Testing the near field/far field model performance for prediction of particulate matter emissions in a paint factory

Here we tested how well a NF/FF dispersion model predicts particulate matter concentrations when source emission potency was estimated using a material dustiness index.</p

Gauge Issues in Extended Gravity and f(R) Cosmology

We consider issues related to the conformal mapping between the Einstein and Jordan frames in f(R) cosmology. We consider the impact of the conformal transformation on the gauge of a perturbed system and show that unless the system is written in a restricted set of gauges the mapping could produce an inconsistent result in the target frame. Newtonian gauge lies within the restricted group but synchronous gauge does not. If this is not treated carefully it could in principle contaminate numerical calculations.Comment: 12 pages, REVTeX4. Replaced with version accepted by JCAP. Citations added and some clarification

New insights into the genetic etiology of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias

Characterization of the genetic landscape of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias (ADD) provides a unique opportunity for a better understanding of the associated pathophysiological processes. We performed a two-stage genome-wide association study totaling 111,326 clinically diagnosed/'proxy' AD cases and 677,663 controls. We found 75 risk loci, of which 42 were new at the time of analysis. Pathway enrichment analyses confirmed the involvement of amyloid/tau pathways and highlighted microglia implication. Gene prioritization in the new loci identified 31 genes that were suggestive of new genetically associated processes, including the tumor necrosis factor alpha pathway through the linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex. We also built a new genetic risk score associated with the risk of future AD/dementia or progression from mild cognitive impairment to AD/dementia. The improvement in prediction led to a 1.6- to 1.9-fold increase in AD risk from the lowest to the highest decile, in addition to effects of age and the APOE ε4 allele

Modeling regional deposited dose of submicron aerosol particles

We developed a simple model to calculate the regional deposited dose of submicron aerosol particles in the respiratory system. This model incorporates measured outdoor and modeled indoor particle number size distributions, detailed activity patterns of three age groups (teens, adults, and the elderly), semi-empirical estimation of the regional deposition fraction, hygroscopic properties of urban aerosols, and reported breathing minute volumes. We calculated the total and regional deposited dose based on three concentration metrics: particle number (PN), mass (PM), and surface area (PSA). The 24-h total deposited dose of fine particles in adult males was around 40 mu-g (57 W 109 particles, 8 W 102 mm2) and 41 mu-g (40 W 109 particles, 8 W 102 mm2) on workdays and weekends, respectively. The total and regional 24-h deposited dose based on any of the metrics was at most 1.5 times higher in males than in females. The deposited dose values in the other age groups were slightly different than in adults. Regardless of the particle size fraction or the deposited dose metric, the pulmonary/alveolar region received the largest fraction of the deposited dose. These values represent the lowest estimate of the deposited dose and they are expected to be higher in real-life conditions after considering indoor sources of aerosol particles and spatial variability of outdoor aerosols. This model can be extended to youngsters (<12 years old) after gaining accurate information about the deposition fraction inside their respiratory system and their breathing pattern. This investigation is foreseen to bridge the gap between exposure and response in epidemiological studies

Corrigendum: Relative differences in concentration levels during sawing and drilling of car bumpers containing mwcnt and organic pigment (Annals of Work Exposures and Health (2019) (1-10) DOI: 10.1093/annweh/wxz013)

Subsequent to online publication, one of the project partners identified an error in the article. The pigment in the material from which the red car bumpers was manufactured contained 0.2% organic pigment, rather than the 10% stated in the original article. These numbers have now been corrected in the article in three places. Because this quantity was not used in any of the calculations, the interpretation of the results remains unchanged

Corrigendum: Relative differences in concentration levels during sawing and drilling of car bumpers containing mwcnt and organic pigment (Annals of Work Exposures and Health (2019) (1-10) DOI: 10.1093/annweh/wxz013)

Subsequent to online publication, one of the project partners identified an error in the article. The pigment in the material from which the red car bumpers was manufactured contained 0.2% organic pigment, rather than the 10% stated in the original article. These numbers have now been corrected in the article in three places. Because this quantity was not used in any of the calculations, the interpretation of the results remains unchanged

Corrigendum: Relative differences in concentration levels during sawing and drilling of car bumpers containing mwcnt and organic pigment (Annals of Work Exposures and Health (2019) (1-10) DOI: 10.1093/annweh/wxz013)

Subsequent to online publication, one of the project partners identified an error in the article. The pigment in the material from which the red car bumpers was manufactured contained 0.2% organic pigment, rather than the 10% stated in the original article. These numbers have now been corrected in the article in three places. Because this quantity was not used in any of the calculations, the interpretation of the results remains unchanged