Air quality evaluation of London Paddington train station

Enclosed railway stations hosting diesel trains are at risk of reduced air quality as a result of exhaust emissions that may endanger passengers and workers. Air quality measurements were conducted inside London Paddington Station, a semi-enclosed railway station where 70% of trains are powered by diesel engines. Particulate matter (PM2.5) mass was measured at five station locations. PM size, PM number, oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) were measured at two station locations. Paddington Station’s hourly mean PM2.5 mass concentrations averaged 16 μg/m3 [min 2, max 68]. Paddington Station’s hourly mean NO2 concentrations averaged 73 ppb [49, 120] and SO2 concentrations averaged 25 ppb [15, 37]. While UK train stations are not required to comply with air quality standards, there were five instances where the hourly mean NO2 concentrations exceeded the EU hourly mean limits (106 ppb) for outdoor air quality. PM2.5, SO2, and NO2 concentrations were compared against Marylebone, a busy London roadside 1.5 km from the station. The comparisons indicated that train station air quality was more polluted than the nearby roadside. PM2.5 for at least one measurement location within Paddington Station was shown to be statistically higher (P-value < 0.05) than Marylebone on 3 out of 4 days. Measured NO2 within Paddington Station was statistically higher than Marylebone on 4 out of 5 days. Measured SO2 within Paddington Station was statistically higher than Marylebone on all 3 days.We thank the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/F034350/1) for funding the Energy Efficient Cities Initiative and the Schiff Foundation for doctoral studentship funding.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from IOP via http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/10/9/09401

Modelling and simulations of a narrow track tilting vehicle

Narrow track tilting vehicle is a new category of vehicle that combines the dynamical abilities of a passenger car with a motorcycle. In the presence of overturning moments during cornering, an accurate assessment of the lateral dynamics plays an important role to improve their stability and handling. In order to stabilise or control the narrow tilting vehicle, the demand tilt angle can be calculated from the vehicle’s lateral acceleration and controlled by either steering input of the vehicle or using additional titling actuator to reach this desired angle. The aim of this article is to present a new approach for developing the lateral dynamics model of a narrow track tilting vehicle. First, this approach utilises the well-known geometry ‘bicycle model’ and parameter estimation methods. Second, by using a tuning method, the unknown and uncertainties are taken into account and regulated through an optimisation procedure to minimise the model biases in order to improve the modelling accuracy. Therefore, the optimised model can be used as a platform to develop the vehicle control strategy. Numerical simulations have been performed in a comparison with the experimental data to validate the model accuracy

Study of Beauveria bassiana growth, blastospore yield, desiccation-tolerance, viability and toxic activity using different liquid media

Beauveria bassiana was grown on three liquid media containing casaminoacids, corn steep liquor or peptone. After incubation, the blastospore counts reached 6.38 × 109 blastospores/ml, in the medium containing sucrose and corn steep liquor, which was significantly higher than the obtained with media containing casaminoacids or peptone. The medium containing corn steep liquor produced predominately submerged conidia, meanwhile the other media produced blastospores. The blastospores produced in the medium containing casaminoacids presented faster germination rates, than the blastospores produced in media containing corn steep liquor or peptone, although, after airdrying, were observed significant reductions on the viability of blastospores produced in the media composed by casaminoacids or peptone, but the spores produced in the medium with corn steep liquor were not affected. For storage of blastospores at 4 and 26°C after some months, the blastospores produced in the medium with casaminoacids showed the highest viability at 26°C, whereas at 4°C the counts of viable blastospores produced in medium containing corn steep liquor were significantly higher than the counts of blastospores produced in the other media with casaminoacids or peptone. The blastospores maintained for six months at 4°C showed high mortality against third-instar Plutella xylostella larvae.Key words: Beauveria bassiana, liquid media, fermentation, short times of propagation, biological control, entomopathogen fungus

Endemic, endangered and evolutionarily significant: cryptic lineages in Seychelles' frogs (Anura: Sooglossidae)

Cryptic diversity corresponding with island of origin has been previously reported in the endemic, geographically restricted sooglossid frogs of the Seychelles archipelago. The evolutionary pattern behind this has not been fully explored, and given current amphibian declines and the increased extinction risk faced by island species, we sought to identify evolutionarily significant units (ESUs) to address conservation concerns for these highly threatened anurans. We obtained genetic data for two mitochondrial (mtDNA) and four nuclear (nuDNA) genes from all known populations of sooglossid frog (on the islands of Mahé, Praslin and Silhouette) for phylogenetic analyses and to construct nuDNA haplotype networks. Bayesian and maximum likelihood analyses of mtDNA support the monophyly and molecular differentiation of populations in all species that occur on multiple islands. Haplotype networks using statistical parsimony revealed multiple high-frequency haplotypes shared between islands and taxa, in addition to numerous geographically distinct (island-specific) haplotypes for each species. We consider each island-specific population of sooglossid frog as an ESU and advise conservation managers to do likewise. Furthermore, our results identify each island lineage as a candidate species, evidence for which is supported by analyses of mtDNA based on Bayesian Poisson tree processes, and independent analyses of mtDNA and nuDNA using the multispecies coalescent. Our findings add to the growing understanding of the biogeography and hidden diversity within this globally important region

Site-specific incorporation of phosphotyrosine using an expanded genetic code.

Access to phosphoproteins with stoichiometric and site-specific phosphorylation status is key to understanding the role of protein phosphorylation. Here we report an efficient method to generate pure, active phosphotyrosine-containing proteins by genetically encoding a stable phosphotyrosine analog that is convertible to native phosphotyrosine. We demonstrate its general compatibility with proteins of various sizes, phosphotyrosine sites and functions, and reveal a possible role of tyrosine phosphorylation in negative regulation of ubiquitination

Four patients with a history of acute exacerbations of COPD: implementing the CHEST/Canadian Thoracic Society guidelines for preventing exacerbations

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