A participant’s response : recreating the circle with We Al-Li: a program for sharing and regeneration

Personal reflections on the We Al-Li Program

Goreen Narrkwarren Ngrn-tuora : healthy family air : a literature review

This paper will focus on the literature review for Goreen Narrkwarren Ngrn-toura- Healthy Family Air, formerly known as Reducing smoking amongst pregnant Aboriginal women in Victoria: An Holistic Approach. Before we outline the findings from the literature review, we will provide some background information on the project, including why it is important and what and who are involved.

Altering heavy vehicle air suspension dynamic forces by modifying air lines

An experimental programme in 2007 used three air suspended heavy vehicles travelling over typical urban roads to determine whether dynamic axle-to-chassis forces could be reduced by using larger-than-standard diameter longitudinal air lines. This paper presents methodology, interim analysis and partial results from that programme. Alterations to dynamic measures derived from axle-to-chassis forces for the case of standard-sized longitudinal air lines vs. the test case where larger longitudinal air lines were fitted are presented and discussed. This leads to conclusions regarding the possibility that dynamic loadings between heavy vehicle suspensions and chassis may be reduced by fitting larger longitudinal air lines to air-suspended heavy vehicles. Reductions in the shock and vibration loads to heavy vehicle suspension components could lead to lighter and more economical chassis and suspensions. This could therefore lead to reduced tare and increased payloads without an increase in gross vehicle mass.

Will insulation always bring benefits in energy saving and thermal comfort?

Building insulation is often used to reduce the conduction heat transfer through building envelope. With a higher level of insulation (or a greater R-value), the less the conduction heat would transfer through building envelope. In this paper, using building computer simulation techniques, the effects of building insulation levels on the thermal and energy performance of a sample air-conditioned office building in Australia are studied. It is found that depending on the types of buildings and the climates of buildings located, increasing the level of building insulation will not always bring benefits in energy saving and thermal comfort, particularly for internal-load dominated office buildings located in temperate/tropical climates. The possible implication of building insulation in face of global warming has also been examined. Compared with the influence of insulation on building thermal performance, the influence on building energy use is relatively small.

Formation of one-dimensional capped ZnO nanoparticle assemblies at the air/water interface

The self-assembling behavior and microscopic structure of zinc oxide nanoparticle Langmuir-Blodgett monolayer films were investigated for the case of zinc oxide nanoparticles coated with a hydrophobic layer of dodecanethiol. Evolution of nanoparticle film structure as a function of surface pressure (π) at the air-water interface was monitored in situ using Brewster’s angle microscopy, where it was determined that π=16 mN/m produced near-defect-free monolayer films. Transmission electron micrographs of drop-cast and Langmuir-Schaefer deposited films of the dodecanethiol-coated zinc oxide nanoparticles revealed that the nanoparticle preparation method yielded a microscopic structure that consisted of one-dimensional rodlike assemblies of nanoparticles with typical dimensions of 25 x 400 nm, encased in the organic dodecanethiol layer. These nanoparticle-containing rodlike micelles were aligned into ordered arrangements of parallel rods using the Langmuir-Blodgett technique.

Assessment of corneal dynamics with high-speed swept source optical coherence tomography combined with an air puff system

We present a novel method and instrument for in vivo imaging and measurement of the human corneal dynamics during an air puff. The instrument is based on high-speed swept source optical coherence tomography (ssOCT) combined with a custom adapted air puff chamber from a non-contact tonometer, which uses an air stream to deform the cornea in a non-invasive manner. During the short period of time that the deformation takes place, the ssOCT acquires multiple A-scans in time (M-scan) at the center of the air puff, allowing observation of the dynamics of the anterior and posterior corneal surfaces as well as the anterior lens surface. The dynamics of the measurement are driven by the biomechanical properties of the human eye as well as its intraocular pressure. Thus, the analysis of the M-scan may provide useful information about the biomechanical behavior of the anterior segment during the applanation caused by the air puff. An initial set of controlled clinical experiments are shown to comprehend the performance of the instrument and its potential applicability to further understand the eye biomechanics and intraocular pressure measurements. Limitations and possibilities of the new apparatus are discussed.

Association between indoor air pollution measurements and respiratory health in women and children in Lao PDR

This article presents the results of a study on the association between measured air pollutants and the respiratory health of resident women and children in Lao PDR, one of the least developed countries in Southeast Asia. The study, commissioned by the World Health Organisation, included PM10, CO and NO2 measurements made inside 181 dwellings in nine districts within two provinces in Lao PDR over a 5- month period (12/05–04/06), and respiratory health information (via questionnaires and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) measurements) for all residents in the same dwellings. Adjusted odds ratios were calculated separately for each health outcome using binary logistic regression. There was a strong and consistent positive association between NO2 and CO for almost all questionnaire-based health outcomes for both women and children. Women in dwellings with higher measured NO2 had more than triple of the odds of almost all of the health outcomes, and higher concentrations of NO2 and CO were significantly associated with lower PEFR. This study supports a growing literature confirming the role of indoor air pollution in the burden of respiratory disease in developing countries. The results will directly support changes in health and housing policy in Lao PDR.

Air quality and its impact on health: focus on particulate matter

Inadequate air quality and the inhalation of airborne pollutants pose many risks to human health and wellbeing, and are listed among the top environmental risks worldwide. The importance of outdoor air quality was recognised in the 1950s and indoor air quality emerged as an issue some time later and was soon recognised as having an equal, if not greater importance than outdoor air quality. Identification of ambient air pollution as a health hazard was followed by steps, undertaken by a broad range of national and international professional and government organisations, aimed at reduction or elimination of the hazard. However, the process of achieving better air quality is still in progress. The last 10 years or so have seen an unprecedented increase in the interest in, and attention to, airborne particles, with a special focus on their finer size fractions, including ultrafine (< 0.1 m) and their subset, nano particles (< 0.05 m). This paper discusses the current status of scientific knowledge on the links between air quality and health, with a particular focus on airborne particulate matter, and the directions taken by national and international bodies to improve air quality.