satisfactory results were obtained. (orig.)

Highly sensitive determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in ambient air dust by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry after molecularly imprinted polymer extraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Krupadam, Reddithota J; Bhagat, Bhagyashree; Khan, Muntazir S

2010-08-01

A method based on solid--phase extraction with a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) has been developed to determine five probable human carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in ambient air dust by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Molecularly imprinted poly(vinylpyridine-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) was chosen as solid-phase extraction (SPE) material for PAHs. The conditions affecting extraction efficiency, for example surface properties, concentration of PAHs, and equilibration times were evaluated and optimized. Under optimum conditions, pre-concentration factors for MIP-SPE ranged between 80 and 93 for 10 mL ambient air dust leachate. PAHs recoveries from MIP-SPE after extraction from air dust were between 85% and 97% and calibration graphs of the PAHs showed a good linearity between 10 and 1000 ng L(-1) (r = 0.99). The extraction efficiency of MIP for PAHs was compared with that of commercially available SPE materials--powdered activated carbon (PAC) and polystyrene-divinylbenzene resin (XAD)--and it was shown that the extraction capacity of the MIP was better than that of the other two SPE materials. Organic matter in air dust had no effect on MIP extraction, which produced a clean extract for GC-MS analysis. The detection limit of the method proposed in this article is 0.15 ng L(-1) for benzo[a]pyrene, which is a marker molecule of air pollution. The method has been applied to the determination of probable carcinogenic PAHs in air dust of industrial zones and satisfactory results were obtained.

Estimation of the ability to use a mass of air from a moving vehicle in wind turbine propulsion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adam BAWORSKI

2015-09-01

Full Text Available This work presents division and classification of wind turbines according to the location of the axis of rotation and generated power. The work introduces applications of the wind turbines in electric energy generation with their direct development. The paper discusses indicators and exploitation parameters that characterize particular types of wind rotators. Dimension and construction factors, as well as work parameters, have been analyzed in order to choose the optimal rotator in the road infrastructure application. The aim of the analysis was to conduct further investigation to restore a mass of air from passing vehicles.

Recovery of hexavalent chromium from water using photoactive TiO2-montmorillonite under sunlight

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ridha Djellabi

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Hexavalent chromium was removed from water under sunlight using a synthesized TiO2-montmorillonite (TiO2-M employing tartaric acid as a hole scavenger. Cr(VI species was then reduced to Cr(III species by electrons arising from TiO2 particles. After that, the produced Cr(III species  was transferred to montmorillonite  due to electrostatic attractions leading to  set free TiO2 particles for a further Cr(VI species reduction. Furthermore, produced Cr(III, after Cr(VI reduction, does not  penetrate into the solution. The results indicate that no dark adsorption of Cr(VI species on TiO2-M is present, however, the reduction of Cr(VI species under sunlight increased strongly as a function of tartaric acid concentration up to 60 ppm, for which the extent of reduction is maximum within 3 h. On the other hand, the reduction extent of Cr(VI species is maximum with an initial concentration of Cr(VI species lower than 30 ppm by the use of 0.2 g/L of TiO2-M. Nevertheless, the increase of the Cr(VI initial concentration led to increase the amount of Cr(VI species reduced (capacity of reduction until a Cr(VI concentration of 75 and 100 ppm, for which  it remained constant at around 221 mg/g. For comparison, the increase of Cr(VI species concentration in the case of the commercial TiO2 P25 under the same conditions exhibited its deactivation when the reduced amount decreased from 198.1 to 157.6 mg/g as the concentration increased from 75 to 100 ppm.

Demonstration of AIRS Total Ozone Products to Operations to Enhance User Readiness

Science.gov (United States)

Berndt, Emily; Zavodsky, Bradley; Jedlovec, Gary

2014-01-01

Cyclogenesis is a key forecast challenge at operational forecasting centers such as WPC and OPC, so these centers have a particular interest in unique products that can identify key storm features. In some cases, explosively developing extratropical cyclones can produce hurricane force, non-convective winds along the East Coast and north Atlantic as well as the Pacific Ocean, with the potential to cause significant damage to life and property. Therefore, anticipating cyclogenesis for these types of storms is crucial for furthering the NOAA goal of a "Weather Ready Nation". Over the last few years, multispectral imagery (i.e. RGB) products have gained popularity among forecasters. The GOES-R satellite champion at WPC/OPC has regularly evaluated the Air Mass RGB products from GOES Sounder, MODIS, and SEVIRI to aid in forecasting cyclogenesis as part of ongoing collaborations with SPoRT within the framework of the GOES-R Proving Ground. WPC/OPC has used these products to identify regions of stratospheric air associated with tropopause folds that can lead to cyclogenesis and hurricane force winds. RGB products combine multiple channels or channel differences into multi-color imagery in which different colors represent a particular cloud or air mass type. Initial interaction and feedback from forecasters evaluating the legacy Air Mass RGBs revealed some uncertainty regarding what physical processes the qualitative RGB products represent and color interpretation. To enhance forecaster confidence and interpretation of the Air Mass RGB, NASA SPoRT has transitioned a total column ozone product from AIRS retrievals to the WPC/OPC. The use of legacy AIRS demonstrates future JPSS capabilities possible with CrIS or OMPS. Since stratospheric air can be identified by anomalous potential vorticity and warm, dry, ozone-rich air, hyperspectral infrared sounder ozone products can be used in conjunction with the Air Mass RGB for identifying the role of stratospheric air in explosive

Longitudinal bulk acoustic mass sensor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hales, Jan Harry; Teva, Jordi; Boisen, Anja

2009-01-01

A polycrystalline silicon longitudinal bulk acoustic cantilever is fabricated and operated in air at 51 MHz. A mass sensitivity of 100 Hz/fg (1 fg=10(-15) g) is obtained from the preliminary experiments where a minute mass is deposited on the device by means of focused ion beam. The total noise...

Genotoxic action of sunlight upon Bacillus subtilis spores

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Munakata, Nobuo

1989-01-01

Samples of Bacillus subtilis spores dried on membrane filter were exposed to natural sunlight from solar-noon time at Tokyo. The survival and mutation induction of wild-type (UVR) and repair-deficient (UVS) spores were determined on 66 occasions since 1979. Two of the values were considered to be useful in monitoring solar UV intensity; the inverse of the time (in minutes) of exposure to kill 63% of the UVS spores ('sporocidal index') and the induced mutation frequency at 60 minutes of exposure of the UVR spores ('mutagenic index'). Both values were varied greatly due to time of a year, weather and other conditions. Estimates of year-round changes under clear skies were obtained by connecting the maximum values attained in these years. In these curves, there are more than 7-fold differences in the genotoxicity between winter and summer months, with major increases observed in early spring and decreases through autumn. Using a series of UV cut-off filters, the wavelengths most effective for the sporocidal actions were estimated to be in the range of 308 - 325 nm, shorter wavelengths being effective when the genotoxicity was higher. Sunburn meter of Robertson-Berger type seems to respond to slightly longer wavelength components of the solar spectrum. However, a reasonable correlation was obtained between the reading of the meter and the sporocidal index. (author)

A mixing method for traceable air velocity measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sillanpää, S; Heinonen, M

2008-01-01

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

Nitro-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons - gas-particle partitioning, mass size distribution, and formation along transport in marine and continental background air

Science.gov (United States)

Lammel, Gerhard; Mulder, Marie D.; Shahpoury, Pourya; Kukučka, Petr; Lišková, Hana; Přibylová, Petra; Prokeš, Roman; Wotawa, Gerhard

2017-05-01

Nitro-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAH) are ubiquitous in polluted air but little is known about their abundance in background air. NPAHs were studied at one marine and one continental background site, i.e. a coastal site in the southern Aegean Sea (summer 2012) and a site in the central Great Hungarian Plain (summer 2013), together with the parent compounds, PAHs. A Lagrangian particle dispersion model was used to track air mass history. Based on Lagrangian particle statistics, the urban influence on samples was quantified for the first time as a fractional dose to which the collected volume of air had been exposed. At the remote marine site, the 3-4-ring NPAH (sum of 11 targeted species) concentration was 23.7 pg m-3 while the concentration of 4-ring PAHs (6 species) was 426 pg m-3. The most abundant NPAHs were 2-nitrofluoranthene (2NFLT) and 3-nitrophenanthrene. Urban fractional doses in the range of air are the lowest ever reported and remarkably lower, by more than 1 order of magnitude, than 1 decade before. Day-night variation of NPAHs at the continental site reflected shorter lifetime during the day, possibly because of photolysis of some NPAHs. The yields of formation of 2NFLT and 2-nitropyrene (2NPYR) in marine air seem to be close to the yields for OH-initiated photochemistry observed in laboratory experiments under high NOx conditions. Good agreement is found for the prediction of NPAH gas-particle partitioning using a multi-phase poly-parameter linear free-energy relationship. Sorption to soot is found to be less significant for gas-particle partitioning of NPAHs than for PAHs. The NPAH levels determined in the south-eastern outflow of Europe confirm intercontinental transport potential.

Interactive Effect of Air-Water Ratio and Temperature on the Air ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Windows User

KEYWORDS: Interactive effect, air-water ratio, temperature, volatile organic compounds, removal efficiency. [Received ... The rate of mass transfer of a VOC from wastewater to the ... where ΔHo is heat of evaporation of 1 mole of component.

Air in vagina: significance in the staging of uterine cervical carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Seung Hyup; Choi, Byung Ihn; Kang, Soon Beom; Lee, Hyo Pyo; Han, Man Chung

1994-01-01

To evaluate the significance of vaginal air seen on CT scan in preoperative staging of uterine cervical carcinoma. A comparison was made between CT findings of vaginal fir and true vaginal involvement status in 85 patients with uterine cervical carcinoma. CT findings were analyzed in terms of the presence or absence of vaginal air, number of CT slices in which vaginal air was seen, shape of vaginal air, and relation of vaginal air to cervical mass. Vaginal air was present in 35 patients and was absent in 50. Although the mere presence of vaginal air or multiplicity of CT slices showing vaginal air did not signify the presence of vaginal involvement, vaginal air with irregular margin or vaginal air adjacent to uterine cervical mass was suggestive of vaginal involvement. These observation of vaginal air in interpreting CT may be helpful in the preoperative staging of uterine cervical carcinoma

Azo dyes degradation using TiO2-Pt/graphene oxide and TiO2-Pt/reduced graphene oxide photocatalysts under UV and natural sunlight irradiation

Science.gov (United States)

Rosu, Marcela-Corina; Coros, Maria; Pogacean, Florina; Magerusan, Lidia; Socaci, Crina; Turza, Alexandru; Pruneanu, Stela

2017-08-01

The photocatalytic degradation of azo dyes with different structures (amaranth, sunset yellow and tartrazine) using TiO2-Pt nanoparticles (TPt), TiO2-Pt/graphene oxide (TPt-GO) and TiO2-Pt/reduced graphene oxide (TPt-rGO) composites were investigated in the presence of UV and natural sunlight irradiation. The composites were prepared by a combined chemical-thermal method and characterized by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Infrared (FTIR) and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The modification of TiO2-Pt with graphene oxide shifted its optical absorption edge towards the visible region and increased its photocatalytic activity under UV and natural sunlight irradiation. The efficiency of catalysts on azo dyes degradation (in similar conditions) reached high values (above 99%) under sunlight conditions, proving the remarkable photocatalytic activities of obtained composites. TPt-GO nanocomposite exhibited higher photoactivity than TPt or TPt-rGO, demonstrating degradation efficiencies of 99.56% for amaranth, 99.15% for sunset yellow and 96.23% for tartrazine. The dye photodegradation process follows a pseudo-first-order kinetic with respect to the Langmuir-Hinshelwood reaction mechanism. A direct dependence between azo dyes degradation rate and chemical structure of dyes has been observed.

Numerical characterisation of one-step and three-step solar air heating collectors used for cocoa bean solar drying.

Science.gov (United States)

Orbegoso, Elder Mendoza; Saavedra, Rafael; Marcelo, Daniel; La Madrid, Raúl

2017-12-01

In the northern coastal and jungle areas of Peru, cocoa beans are dried using artisan methods, such as direct exposure to sunlight. This traditional process is time intensive, leading to a reduction in productivity and, therefore, delays in delivery times. The present study was intended to numerically characterise the thermal behaviour of three configurations of solar air heating collectors in order to determine which demonstrated the best thermal performance under several controlled operating conditions. For this purpose, a computational fluid dynamics model was developed to describe the simultaneous convective and radiative heat transfer phenomena under several operation conditions. The constructed computational fluid dynamics model was firstly validated through comparison with the data measurements of a one-step solar air heating collector. We then simulated two further three-step solar air heating collectors in order to identify which demonstrated the best thermal performance in terms of outlet air temperature and thermal efficiency. The numerical results show that under the same solar irradiation area of exposition and operating conditions, the three-step solar air heating collector with the collector plate mounted between the second and third channels was 67% more thermally efficient compared to the one-step solar air heating collector. This is because the air exposition with the surface of the collector plate for the three-step solar air heating collector former device was twice than the one-step solar air heating collector. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The economic feasibility of producing hydrogen from sunlight and wind

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mann, M. K.; Spath, P. L.; Watt, A. S.

1999-01-01

The feasibility of utilizing photoelectrochemical and electrolytical technologies to convert energy from the sun and wind into hydrogen was studied. In exploring opportunities to reduce the cost of hydrogen production through interaction with the electric utility grid, it was found that direct photoelectrochemical (PEC) conversion of sunlight has the economic potential to compete with direct photovoltaic/electrolysis, notwithstanding the significant stability and efficiency issues that are still awaiting solution. Interaction with the grid, while maximizing electrolizer use, makes a significant impact on the economics of producing hydrogen by photovoltaic/electrolysis, making wind-based systems also more economical. Electrolysis was found to be the optimal solution only with electricity from renewable sources or with less expensive non-peak electricity. On the other hand, the delivered cost of hydrogen was found to the lowest when electricity production was decoupled from the hydrogen production operation. Decoupled hydrogen production also has an additional benefit, i.e. it produces the hydrogen where it is needed, therefore it mitigates the need for various storage and distribution costs. 6 refs., 4 tabs., 2 figs

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

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neuwirth, R

1955-01-01

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

Characterisation of a smartphone image sensor response to direct solar 305nm irradiation at high air masses.

Science.gov (United States)

Igoe, D P; Amar, A; Parisi, A V; Turner, J

2017-06-01

This research reports the first time the sensitivity, properties and response of a smartphone image sensor that has been used to characterise the photobiologically important direct UVB solar irradiances at 305nm in clear sky conditions at high air masses. Solar images taken from Autumn to Spring were analysed using a custom Python script, written to develop and apply an adaptive threshold to mitigate the effects of both noise and hot-pixel aberrations in the images. The images were taken in an unobstructed area, observing from a solar zenith angle as high as 84° (air mass=9.6) to local solar maximum (up to a solar zenith angle of 23°) to fully develop the calibration model in temperatures that varied from 2°C to 24°C. The mean ozone thickness throughout all observations was 281±18 DU (to 2 standard deviations). A Langley Plot was used to confirm that there were constant atmospheric conditions throughout the observations. The quadratic calibration model developed has a strong correlation between the red colour channel from the smartphone with the Microtops measurements of the direct sun 305nm UV, with a coefficient of determination of 0.998 and very low standard errors. Validation of the model verified the robustness of the method and the model, with an average discrepancy of only 5% between smartphone derived and Microtops observed direct solar irradiances at 305nm. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of using the smartphone image sensor as a means to measure photobiologically important solar UVB radiation. The use of ubiquitous portable technologies, such as smartphones and laptop computers to perform data collection and analysis of solar UVB observations is an example of how scientific investigations can be performed by citizen science based individuals and groups, communities and schools. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Remediation of Chlorinated Solvent Plumes Using In-Situ Air Sparging—A 2-D Laboratory Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeffrey A. Adams

2011-06-01

Full Text Available In-situ air sparging has evolved as an innovative technique for soil and groundwater remediation impacted with volatile organic compounds (VOCs, including chlorinated solvents. These may exist as non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL or dissolved in groundwater. This study assessed: (1 how air injection rate affects the mass removal of dissolved phase contamination, (2 the effect of induced groundwater flow on mass removal and air distribution during air injection, and (3 the effect of initial contaminant concentration on mass removal. Dissolved-phase chlorinated solvents can be effectively removed through the use of air sparging; however, rapid initial rates of contaminant removal are followed by a protracted period of lower removal rates, or a tailing effect. As the air flow rate increases, the rate of contaminant removal also increases, especially during the initial stages of air injection. Increased air injection rates will increase the density of air channel formation, resulting in a larger interfacial mass transfer area through which the dissolved contaminant can partition into the vapor phase. In cases of groundwater flow, increased rates of air injection lessened observed downward contaminant migration effect. The air channel network and increased air saturation reduced relative hydraulic conductivity, resulting in reduced groundwater flow and subsequent downgradient contaminant migration. Finally, when a higher initial TCE concentration was present, a slightly higher mass removal rate was observed due to higher volatilization-induced concentration gradients and subsequent diffusive flux. Once concentrations are reduced, a similar tailing effect occurs.

Production of Bio-Energy from Pig Manure: A Focus on the Dynamics Change of Four Parameters under Sunlight-Dark Conditions.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dongxue Yin

Full Text Available This study investigated the effect of sunlight-dark conditions on volatile fatty acids (VFAs, total ammonium nitrogen (TAN, total alkalinity (TA and pH during pig manure (PM digestion and then the subsequent influence on biogas yield of PM. PM1 and PM2 were performed in a transparent reactor and a non-transparent reactor, respectively. Two sets of experiments were conducted with a temperature of 35.0±2.0 °C and a total solid concentration of 8.0% to the digestion material. The dynamic change of the four parameters in response to sunlight-dark conditions resulted in variations of the physiological properties in the digester and affected the cumulative biogas production (CBP. PM1 obtained higher CBP (15020.0 mL with a more stable pH and a lower TAN concentration (1414.5 mg/L compared to PM2 (2675.0 mL and 1670.0 mg/L, respectively. The direct path coefficients and indirect path coefficients between the four parameters and CBP were also analyzed.

Production of Bio-Energy from Pig Manure: A Focus on the Dynamics Change of Four Parameters under Sunlight-Dark Conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Dongxue; Liu, Wei; Zhai, Ningning; Feng, Yongzhong; Yang, Gaihe; Wang, Xiaojiao; Han, Xinhui

2015-01-01

This study investigated the effect of sunlight-dark conditions on volatile fatty acids (VFAs), total ammonium nitrogen (TAN), total alkalinity (TA) and pH during pig manure (PM) digestion and then the subsequent influence on biogas yield of PM. PM1 and PM2 were performed in a transparent reactor and a non-transparent reactor, respectively. Two sets of experiments were conducted with a temperature of 35.0±2.0 °C and a total solid concentration of 8.0% to the digestion material. The dynamic change of the four parameters in response to sunlight-dark conditions resulted in variations of the physiological properties in the digester and affected the cumulative biogas production (CBP). PM1 obtained higher CBP (15020.0 mL) with a more stable pH and a lower TAN concentration (1414.5 mg/L) compared to PM2 (2675.0 mL and 1670.0 mg/L, respectively). The direct path coefficients and indirect path coefficients between the four parameters and CBP were also analyzed.

Synthesis of Ag-decorated porous TiO{sub 2} nanowires through a sunlight induced reduction method and its enhanced photocatalytic activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yao, Yun-Chang; Dai, Xin-Rong [Anhui & Huaihe river institute of hydraulic research, Hefei, Anhui 230088 (China); Hu, Xiao-Ye, E-mail: hxy821982@issp.ac.cn [Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, and Anhui Key Laboratory of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology, Institute of Solid State Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China); Huang, Su-Zhen [Institute of plasma physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China); Jin, Zhen, E-mail: ftbjin@hotmail.com [Research Center for Biomimetic Functional Materials and Sensing Devices, Institute of Intelligent Machines, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 (China)

2016-11-30

Highlights: • The Ag-decorated porous TiO{sub 2} nanowires were succefully synthesized. • A sunlight induced ethanol reduction method for Ag decoration has been reported. • The Ag-decorated porous TiO{sub 2} nanowires exhibit excellent photocatalytic activity. • The photodegradation ratio of the as-prepared product is much higher than that of P25. - Abstract: In this work, Ag-decorated porous TiO{sub 2} nanowires were successfully synthesized via a facile and low-cost sunlight induced reduction method. The cooperation of sunlight irradiation and ethanol reduction results the formation and decoration of the Ag nanoparticles on the porous TiO{sub 2} nanowires. The structure of the Ag-decorated porous TiO{sub 2} nanowires were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) measurements. It can be seen that the Ag nanoparticles are well dispersed within the porous TiO{sub 2} nanowires. The as-prepared Ag-decorated porous TiO{sub 2} nanowires exhibits excellent photocatalytic properties. The photocatalytic tests show that 10 ppm methylene blue can be photodegraded within 60 min. And the photodegradation ratio of the Ag-decorated porous TiO{sub 2} nanowires much higher than that of P25 and porous TiO{sub 2} nanowires. Moreover, the Ag-decorated porous TiO{sub 2} nanowires also reveal good photocatalytic activity towards to other organic pollutions, such as phenol and R6G. Therefore, it is believed that the Ag-decorated porous TiO{sub 2} nanowires can be used as a potential high performance photocatalyst in wastewater treatment.

Las masas de aire que afectan el sur de la provincia de Santa Fe y su relación con la precipitación diaria en enero Classification of air masses that affect the south of Santa Fe, their trajectories and the relationship between them to the the daily precipitation in January abstract

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alejandra S. Coronel

2010-06-01

Full Text Available El objetivo del trabajo es identificar las masas de aire que afectan el sur de Santa Fe durante los eneros de 1998-2006 y relacionarlas con la precipitación diaria, tomando como estación representativa a Zavalla (33º01´S, 60º53´O. La información diaria analizada es: temperaturas media, máxima y mínima, humedad relativa, heliofanía efectiva, presión atmosférica, precipitación y dirección de viento a las 8 y 14 horas local, campos de altura geopotencial en 1000 y 500 hPa, de temperatura en 1000 hPa y de humedad específica en 850 hPa del NCEP. Se aplica el algoritmo K-means y se identifican cuatro tipos de masas de aire: Cálida Seca (mCS: muy cálida; Cálida Húmeda (mCH: aumenta significativamente la humedad y la nubosidad respecto a mCS; Templada Seca (mTS: menores temperaturas mínimas; Templada Húmeda (mTH: muy húmeda, y bajas amplitudes térmicas diarias, asociada a condiciones previas al pasaje de frentes fríos. El 50% de días lluviosos ocurren durante mCH y el 32% con mTH, y el 93% de las más intensas acontecen durante el predominio de dichas masas. Las mTH tienen mayor eficiencia en la ocurrencia de precipitación pues en el 50% de los casos precipita, y para las mCH solo en el 27%.The aim of this work is to identify the air masses that affect the south of Santa Fe in January during 1998-2006 and to relate it to the daily precipitation, in Zavalla (33º01´S, 60º53´O. The analyzed daily information is: mean, maximum and minimum temperature, relative humidity, effective insolation, atmospheric pressure, precipitation and wind direction of the 8 and 14 hours. The fields of circulation and temperature in 1000 and 500 hPa, and specific humidity in 850 hPa, are calculated using NCEP Reanálisis data. Analysis of cluster k-means is applied and it determines four types of air masses: Warm Drought: a very warm air mass; Warm Humid: it increases the humidity and cloudiness, Moderate Dry: air mass with the smallest minimum

Sunlight and Vitamin D: The Bone and Cancer Connections (invited paper)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holick, M.F.

2000-01-01

Vitamin D plays an essential role for calcium metabolism and bone health. It has been estimated that 90 to 95% of our vitamin D requirement comes from casual exposure to sunlight. There is a wide variety of factors that strongly influence the cutaneous production of vitamin D. These include melanin pigmentation, latitude, time of day, sunscreen use, and aging. There is an association with increased risk and mortality to breast, colon, and prostrate cancer. There is evidence that 25-hydroxyvitamin D, the major circulating form of vitamin D, is directly metabolised in prostate, breast, colon, and skin cells to its active form 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D 3 has the capacity to regulate cell proliferation and differentiation. Therefore, it may be that an increase in the cutaneous synthesis of vitamin D results in the increase in the production of 1,25(OH) 2 D in tissues not related to calcium metabolism that results in a decrease in malignancy. (author)

Roles of Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA polymerases Poleta and Polzeta in response to irradiation by simulated sunlight.

Science.gov (United States)

Kozmin, Stanislav G; Pavlov, Youri I; Kunkel, Thomas A; Sage, Evelyne

2003-08-01

Sunlight causes lesions in DNA that if unrepaired and inaccurately replicated by DNA polymerases yield mutations that result in skin cancer in humans. Two enzymes involved in translesion synthesis (TLS) of UV-induced photolesions are DNA polymerase eta (Poleta) and polymerase zeta (Polzeta), encoded by the RAD30A and REV3 genes, respectively. Previous studies have investigated the TLS roles of these polymerases in human and yeast cells irradiated with monochromatic, short wavelength UVC radiation (254 nm). However, less is known about cellular responses to solar radiation, which is of higher and mixed wavelengths (310-1100 nm) and produces a different spectrum of DNA lesions, including Dewar photoproducts and oxidative lesions. Here we report on the comparative cytotoxic and mutagenic effects of simulated sunlight (SSL) and UVC radiation on yeast wild-type, rad30Delta, rev3Delta and rev3Delta rad30Delta strains. The results with SSL support several previous interpretations on the roles of these two polymerases in TLS of photodimers and (6-4) photoproducts derived from studies with UVC. They further suggest that Poleta participates in the non-mutagenic bypass of SSL-dependent cytosine-containing Dewar photoproducts and 8-oxoguanine, while Polzeta is mainly responsible for the mutagenic bypass of all types of Dewar photoproducts. They also suggest that in the absence of Polzeta, Poleta contributes to UVC- and SSL-induced mutagenesis, possibly by the bypass of photodimers containing deaminated cytosine.

One dimensional CdS nanowire@TiO2 nanoparticles core-shell as high performance photocatalyst for fast degradation of dye pollutants under visible and sunlight irradiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Arabzadeh, Abbas; Salimi, Abdollah

2016-10-01

In this study, one-dimensional CdS nanowires@TiO2 nanoparticles core-shell structures (1D CdS NWs@TiO2 NPs) were synthesized by a facile wet chemical-solvothermal method. The different aspects of the properties of CdS NWs@TiO2 NPs were surveyed by using a comprehensive range of characterization techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV-vis spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fluorescence spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) and amperometry. The as-prepared nanostructure was applied as an effective photocatalyst for degradation of methyl orange (MO), methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B (Rh B) under visible and sunlight irradiation. The results indicated significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity of CdS NWs@TiO2 NPs for degradation of MO, MB and Rh B compared to CdS NWs. The enhanced photocatalytic activity could be attributed to the enhanced sunlight absorbance and the efficient charge separation of the formed heterostructure between CdS NWs and TiO2. The results showed that MO, Rh B and MB were almost completely degraded after 2, 2 and 3min of exposure to sunlight, respectively; while under visible light irradiation (3W blue LED lamp) the dyes were decomposed with less half degradation rate. The catalytic activity was retained even after three degradation cycles of organic dyes, demonstrating that the proposed nanocomposite can be effectively used as efficient photocatalyst for removal of environmental pollutions caused by organic dyes under sunlight irradiation and it could be an important addition to the field of wastewater treatment. We hope the present study may open a new window of such 1-D semiconductor nanocomposites to be used as visible light photocatalysts in the promising field of organic dyes degradation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Lidar derived properties of air-masses advected from Ukraine, Sahara and Carpathian mountains to Warsaw, Poland on 9 - 11 August 2015

Science.gov (United States)

Janicka, Lucja; Szczepanik, Dominika; Borek, Karolina; Heese, Birgit; Stachlewska, Iwona S.

2018-04-01

The aerosol layers of different origin, suspended in the atmosphere on 9-11 August 2015 were observed with the PollyXT-UW lidar in Warsaw, Poland. The HYSPLIT ensemble backward trajectories indicate that the observed air-masses attribute to a few different sources, among others, possible transport paths from Ukraine, Slovakia, and Africa. In this paper, we attempt to analyse and discuss the properties of aerosol particles of different origin that were suspended over Warsaw during this event.

Longitudinal bulk a coustic mass sensor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hales, Jan Harry; Teva, Jordi; Boisen, Anja

2009-01-01

Design, fabrication and characterization, in terms of mass sensitivity, is presented for a polycrystalline silicon longitudinal bulk acoustic cantilever. The device is operated in air at 51 MHz, resulting in a mass sensitivity of 100 HZ/fg (1 fg = 10{su−15 g). The initial characterization is cond...

Effect of artificial sunlight on the retention of external calcein marks on lake trout

Science.gov (United States)

Honeyfield, D.C.; Kehler, T.; Fletcher, J.W.; Mohler, J.W.

2008-01-01

When choosing a fish marking technique to address fishery related questions, it is important to consider factors that affect mark retention. Calcein, a chemical marking agent, is under investigation for potential use on fish. Two laboratory trials were conducted with calcein-marked lake trout Salvelinus namaycush to determine the effect of artificial sunlight on calcein mark intensity. In trial 1, fish exposed to 18,000 lx for 7 d lost 90% or more of the calcein mark intensity (relative to the colorimetric key, mg/L) on the head, body, ventral region, and pectoral fins relative to mark intensity in fish that were maintained in darkness. In trial 2, light intensity was reduced 2.5-3.0-fold. After 7 d of light exposure, calcein mark intensity on the head was reduced by 40-45% relative to mark intensity in fish that were held in darkness; by day 14, calcein mark intensity on the head was reduced by 55-60% relative to that of dark-treated fish. No further decline was observed in light-exposed fish, and head mark intensity values did not differ among days 14, 21, and 28 for this treatment group. Of the four areas evaluated, the head and pectoral fin were more easily read using a colorimetric key than the lateral or ventral regions of the fish. The concentration of calcein spotted on filter paper to devise the colorimetric key ranged from 1 to 100 mg/L. A difference of approximately 7 mg/L in apparent calcein mark intensity means for the head region could be detected using the colorimetric key. These trials showed that calcein mark intensity on lake trout declined when fish were exposed to artificial sunlight, and the use of a colorimetric key improved the objectivity of calcein mark intensity assessment.

Development of portable mass spectrometer with electron cyclotron resonance ion source for detection of chemical warfare agents in air.

Science.gov (United States)

Urabe, Tatsuya; Takahashi, Kazuya; Kitagawa, Michiko; Sato, Takafumi; Kondo, Tomohide; Enomoto, Shuichi; Kidera, Masanori; Seto, Yasuo

2014-01-01

A portable mass spectrometer with an electron cyclotron resonance ion source (miniECRIS-MS) was developed. It was used for in situ monitoring of trace amounts of chemical warfare agents (CWAs) in atmospheric air. Instrumental construction and parameters were optimized to realize a fast response, high sensitivity, and a small body size. Three types of CWAs, i.e., phosgene, mustard gas, and hydrogen cyanide were examined to check if the mass spectrometer was able to detect characteristic elements and atomic groups. From the results, it was found that CWAs were effectively ionized in the miniECRIS-MS, and their specific signals could be discerned over the background signals of air. In phosgene, the signals of the 35Cl+ and 37Cl+ ions were clearly observed with high dose-response relationships in the parts-per-billion level, which could lead to the quantitative on-site analysis of CWAs. A parts-per-million level of mustard gas, which was far lower than its lethal dosage (LCt50), was successfully detected with a high signal-stability of the plasma ion source. It was also found that the chemical forms of CWAs ionized in the plasma, i.e., monoatomic ions, fragment ions, and molecular ions, could be detected, thereby enabling the effective identification of the target CWAs. Despite the disadvantages associated with miniaturization, the overall performance (sensitivity and response time) of the miniECRIS-MS in detecting CWAs exceeded those of sector-type ECRIS-MS, showing its potential for on-site detection in the future. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thermal conditions and perceived air quality in an air-conditioned auditorium

Science.gov (United States)

Polednik, Bernard; Guz, Łukasz; Skwarczyński, Mariusz; Dudzińska, Marzenna R.

2016-07-01

The study reports measurements of indoor air temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH), perceived air quality (PAQ) and CO2, fine aerosol particle number (PN) and mass (PM1) concentrations in an air conditioned auditorium. The measurements of these air physical parameters have been carried out in the unoccupied auditorium with the air conditioning system switched off (AC off mode) and in the unoccupied and occupied auditorium with the air conditioning system switched off during the night and switched on during the day (AC on/off mode). The average indoor air thermal parameters, CO2 concentration and the PAQ value (in decipols) were elevated, while average PM1 concentration was lower in the AC on/off mode. A statistically significant (p PAQ values and CO2 concentrations (r = 0.66 and r = 0.59, respectively) in that AC mode. A significant negative correlation has been observed between T and PN and PM1 concentrations (r = -0.38 and r = -0.49, respectively). In the AC off mode the above relations between T and the particle concentrations were not that unequivocal. These findings may be of importance as they indicate that in certain AC operation modes the indoor air quality deteriorates along with the variation of the indoor air microclimate and room occupation. This, in turn, may adversely affect the comfort and productivity of the users of air conditioned premises.

Air and Surface Sampling Method for Assessing Exposures to Quaternary Ammonium Compounds Using Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

LeBouf, Ryan F; Virji, Mohammed Abbas; Ranpara, Anand; Stefaniak, Aleksandr B

2017-07-01

This method was designed for sampling select quaternary ammonium (quat) compounds in air or on surfaces followed by analysis using ultraperformance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Target quats were benzethonium chloride, didecyldimethylammonium bromide, benzyldimethyldodecylammonium chloride, benzyldimethyltetradecylammonium chloride, and benzyldimethylhexadecylammonium chloride. For air sampling, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) filters are recommended for 15-min to 24-hour sampling. For surface sampling, Pro-wipe® 880 (PW) media was chosen. Samples were extracted in 60:40 acetonitrile:0.1% formic acid for 1 hour on an orbital shaker. Method detection limits range from 0.3 to 2 ng/ml depending on media and analyte. Matrix effects of media are minimized through the use of multiple reaction monitoring versus selected ion recording. Upper confidence limits on accuracy meet the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 25% criterion for PTFE and PW media for all analytes. Using PTFE and PW analyzed with multiple reaction monitoring, the method quantifies levels among the different quats compounds with high precision (detection limits to capture quats on air sampling filters with only a 15-min sample duration with a maximum assessed storage time of 103 days before sample extraction. This method will support future exposure assessment and quantitative epidemiologic studies to explore exposure-response relationships and establish levels of quats exposures associated with adverse health effects. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society.

The influence of air temperature inversions on snowmelt and glacier mass-balance simulations, Ammassalik island, SE Greenland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mernild, Sebastian Haugard [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Liston, Glen [COLORADO STATE UNIV.

2009-01-01

In many applications, a realistic description of air temperature inversions is essential for accurate snow and glacier ice melt, and glacier mass-balance simulations. A physically based snow-evolution modeling system (SnowModel) was used to simulate eight years (1998/99 to 2005/06) of snow accumulation and snow and glacier ice ablation from numerous small coastal marginal glaciers on the SW-part of Ammassalik Island in SE Greenland. These glaciers are regularly influenced by inversions and sea breezes associated with the adjacent relatively low temperature and frequently ice-choked fjords and ocean. To account for the influence of these inversions on the spatiotemporal variation of air temperature and snow and glacier melt rates, temperature inversion routines were added to MircoMet, the meteorological distribution sub-model used in SnowModel. The inversions were observed and modeled to occur during 84% of the simulation period. Modeled inversions were defined not to occur during days with strong winds and high precipitation rates due to the potential of inversion break-up. Field observations showed inversions to extend from sea level to approximately 300 m a.s.l., and this inversion level was prescribed in the model simulations. Simulations with and without the inversion routines were compared. The inversion model produced air temperature distributions with warmer lower elevation areas and cooler higher elevation areas than without inversion routines due to the use of cold sea-breeze base temperature data from underneath the inversion. This yielded an up to 2 weeks earlier snowmelt in the lower areas and up to 1 to 3 weeks later snowmelt in the higher elevation areas of the simulation domain. Averaged mean annual modeled surface mass-balance for all glaciers (mainly located above the inversion layer) was -720 {+-} 620 mm w.eq. y{sup -1} for inversion simulations, and -880 {+-} 620 mm w.eq. y{sup -1} without the inversion routines, a difference of 160 mm w.eq. y

Comparison of PM collection efficiency of Gent and Airmatrics MiniVol portable air sampler

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Begum, Bilkis A.; Biswas, Swapan K.

2005-01-01

Gent PM sampler was developed as an integral part of several International Atomic Energy Agency sponsored coordinated research programmes (CRP) for collecting air particulate samples. On the other hand, the MiniVol Portable Air Sampler is a commercial ambient air sampler for particulate matter and non-reactive gases used by different agencies. Air quality management system requires comparable air quality data to be collected by different stake holders for assessment and regulatory purposes. In order to compare the characteristics of Gent sampler with the MiniVol Portable Air Sampler, the reproducibility of the sample mass collection efficiency were examined and the measured mass concentrations were compared. It was found that in case of PM 10 both samplers collect almost same fraction of PM 10 mass when the Gent sampler was operated at 16 litre per minute flow rate. But in case of fine fraction, Portable sampler collects 70% higher PM 2.5 mass concentration compared to the Gent PM 2.2 mass concentrations. This is because, the Gent sampler was typically operated at 16 to 17 lpm resulting in an estimated 50% cut point of 2.2 μm.(author)

Inter-annual variability of air mass and acidified pollutants transboundary exchange in the north-eastern part of the EANET region

Science.gov (United States)

Gromov, Sergey A.; Trifonova-Yakovleva, Alisa; Gromov, Sergey S.

2016-04-01

Anthropogenic emissions, be it exhaust gases or aerosols, stem from multitude of sources and may survive long-range transport within the air masses they were emitted into. So they follow regional and global transport pathways varying under different climatological regimes. Transboundary transfer of pollutants occurs this way and has a significant impact on the ecological situation of the territories neighbouring those of emission sources, as found in a few earlier studies examining the environmental monitoring data [1]. In this study, we employ a relatively facile though robust technique for estimating the transboundary air and concomitant pollutant fluxes using actual or climatological meteorological and air pollution monitoring data. Practically, we assume pollutant transfer being proportional to the horizontal transport of air enclosed in the lower troposphere and to the concentration of the pollutant of interest. The horizontal transport, in turn, is estimated using the mean layer wind direction and strength, or their descriptive statistics at the individual transects of the boundary of interest. The domain of our interest is the segment of Russian continental border in East Asia spanning from 88° E (southern Middle Siberia) to 135° E (Far East at Pacific shore). The data on atmospheric pollutants concentration are available from the Russian monitoring sites of the region-wide Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET, http://www.eanet.asia/) Mondy (Baikal area) and Primorskaya (near Vladivostok). The data comprises multi-year continuous measurement of gas-phase and particulate species abundances in air with at least biweekly sampling rate starting from 2000. In the first phase of our study, we used climatological dataset on winds derived from the aerological soundings at Russian stations along the continental border for the 10-year period (1961-1970) by the Research Institute of Hydrometeorological Information - World Data Centre (RIHMI-WDC) [3

Performance analysis of solar air heater with jet impingement on corrugated absorber plate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alsanossi M. Aboghrara

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with the experimental investigation outlet temperature and efficiency, of Solar Air heater (SAH. The experimental test set up designed and fabricated to study the effect of jet impingement on the corrugated absorber plate, through circular jets in a duct flow of solar air heater, and compared with conventional solar air heater on flat plat absorber. Under effect of mass flow rate (ṁ of air and solar radiation on outlet air temperature, and efficiency, are analyzed. Results show the flow jet impingement on corrugated plat absorber is a strong function of heat transfer enhancement. The present investigation concludes that the mass flow rate of air substantially influences the heat transfer on solar air heaters. And the thermal efficiency of proposed design duct is observed almost 14% more as compare to the smooth duct. At solar radiation 500–1000 (W/M2, 308 K ambient temperature and 0.01–0.03 (Kg/S mass flow rate

Sunlight-exposed biofilm microbial communities are naturally resistant to chernobyl ionizing-radiation levels.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marie Ragon

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The Chernobyl accident represents a long-term experiment on the effects of exposure to ionizing radiation at the ecosystem level. Though studies of these effects on plants and animals are abundant, the study of how Chernobyl radiation levels affect prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbial communities is practically non-existent, except for a few reports on human pathogens or soil microorganisms. Environments enduring extreme desiccation and UV radiation, such as sunlight exposed biofilms could in principle select for organisms highly resistant to ionizing radiation as well. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To test this hypothesis, we explored the diversity of microorganisms belonging to the three domains of life by cultivation-independent approaches in biofilms developing on concrete walls or pillars in the Chernobyl area exposed to different levels of radiation, and we compared them with a similar biofilm from a non-irradiated site in Northern Ireland. Actinobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Acidobacteria and Deinococcales were the most consistently detected bacterial groups, whereas green algae (Chlorophyta and ascomycete fungi (Ascomycota dominated within the eukaryotes. Close relatives to the most radio-resistant organisms known, including Rubrobacter species, Deinococcales and melanized ascomycete fungi were always detected. The diversity of bacteria and eukaryotes found in the most highly irradiated samples was comparable to that of less irradiated Chernobyl sites and Northern Ireland. However, the study of mutation frequencies in non-coding ITS regions versus SSU rRNA genes in members of a same actinobacterial operational taxonomic unit (OTU present in Chernobyl samples and Northern Ireland showed a positive correlation between increased radiation and mutation rates. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results show that biofilm microbial communities in the most irradiated samples are comparable to non-irradiated samples in

Sunlight-exposed biofilm microbial communities are naturally resistant to chernobyl ionizing-radiation levels.

Science.gov (United States)

Ragon, Marie; Restoux, Gwendal; Moreira, David; Møller, Anders Pape; López-García, Purificación

2011-01-01

The Chernobyl accident represents a long-term experiment on the effects of exposure to ionizing radiation at the ecosystem level. Though studies of these effects on plants and animals are abundant, the study of how Chernobyl radiation levels affect prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbial communities is practically non-existent, except for a few reports on human pathogens or soil microorganisms. Environments enduring extreme desiccation and UV radiation, such as sunlight exposed biofilms could in principle select for organisms highly resistant to ionizing radiation as well. To test this hypothesis, we explored the diversity of microorganisms belonging to the three domains of life by cultivation-independent approaches in biofilms developing on concrete walls or pillars in the Chernobyl area exposed to different levels of radiation, and we compared them with a similar biofilm from a non-irradiated site in Northern Ireland. Actinobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Acidobacteria and Deinococcales were the most consistently detected bacterial groups, whereas green algae (Chlorophyta) and ascomycete fungi (Ascomycota) dominated within the eukaryotes. Close relatives to the most radio-resistant organisms known, including Rubrobacter species, Deinococcales and melanized ascomycete fungi were always detected. The diversity of bacteria and eukaryotes found in the most highly irradiated samples was comparable to that of less irradiated Chernobyl sites and Northern Ireland. However, the study of mutation frequencies in non-coding ITS regions versus SSU rRNA genes in members of a same actinobacterial operational taxonomic unit (OTU) present in Chernobyl samples and Northern Ireland showed a positive correlation between increased radiation and mutation rates. Our results show that biofilm microbial communities in the most irradiated samples are comparable to non-irradiated samples in terms of general diversity patterns, despite increased mutation levels at the single

Sunlight-Exposed Biofilm Microbial Communities Are Naturally Resistant to Chernobyl Ionizing-Radiation Levels

Science.gov (United States)

Ragon, Marie; Restoux, Gwendal; Moreira, David; Møller, Anders Pape; López-García, Purificación

2011-01-01

Background The Chernobyl accident represents a long-term experiment on the effects of exposure to ionizing radiation at the ecosystem level. Though studies of these effects on plants and animals are abundant, the study of how Chernobyl radiation levels affect prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbial communities is practically non-existent, except for a few reports on human pathogens or soil microorganisms. Environments enduring extreme desiccation and UV radiation, such as sunlight exposed biofilms could in principle select for organisms highly resistant to ionizing radiation as well. Methodology/Principal Findings To test this hypothesis, we explored the diversity of microorganisms belonging to the three domains of life by cultivation-independent approaches in biofilms developing on concrete walls or pillars in the Chernobyl area exposed to different levels of radiation, and we compared them with a similar biofilm from a non-irradiated site in Northern Ireland. Actinobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Acidobacteria and Deinococcales were the most consistently detected bacterial groups, whereas green algae (Chlorophyta) and ascomycete fungi (Ascomycota) dominated within the eukaryotes. Close relatives to the most radio-resistant organisms known, including Rubrobacter species, Deinococcales and melanized ascomycete fungi were always detected. The diversity of bacteria and eukaryotes found in the most highly irradiated samples was comparable to that of less irradiated Chernobyl sites and Northern Ireland. However, the study of mutation frequencies in non-coding ITS regions versus SSU rRNA genes in members of a same actinobacterial operational taxonomic unit (OTU) present in Chernobyl samples and Northern Ireland showed a positive correlation between increased radiation and mutation rates. Conclusions/Significance Our results show that biofilm microbial communities in the most irradiated samples are comparable to non-irradiated samples in terms of general

Air pollution: what matters most? : Physical, chemical and oxidative properties of air pollution components related to toxic effects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Steenhof, M.

2015-01-01

Numerous studies have been published on the adverse health effects associated with both short- and long-term exposure to air pollution. Air pollution is a heterogeneous, complex mixture of gases, liquids, and particulate matter (PM). Up to now, PM mass concentration has been the metric of choice to

Role of urbanization and air pollution in adolescent asthma: a mass screening in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, R S; Sung, F C; Huang, S L; Gou, Y L; Ko, Y C; Gou, H W; Shaw, C K

2001-10-01

The prevalence of asthma in school children in Taiwan is increasing. This study used mass screening among middle school children in Taiwan to determine the prevalence of asthma and related factors. Data were collected from parents using a self-reported questionnaire and from children using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) video questionnaire. Six study teams conducted the survey nationwide in 1995-1996, with the assistance of middle school nurses and teachers. Among the 1,018,031 students at 795 middle schools who returned questionnaires, 8.5% had a history of asthma (ranging in prevalence from 4.2% to 13% in 25 areas). The prevalence of asthma was higher in boys than in girls (10.0% vs 7%) and was highest in more urbanized areas (11.2%), followed by moderately urbanized areas (7.4%) and less urbanized and rural areas (6.5%). Controlling for age, family smoking, family incense burning, and parental education level, multivariate logistic regression models indicated that children living in an area with heavy air pollution were more likely to have asthma than those in an area with no or light pollution (odds ratio, OR = 2.01 and 95% confidence interval, CI = 1.94-2.09 based on parental ranking of pollution level, or OR = 1.30 and 95% CI = 1.18-1.42 based on pollution level reported by the Environmental Protection Administration). Adolescent asthma in Taiwan is most prevalent in the most urbanized areas and decreases in prevalence in less urbanized areas. This study also found that higher parental education level and higher area air pollution were associated with higher adolescent asthma prevalence.

Evaluation of air flow rates through spargers for optimization of KNGR IRWST and SDVS design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, J. S.; Rha, I. S.; Jang, Y. S.; Koh, H. J.; Park, J. N.; Lee, S. W.

1999-01-01

In KNGR in the event of POSRVs actuation water, air and steam discharged from the RCS impose the dynamic loads on IRWST walls and submerged structures. The largest load is air clearing load. The main factors having an effect on the air clearing load are steam mass flux, the pressure and air volume in the POSRV discharge line. It is practically difficult to make the amount of air mass and its flow rates discharged through each sparger evenly distributed because several spargers are branched from one horizontal header. For an optimization of KNGR IRWST and SDVS design to minimize the T/H loads, the pressure in the discharge pipe and the air mass flow rates through spargers are evaluated using RELAP5/MOD3 code with changing the POSRV opening time and line and sparger arrangement. It is shown that as the opening time is the longer, the pressure in the discharge line is decreased and difference of the amount of air mass between spargers is reduced. And sparger headers with three spargers show better performance rather than those with six ones

Mass concentration coupled with mass loading rate for evaluating PM_2_._5 pollution status in the atmosphere: A case study based on dairy barns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joo, HungSoo; Park, Kihong; Lee, Kwangyul; Ndegwa, Pius M.

2015-01-01

This study investigated particulate matter (PM) loading rates and concentrations in ambient air from naturally ventilated dairy barns and also the influences of pertinent meteorological factors, traffic, and animal activities on mass loading rates and mass concentrations. Generally, relationships between PM_2_._5 concentration and these parameters were significantly poorer than those between the PM loading rate and the same parameters. Although ambient air PM_2_._5 loading rates correlated well with PM_2_._5 emission rates, ambient air PM_2_._5 concentrations correlated poorly with PM_2_._5 concentrations in the barns. A comprehensive assessment of PM_2_._5 pollution in ambient air, therefore, requires both mass concentrations and mass loading rates. Emissions of PM_2_._5 correlated strongly and positively with wind speed, temperature, and solar radiation (R"2 = 0.84 to 0.99) and strongly but negatively with relative humidity (R"2 = 0.93). Animal activity exhibited only moderate effect on PM_2_._5 emissions, while traffic activity did not significantly affect PM_2_._5 emissions. - Highlights: • Sink PM_2_._5 loading rates correlate well with source PM_2_._5 emission rates. • Sink PM_2_._5 concentrations correlate poorly with source PM_2_._5 concentrations. • Mass loading rate complements mass concentration in appraising sink PM_2_._5 status. • PM_2_._5 emissions is dependent on wind speed, temp, solar strength, and RH. • Cow traffic activity affects PM_2_._5 emissions, while traffic activity does not. - Both PM mass loading rate and concentrations are required for comprehensive assessment of pollution potential of PM released into the atmosphere.

Air/water exchange of mercury in the Everglades I: the behavior of dissolved gaseous mercury in the Everglades Nutrient Removal Project

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang; Lindberg

2000-10-02

From 1996 to 1998 we determined dissolved gaseous mercury (DGM) in waters of the Everglades Nutrient Removal Project (ENR), a constructed wetlands. The concentrations of DGM measured in these waters (mean 7.3 +/- 9.5 pg l(-1)) are among the lowest reported in the literature, and suggest a system often near or slightly above equilibrium with Hg in ambient air. DGM exhibited both seasonal and diel trends, peaking at midday and during the summer. A simple box budget model of DGM in waters of the Everglades was developed using an interactive spreadsheet based on a mass balance among light-induced reduction of HgII (production of DGM), Hg0 oxidation (removal), and Hg0 evasion in a box (water column) consisting of a surface region with sunlight available and a lower dark region. The modeling results suggest high sensitivity of hourly DGM concentrations to DGM production rates and initial DGM levels. The sensitivity to Hg oxidation is lower than the sensitivity to DGM production. The model performance demonstrates successful simulations of a variety of DGM trends in the Everglades. In particular, it clearly demonstrates how it is possible to measure comparable rates of evasion over several Everglades sites with different DGM concentrations.

Assessment of air mass ventilation potential in and around Bhabha Atomic Research Centre Trombay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jana, R.; Vinod Kumar, A.

2016-01-01

Aim of the present study is quantification of airborne pollutant dispersion potential in and around Bhabha Atomic Research Centre Trombay, a coastal belt of Arabian sea. Apart from synoptic atmospheric circulation, there is local land-sea interactive breezes diurnally in the area for which air mass ventilation potential is assessed here. For this purpose, a micro-meteorological station was established at Mandala hill top representing Trombay area to measure 3 dimensional wind components, i.e. Zonal: u, meridional: v and vertical: w, using ultrasonic anemometer. Hourly wind speed and wind direction are derived in this study for a period of 1 year, January-December 2013. Accuracy of wind components measurement is 0.1 m/s. This covers low wind condition too, i.e. wind speed below 1 m/s. Hourly statistics of year-long as well as seasonal period of wind field and associated parameters reveals the uniqueness of wind field phenomenon at the site being situated in west coast. Seasonal Wind Roses captures various frequencies of wind speed and wind direction for the respective periods

Origin of atmospheric aerosols at the Pierre Auger Observatory using studies of air mass trajectories in South America

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Aab, A.; Abreu, P.; Aglietta, M.; Boháčová, Martina; Chudoba, Jiří; Ebr, Jan; Mandát, Dušan; Nečesal, Petr; Nožka, Libor; Palatka, Miroslav; Pech, Miroslav; Prouza, Michael; Řídký, Jan; Schovánek, Petr; Trávníček, Petr; Vícha, Jakub

2014-01-01

Roč. 149, Nov (2014), 120-135 ISSN 0169-8095 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) 7AMB14AR005; GA MŠk(CZ) LG13007; GA TA ČR TA01010517 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : cosmic ray * aerosol * air masses * atmospheric effect * HYSPLIT * GDAS Subject RIV: BF - Elementary Particles and High Energy Physics Impact factor: 2.844, year: 2014 http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0169809514002300/1-s2.0-S0169809514002300-main.pdf?_tid=fcea4ea8-70b1-11e4-b4f3-00000aab0f6c&acdnat=1416487228_63c445b9d4c12eb5

Greenhouse effect: temperature of a metal sphere surrounded by a glass shell and heated by sunlight

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen, Phuc H; Matzner, Richard A

2012-01-01

We study the greenhouse effect on a model satellite consisting of a tungsten sphere surrounded by a thin spherical, concentric glass shell, with a small gap between the sphere and the shell. The system sits in vacuum and is heated by sunlight incident along the z-axis. This development is a generalization of the simple treatment of the greenhouse effect given by Kittel and Kroemer (1980 Thermal Physics (San Francisco: Freeman)) and can serve as a very simple model demonstrating the much more complex Earth greenhouse effect. Solution of the model problem provides an excellent pedagogical tool at the Junior/Senior undergraduate level.

Discussion of mechanical design for pressured cavity-air-receiver in solar power tower system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fan, Zhilin; Zhang, Yaoming; Liu, Deyou; Wang, Jun; Liu, Wei [Hohai Univ., Nanjing (China). New Materials and Energy Sources Research and Exploitation Inst.

2008-07-01

In 2005, Hohai university and Nanjing Chunhui science and technology Ltd. of China, cooperating with Weizmann Institute of Science and EDIG Ltd. of Israel, built up a 70kWe solar power tower test plant in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, China, which was regarded as the first demonstration project to demonstrate the feasibility of solar power tower system in China. The system consists of heliostats field providing concentrated sunlight, a solar tower with a height of 33 meter, a pressured cavity-air-receiver transforming solar energy to thermal energy, a modified gas turbine adapting to solar power system, natural gas subsystem for solar-hybrid generation, cooling water subsystem for receiver and CPC, controlling subsystem for whole plant, et al. In this system, air acts as actuating medium and the system works in Brayton cycle. Testing results show that solar power tower system is feasible in China. To promote the development of solar powered gas turbine system and the pressured cavity-air-receiver technology in China, it is necessary to study the mechanical design for pressured Cavity-air-receiver. Mechanical design of pressured cavity-air-receiver is underway and some tentative principles for pressured cavity-air-receiver design, involving in power matching, thermal efficiency, material choosing, and equipment security and machining ability, are presented. At the same time, simplified method and process adapted to engineering application for the mechanical design of pressured cavity-air-receiver are discussed too. Furthermore, some design parameters and appearance of a test sample of pressured cavity-air-receiver designed in this way is shown. It is appealed that, in China, the research in this field should be intensified and independent knowledge patents for pivotal technological equipments such as receiver in solar power tower system should be formed. (orig.)

Investigating Local and Remote Terrestrial Influence on Air Masses at Contrasting Antarctic Sites Using Radon-222 and Back Trajectories

Science.gov (United States)

Chambers, S. D.; Choi, T.; Park, S.-J.; Williams, A. G.; Hong, S.-B.; Tositti, L.; Griffiths, A. D.; Crawford, J.; Pereira, E.

2017-12-01

We report on the first summer of high-sensitivity radon measurements from a two-filter detector at Jang Bogo Station (Terra Nova Bay) and contrast them with simultaneous observations at King Sejong Station (King George Island). King Sejong radon concentrations were characteristic of a marine baseline station (0.02-0.3 Bq m-3), whereas Jang Bogo values were highly variable (0.06-5.2 Bq m-3), mainly due to emissions from exposed coastal ground (estimated mean flux 0.09-0.11 atoms cm-2 s-1) and shallow atmospheric mixing depths. For wind speeds of ≤3.5 m s-1 the influence of local radon emissions became increasingly more prominent at both sites. A cluster analysis of back trajectories from King Sejong (62°S) revealed a fairly even distribution between air masses that had passed recently over South America, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica, whereas at Jang Bogo (75°S) 80% of events had recently passed over the Ross Ice Shelf and West Antarctica, 12% were synoptically forced over Cape Adare, and 8% were associated with subsidence over the Antarctic interior and katabatic flow to the station. When cross-checked against radon concentrations, only half of the back trajectories ending at Jang Bogo that had indicated distant contact with nonpolar southern hemisphere continents within the past 10 days showed actual signs of terrestrial influence. A simple-to-implement technique based on high-pass filtered absolute humidity is developed to distinguish between predominantly katabatic, oceanic, and near-coastal air masses for characterization of trace gas and aerosol measurements at coastal East Antarctic sites.

Simulation of heat and mass transfer processes in the experimental section of the air-condensing unit of Scientific Production Company "Turbocon"

Science.gov (United States)

Artemov, V. I.; Minko, K. B.; Yan'kov, G. G.; Kiryukhin, A. V.

2016-05-01

A mathematical model was developed to be used for numerical analysis of heat and mass transfer processes in the experimental section of the air condenser (ESAC) created in the Scientific Production Company (SPC) "Turbocon" and mounted on the territory of the All-Russia Thermal Engineering Institute. The simulations were performed using the author's CFD code ANES. The verification of the models was carried out involving the experimental data obtained in the tests of ESAC. The operational capability of the proposed models to calculate the processes in steam-air mixture and cooling air and algorithms to take into account the maldistribution in the various rows of tube bundle was shown. Data on the influence of temperature and flow rate of the cooling air on the pressure in the upper header of ESAC, effective heat transfer coefficient, steam flow distribution by tube rows, and the dimensions of the ineffectively operating zones of tube bundle for two schemes of steam-air mixture flow (one-pass and two-pass ones) were presented. It was shown that the pressure behind the turbine (in the upper header) increases significantly at increase of the steam flow rate and reduction of the flow rate of cooling air and its temperature rise, and the maximum value of heat transfer coefficient is fully determined by the flow rate of cooling air. Furthermore, the steam flow rate corresponding to the maximum value of heat transfer coefficient substantially depends on the ambient temperature. The analysis of the effectiveness of the considered schemes of internal coolant flow was carried out, which showed that the two-pass scheme is more effective because it provides lower pressure in the upper header, despite the fact that its hydraulic resistance at fixed flow rate of steam-air mixture is considerably higher than at using the one-pass schema. This result is a consequence of the fact that, in the two-pass scheme, the condensation process involves the larger internal surface of tubes

Miniature mass analyzer

CERN Document Server

Cuna, C; Lupsa, N; Cuna, S; Tuzson, B

2003-01-01

The paper presents the concept of different mass analyzers that were specifically designed as small dimension instruments able to detect with great sensitivity and accuracy the main environmental pollutants. The mass spectrometers are very suited instrument for chemical and isotopic analysis, needed in environmental surveillance. Usually, this is done by sampling the soil, air or water followed by laboratory analysis. To avoid drawbacks caused by sample alteration during the sampling process and transport, the 'in situ' analysis is preferred. Theoretically, any type of mass analyzer can be miniaturized, but some are more appropriate than others. Quadrupole mass filter and trap, magnetic sector, time-of-flight and ion cyclotron mass analyzers can be successfully shrunk, for each of them some performances being sacrificed but we must know which parameters are necessary to be kept unchanged. To satisfy the miniaturization criteria of the analyzer, it is necessary to use asymmetrical geometries, with ion beam obl...

Air loads on solar panels during launch

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beltman, W.M.; van der Hoogt, Peter; Spiering, R.M.E.J.; Tijdeman, H.

1996-01-01

The dynamical behaviour of solar panels during launch is significantly affected by the thin layers of air trapped between the panels. For narrow gaps the air manifests itself not only as a considerable added mass, but its viscosity can result in a substantial amount of damping. A model has been

Quantification of ultraviolet radiation-induced DNA damage in the urine of Swedish adults and children following exposure to sunlight

OpenAIRE

Liljendahl, Tove Sandberg; Kotova, Natalia; Segerbäck, Dan

2012-01-01

DNA damage following exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is important in skin cancer development. The predominant photoproduct, cyclobutane thymine dimer (T=T), is repaired and excreted in the urine, where it provides a biomarker of exposure. To quantify urinary T=T levels after recreational sunlight exposure in adults and children. Average UVR doses were measured with personal dosimeters. Urinary T=T was analysed with (32)P-postlabelling. ResuLTS: Background levels of T=T increased...

Aircraft observations of enhancement and depletion of black carbon mass in the springtime Arctic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. R. Spackman

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Understanding the processes controlling black carbon (BC in the Arctic is crucial for evaluating the impact of anthropogenic and natural sources of BC on Arctic climate. Vertical profiles of BC mass loadings were observed from the surface to near 7-km altitude in April 2008 using a Single-Particle Soot Photometer (SP2 during flights on the NOAA WP-3D research aircraft from Fairbanks, Alaska. These measurements were conducted during the NOAA-sponsored Aerosol, Radiation, and Cloud Processes affecting Arctic Climate (ARCPAC project. In the free troposphere, the Arctic air mass was influenced by long-range transport from biomass-burning and anthropogenic source regions at lower latitudes especially during the latter part of the campaign. Average BC mass mixing ratios peaked at about 150 ng BC (kg dry air ⁻¹ near 5.5 km altitude in the aged Arctic air mass and 250 ng kg⁻¹ at 4.5 km in biomass-burning influenced air. BC mass loadings were enhanced by up to a factor of 5 in biomass-burning influenced air compared to the aged Arctic air mass. At the bottom of some of the profiles, positive vertical gradients in BC were observed over the sea-ice. The vertical profiles generally occurred in the vicinity of open leads in the sea-ice. In the aged Arctic air mass, BC mass loadings more than doubled with increasing altitude within the ABL and across the boundary layer transition while carbon monoxide (CO remained constant. This is evidence for depletion of BC mass in the ABL. BC mass loadings were positively correlated with O₃ in ozone depletion events (ODEs for all the observations in the ABL. Since bromine catalytically destroys ozone in the ABL after being released as molecular bromine in regions of new sea-ice formation at the surface, the BC–O₃ correlation suggests that BC particles were removed by a surface process such as dry deposition. We develop a box model to estimate the dry deposition flux of BC

Ultrasensitive mass sensor fully integrated with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor circuitry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Forsén, Esko Sebastian; Abadal, G.; Ghatnekar-Nilsson, S.

2005-01-01

Nanomechanical resonators have been monolithically integrated on preprocessed complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) chips. Fabricated resonator systems have been designed to have resonance frequencies up to 1.5 MHz. The systems have been characterized in ambient air and vacuum conditions...... and display ultrasensitive mass detection in air. A mass sensitivity of 4 ag/Hz has been determined in air by placing a single glycerine drop, having a measured weight of 57 fg, at the apex of a cantilever and subsequently measuring a frequency shift of 14.8 kHz. CMOS integration enables electrostatic...

Sunlight-assisted synthesis of colloidal silver nanoparticles using chitosan as reducing agent

Science.gov (United States)

Susilowati, E.; Maryani; Ashadi

2018-04-01

The present study we explore an environmentally friendly colloidal silver nanoparticles preparation using chitosan as reducing agent and stabilizer. It develops a new strategy on preparation of silver nanoparticles through the gel phase using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) as accelerator reagent. Sunlight irradiation was employed to assisted reducing process of silver ions to silver nanoparticles. Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) phenomenon of silver nanoparticles was investigated using UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The shape and size of silver particles were analyzed using TEM. The formation of silver nanoparticles was confirmed by the appearance of LSPR absorption peak at 396.0–412.0 nm. The absorption peak of LSPR were affected by NaOH amount, time of sulight irradiation and concentration of AgNO3. The produced silver nanoparticles were spherical with dominant size range of 5 to 8 nm as shown by TEM images. All colloidals were stable without any aggregation for 30 days after preparation.

An improved, automated whole air sampler and gas chromatography mass spectrometry analysis system for volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Lerner, Brian M.; Gilman, Jessica B.; Aikin, Kenneth C.; Atlas, Elliot L.; Goldan, Paul D.; Graus, Martin; Hendershot, Roger; Isaacman-VanWertz, Gabriel A.; Koss, Abigail; Kuster, William C.; Lueb, Richard A.; McLaughlin, Richard J.; Peischl, Jeff; Sueper, Donna; Ryerson, Thomas B.; Tokarek, Travis W.; Warneke, Carsten; Yuan, Bin; de Gouw, Joost A.

2017-01-01

Volatile organic compounds were quantified during two aircraft-based field campaigns using highly automated, whole air samplers with expedited post-flight analysis via a new custom-built, field-deployable gas chromatography-mass spectrometry instrument. During flight, air samples were pressurized with a stainless steel bellows compressor into electropolished stainless steel canisters. The air samples were analyzed using a novel gas chromatograph system designed specifically for field use which eliminates the need for liquid nitrogen. Instead, a Stirling cooler is used for cryogenic sample pre-concentration at temperatures as low as -165 °C. The analysis system was fully automated on a 20 min cycle to allow for unattended processing of an entire flight of 72 sample canisters within 30 h, thereby reducing typical sample residence times in the canisters to less than 3 days. The new analytical system is capable of quantifying a wide suite of C2 to C10 organic compounds at part-per-trillion sensitivity. This paper describes the sampling and analysis systems, along with the data analysis procedures which include a new peak-fitting software package for rapid chromatographic data reduction. Instrument sensitivities, uncertainties and system artifacts are presented for 35 trace gas species in canister samples. Comparisons of reported mixing ratios from each field campaign with measurements from other instruments are also presented.

Mass spectrometric analysis of small negative ions (e/m < 100) produced by Trichel pulse negative corona discharge fed by ozonised air

OpenAIRE

Skalny, J.D.; Horvath, G.; Mason, N.

2007-01-01

Mass spectrometric analysis of small negative ions (e/m < 100) produced by DC negative corona discharge in ozonised wet air both in flow and flow-stopped regimes was conducted at pressure of 30 kPa. The point-to-plain electrode system has been used. The yield of individual ions is strongly affected by trace concentrations of ozone in both regimes. Ozone concentration greater than 25 ppm is sufficient to completely suppress the appearance of O2- and a NO2- ion as well as theirs clusters in the...

An experimental evaluation of multi-pass solar air heaters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Satcunanathan, S.; Persad, P.

1980-12-01

Three collectors of identical dimensions but operating in the single-pass, two-pass and three-pass modes were tested simultaneously under ambient conditions. It was found that the two-pass air heater was consistently better than the single-pass air heater over the day for the range of mass flow rates considered. It was also found that at a mass flow rate of 0.0095 kg s/sup -1/ m/sup -2/, the thermal performances of the two-pass and three-pass collectors were identical, but at higher flow rates the two-pass collector was superior to the three-pass collector, the superiority decreasing with increasing mass flow rate.

Air to air fixed plate enthalpy heat exchanger, performance variation and energy analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nasif, Mohammad Shakir [Universiti Teknologi Petronas, Bandar Seri Iskandar (Malaysia); Alwaked, Rafat [Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University, Al Khobar (Saudi Arabia); Behnia, Masud [University of Sydney, Sydney (Australia); Morrison, Graham [The University of New South Wales, Sydney (Australia)

2013-11-15

The thermal performance of a Z shape enthalpy heat exchanger utilising 70 gsm Kraft paper as the heat and moisture transfer surface has been investigated. Effects of different inlet air humidity ratio conditions on the heat exchanger effectiveness and on the energy recovered by the heat exchanger have been the main focus of this investigation. A typical air conditioning cooling coil which incorporates an enthalpy heat exchanger has been modelled for tropical climate. Under test conditions, results have shown that latent effectiveness and the moisture resistance coefficient have strong dependency on the inlet air humidity ratio. Moreover, the latent effectiveness has been found to be strongly dependent on the moisture resistance coefficient rather than the convective mass transfer coefficient. Finally, annual energy analysis for Singapore weather conditions have also shown that energy recovered under variable inlet air conditions is 15% less than that recovered under constant inlet air conditions for the same heat exchanger.

High-energy metal air batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ji-Guang; Xiao, Jie; Xu, Wu; Wang, Deyu; Williford, Ralph E.; Liu, Jun

2013-07-09

Disclosed herein are embodiments of lithium/air batteries and methods of making and using the same. Certain embodiments are pouch-cell batteries encased within an oxygen-permeable membrane packaging material that is less than 2% of the total battery weight. Some embodiments include a hybrid air electrode comprising carbon and an ion insertion material, wherein the mass ratio of ion insertion material to carbon is 0.2 to 0.8. The air electrode may include hydrophobic, porous fibers. In particular embodiments, the air electrode is soaked with an electrolyte comprising one or more solvents including dimethyl ether, and the dimethyl ether subsequently is evacuated from the soaked electrode. In other embodiments, the electrolyte comprises 10-20% crown ether by weight.

Development and functional significance of dorsal air bags in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study describes the morphology and investigates the possible function of the air bags found on the nestlings of Monteiro's Hornbill Tockus monteiri. These air bags increased in size with age and mass of the nestling until 14 d of age, and then decreased in size. By 20 d of age, the air bags were absent. Histological ...

Air-sea heat flux control on the Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass intensity and implications for its prediction

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Zhu, Junying; Shi, Jie; Guo, Xinyu; Gao, Huiwang; Yao, Xiaohong

2018-01-01

The Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass (YSCWM), which occurs during summer in the central Yellow Sea, plays an important role in the hydrodynamic field, nutrient cycle and biological species. Based on water temperature observations during the summer from 1978 to 1998 in the western Yellow Sea, five specific YSCWM years were identified, including two strong years (1984 and 1985), two weak years (1989 and 1995) and one normal year (1992). Using a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model, the YSCWM formation processes in these five years were simulated and compared with observations. In general, the YSCWM began forming in spring, matured in summer and gradually disappeared in autumn of every year. The 8 °C isotherm was used to indicate the YSCWM boundary. The modelled YSCWM areas in the two strong years were approximately two times larger than those in the two weak years. Based on the simulations in the weak year of 1995, ten numerical experiments were performed to quantify the key factors influencing the YSCWM intensity by changing the initial water condition in the previous autumn, air-sea heat flux, wind, evaporation, precipitation and sea level pressure to those in the strong year of 1984, respectively. The results showed that the air-sea heat flux was the dominant factor influencing the YSCWM intensity, which contributed about 80% of the differences of the YSCWM average water temperature at a depth of 50 m. In addition, the air-sea heat flux in the previous winter had a determining effect, contributing more than 50% of the differences between the strong and weak YSCWM years. Finally, a simple formula for predicting the YSCWM intensity was established by using the key influencing factors, i.e., the sea surface temperature before the cooling season and the air-sea heat flux during the cooling season from the previous December to the current February. With this formula, instead of a complicated numerical model, we were able to roughly predict the YSCWM intensity for the

Physico-chemical characterization of grain dust in storage air of Bangalore.

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Mukherjee, A K; Nag, D P; Kakde, Y; Babu, K R; Prdkash, M N; Rao, S R

1998-06-01

An Anderson personal cascade impactor was used to study the particle mass size distribution in the storage air of two major grain storage centers in Bangalore. Dust levels in storage air as well as the personal exposures of workers were determined along with a detailed study on the particle size distribution. Protein and carbohydrate content of the dust were also determined respectively in the phosphate buffer saline (PBS) and water extracts by using the standard analytical techniques. Personal exposures in both of the grain storage centers have been found to be much above the limit prescribed by ACGIH (1995-96). But the results of particle size analysis showed a higher particle mass distribution in the non-respirable size range. The mass median diameters (MMD) of the storage air particulate of both the centers were found to be beyond the respirable range. Presence of protein and carbohydrate in the storage air dust is indicative of the existence of glyco-proteins, mostly of membrane origin.

Synthesis and Characterization of Mn–C–Codoped TiO2 Nanoparticles and Photocatalytic Degradation of Methyl Orange Dye under Sunlight Irradiation

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Wei Xin

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Novel visible-light-active Mn–C–TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized by modified sol-gel method based on the self-assembly technique using polyoxyethylenes orbitan monooleate (Tween 80 as template and carbon precursor and manganese acetate as manganese precursor. The samples were characterized by XRD, FTIR, UV-vis diffuse reflectance, XPS, and laser particle size analysis. The XRD results showed that Mn–C–TiO2 sample exhibited anatase phase and no other crystal phase was identified. High specific surface area, small crystallite size, and small particle size distribution could be obtained by manganese and carbon codoped and Mn–C–TiO2 exhibited greater red shift in absorption edge of samples in visible region than that of C–TiO2 and pure TiO2. The photocatalytic activity of synthesized catalyst was evaluated by photocatalytic oxidation of methyl orange (MO solution under the sunlight irradiation. The results showed that Mn–C–TiO2 nanoparticles have higher activity than other samples under sunlight, which could be attributed to the high specific surface area, smaller particle size, and lower band gap energy.

Photocatalysis and self-cleaning from g-C3N4 coated cotton fabrics under sunlight irradiation

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Fan, Yunde; Zhou, Ji; Zhang, Jin; Lou, Yaqin; Huang, Zhenwu; Ye, Yong; Jia, Li; Tang, Bin

2018-05-01

Graphite-like carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheets have been facilely assembled via electrostatic interaction onto cotton fabrics for achieving multi-functionalities. The surface morphologies, chemical composition and optical features of the g-C3N4-coated fabrics were characterized. The treated cotton fabrics exhibited remarkable photocatalytic degradation activity and superior self-cleaning performance. A complete degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) and removal of stains were accomplished under simulated sunlight irradiation. More importantly, the modified fabrics can be reused in catalysis reactions with great durability. The practical treatment approach demonstrated from this work has great potential to be applied in textile industry for functional fabrics manufacture.

Numerical analysis of heat and mass transfer for water recovery in an evaporative cooling tower

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Lee, Hyunsub; Son, Gihun

2017-11-01

Numerical analysis is performed for water recovery in an evaporative cooling tower using a condensing heat exchanger, which consists of a humid air channel and an ambient dry air channel. The humid air including water vapor produced in an evaporative cooling tower is cooled by the ambient dry air so that the water vapor is condensed and recovered to the liquid water. The conservation equations of mass, momentum, energy and vapor concentration in each fluid region and the energy equation in a solid region are simultaneously solved with the heat and mass transfer boundary conditions coupled to the effect of condensation on the channel surface of humid air. The present computation demonstrates the condensed water film distribution on the humid air channel, which is caused by the vapor mass transfer between the humid air and the colder water film surface, which is coupled to the indirect heat exchange with the ambient air. Computations are carried out to predict water recovery rate in parallel, counter and cross-flow type heat exchangers. The effects of air flow rate and channel interval on the water recovery rate are quantified.

Zinc Oxide-Containing Porous Boron-Carbon-Nitrogen Sheets from Glycine-Nitrate Combustion: Synthesis, Self-Cleaning, and Sunlight-Driven Photocatalytic Activity.

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Bharathidasan, T; Mandalam, Aditya; Balasubramanian, M; Dhandapani, P; Sathiyanarayanan, S; Mayavan, Sundar

2015-08-26

We developed a single-step thermal method that enables successful inclusion of ZnO components in the porous boron-carbon-nitrogen (BCN) framework to form a new class of functional hybrid. ZnO-containing BCN hybrids were prepared by treating a mixture of B2O3, glycine, and zinc nitrate at 500 °C. Glycine-nitrate decomposition along with B2O3 acts as a source for ZnO-BCN formation. The incorporation of ZnO onto BCN has extended the photoresponse of ZnO in the visible region, which makes ZnO-BCN a preferable photocatalyst relative to ZnO upon sunlight exposure. It is interesting to note that as-prepared 2D ZnO-BCN sheets dispersed in PDMS form a stable coating over aluminum alloys. The surface exhibited a water contact angle (CA) of 157.6° with 66.6 wt % ZnO-BCN in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and a water droplet (7 μL) roll-off angle of <6° and also demonstrates oil fouling resistant superhydrophobicity. In brief, the present study focuses on the gram scale synthesis of a new class of sunlight-driven photocatalyst and also its application toward the development of superhydrophobic and oleophobic coating.

Comparison of Spheroidal Carbonaceous Particle Data with Modelled Atmospheric Black Carbon Concentration and Deposition and Air Mass Sources in Northern Europe, 1850–2010

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Meri Ruppel

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Spheroidal carbonaceous particles (SCP are a well-defined fraction of black carbon (BC, produced only by the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels such as coal and oil. Their past concentrations have been studied using environmental archives, but, additionally, historical trends of BC concentration and deposition can be estimated by modelling. These models are based on BC emission inventories, but actual measurements of BC concentration and deposition play an essential role in their evaluation and validation. We use the chemistry transport model OsloCTM2 to model historical time series of BC concentration and deposition from energy and industrial sources and compare these to sedimentary measurements of SCPs obtained from lake sediments in Northern Europe from 1850 to 2010. To determine the origin of SCPs we generated back trajectories of air masses to the study sites. Generally, trends of SCP deposition and modelled results agree reasonably well, showing rapidly increasing values from 1950, to a peak in 1980, and a decrease towards the present. Empirical SCP data show differences in deposition magnitude between the sites that are not captured by the model but which may be explained by different air mass transport patterns. The results highlight the need for numerous observational records to reliably validate model results.

Direct atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-tandem mass spectrometry for the continuous real-time trace analysis of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes in ambient air.

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Badjagbo, Koffi; Picard, Pierre; Moore, Serge; Sauvé, Sébastien

2009-05-01

Real-time monitoring of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) in ambient air is essential for the early warning detection associated with the release of these hazardous chemicals and in estimating the potential exposure risks to humans and the environment. We have developed a tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) method for continuous real-time determination of ambient trace levels of BTEX. The technique is based on the sampling of air via an atmospheric pressure inlet directly into the atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) source. The method is linear over four orders of magnitude, with correlation coefficients greater than 0.996. Low limits of detection in the range 1-2 microg/m(3) are achieved for BTEX. The reliability of the method was confirmed through the evaluation of quality parameters such as repeatability and reproducibility (relative standard deviation below 8% and 10%, respectively) and accuracy (over 95%). The applicability of this method to real-world samples was evaluated through measurements of BTEX levels in real ambient air samples and results were compared with a reference GC-FID method. This direct APCI-MS/MS method is suitable for real-time analysis of BTEX in ambient air during regulation surveys as well as for the monitoring of industrial processes or emergency situations.

Calibration of nozzle for air mass flow measurement

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Uher, Jan; Kanta, Lukáš

2017-09-01

The effort to make calibration measurement of mass flow through a nozzle was not satisfying. Traversing across the pipe radius with Pitot probe was done. The presence of overshoot behind the bend in the pipe was found. The overshoot led to an asymmetric velocity profile.

Roles of Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA polymerases Polη and Polζ in response to irradiation by simulated sunlight

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Kozmin, Stanislav G.; Pavlov, Youri I.; Kunkel, Thomas A.; Sage, Evelyne

2003-01-01

Sunlight causes lesions in DNA that if unrepaired and inaccurately replicated by DNA polymerases yield mutations that result in skin cancer in humans. Two enzymes involved in translesion synthesis (TLS) of UV-induced photolesions are DNA polymerase η (Polη) and polymerase ζ (Polζ), encoded by the RAD30A and REV3 genes, respectively. Previous studies have investigated the TLS roles of these polymerases in human and yeast cells irradiated with monochromatic, short wavelength UVC radiation (254 nm). However, less is known about cellular responses to solar radiation, which is of higher and mixed wavelengths (310–1100 nm) and produces a different spectrum of DNA lesions, including Dewar photoproducts and oxidative lesions. Here we report on the comparative cytotoxic and mutagenic effects of simulated sunlight (SSL) and UVC radiation on yeast wild-type, rad30Δ, rev3Δ and rev3Δ rad30Δ strains. The results with SSL support several previous interpretations on the roles of these two polymerases in TLS of photodimers and (6–4) photoproducts derived from studies with UVC. They further suggest that Polη participates in the non-mutagenic bypass of SSL-dependent cytosine-containing Dewar photoproducts and 8-oxoguanine, while Polζ is mainly responsible for the mutagenic bypass of all types of Dewar photoproducts. They also suggest that in the absence of Polζ, Polη contributes to UVC- and SSL-induced mutagenesis, possibly by the bypass of photodimers containing deaminated cytosine. PMID:12888515

Using gravimetric measurement for determination of the mass fraction PM10

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Nicolae Chirilă

2011-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we tried to determinate the air pollution level with mass fraction PM10 from Targu Mures area. For this purpose, determinations were made in University Petru Maior’s laboratory, using ADR 1200 S device and in Targu Mures Environmental Department’s laboratory. The results that we obtained show a low level of air pollution with mass fraction PM10 in Targu Mures area.

Preservation of glutamic acid-iron chelate into montmorillonite to efficiently degrade Reactive Blue 19 in a Fenton system under sunlight irradiation at neutral pH

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Huang, Zhujian; Wu, Pingxiao; Gong, Beini; Yang, Shanshan; Li, Hailing; Zhu, Ziao; Cui, Lihua

2016-05-01

To further enhance the visible light responsive property and the chemical stability of Fe/clay mineral catalysts, glutamic acid-iron chelate intercalated montmorillonite (G-Fe-Mt) was developed. The physiochemical properties of G-Fe-Mt were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), etc. The results showed that glutamic acid-iron chelates were successfully intercalated into the gallery of montmorillonite and the intercalated glutamic acid-iron chelate molecules were well preserved. The product G-Fe-Mt displayed excellent catalytic performance in heterogeneous photo-Fenton reaction under sunlight irradiation at acidic and neutral pH values. The chelation and the visible light responsiveness of glutamic acid produce a synergistic effect leading to greatly enhanced sunlight-Fenton reaction catalyzed by the heterogeneous G-Fe-Mt under neutral pH. G-Fe-Mt is a promising catalyst for advanced oxidation processes.

Heat pipe heat exchanger for heat recovery in air conditioning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abd El-Baky, Mostafa A.; Mohamed, Mousa M. [Mechanical Power Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Minufiya University, Shebin El-Kom (Egypt)

2007-03-15

The heat pipe heat exchangers are used in heat recovery applications to cool the incoming fresh air in air conditioning applications. Two streams of fresh and return air have been connected with heat pipe heat exchanger to investigate the thermal performance and effectiveness of heat recovery system. Ratios of mass flow rate between return and fresh air of 1, 1.5 and 2.3 have been adapted to validate the heat transfer and the temperature change of fresh air. Fresh air inlet temperature of 32-40{sup o}C has been controlled, while the inlet return air temperature is kept constant at about 26{sup o}C. The results showed that the temperature changes of fresh and return air are increased with the increase of inlet temperature of fresh air. The effectiveness and heat transfer for both evaporator and condenser sections are also increased to about 48%, when the inlet fresh air temperature is increased to 40{sup o}C. The effect of mass flow rate ratio on effectiveness is positive for evaporator side and negative for condenser side. The enthalpy ratio between the heat recovery and conventional air mixing is increased to about 85% with increasing fresh air inlet temperature. The optimum effectiveness of heat pipe heat exchanger is estimated and compared with the present experimental data. The results showed that the effectiveness is close to the optimum effectiveness at fresh air inlet temperature near the fluid operating temperature of heat pipes. (author)

Methods, fluxes and sources of gas phase alkyl nitrates in the coastal air.

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Dirtu, Alin C; Buczyńska, Anna J; Godoi, Ana F L; Favoreto, Rodrigo; Bencs, László; Potgieter-Vermaak, Sanja S; Godoi, Ricardo H M; Van Grieken, René; Van Vaeck, Luc

2014-10-01

The daily and seasonal atmospheric concentrations, deposition fluxes and emission sources of a few C3-C9 gaseous alkyl nitrates (ANs) at the Belgian coast (De Haan) on the Southern North Sea were determined. An adapted sampler design for low- and high-volume air-sampling, optimized sample extraction and clean-up, as well as identification and quantification of ANs in air samples by means of gas chromatography mass spectrometry, are reported. The total concentrations of ANs ranged from 0.03 to 85 pptv and consisted primarily of the nitro-butane and nitro-pentane isomers. Air mass backward trajectories were calculated by the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model to determine the influence of main air masses on AN levels in the air. The shorter chain ANs have been the most abundant in the Atlantic/Channel/UK air masses, while longer chain ANs prevailed in continental air. The overall mean N fluxes of the ANs were slightly higher for summer than those for winter-spring, although their contributions to the total nitrogen flux were low. High correlations between AN and HNO₂ levels were observed during winter/spring. During summer, the shorter chain ANs correlated well with precipitation. Source apportionment by means of principal component analysis indicated that most of the gas phase ANs could be attributed to traffic/combustion, secondary photochemical formation and biomass burning, although marine sources may also have been present and a contributing factor.

Thermal performances of vertical hybrid PV/T air collector

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

2016-11-01

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

Using Microporous Polytetrafluoroethylene Thin Sheets as a Flexible Solar Diffuser to Minimize Sunlight Glint to Cameras in Space

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Michael K.

2016-01-01

An innovative design of using microporous PTFE thin sheets as a solar diffuser for MLI blankets or mechanical structure has been developed. It minimizes sunlight or stray-light glint to cameras when it is incident on these components in space. A microporous black PTFE thin sheet solar diffuser has been qualified for flight at NASA GSFC and installed to the TAGSAM arm MLI, OCAMS PolyCam sunshade MLI and SamCam motor riser MLI in the NASA OSIRIS-REx mission to meet the SamCam camera BRDF requirement.

Using microporous polytetrafluoroethylene thin sheets as a flexible solar diffuser to minimize sunlight glint to cameras in space

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Michael K.

2016-09-01

An innovative design of using microporous PTFE thin sheets as a solar diffuser for MLI blankets or mechanical structure has been developed. It minimizes sunlight or stray-light glint to cameras when it is incident on these components in space. A microporous black PTFE thin sheet solar diffuser has been qualified for flight at NASA GSFC and installed to the TAGSAM arm MLI, OCAMS PolyCam sunshade MLI and SamCam motor riser MLI in the NASA OSIRIS-REx mission to meet the SamCam camera BRDF requirement.

Evaluating the risk of osteoporosis through bone mass density

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sayed, S.A.; Khaliq, A.

2017-01-01

Osteoporosis is a bone disorder, characterized by loss of bone mass density. Osteoporosis affects more than 30 percent of post-menopausal women. Osteoporosis is often associated with restricted body movement, pain and joint deformities. Early identification and early intervention can help in reducing these complications. The primary objective of this study was to estimate the burden of Osteoporosis in Urban setting of Sindh among women of different age groups and to access the effect of different protective measures that can reduce the risk of Osteoporosis. Method: In this study, 500 women's of 3 major cities of Sindh were approached by non-probability convenience sampling technique. Women bearing age 20 years or more were included. Women who fall under inclusion criteria were screened for BMD (Bone mineral density) test and were classified as Healthy, Osteopenic and Osteoporotic based on their T-score. The association of different protective measures and risk of osteoporosis was assessed by prevalence relative risk (PRR). Result: The result of this study indicate that the burden of Osteoporosis is very high among the women of Sindh, only 17.4 percent (84) women were found to have normal BMD score. The life style of majority of women was sedentary. The PRR calculated for Exposure to sunlight, regular exercise, and use of nutritional supplement was 12.5, 5.19 and 2.72 folds respectively. Conclusion: The results of study reveal that exposure to sunlight, regular physical exercise and use of nutritional supplements found to be effective in reducing the risk of osteoporosis among women of all age group. Health education and promotion toward osteoporosis prevention can significantly contribute in reducing the morbidity of osteoporosis. (author)

Evaluating The Risk Of Osteoporosis Through Bone Mass Density.

Science.gov (United States)

Sayed, Sayeeda Amber; Khaliq, Asif; Mahmood, Ashar

2016-01-01

Osteoporosis is a bone disorder, characterized by loss of bone mass density. Osteoporosis affects more than 30% of post-menopausal women. Osteoporosis is often associated with restricted body movement, pain and joint deformities. Early identification and early intervention can help in reducing these complications. The primary objective of this study was to estimate the burden of Osteoporosis in Urban setting of Sindh among women of different age groups and to access the effect of different protective measures that can reduce the risk of Osteoporosis. In this study, 500 women's of 3 major cities of Sindh were approached by non-probability convenience sampling technique. Women bearing age 20 years or more were included. Women who fall under inclusion criteria were screened for BMD (Bone mineral density) test and were classified as Healthy, Osteopenic and Osteoporotic based on their T-score. The association of different protective measures and risk of osteoporosis was assessed by prevalence relative risk (PRR). The result of this study indicate that the burden of Osteoporosis is very high among the women of Sindh, only 17.4% (84) women were found to have normal BMD score. The life style of majority of women was sedentary. The PRR calculated for Exposure to sunlight, regular exercise, and use of nutritional supplement was 12.5, 5.19 and 2.72 folds respectively. The results of study reveal that exposure to sunlight, regular physical exercise and use of nutritional supplements found to be effective in reducing the risk of osteoporosis among women of all age group. Health education and promotion toward osteoporosis prevention can significantly contribute in reducing the morbidity of osteoporosis.

Sunlight based irradiation strategy for rapid green synthesis of highly stable silver nanoparticles using aqueous garlic (Allium sativum) extract and their antibacterial potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rastogi, Lori; Arunachalam, J.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → We report green synthetic route for the production crystalline silver nanoparticles using garlic as both reducing and stabilizing agent. → Synthesis has been achieved by exposing the solution mixture of [Ag(NH 3 ) 2 ] + and aqueous garlic extract under sunlight. → Role of light in the synthesis process has been investigated and is discussed in detail. → The antibacterial effect of the synthesized silver nanoparticles has been assessed against both Gram classes of bacteria. → Synthesized silver colloidal solutions were found to be stable for a very long period and retained their bactericidal potential. - Abstract: A green synthetic route for the production of highly stable silver nanoparticles using aqueous garlic extract is being reported for the first time. The silver nanoparticles were synthesized by exposing a mixture of 0.1 M [Ag(NH 3 ) 2 ] + and diluted aqueous garlic extract under bright sunlight for 15 min. The garlic extract components served as both reducing and capping agents in the synthesis of silver nanoparticles while the sunlight acted as catalyst in the synthesis process. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using UV-visible (UV-vis) spectrophotometer; transmission electron microscopy (TEM), glancing angle X-ray diffraction (GA-XRD) and Fourier transform infra red (FTIR) spectrometry. The nanoparticles were found to be poly-dispersed in nature, spherical in shape and of 7.3 ± 4.4 nm in size. The FTIR analysis was suggestive of proteins as capping agents around the nanoparticles. The yield of synthesized nanoparticles was calculated to be approximately 80% by dry weight and 85% ICP-AES method. The synthesized silver nanoparticles exhibited good antibacterial potential against both Gram positive and Gram negative bacterial strains, as measured using well diffusion assay. Most importantly, the silver colloidal solutions thus synthesized were found to be stable for a very long period (more than a year) and retained

Comparative Evaluation of Different Co-Antioxidants on the Photochemical- and Functional-Stability of Epigallocatechin-3-gallate in Topical Creams Exposed to Simulated Sunlight

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Santo Scalia

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The catechin (−-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG exhibits high antioxidant activity and it has been reported to provide protection of the skin against damage induced by solar UV radiation. However, EGCG is highly unstable under sunlight. The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of the co-antioxidant agents vitamin E, butylated hydroxytoluene, vitamin C and a-lipoic acid for their potential to protect the catechin from photochemical degradation. Model creams (oil-in-water emulsions containing EGCG (1%, w/w alone or combined with equimolar concentrations of co-antioxidant were exposed to a solar simulator at an irradiance corresponding to natural sunlight. Photodegradation was evaluated by HPLC-UV and HPLC-ESI-MS/MS. Addition of the co-antioxidants vitamin C and a-lipoic acid to the formulation significantly reduced the light-induced decomposition of EGCG from 76.9 ± 4.6% to 20.4 ± 2.7% and 12.6 ± 1.6%, respectively. Conversely, butylated hydroxytoluene had no effect (EGCG loss, 78.1 ± 4.6% and vitamin E enhanced the EGCG photolysis to 84.5 ± 3.4%. The functional stability of the catechin in the creams exposed to the solar simulator was also evaluated by measuring the in vitro antioxidant activity. Following irradiation, the reduction of the EGCG formulation antioxidant power was lower (21.8% than the extent of degradation (76.9%, suggesting the formation of photoproducts with antioxidant properties. The influence of the examined co-antioxidants on the functional stability of the catechin under simulated sunlight paralleled that measured for the EGCG photodecomposition, a-lipoic acid exerting the greatest stabilising effect (antioxidant activity decrease, 1.4%. These results demonstrated that a-lipoic acid is an effective co-antioxidant agent for the stabilization of EGCG in dermatological products for skin photoprotection.

Mathematical model of one-man air revitalization system

Science.gov (United States)

1976-01-01

A mathematical model was developed for simulating the steady state performance in electrochemical CO2 concentrators which utilize (NMe4)2 CO3 (aq.) electrolyte. This electrolyte, which accommodates a wide range of air relative humidity, is most suitable for one-man air revitalization systems. The model is based on the solution of coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations derived from mass transport and rate equations for the processes which take place in the cell. The boundary conditions are obtained by solving the mass and energy transport equations. A shooting method is used to solve the differential equations.

Gulf of Mexico Air Quality: CALIPSO Support for Gulf of Mexico Air Quality Relating to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

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Nguyen, Myngoc T.; Lapointe, Stephen; Jennings, Brittney; Zoumplis, Angela

2011-01-01

On April 20, 2010, an oil platform belonging to BP exploded and leaked a huge volume of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. In an effort to control the spread of the oil, BP applied dispersants such as Corexit and conducted in-situ burnings of the oil. This catastrophe created a complex chain of events that affected not only the fragile water and land ecosystems, but the humans who breathe the air every day. Thousands of people were exposed to fumes associated with oil vapors from the spill, burning of the oil, and the toxic mixture of dispersants. While aiding in clean-up efforts, local fishermen were directly exposure to fumes when working on the Gulf. A notable amount of Gulf Coast residents were also exposed to the oil fumes as seasonal southeasterly winds blew vapors toward land. The Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) found in oil vapors include: benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, xylene, naphthalene, hydrogen sulfide and particulate matter (PM). Increases in water temperature and sunlight due to the summer season allow for these VOCs and PM to evaporate into the air more rapidly. Aside from the VOCs found in oil vapors, the dispersant being used to break up the oil is highly toxic and is thought to be even more toxic than the oil itself (EPA website, 2010). To protect human health, the environment, and to make informed policy decisions relevant to the spill, the EPA Region 6 has continuously monitored the affected areas carefully for levels of pollutants in the outdoor air that are associated with petroleum products and the burning of oil along the coast. In an effort to prevent, prepare for, and respond to future oil spills that occur in and around inland waters of the United States, the EPA has been working with local, state, and federal response partners. Air quality measurements were collected by the EPA at five active monitoring systems stationed along the coast.

Chemical mass balance modeling for air quality analysis near a waste-to-energy facility in a complex urban area: Program design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wells, R.; Watson, J.

1997-01-01

This paper describes the design and implementation of an ambient monitoring and receptor modeling study to evaluate air quality impacts from a state-of-the-art municipal waste management facility in a major urban area. The Robbins Resource Recovery Facility (RRRF), located in the Chicago metropolitan area, processes municipal solid waste (MSW) to recover recyclables, process the residual waste to create refuse-derived fuel (RDF), and burns the RDF to reduce the residual waste volume and recover energy. The RRRF is cooperating with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) and the Illinois Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to analyze air quality and facility impacts in the plant vicinity. An ambient monitoring program began one year before plant operation and will continue for five years after startup. Because the impacts of the RRRF are projected to be very low, and because the Chicago area includes a complex mix of existing industrial, commercial, and residential activity, the ambient data will be analyzed using Version 7.0 of the USEPA s Chemical Mass Balance (CMB) model to estimate the extent of the RRRF's impact on air quality in the area. The first year of pre-operational ambient data is currently under analysis. This paper describes the study design considerations, ambient monitoring program, emission data acquisition, background source data needs, and data analysis procedures developed to conduct CMB modeling in a complex industrialized area

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.

Analysis of enantiomeric and non-enantiomeric monoterpenes in plant emissions using portable dynamic air sampling/solid-phase microextraction (PDAS-SPME) and chiral gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Yassaa, Noureddine; Williams, Jonathan

A portable dynamic air sampler (PDAS) using a porous polymer solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fibre has been validated for the determination of biogenic enantiomeric and non-enantiomeric monoterpenes in air. These compounds were adsorbed in the field, and then thermally desorbed at 250 °C in a gas chromatograph injector port connected via a β-cyclodextrin capillary separating column to a mass spectrometer. The optimized method has been applied for investigating the emissions of enantiomeric monoterpenes from Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas-fir), Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) and Lavandula lanata (Lavender) which were selected as representative of coniferous trees and aromatic plants, respectively. The enantiomers of α-pinene, sabinene, camphene, δ-3-carene, β-pinene, limonene, β-phellandrene, 4-carene and camphor were successfully determined in the emissions from the three plants. While Douglas-fir showed a strong predominance toward (-)-enantiomers, Rosemary and Lavender demonstrated a large variation in enantiomeric distribution of monoterpenes. The simplicity, rapidity and sensitivity of dynamic sampling with porous polymer coated SPME fibres coupled to chiral capillary gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) makes this method potentially useful for in-field investigations of atmosphere-biosphere interactions and studies of optically explicit atmospheric chemistry.

Large scale air monitoring: Biological indicators versus air particulate matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rossbach, M.; Jayasekera, R.; Kniewald, G.

2000-01-01

Biological indicator organisms are widely used for monitoring and banking purposes since many years. Although the complexity of the interactions between bioorganisms and their environment is generally not easily comprehensible, environmental quality assessment using the bioindicator approach offers some convincing advantages compared to direct analysis of soil, water, or air. Direct measurement of air particulates is restricted to experienced laboratories with access to expensive sampling equipment. Additionally, the amount of material collected generally is just enough for one determination per sampling and no multidimensional characterization might be possible. Further, fluctuations in air masses have a pronounced effect on the results from air filter sampling. Combining the integrating property of bioindicators with the world wide availability and uniform matrix characteristics of air particulates as a prerequisite for global monitoring of air pollution will be discussed. A new approach for sampling urban dust using large volume filtering devices installed in air conditioners of large hotel buildings is assessed. A first experiment was initiated to collect air particulates (300 to 500 g each) from a number of hotels during a period of three to four months by successive vacuum cleaning of used inlet filters from high volume air conditioning installations reflecting average concentrations per three months in different large cities. This approach is expected to be upgraded and applied for global monitoring. Highly positive correlated elements were found in lichen such as K/S, Zn/P, the rare earth elements (REE) and a significant negative correlation between Fig and Cu was observed in these samples. The ratio of concentrations of elements in dust and Usnea spp. is highest for Cr, Zn, and Fe (400-200) and lowest for elements such as Ca, Rb, and Sr (20-10). (author)

Identification of PM10 air pollution origins at a rural background site

Science.gov (United States)

Reizer, Magdalena; Orza, José A. G.

2018-01-01

Trajectory cluster analysis and concentration weighted trajectory (CWT) approach have been applied to investigate the origins of PM10 air pollution recorded at a rural background site in North-eastern Poland (Diabla Góra). Air mass back-trajectories used in this study have been computed with the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model for a 10-year period of 2006-2015. A cluster analysis grouped back-trajectories into 7 clusters. Most of the trajectories correspond to fast and moderately moving westerly and northerly flows (45% and 25% of the cases, respectively). However, significantly higher PM10 concentrations were observed for slow moving easterly (11%) and southerly (20%) air masses. The CWT analysis shows that high PM10 levels are observed at Diabla Góra site when air masses are originated and passed over the heavily industrialized areas in Central-Eastern Europe located to the south and south-east of the site.

The role of size in synchronous air breathing of Hoplosternum littorale.

Science.gov (United States)

Sloman, Katherine A; Sloman, Richard D; De Boeck, Gudrun; Scott, Graham R; Iftikar, Fathima I; Wood, Chris M; Almeida-Val, Vera M F; Val, Adalberto L

2009-01-01

Synchronized air breathing may have evolved as a way of minimizing the predation risk known to be associated with air breathing in fish. Little is known about how the size of individuals affects synchronized air breathing and whether some individuals are required to surface earlier than necessary in support of conspecifics, while others delay air intake. Here, the air-breathing behavior of Hoplosternum littorale held in groups or in isolation was investigated in relation to body mass, oxygen tensions, and a variety of other physiological parameters (plasma lactate, hepatic glycogen, hematocrit, hemoglobin, and size of heart, branchial basket, liver, and air-breathing organ [ABO]). A mass-specific relationship with oxygen tension of first surfacing was seen when fish were held in isolation; smaller individuals surfaced at higher oxygen tensions. However, this relationship was lost when the same individuals were held in social groups of four, where synchronous air breathing was observed. In isolation, 62% of fish first surfaced at an oxygen tension lower than the calculated P(crit) (8.13 kPa), but in the group environment this was reduced to 38% of individuals. Higher oxygen tensions at first surfacing in the group environment were related to higher levels of activity rather than any of the physiological parameters measured. In fish held in isolation but denied access to the water surface for 12 h before behavioral testing, there was no mass-specific relationship with oxygen tension at first surfacing. Larger individuals with a greater capacity to store air in their ABOs may, therefore, remain in hypoxic waters for longer periods than smaller individuals when held in isolation unless prior access to the air is prevented. This study highlights how social interaction can affect air-breathing behaviors and the importance of considering both behavioral and physiological responses of fish to hypoxia to understand the survival mechanisms they employ.