Free trade and global warming : a trade theory view of the Kyoto protocol

Kyoto protocolfree trade;air pollution

Dynamic insulation in multistorey buildings.

Dynamic insulation permits the movement of air and moisture through the external walls of a building to reduce heat loss and achieve high indoor air quality. The present paper details a pilot study carried out to examine the influence of fire safety requirements and external wind on the performance of naturally ventilated multistorey buildings in which the external envelope is dynamically insulated. The theoretical foundation is outlined for a spreadsheet model used to simulate prototype 3-, 4-, 5- and 10-storey buildings all sharing the same rectangular floor plan, with fresh air drawn into the building through the envelope by depressurisation using a fan-driven, ducted extract system. From the analysis, the effects of wall porosity, depressurisation level, extract system deployment, occupant density and distribution, and building orientation have been quantified, confirming the practical feasibility of such a system

Environmental design using dynamic insulation.

In conventional airtight buildings, the architect has considerable freedom to decide how much the external environment will influence the internal heating, cooling, and ventilation loads. The services engineer provides the plant and equipment required to deal with these loads. This division of labor could lead to undesirable consequences in the case of dynamic insulation, a form of air permeable construction where bulk air flow through the building envelope may be used to either enhance or restrict the conductive heat and mass diffusion fluxes. Small changes in temperature (indoor and out) and wind speed and direction will influence the behavior of a dynamically insulated envelope since the internal and external environments are much more intimately coupled. Buildings employing dynamic insulation thus require good environmental design principles to be applied. The objective of this paper is to lay down rigorous principles that will form the basis of guidelines to architects and building services engineers on how to take account of the ever changing external environment when designing durable and comfortable buildings employing dynamic insulation

Extraction and tribological investigation of top piston ring zone oil from a gasoline engine

With tightening emission regulations, increased expected fuel economy, and longer drain intervals impacting on lubricant formulation, greater understanding of how oil degrades in an automotive engine is becoming ever more important. Equally significant is the effect that this degraded lubricant has on the tribological operation of the engine, particularly its overall internal friction and component wear. In a previous paper, four tests to degrade oil in a single cylinder engine were reported [1]. These tests were set up such that the lubricating oil was degraded in the ring pack before returning to the sump, where it was sampled and chemical and rheological analysis undertaken. This paper reports the extension of this work using the same Hydra engine and describes how oil has additionally been extracted from the rear of the top piston ring during engine operation. This extracted oil has then been subjected to similar analysis as the sump oil samples in the previous tests, along with additional analysis to look at the tribological properties of the oil using tribometers. The results clearly show significant differences in the rheological, tribological, and chemical properties of the fresh oil and used sump oil samples when compared with the top ring zone (TRZ) oil samples, particularly the effect of load on the levels of volatiles present in the TRZ samples and their effect on traction and friction coefficient values during tribological testing

The use of dynamic and diffusive insulation for combined heat recovery and ventilation in buildings.

Modern buildings, domestic and commercial, have attempted to reduce their energy requirements by improving the airtightness of the envelope and increasing the thickness of insulation. However, this trend has developed simultaneously with increased use of synthetic materials in construction, furnishings and decorations, which give off volatile organic compounds, and increasing living standards which result in higher indoor temperature and moisture generation rates within homes. The result has been a reduction in indoor air quality which directly affects occupant health and increasing problems of dampness in homes, particularly for the poor

Barriers to the use of a diagnostic oral microbiology laboratory by general dental practitioners

OBJECTIVE: To identify barriers on the use of diagnostic microbiology facilities in general dental practice. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey using a postal questionnaire. SETTING: Primary/secondary care interface between the diagnostic oral microbiology laboratory, University of Glasgow Dental Hospital and School, Glasgow and dental practitioners within the surrounding health boards, 1998. SUBJECTS: All GDPs (797) within Argyll and Clyde, Ayrshire and Arran, Lanarkshire and Greater Glasgow Health Boards. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The responses were expressed as both absolute and relative frequencies. RESULTS: Responses were received from 430 (55%). The most frequent reason for failure to use the service was lack of information, with more than half of the respondents claiming to be unaware of the facility. Lack of request forms and sampling equipment were also viewed as barriers to using the service. CONCLUSIONS: The laboratory is failing to successfully communicate its role in addressing the growing burden of antibiotic resistance in the community and must be more proactive in encouraging appropriate use and increasing accessibility of the service to GDPs

The Role of Trauma In Baseline Functioning for Individuals Entering Substance Use Treatment from the Criminal Justice System

Problems- Trauma and post-traumatic symptoms have a profound effect on the lives of the individual. We know that rates of post-traumatic stress disorder range from 3-10% in the general population, however, rates of trauma, and the impact of trauma on other areas of functioning for individuals in the criminal justice system are less clear. The purpose of the current study was to determine the rate of trauma and the relationship of trauma to substance use and other psychiatric diagnoses in individuals who are referred to a forensic drug treatment center in New Haven, CT for evaluation. Methods- Participants were 145 men and women who were referred by the criminal justice system (ongoing court case or at risk of violation of probation) for a substance use evaluation. Data was collected at the clients’ initial visit to the treatment facility. Trauma was assessed by self-report on the PTSD Checklist – Civilian (PCL-C) version. This study compared the effects of a positive symptomatic score for PTSD on the PCL-C with demographic information and key factors upon admission to the treatment program. Results- Individuals entering the substance use program with self-reported trauma also evidenced poorer baseline functioning in general. This included higher rates of mood and anxiety disorder diagnoses, suicidal ideation, and substance use disorders. Additionally, of importance to this population, individuals reporting trauma evidenced greater number of days incarcerated in the past 30. Interestingly, no gender difference was observed in the rates of trauma. Implications- Overall, the results of this study suggest that PTSD correlates with negative baseline characteristics as expected based on prior research; however there are unique differences in rates of PTSD in the criminal justice population as compared to the general population