Fluorescence based detection of bioaerosols to improve emissions characterization from environmental sources

Bioaerosols are ubiquitous in ambient air but there have been increasing concerns about their human exposure and to health impact due to ever increasing environmental emissions from sources such as biowaste and intensive agriculture facilities (Borlée et al. 2015). However, the knowledge on their risk of exposure to the public is limited mainly due to a lack of emission characterisation, in part due to the limitation of conventional methods for the detection and characterisation of ambient bioaerosols. Among emerging techniques, fluorescence spectroscopy has shown promise in detecting and broadly classifying bioaerosols (Pan et al. 2015). This paper provides the preliminary results of a study that aims to demonstrate the potential of a fluorescence based bioaerosol sensor unit to detect and quantify these in real time with a view to developing and advancing bioaerosol exposure assessment methodologies to various environmental sources

Acceptable Risk: A Study of Global Currency Trading Rooms in the US and Japan

In this study, I explore the idea of "acceptable risk" at the organizational level of analysis in a sample of currency-trading rooms embedded in different national cultures, and develop and test a multi-level model of how national culture and the organizational context, in particular the control strategies and the norms of acceptable risk within risk-taking units, shape their risk-taking behavior and performance. The results show that "acceptable risk" as defined within the micro-environment of the trading room does influence actual organizational risk-taking, though national culture does not. In addition, market control strategies were related to better risk-transformation in these trading rooms.

Microbial dynamics during various activities in residential areas of Lahore, Pakistan

Bioaerosols are ubiquitous in the atmosphere with their levels affected by a variety of environmental factors as well as type of activities being carried out at any specific time. The present study investigated how indoor activities influence bioaerosol concentrations in five residential houses of Lahore. Agar coated petri plates were exposed face upwards for twenty minutes in kitchens and living rooms during activity and non-activity periods. The temperature and relative humidity levels were noted as well. The bioaerosol concentrations in kitchens during the activity time ranged between 1022 to 4481 cfu/m3 and in living rooms from 1179 to 3183 cfu/m3 . Lower values were observed during non-activity periods. A paired-t test revealed a significant difference in bacterial loads during activity and non-activity times in both micro-environments (p = 0.038 in kitchen and p = 0.021 in living room). The predominant species identified were Micrococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp., and Bacillus spp. which are a common constituent of the indoor environment and are known to be opportunistic pathogens as well

Measurement of NO2 indoor and outdoor concentrations in selected public schools of Lahore using passive sampler

Higher levels of NO2 are a danger to human health especially for children. A seven day study was carried to find out the ambient concentrations of NO2in 27 schools of Lahore with the help of passive samplers. In each school three sites were selected, viz: laboratory, corridor and outdoors. After 7 days exposure the tubes were subjected to spectrophotometric analysis. Results showed that the maximum values measured in laboratory, outdoor and corridors were 376µg/m3 , 222µg/m3 and 77µg/m3 . Minimum values for laboratory, outdoor and corridors were 10µg/m3 , 20µg/m3 and 8µg/m3 . Factors affecting these values were laboratory activities and proximity to main roads. These values were significantly higher than the standard values defined by EPA. Therefore children in schools were at risk of developing health complications

Flipped Classroom as an Instructional Medium to Teach English at Tertiary Level in India

The teachers who handle large classes face problems in catering to the needs of the students who have different learning abilities. The traditional classroom method arguably does not offer a solution to this problem, and as a result, slow learners among the students become disengaged and demotivated. Introducing flipped teaching method will be effective in dealing with the diversity of the learners as well as the disproportionate class strength. This paper attempts to highlight the advantage of the flipped classroom over the traditional classroom, and explains the ways to implement flipped classroom especially in English language classes

Exposure to NO2 in occupational built environments in urban centre in Lahore

Increased economic growth, urbanisation and substantial rise in automobile vehicles has contributed towards the elevated levels of air pollution in major cities in Pakistan. Aone week study was conducted by using passive samplers to assess NO2 concentration in occupational built environments at two most congested and populated sites of Lahore. Both sites were locatedon the busy roads of Lahore. At Site-I the highest concentration was in outdoors followed by corridor and indoor. While at Site II all the sampling location wereindoors and level were comparable to that of outdoor levelsat Site I. The results suggest the likely contribution of ambient sources in exposure to indoor NO2 in educational and other occupational built environments in urban centres

Assessment of biospeckle activity of lemon fruit

Bio-speckle can be used as a method for analysing the activity of biological materials illuminated with laser beam.  Physically, bio-speckles are the result of scattering of coherent light on moving particles inside living tissue.  Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate bio-speckle activity in lemons and determine the age of the lemon fruit from the observation of its dynamic speckle pattern.  The speckle pattern of laser light scattered in lemon fruits were measured through their quantification.  For the quantification of the variation by bio-speckle, two different methods of image analysis were used: moment of inertia and the spatial temporal speckle correlation coefficient.  The bio-speckle activities were also characterized by the line profiles of time history speckle pattern (THSP) which contains data of time information of dynamic speckle.  Furthermore, measure of the dynamic speckle varies for fruits as their quality decrease, and the values change with the position where the images are taken