Application of bag sampling technique for particle size distribution measurements

Bag sampling techniques can be used to temporarily store an aerosol and therefore provide sufficient time to utilize sensitive but slow instrumental techniques for recording detailed particle size distributions. Laboratory based assessment of the method were conducted to examine size dependant deposition loss coefficients for aerosols held in VelostatTM bags conforming to a horizontal cylindrical geometry. Deposition losses of NaCl particles in the range of 10 nm to 160 nm were analysed in relation to the bag size, storage time, and sampling flow rate. Results of this study suggest that the bag sampling method is most useful for moderately short sampling periods of about 5 minutes

Temperature enhanced effects of ozone on cardiovascular mortality in 95 large US communities, 1987-2000 - assessment using the NMMAPS data

A few studies examined interactive effects between air pollution and temperature on health outcomes. This study is to examine if temperature modified effects of ozone and cardiovascular mortality in 95 large US cities. A nonparametric and a parametric regression models were separately used to explore interactive effects of temperature and ozone on cardiovascular mortality during May and October, 1987-2000. A Bayesian meta-analysis was used to pool estimates. Both models illustrate that temperature enhanced the ozone effects on mortality in the northern region, but obviously in the southern region. A 10-ppb increment in ozone was associated with 0.41 % (95% posterior interval (PI): -0.19 %, 0.93 %), 0.27 % (95% PI: -0.44 %, 0.87 %) and 1.68 % (95% PI: 0.07 %, 3.26 %) increases in daily cardiovascular mortality corresponding to low, moderate and high levels of temperature, respectively. We concluded that temperature modified effects of ozone, particularly in the northern region

Ultrafine particles in cities

Ultrafine particles (UFPs; diameter less than 100 nm) are ubiquitous in urban air, and an acknowledged risk to human health. Globally, the major source for urban outdoor UFP concentrations is motor traffic. Ongoing trends towards urbanisation and expansion of road traffic are anticipated to further increase population exposure to UFPs. Numerous experimental studies have characterised UFPs in individual cities, but an integrated evaluation of emissions and population exposure is still lacking. Our analysis suggests that the average exposure to outdoor UFPs in Asian cities is about four-times larger than that in European cities but impacts on human health are largely unknown. This article reviews some fundamental drivers of UFP emissions and dispersion, and highlights unresolved challenges, as well as recommendations to ensure sustainable urban development whilst minimising any possible adverse health impacts

Ultrafine particles in cities

Peer reviewe

Down-phase auditory stimulation is not able to counteract pharmacologically or physiologically increased sleep depth in traumatic brain injury rats

Modulation of slow-wave activity, either via pharmacological sleep induction by administering sodium oxybate or sleep restriction followed by a strong dissipation of sleep pressure, has been associated with preserved posttraumatic cognition and reduced diffuse axonal injury in traumatic brain injury rats. Although these classical strategies provided promising preclinical results, they lacked the specificity and/or translatability needed to move forward into clinical applications. Therefore, we recently developed and implemented a rodent auditory stimulation method that is a scalable, less invasive and clinically meaningful approach to modulate slow-wave activity by targeting a particular phase of slow waves. Here, we assessed the feasibility of down-phase targeted auditory stimulation of slow waves and evaluated its comparative modulatory strength in relation to the previously employed slow-wave activity modulators in our rat model of traumatic brain injury. Our results indicate that, in spite of effectively reducing slow-wave activity in both healthy and traumatic brain injury rats via down-phase targeted stimulation, this method was not sufficiently strong to counteract the boost in slow-wave activity associated with classical modulators, nor to alter concomitant posttraumatic outcomes. Therefore, the usefulness and effectiveness of auditory stimulation as potential standalone therapeutic strategy in the context of traumatic brain injury warrants further exploration

52 Realizacja techniki wielkopolowej w napromienianiu ziarnicy złośliwej przy wykorzystaniu systemu przestrzennego planowania teleradioterapii

W roku 1887 w Centrum Onkologii W Warszawie do rutynowego użycia wprowadzono system przestrzennego planowania teleradioterapi TMS-Helax. Umożliwiło to poprawienie jakości planowania w techtechnice wielkopolowej, a zarazem spowodowało szereg zmian w sposobie realizacji tej techniki.Przy leczeniu chłoniaków stosowana jest obecnie wiązka fotonów o energii 6 MeV, która w porównaniu ze stosowaną dotychczas wiązką kobaltową gwarantuje bardziej jednorodny rozkład dawki. Planowanie leczenia odbywa się każdorazowo w oparciu o badanie CT, przy czym skany wykonywane są w całym pasie leczenia z gęstością jeden skan na 1–2 cm. Niemal we wszystkich przypadkach stosowana jest technika izocentryczna. Napromienianie obu pól: przedniego i tylnego odbywa się bez zmiany pozycji ciała pacjenta. Wszyscy pacjenci mają przygotowane osłony indywidualne (ochrona płuc, krtani, nerek). Ich położenie jest weryfikowane poprzez wykonanie zdjęć sprawdzających na akceleratorze. W trakcie radioterapii stosowany jest woskowy bolus umieszczony pod szyją pacjenta, który ma podwójne zadanie: stabilizuje pozycję ciała oraz spełnia rolę kompensatora, dzięki któremu dawka w obszarze szyi jest bliska dawce w punkcie referencyjnym (pkt referencyjny znajduje się w połowie AP, na osi wiązek).W przypadku konieczności łączenia pól odstęp dzymiędzy polami dobierany jest indywidualnie poprzez analizę rozkładu dawki w przekroju strzałkowym

PRECIPITATION OF NICKEL DIHALIDE IN THERMALLY PRETREATED NaCI : Ni2+ CRYSTALS

Optical absorption and tle yield stress value of NaCI : Ni 2+ crystals were measured as functions of tle annealing temperature. Morphology and possible structure types of the ΝiCl2 particles formed under different annealing conditions have been shortly discussed. PACS numbers: 61.72.-y, 78.20.-e, 78.50.-w Introductory information It was evidenced previously (363