Education and training of professional industrial hygienists for 2020

Four questions are addressed: (1) Are we giving sufficient attention to the professional education of industrial hygienists?; (2) Are we achieving an adequate measure of control of hazards at the workplace?; (3) What is our record of success in this field?; and (4) Do we have clear objectives, both as a profession and as individuals? I discuss some aspects of these but will not attempt to provide answers, hoping thereby to stimulate discussion and to conceal the fact that I do not know the answers myself. I will, however, follow this discussion with a review of the overall need for training in industrial hygiene, and will conclude with some comments about needed changes in the education of future professional industrial hygienists

Ambient mixing ratios of nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) in two major urban centers of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region: Guangzhou and Dongguan

The Pearl River Delta (PRD) region can be considered one of the most economically developed areas of mainland China. In September 2005, a total of 96 whole air samples were collected in Guangzhou and Dongguan, two important urban centers of the PRD region. Guangzhou is considered the economic center of Guangdong province, and Dongguan is a rapidly expanding industrial city. Here, we report mixing ratios of 50 nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) that were quantified in the ambient air of these PRD centers. The discussion focuses on understanding the main sources responsible for NMHC emissions, and evaluating the role of the identified sources towards ozone formation. Propane was the most abundant species in Guangzhou, with an average mixing ratio of 6.8 ppbv (±0.7 ppbv S.E.), compared to 2.5±0.2 ppbv in Dongguan. Toluene was the most abundant hydrocarbon in Dongguan (6.1±0.8 ppbv, compared to 5.9±0.7 ppbv in Guangzhou). Based on an analysis of the correlation between vehicular-emitted compounds and the measured NMHCs, together with the benzene-to-toluene (B/T) ratio, vehicular emission appears to be the dominant source of NMHCs measured in Guangzhou. By contrast, selected species (including toluene) in many of the Dongguan samples were influenced by an additional source, most likely related to industrial activities. A specific B/T ratio (<0.20) is proposed here and used as indicator of samples strongly affected by industrial emissions. The ozone formation potential (OFP) is calculated, and the role of the different NMHCs associated with industrial and combustion sources is evaluated. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Analogy of the slow dynamics between the supercooled liquid and the supercooled plastic crystal states of difluorotetrachloroethane

Slow dynamics of difluorotetrachloroethane in both supercooled plastic crystal and supercooled liquid states have been investigated from Molecular Dynamics simulations. The temperature and wave-vector dependence of collective dynamics in both states are probed using coherent dynamical scattering functions $S(Q,t)$. Our results confirm the strong analogy between molecular liquids and plastic crystals for which $\alpha$-relaxation times and non-ergodicity parameters are controlled by the non trivial static correlations $S(Q)$ as predicted by the Mode Coupling Theory. The use of infinitely thin needles distributed on a lattice as model of plastic crystals is discussed

Space-charge compensation of highly charged ion beam from laser ion source

The problem of matching an ion beam delivered by a high-intensity ion source with an accelerator is considered. The experimental results of highly charged ion beam transport with space-charge compensation by electrons are presented. A tungsten thermionic cathode is used as a source of electrons for beam compensation. An increase of ion beam current density by a factor of 25 is obtained as a result of space-charge compensation at a distance of 3 m from the extraction system. The process of ion beam space-charge compensation, requirements for a source of electrons, and the influence of recombination losses in a spacecharge-compensated ion beam are discusse

Irreversible Deposition of Line Segment Mixtures on a Square Lattice: Monte Carlo Study

We have studied kinetics of random sequential adsorption of mixtures on a square lattice using Monte Carlo method. Mixtures of linear short segments and long segments were deposited with the probability $p$ and $1-p$, respectively. For fixed lengths of each segment in the mixture, the jamming limits decrease when $p$ increases. The jamming limits of mixtures always are greater than those of the pure short- or long-segment deposition. For fixed $p$ and fixed length of the short segments, the jamming limits have a maximum when the length of the long segment increases. We conjectured a kinetic equation for the jamming coverage based on the data fitting.Comment: 7 pages, latex, 5 postscript figure

Conduct in Narrativized Trust Games

We “narrativize” a basic extensive form trust game by placing participants in a story that contextualizes the interaction with an unforeseeable future. In our narrative experiment, participants consider each decision as a character, advancing the story with their choices for salient payoffs. Our interest is in understanding how participants apply Adam Smith\u27s rules of beneficent and just conduct in our narrativized games with epistemic conditions of an unknown future, conditions which aren\u27t possible in extensive form. We invite our readers to participate in the story of the results, making meaning as participants in a narrative that unfolds with their choices

Onset of slow dynamics in difluorotetrachloroethane glassy crystal

Complementary Neutron Spin Echo and X-ray experiments and Molecular Dynamics simulations have been performed on difluorotetrachloroethane (CFCl2-CFCl2) glassy crystal. Static, single-molecule reorientational dynamics and collective dynamics properties are investigated. The orientational disorder is characterized at different temperatures and a change in nature of rotational dynamics is observed. We show that dynamics can be described by some scaling predictions of the Mode Coupling Theory (MCT) and a critical temperature $T_{c}$ is determined. Our results also confirm the strong analogy between molecular liquids and plastic crystals for which $\alpha$-relaxation times and non-ergodicity parameters are controlled by the non trivial static correlations as predicted by MCT

Localized and controlled delivery of nitric oxide to the conventional outflow pathway via enzyme biocatalysis: towards therapy for Glaucoma

Nitric oxide (NO) has been shown to lower intraocular pressure (IOP), however its therapeutic effects on outflow physiology are location- and dose-dependent. Here, a NO delivery platform that directly targets the resistance-generating region of the conventional outflow pathway and locally liberates a controlled dose of NO is reported. An increase in outflow facility (decrease in IOP) is demonstrated in mouse model

The Navy and national security: the peacetime dimension

This monograph looks at the peacetime dimension of the navy's role in national security policy. While much is written and said about the role of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) in the defence of Australia, discussion usually concentrates on the navy's military function, and the study of its other two functions, policing and diplomacy, has in the Australian context received little academic interest. Yet these are the functions that have preoccupied the navy over the last two or three decades and have the potential to draw on more of its resources in the future. This study begins with a brief introduction that provides an insight into the conceptual basis behind security policy, and the contribution of maritime strategy and the capabilities of the navy to national security. Discussion of the navy's peacetime functions falls into two parts. The first part looks at the unique features of Australia's geostrategic setting and the importance of its maritime surrounds and resources, on which the growing significance of the navy's constabulary function is based. The second part looks at Australia's broader strategic environment, highlighting the maritime nature of its region of primary strategic interest, and the issues that are developing in the region which impact on Australian security. This part discusses the diplomatic function of the navy, or what has been called the politico-military dimension of security policy, and demonstrates that the navy has been playing a very significant part in helping to promote a stable regional strategic environment. It is argued that there will be even greater need for the RAN to conduct its policing and diplomatic functions in the future, and consequently the navy will make a larger call on the resources allocated to national security in order to fulfil its strategic role