Thin film thermoelectric devices as thermal control coatings: A study

Peltier effect, Thomson effect, and Seeback effect are utilized in design of thermal control coating that serves as versatile means for controlling heat absorbed and radiated by surface. Coatings may be useful in extreme temperature environment enclosures or as heat shields

The Impact of Delhi's CNG Program on Air Quality

This paper estimates the impact on Delhi’s air quality of a number of policy measures recently implemented in the city to curb air pollution using monthly time-series data from 1990 to 2005. The best known of these measures is the court-mandated conversion of all commercial passenger vehicles—buses, three-wheelers, and taxis—to compressed natural gas (CNG). Broadly, the results point to the success of a number of policies implemented in Delhi but also to a number of areas of growing concern. For example, the results suggest that the conversion of buses from diesel to CNG has helped to reduce PM10, CO, and SO2 concentrations in the city and has not, contrary to conventional wisdom, led to the recent increase in NO2. At the same time, however, the conversion of three-wheelers from petrol to CNG has not had the same benefit, possibly because of poor technology. Another policy measure that appears to have had a positive impact on air quality is the reduction in the sulfur content of diesel and petrol. This has led to a decrease in SO2 levels and, because of conversion of SO2 to sulfates (a fine particle), a decrease in PM10 concentrations. Some of these gains from fuel switching and fuel-quality improvements are, however, being negated by the increase in the proportion of diesel-fueled cars, which is leading to an increase in PM10 and NO2 levels, and by the sheer increase in the number of vehicles.air pollution, compressed natural gas, low-sulfur diesel, diesel-fueled cars, Delhi

Nonflammable organic-base paint for oxygen-rich atmospheres

New paint formulations, which combine aqueous latex paints with inorganic pigments and additives, produce coatings that are self-extinguishing in pure oxygen at pressures up to twice the partial pressure of atmospheric oxygen. A paint formulation in percent by weight is given and the properties of resultant coatings are discussed

Measuring the effects of urban transportation policies on the environment : a survey of models

Mandating emission control devices in new cars is only one of the most obvious steps to address the problem of vehicle emissions. Others range from taxes on gasoline and parking to incentives to scrap old cars or move businesses out of the cities. There are models to simulate the engineering implications when changes are made to the vehicle fleet (such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's MOBILE 4), but other models are needed to capture individual behavior, for two reasons. First, behavior - for example, using certain vehicles - affects emissions, and thereby the effect of policies on pollution. Second, behavioral relations determine how much consumer welfare is affected by different policies - through other channels than the effect on air pollution. The author reviews existing models of urban transport and evaluates their ability to simulate the effects of different policies on emissions and on other variables relevant to welfare. He finds that: Little modeling work is done on developing countries, but some stylized facts (the greater importance of nonmotorized modes, of mopeds, of old vehicles, and of work-related trips, greater growth in urbanization, and greater growth in the urban vehicle stock) allow us to assess how well models from developed countries apply in industrial countries. Models vary greatly in complexity. The central question for users is whether they want detailed coverage of the spatial nature of pollution and congestion. The most comprehensive and detailed models also require the most data. The author proposes eclectic use of several models, since a model incorporating long-term responses, shorter-term responses, and emission consequences is not easily tractable. The author acknowledges the many complex links between policies (on the one hand) and welfare and air pollution (on the other), but says that research can often be narrowed according to available policy instruments, data availability, and the implications considered relevant. Often, simple models can improve the basis for policy evaluation, particularly when there are limited data and resources for research.Transport and Environment,Environmental Economics&Policies,Montreal Protocol,Roads&Highways,Climate Change

U.S. Climate Policy Developments

This paper outlines recent developments in U.S. climate policies. Although the United States does not participate in the Kyoto Mechanism, a number of climate policies are being implemented at state level as well as at the federal level. First, we report and compare the federal cap and trade proposals in the 110th Congress. Then, the paper illustrates the current situations of state level climate policies, such as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative in the northeastern states or AB32 in California. We analyze these proposals from the viewpoint of technology policies and impacts on international markets. It is found that technology policies play important roles in the cap and trade proposals and that there is a great expectation for carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology. In terms of the impacts on international markets, several federal proposals as well as regional programs permit trading in international markets. As emission targets become more stringent in the future, U.S. GHG emitters are more likely to interact with these markets. Thus, despite the lack of U.S. participation in the Kyoto Protocol, U.S. markets will be linked to foreign markets, at least, in an indirect way.United States, climate policy, cap and trade, the Kyoto mechanism, technology policy

Designing Climate Mitigation Policy

This paper provides an exhaustive review of critical issues in the design of climate mitigation policy by pulling together key findings and controversies from diverse literatures on mitigation costs, damage valuation, policy instrument choice, technological innovation, and international climate policy. We begin with the broadest issue of how high assessments suggest the near and medium term price on greenhouse gases would need to be, both under cost-effective stabilization of global climate and under net benefit maximization or Pigouvian emissions pricing. The remainder of the paper focuses on the appropriate scope of regulation, issues in policy instrument choice, complementary technology policy, and international policy architectures.global warming damages, mitigation cost, climate policy, instrument choice, technology policy

Designing Climate Mitigation Policy

This paper provides an exhaustive review of critical issues in the design of climate mitigation policy by pulling together key findings and controversies from diverse literatures on mitigation costs, damage valuation, policy instrument choice, technological innovation, and international climate policy. We begin with the broadest issue of how high assessments suggest the near and medium term price on greenhouse gases would need to be, both under cost-effective stabilization of global climate and under net benefit maximization or Pigouvian emissions pricing. The remainder of the paper focuses on the appropriate scope of regulation, issues in policy instrument choice, complementary technology policy, and international policy architectures.

Bcl3 prevents acute inflammatory lung injury in mice by restraining emergency granulopoiesis

Granulocytes are pivotal regulators of tissue injury. However, the transcriptional mechanisms that regulate granulopoiesis under inflammatory conditions are poorly understood. Here we show that the transcriptional coregulator B cell leukemia/lymphoma 3 (Bcl3) limits granulopoiesis under emergency (i.e., inflammatory) conditions, but not homeostatic conditions. Treatment of mouse myeloid progenitors with G-CSF — serum concentrations of which rise under inflammatory conditions — rapidly increased Bcl3 transcript accumulation in a STAT3-dependent manner. Bcl3-deficient myeloid progenitors demonstrated an enhanced capacity to proliferate and differentiate into granulocytes following G-CSF stimulation, whereas the accumulation of Bcl3 protein attenuated granulopoiesis in an NF-κB p50–dependent manner. In a clinically relevant model of transplant-mediated lung ischemia reperfusion injury, expression of Bcl3 in recipients inhibited emergency granulopoiesis and limited acute graft damage. These data demonstrate a critical role for Bcl3 in regulating emergency granulopoiesis and suggest that targeting the differentiation of myeloid progenitors may be a therapeutic strategy for preventing inflammatory lung injury

Neutrophil extracellular trap fragments stimulate innate immune responses that prevent lung transplant tolerance

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) have been shown to worsen acute pulmonary injury including after lung transplantation. The breakdown of NETs by DNAse-1 can help restore lung function, but whether there is an impact on allograft tolerance remains less clear. Using intravital 2-photon microscopy, we analyzed the effects of DNAse-1 on NETs in mouse orthotopic lung allografts damaged by ischemia-reperfusion injury. Although DNAse-1 treatment rapidly degrades intragraft NETs, the consequential release of NET fragments induces prolonged interactions between infiltrating CD4 + T cells and donor-derived antigen presenting cells. DNAse-1 generated NET fragments also promote human alveolar macrophage inflammatory cytokine production and prime dendritic cells for alloantigen-specific CD4 + T cell proliferation through activating toll-like receptor (TLR) — Myeloid Differentiation Primary Response 88 (MyD88) signaling pathways. Furthermore, and in contrast to allograft recipients with a deficiency in NET generation due to a neutrophil-specific ablation of Protein Arginine Deiminase 4 (PAD4), DNAse-1 administration to wild-type recipients promotes the recognition of allo- and self-antigens and prevents immunosuppression-mediated lung allograft acceptance through a MyD88-dependent pathway. Taken together, these data show that the rapid catalytic release of NET fragments promotes innate immune responses that prevent lung transplant tolerance. © 2018 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeon