Carbonaceous aerosols in Norwegian urban areas

Little is known regarding levels and source strength of carbonaceous aerosols in Scandinavia. In the present study, ambient aerosol (PM<sub>10</sub> and PM<sub>2.5</sub>) concentrations of elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), water-insoluble organic carbon (WINSOC), and water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) are reported for a curbside site, an urban background site, and a suburban site in Norway in order to investigate their spatial and seasonal variations. Aerosol filter samples were collected using tandem filter sampling to correct for the positive sampling artefact introduced by volatile and semivolatile OC. Analyses were performed using the thermal optical transmission (TOT) instrument from Sunset Lab Inc., which corrects for charring during analysis. Finally, we estimated the relative contribution of OC from wood burning based on the samples content of levoglucosan. <br><br> Levels of EC varied by more than one order of magnitude between sites, likely due to the higher impact of vehicular traffic at the curbside and the urban background sites. In winter, the level of particulate organic carbon (OC<sub><i>p</i></sub>) at the suburban site was equal to (for PM<sub>10</sub>) or even higher (for PM<sub>2.5</sub>) than the levels observed at the curbside and the urban background sites. This finding was attributed to the impact of residential wood burning at the suburban site in winter, which was confirmed by a high mean concentration of levoglucosan (407 ng m<sup>−3</sup>). This finding indicates that exposure to primary combustion derived OC<sub><i>p</i></sub> could be equally high in residential areas as in a city center. It is demonstrated that OC<sub><i>p</i></sub> from wood burning (OC<sub>wood</sub>) accounted for almost all OC<sub><i>p</i></sub> at the suburban site in winter, allowing a new estimate of the ratio TC<sub><i>p</i></sub>/levoglucosan for both PM<sub>10</sub> and PM<sub>2.5</sub>. Particulate carbonaceous material (PCM=Organic matter+Elemental matter) accounted for 46–83% of PM<sub>10</sub> at the sites studied, thus being the major fraction

Strategies to De-Risk Faults in the Subsurface for CO2 Storage: A Case Study from Smeaheia

Developing an accurate understanding of fault growth can aid risk management of sites for CO2 storage purposes. Areas of fault interaction lead to differences in the stress field, resulting in an increased strain, which is often accommodated by a high intensity of deformation bands and/or fracturing alter the permeability of the faults. Hence, detecting areas of interaction of pre-existing structures may indicate locations of high risk in terms of the fault’s hydraulic properties. The Vette Fault Zone (VFZ), bounding the Alpha prospect within the potential CO2 Smeaheia storage site developed from a minimum of seven fault segments. Using data from the adjacent Tusse Fault Zone (TFZ), we can identify potential areas of high-risk, where fluids may have the ability to flow across or along the VFZ. The TFZ and VFZ have a high seal potential through gouge and smear mechanisms. Instead of any membrane breaching, areas of high risk have been identified at locations of relict fault-fault intersections where the initial displacement and area of overlap is high, and corresponds with the spill point of Troll East. Using the same assumptions for the VFZ, we can observe one potential high-risk zone, which occurs within the area of potential CO2 accumulation

Context and consequences of liquor sachets use among young people in Malawi

This article presents a relatively new phenomenon regarding alcohol related problems in Malawi; the context and consequences of the consumption of liquor sachets among young people. The results presented are part of a larger study looking at the prevalence and social norms related to alcohol use, as well as people’s opinions on policies and interventions related to alcohol in Malawi. The results presented here are from a qualitative component in three Malawian communities. The results imply that the introduction of sachets has contributed to an increase in alcohol consumption among young people. Major issues of concern are issues of age limits, packaging and alcohol content, as well as lack of empirical evidence on which to base policies and interventions. Finally, there is a need to mobilize positive adult role models for young people with regards to alcohol.Key words: Liquor sachets, Malawi, youth, alcohol consequences, qualitative stud

How Fault Interpretation Method May Influence the Assessment of a Fault-bound CO2 Storage Site

Interpretation of faults in the subsurface hinges on utilising an optimum picking strategy, i.e. the seismic line spacing. Differences in line spacing lead to significant changes in subsequent fault analyses such as fault growth, fault seal and fault stability, all of which are crucial when analysing a fault-bound CO2 storage site. With the ever-advancing technologies, machine learning techniques, such as Deep Neural Networks (DNN), used for fault extraction are becoming increasingly common, however their limitations and corresponding uncertainty is still largely unknown. We show how fault extraction using DNN compares with faults that have been picked manually, and with different line spacing. Uncertainty related to both manual and automated fault extraction methods are heavily reliant on seismic quality. As such, faults that are well-imaged show a closer similarity to those that have been manually picked. Conversely, DNN picking of poorly imaged faults creates a fault surface that is more irregular and with a lower predicted stability than the smoother and simpler fault model created by manual picking. We conclude that fault picking by DNN without in-depth expertise works for well-imaged faults; poorly imaged faults require additional considerations and quality control for both manually and DNN picked faults

Antigen-Presenting Activity of Non-Langerhans Epidermal Cells in Contact Hypersensitivity Reactions

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/72263/1/j.1365-3083.1990.tb02914.x.pd

Withdrawn, strong, kind, but de-gendered: Non-disabled South Africans’ stereotypes concerning persons with physical disabilities

The present paper examines stereotyping in relation to physical disability and gender in the South Africa. Cross-sectional data for the present study were gathered using free response items in a large survey (n = 1990) examining the attitudes of people without disability towards different facetsof sexuality and disability. The most prominent stereotypes found in thepresent study were those which characterised PWPD as withdrawn and shy, SuperCrips, or happy, funny, and kind. The findings in the present papersuggest that stereotypes of PWPD are not overwhelmingly de-sexualising, but are undifferentiated by gender

The record large 2006 Antarctic ozone hole

Póster presentado en: EGU General Assembly 2007 celebrada del 15 al 20 de abril en Viena, Austria.The Antarctic ozone hole of 2006 was unusually large. Several parameters used to measure the extent of ozone destruction and ozone hole severity set new records in 2006. Several ground-based stations measured record low total ozone column amounts. Ozonesonde measurements also revealed in many cases record low values of ozone in certain height intervals. The dynamics of the 2006 ozone hole will be described together with satellite-based measurements and calculations of ozone hole area and mass deficit. These finding will be supplemented with several examples of data from various stations in Antarctica

The state of the Martian climate

60°N was +2.0°C, relative to the 1981–2010 average value (Fig. 5.1). This marks a new high for the record. The average annual surface air temperature (SAT) anomaly for 2016 for land stations north of starting in 1900, and is a significant increase over the previous highest value of +1.2°C, which was observed in 2007, 2011, and 2015. Average global annual temperatures also showed record values in 2015 and 2016. Currently, the Arctic is warming at more than twice the rate of lower latitudes

Radiographic closure time of appendicular growth plates in the Icelandic horse

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Icelandic horse is a pristine breed of horse which has a pure gene pool established more than a thousand years ago, and is approximately the same size as living and extinct wild breeds of horses. This study was performed to compare the length of the skeletal growth period of the "primitive" Icelandic horse relative to that reported for large horse breeds developed over the recent centuries. This information would provide practical guidance to owners and veterinarians as to when the skeleton is mature enough to commence training, and would be potentially interesting to those scientists investigating the pathogenesis of osteochondrosis. Interestingly, osteochondrosis has not been documented in the Icelandic horse.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The radiographic closure time of the appendicular growth plates was studied in 64 young Icelandic horses. The results were compared with previously published closure times reported for other, larger horse breeds. The radiographs were also examined for any signs of developmental orthopaedic diseases. In order to describe further the growth pattern of the Icelandic horse, the total serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was determined and the height at the withers was measured.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Most of the examined growth plates were fully closed at the age of approximately three years. The horses reached adult height at this age; however ALP activity was still mildly increased over baseline values. The growth plates in the digits were the first to close at 8.1 to 8.5 months of age, and those in the regions of the distal radius (27.4 to 32.0 months), tuber olecrani (31.5 to 32.2 months), and the stifle (27.0 to 40.1 months) were the last to close. No horse was found to have osteochondrosis type lesions in the neighbouring joints of the evaluated growth plates.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The Icelandic horse appears to have similar radiographic closure times for most of the growth plates of its limbs as reported for large new breeds of horses developed during the past few centuries. It thus appears that different breeding goals and the intensity of breeding have not altered the length of the growth period in horses. Instead, it can be assumed that the pristine and relatively small Icelandic horse has a slower rate of growth. The appendicular skeleton of Icelandic horses has completed its bone growth in length at approximately 3 years of age, and therefore may be able to enter training at this time.</p