Mortality reduction following the air pollution control measures during the 2010 Asian Games

Though increased particulate air pollution has been consistently associated with elevated mortality, evidence regarding whether diminished particulate air pollution would lead to mortality reduction is limited. Citywide air pollution mitigation program during the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, provided such an opportunity. Daily mortality from non-accidental, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases was compared for 51 intervention days (November 1–December 21) in 2010 with the same calendar date of baseline years (2006–2009 and 2011). Relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were estimated using a time series Poisson model, adjusting for day of week, public holidays, daily mean temperature and relative humidity. Daily PM10 (particle with aerodynamic diameter less than 10 μm) decreased from 88.64 μg/m3 during the baseline period to 80.61 μg/m3 during the Asian Games period. Other measured air pollutants and weather variables did not differ substantially. Daily mortality from non-accidental, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases decreased from 32, 11 and 6 during the baseline period to 25, 8 and 5 during the Games period, the corresponding RR for the Games period compared with the baseline period was 0.79 (95% CI: 0.73–0.86), 0.77 (95% CI: 0.66–0.89) and 0.68 (95% CI: 0.57–0.80), respectively. No significant decreases were observed in other months of 2010 in Guangzhou and intervention period in two control cities. This finding supports the efforts to reduce air pollution and improve public health through transportation restriction and industrial emission control.

Saviour Siblings and the Regulation of Assisted Reproductive Technology: Harm, Ethics and Law

Advances in the field of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) have been revolutionary. This book focuses on the use of ARTs in the context of families who seek to conceive a matching sibling donor as a source of tissue to treat an existing sick child. Such children have been referred to as ‘saviour siblings’. Considering the legal and regulatory frameworks that impact on the accessibility of this technology in Australia and the UK, the work analyses the ethical and moral issues that arise from the use of the technology for this specific purpose. The author claims the only justification for limiting a family’s reproductive liberty in this context is where the exercise of reproductive decision-making results in harm to others. It is argued that the harm principle is the underlying feature of legislative action in Western democratic society, and as such, this principle provides the grounds upon which a strong and persuasive argument is made for a less-restrictive regulatory approach in the context of ‘saviour siblings’.

Removal of organic content from diesel exhaust particles alters cellular responses of primary human bronchial epithelial cells cultured at an air-liquid interface

Background Exposure to air pollutants, including diesel particulate matter, has been linked to adverse respiratory health effects. Inhaled diesel particulate matter contains adsorbed organic compounds. It is not clear whether the adsorbed organics or the residual components are more deleterious to airway cells. Using a physiologically relevant model, we investigated the role of diesel organic content on mediating cellular responses of primary human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs) cultured at an air-liquid interface (ALI). Methods Primary HBECs were cultured and differentiated at ALI for at least 28 days. To determine which component is most harmful, we compared primary HBEC responses elicited by residual (with organics removed) diesel emissions (DE) to those elicited by neat (unmodified) DE for 30 and 60 minutes at ALI, with cigarette smoke condensate (CSC) as the positive control, and filtered air as negative control. Cell viability (WST-1 cell proliferation assay), inflammation (TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-8 ELISA) and changes in gene expression (qRT-PCR for HO-1, CYP1A1, TNF-α and IL-8 mRNA) were measured. Results Immunofluorescence and cytological staining confirmed the mucociliary phenotype of primary HBECs differentiated at ALI. Neat DE caused a comparable reduction in cell viability at 30 or 60 min exposures, whereas residual DE caused a greater reduction at 60 min. When corrected for cell viability, cytokine protein secretion for TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-8 were maximal with residual DE at 60 min. mRNA expression for HO-1, CYP1A1, TNF-α and IL-8 was not significantly different between exposures. Conclusion This study provides new insights into epithelial cell responses to diesel emissions using a physiologically relevant aerosol exposure model. Both the organic content and residual components of diesel emissions play an important role in determining bronchial epithelial cell response in vitro. Future studies should be directed at testing potentially useful interventions against the adverse health effects of air pollution exposure.

The effects of gas and air flow distributions on the performance of the Farleigh No. 3 boiler

As more raw sugar factories become involved in the manufacture of by-products and cogeneration, bagasse is becoming an increasingly valuable commodity. However, in most factories, most of the bagasse produced is used to generate steam in relatively old and inefficient boilers. Efficient bagasse fired boilers are a high capital cost item and the cost of supplying the steam required to run a sugar factory by other means is prohibitive. For many factories a more realistic way to reduce bagasse consumption is to increase the efficiency of existing boilers. The Farleigh No. 3 boiler is a relatively old low efficiency boiler. Like many in the industry, the performance of this boiler has been adversely affected by uneven gas and air flow distributions and air heater leaks. The combustion performance and efficiency of this boiler have been significantly improved by making the gas and air flow distributions through the boiler more uniform and repairing the air heater. The estimated bagasse savings easily justify the cost of the boiler improvements.

Computer-assisted sampling of acoustic data for more efficient determination of bird species richness

Bird species richness survey is one of the most intriguing ecological topics for evaluating environmental health. Here, bird species richness denotes the number of unique bird species in a particular area. Factors affecting the investigation of bird species richness include weather, observation bias, and most importantly, the prohibitive costs of conducting surveys at large spatiotemporal scales. Thanks to advances in recording techniques, these problems have been alleviated by deploying sensors for acoustic data collection. Although automated detection techniques have been introduced to identify various bird species, the innate complexity of bird vocalizations, the background noise present in the recording and the escalating volumes of acoustic data pose a challenging task on determination of bird species richness. In this paper we proposed a two-step computer-assisted sampling approach for determining bird species richness in one-day acoustic data. First, a classification model is built based on acoustic indices for filtering out minutes that contain few bird species. Then the classified bird minutes are ordered by an acoustic index and the redundant temporal minutes are removed from the ranked minute sequence. The experimental results show that our method is more efficient in directing experts for determination of bird species compared with the previous methods.

Time-temperature histories of spherical food products during bulk forced-air precooling

A general mathematical model for forced air precooling of spherical food products in bulk is developed. The food products are arranged inline to form a rectangular parallelepiped. Chilled air is blown along the height of the package. The governing equations for the transient two-dimensional conduction with internal heat generation in the product, simultaneous heat and mass transfer at the product-air interface and one-dimensional transient energy and species conservation equations for the moist air are solved numerically using finite difference methods. Results are presented in the form of time-temperature histories. Experiments are conducted with model foods in a laboratory scale air precooling tunnel. The agreement between the theoretical and experimental results is found to be good. In general, a single product analysis fails to predict the precooling characteristics of bulk loads of food products. In the range of values investigated, the respiration heat is found to have a negligible effect.

Assessing environmental inequalities in ambient air pollution across urban Australia

Identifying inequalities in air pollution levels across population groups can help address environmental justice concerns. We were interested in assessing these inequalities across major urban areas in Australia. We used a land-use regression model to predict ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels and sought the best socio-economic and population predictor variables. We used a generalised least squares model that accounted for spatial correlation in NO2 levels to examine the associations between the variables. We found that the best model included the index of economic resources (IER) score as a non-linear variable and the percentage of non-Indigenous persons as a linear variable. NO2 levels decreased with increasing IER scores (higher scores indicate less disadvantage) in almost all major urban areas, and NO2 also decreased slightly as the percentage of non-Indigenous persons increased. However, the magnitude of differences in NO2 levels was small and may not translate into substantive differences in health.

Ultrasound-assisted surface engineering of pharmaceutical powders

Effective processing of powdered particles can facilitate powder handling and result in better drug product performance, which is of great importance in the pharmaceutical industry where the majority of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are delivered as solid dosage forms. The purpose of this work was to develop a new ultrasound-assisted method for particle surface modification and thin-coating of pharmaceutical powders. The ultrasound was used to produce an aqueous mist with or without a coating agent. By using the proposed technique, it was possible to decrease the interparticular interactions and improve rheological properties of poorly-flowing water-soluble powders by aqueous smoothing of the rough surfaces of irregular particles. In turn, hydrophilic polymer thin-coating of a hydrophobic substance diminished the triboelectrostatic charge transfer and improved the flowability of highly cohesive powder. To determine the coating efficiency of the technique, the bioactive molecule β-galactosidase was layered onto the surface of powdered lactose particles. Enzyme-treated materials were analysed by assaying the quantity of the reaction product generated during enzymatic cleavage of the milk sugar. A near-linear increase in the thickness of the drug layer was obtained during progressive treatment. Using the enzyme coating procedure, it was confirmed that the ultrasound-assisted technique is suitable for processing labile protein materials. In addition, this pre-treatment of milk sugar could be used to improve utilization of lactose-containing formulations for populations suffering from severe lactose intolerance. Furthermore, the applicability of the thin-coating technique for improving homogeneity of low-dose solid dosage forms was shown. The carrier particles coated with API gave rise to uniform distribution of the drug within the powder. The mixture remained homogeneous during further tabletting, whereas the reference physical powder mixture was subject to segregation. In conclusion, ultrasound-assisted surface engineering of pharmaceutical powders can be effective technology for improving formulation and performance of solid dosage forms such as dry powder inhalers (DPI) and direct compression products.

Battery Assisted Wheel Chair

Wheelchair is required for the mobility of the disabled people. It can be categorized into two categories: manual, powered wheelchair. This paper deals with series hybrid combination of manual and battery powered wheelchair. The control scheme used is simpler than other hybrid wheelchairs. It includes the sensor less control of the speed. Battery assisted wheelchair (BAW) has less number of components in its hardware. Effort made by rider is reduced considerably. The control scheme also includes the dead man's switch feature. Speed loop is provided for the smooth variation of the speed. The current limit is governed by peak current mode control.

Formative time lags in nitrogen, oxygen and dry air In crossed electric and magnetic fields

Formative time lags in nitrogen, oxygen, and dry air are measured with and without a magnetic field over a range of gas pressures (0.05 ' p ' 20.2 torr 5 kPa to 2 MPa, electric field strengths (1.8xO14 EEs 60xlO V m l) and magnetic field strengths (85xl0-4 < B ' 16x10-2 Tesla). For experiments below the Paschen minimum, the electrodes are designed to ensure that breakdown occurs over longer gaps and for experiments above the Paschen minimum, a coaxial cylindrical system is employed. The experimental technique consists of applying pulse voltages to the gap at various constant values of E/p and B/p and measuring the time lags from which the formative time lags are separated. In the gases studed, formative time lags decrease on application of a magnetic field at a given pressure for conditions below the Paschen minimum. The voltages at which the formative time lags remain the same without and with magnetic fields are determined, and electron molecule collision frequencies (v/p) are determined using the Effective Reduced Electric Field [EREF] concept. With increasing ratio of E/p in crossed fields, v/p decreases in all the three gases. Measurements above the Paschen minimum yield formative time lags which increase on application of a magnetic field. Formative time lags in nitrogen in ExB fields are calculated assuming an average collision frequency of 8.5x109 sec-1 torr 1. It is concluded that the EREF concept can be applied to explain formative time lags in ExB fields.

Investigation and application of methods for enumerating heterotrophs and Escherichia coli in the air within piggery sheds

Aims: To investigate methods for the recovery of airborne bacteria within pig sheds and to then use the appropriate methods to determine the levels of heterotrophs and Escherichia coli in the air within sheds. Methods and Results: AGI-30 impingers and a six-stage Andersen multi-stage sampler (AMS) were used for the collection of aerosols. Betaine and catalase were added to impinger collection fluid and the agar plates used in the AMS. Suitable media for enumerating E. coli with the Andersen sampler were also evaluated. The addition of betaine and catalase gave no marked increase in the recovery of heterotrophs or E. coli. No marked differences were found in the media used for enumeration of E. coli. The levels of heterotrophs and E. coli in three piggeries, during normal pig activities, were 2Æ2 · 105 and 21 CFU m)3 respectively. Conclusions: The failure of the additives to improve the recovery of either heterotrophs or E. coli suggests that these organisms are not stressed in the piggery environment. The levels of heterotrophs in the air inside the three Queensland piggeries investigated are consistent with those previously reported in other studies. Flushing with ponded effluent had no marked or consistent effect on the heterotroph or E. coli levels. Significance and Impact of the Study: Our work suggests that levels of airborne heterotrophs and E. coli inside pig sheds have no strong link with effluent flushing. It would seem unlikely that any single management activity within a pig shed has a dominant influence on levels of airborne heterotrophs and E. coli

Long-term ambient air pollution exposure and self-reported morbidity in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health: A cross-sectional study

- Objective We sought to assess the effect of long-term exposure to ambient air pollution on the prevalence of self-reported health outcomes in Australian women. - Design Cross-sectional study - Setting and participants The geocoded residential addresses of 26 991 women across 3 age cohorts in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health between 2006 and 2011 were linked to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) exposure estimates from a land-use regression model. Annual average NO2 concentrations and residential proximity to roads were used as proxies of exposure to ambient air pollution. - Outcome measures Self-reported disease presence for diabetes mellitus, heart disease, hypertension, stroke, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and self-reported symptoms of allergies, breathing difficulties, chest pain and palpitations. - Methods Disease prevalence was modelled by population-averaged Poisson regression models estimated by generalised estimating equations. Associations between symptoms and ambient air pollution were modelled by multilevel mixed logistic regression. Spatial clustering was accounted for at the postcode level. - Results No associations were observed between any of the outcome and exposure variables considered at the 1% significance level after adjusting for known risk factors and confounders. - Conclusions Long-term exposure to ambient air pollution was not associated with self-reported disease prevalence in Australian women. The observed results may have been due to exposure and outcome misclassification, lack of power to detect weak associations or an actual absence of associations with self-reported outcomes at the relatively low annual average air pollution exposure levels across Australia.

Analysis of Paschen Curves for air, N2 and SF6 Using the Townsend Breakdown Equation

It has been shown that it is possible to extend the validity of the Townsend breakdown criterion for evaluating the breakdown voltages in the complete pd range in which Paschen curves are available. Evaluation of the breakdown voltages for air (pd=0.0133 to 1400 kPa · cm), N2(pd=0.0313 to 1400 kPa · cm) and SF6 (pd=0.3000 to 1200 kPa · cm) has been done and in most cases the computed values are accurate to ±3% of the measured values. The computations show that it is also possible to estimate the secondary ionization coefficient ¿ in the pd ranges mentioned above.

Novel Self-Supported Natural and Synthetic Polymer Membranes for Air Humidification

Novel self-supported natural and synthetic polymer membranes of chitosan-hydroxy ethyl Cellulose-montmorillonite (CS-HEC-MMT) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-polystyrene sulfonic acid (PSSA) are prepared by solution casting method followed by crosslinking. These membranes are employed for air humidification at varying temperatures between 30 degrees C and 70 degrees C and their performances are compared with commercial Nafion membranes. High hater fluxes with desired humidified-air output have been achieved for CS-HEC-MMT and PVA-PSSA hybrid membranes at air-flow rates of 1-10 slpm. Variation in the air/water mixing ratio, dew point, and relative humidity that ultimately results in desired water flux With respect to air-flow rates are also quantified for all the membranes. Water flux values for CS-HEC-MMT are less than those for Nafion (R) and PVA-PSSA membranes, but the operational Stability of CS-HEC-MMT membrane is higher than PVA-PSSA and comparable with Nafion (R) both of which can operate up to 70 degrees C at repetitive cycles of humidification.