Search

A new study suggests that sequestering nitrogen in concrete could be a more effective method for reducing greenhouse gas emissions than concrete carbonation. Concrete nitrogenation involves exposing concrete materials to nitrogen dioxide during production, which reacts with the alkaline substances in concrete to form nitrates and nitrites. The study estimates that nitrogenation of both new and recycled concrete could reduce NOx emissions by 3.4 to 6.9 megatons per year, leading to potential economic benefits of over $160 trillion. However, there are challenges to implementing concrete nitrogenation on a large scale, including transportation issues and competition with concrete carbonation. [Extracted from the article]

To evaluate the readability of orthodontic treatment informed consent forms (ICFs). A cross-sectional observational investigation. An online search strategy was adopted to identify ICFs for orthodontic treatment. The text of each form that satisfied inclusion criteria was modified to a standardised protocol. The readability was evaluated using three validated instruments. GraphPad Software (GraphPad Software Inc., La Jolla, CA, USA) was used for statistical analyses. A total of 59 ICFs were evaluated. The majority were available on the websites of orthodontists (66.1%) and general dentists (27.1%). The scores recorded from the three instruments indicated that the content of 93.2%–98.3% of ICFs was difficult to read. A strong correlation was observed between the Simple Measure of Gobbledegook (SMOG) and the Flesch Kincaid Grade level (FKGL) instruments (r = 0.9782; P < 0.0001). The mean SMOG score for all assessed forms was 11.19 (95% confidence interval [CI] 10.85−11.54). The ICFs authored by the manufacturers of orthodontic appliances provided by clinicians recorded a mean Flesch Reading (FRE) score of 40.14 (95% CI 33.91−46.37) out of a maximum 100. An analysis of the SMOG scores indicated that the content of ICFs authored by national orthodontic societies was more difficult to read than those written by all other authors (P=0.01; 95% CI −1.6 to −0.2) The readability of the ICFs was too difficult for a significant number of the population. Many patients will be unable to validly consent to treatment based solely on reading of the content of the evaluated ICFs. A greater effort is required to improve the readability of ICFs to help ensure patient autonomy regarding orthodontic treatment decision-making and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, online reviews played an important role in the governance of environmental problems. Based on the theory of risk perception, we used online reviews of the smog from 2014 to 2018 as the data source to analyze the spatiotemporal difference between PM 2.5 concentration and online reviews. We summarize the correlation mechanism between smog and online reviews. The conclusions are as follows: (1) From the perspective of the relationship between smog and online reviews, PM 2.5 had a growth effect on online reviews, while online reviews had a short-term inhibition effect on PM 2.5. (2) Online reviews only inhibited the concentration of PM 2.5 in 2015. Online reviews when are in the peak had raised the environmental awareness of the Chinese public and the government's environmental governance efforts. This also indirectly led to changes in the driving mechanism of PM 2.5 concentration after 2015. (3) Economic density had negative effect on PM 2.5 after 2015, which is consistent with theory of Environmental Kuznets Curve. This study provided a theoretical reference for the interaction between online reviews and smog. The government can adjust the environmental protection strategy according to the risk perception through online reviews. • We analyzed the interaction mechanism between online reviews and smog. • Online reviews when in peak period had an inhibition effect on PM 2.5. • Online reviews can change the driving mechanism of PM 2.5. • Economy density had a negative effect on PM 2.5 after peak of online reviews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Footage from 1967–1970" is a film by Warren Sonbert that was shown at various screenings under different titles, including "The Bad and the Beautiful" and "Tonight and Every Night." The film is a collage of footage from Sonbert's travels in Europe, Africa, India, and the USA, with shots of different places and times spliced together. While some viewers may find the film repetitive or lacking new information, others appreciate the unique structure and the way it creates a new kind of information and form over time. The film offers a different perspective on the world and can be seen as a form of art that clears the mind. [Extracted from the article]

Many smog episodes occurred during the nineteenth century because of the steadily rising consumption of coal for industrial furnaces, commercial ovens and domestic hearths, but the few legislative efforts to abate black smoke proved ineffectual. It was only in 1956, and following the major London smog episode of 1952, that the government was finally forced into action and parliament approved the Clean Air Act. But two important elements of the 1956 legislation were key parts of an earlier campaign conducted by Alfred Fletcher between 1864 and 1896 and while he was working for the Alkali Inspectorate. The Inspectorate had expected black smoke to be added to the list of regulated noxious vapours but governments and parliament resisted. Access to Fletcher's private diaries reveal how he remained a leading advocate for abatement of black smoke, and used his position as Chief Inspector from 1884 to conduct a multi-pronged campaign both inside and outside the Inspectorate that included promoting gas as a fuel and the technical evaluation of cleaner appliances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Studia Socjologiczne is the property of Studia Socjologiczne and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Sareh Zarshenas, PhD, Angela Colantonio, PhD, Susan D. Horn, PhD, Susan Jaglal, PhD, Binu Jacob, PhD, Nora Cullen, MSc, MD, FRCPC https://doi.org/10.1002/pmrj.12260 Resumen Antecedentes A pesar de que la relación existente entre los resultados funcionales y la intensidad de la rehabilitación ha sido estudiada en cierta medida, la evidencia aún es escasa en esta área. El efecto del índice de la masa corporal en la insuficiencia pulmonar Rehabilitación David T. Burke, MD, MA, Suzanne Penna, PhD, Samir Al-Adawi, PhD, Regina B. Bell, MPH, Daniel P. Burke, BS https://doi.org/10.1002/pmrj.12243 Resumen Antecedentes Se sabe que la obesidad es un factor de desarrollo insuficiencia respitoria. Los niveles promedio de SMOG y KFGL superaron el octavo grado tanto para los artículos de fisiatría (SMOG-9.71, 95% CI 9.42-10.0; FKGL-10.35, 95% CI 9.99-10.7) como para los de la AAOS (SMOG-9.15, 95% CI 8.96-9.35; FKGL-9.51, 95% CI 9.29-9.74), mientras que los de la AAFP cumplían con las pautas de claridad en ambas mediciones (SMOG-7.00, 95% CI 6.74-7.27; FKGL-6.76, 95% CI 6.45-7.07). Contexto Centro de Investigación de Rehabilitación en la Escuela de Rehabilitación de la Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de Shiraz. [Extracted from the article]

The poem "An Ode to Winter " by Dharam Paul Thakur is presented. First Line: O winter ; Last Line: will beckon them soon one by one.

Evaluate the relationship between arthritis diagnosis in those over 50 and exposure to extreme air pollution in utero or infancy (<1 year of age). Compare rates of arthritis diagnosis between groups that experienced differential air pollution exposure in early-life due to quasi-random variation in birth location and date relative to the 1952 Great Smog in London. We use regression-estimated difference-in-differences analyses based on English Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSA) data. In the 2816 respondent sample, aged 51–62, the arthritis diagnosis rate is 22.8%, with 16.4% reporting osteoarthritis and 4.6% reporting rheumatoid arthritis. We estimate that exposure to the Great Smog in infancy increases the arthritis diagnosis rate by 23.4 percentage points (95% CI: 1.97 to 44.8). Decomposing these results by type of arthritis reveals that the rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis rate increases due to infant exposure are larger and more significant than those for osteoarthritis: 14.9 percentage points (95% CI: 0.495 to 29.4) versus 9.5 percentage points (95% CI: −11.9 to 30.8). In utero exposure is not associated with significant increases in arthritis diagnosis rates. Our results are the first to link early-life air pollution exposure to later-life arthritis diagnoses, and suggest a particularly strong link for RA. These findings are consistent with those of shorter-term, correlational studies, and indicate that health effects of air pollution exposure can span decades and extend beyond cardiopulmonary systems. Image 1 • Even a single exposure to extreme air pollution can have life-long effects. • Exposure to London's Great Smog during infancy increased arthritis rates in those >50 by 23.4 percentage points. • The development of rheumatoid arthritis is sensitive to air pollution exposure in early-life. • We are the first to link arthritis to early-life air pollution exposure. • Air pollution impacts health both today and for decades in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Ciência & Saúde Coletiva is the property of Associacao Brasileira de Pos-Graduacao em Saude Coletiva and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Urban traffic congestion and smog pollution are critical urban development issues. In this study, the influencing mechanism of traffic density on smog pollution in cities is described from the perspectives of direct emissions, spatial agglomeration, and technology spillover effects. Based on an improved STIRPAT model, we examine a panel of 283 prefecture-level cities in China from 2003 to 2015 and find an inverted U-shaped relationship between traffic density and urban smog pollution in large and medium cities and no significant relationship in small cities. Furthermore, the traffic densities in large and medium cities are on the left side of the curve, so direct emissions remain important. The reduction in smog pollution caused by spatial agglomeration and technology spillovers is not sufficient to offset the increase caused by direct emissions. In advancing urbanization, the government should relax its household registration policy that restricts migration to large cities and should avoid any bias in its construction land distribution toward the mainland and small towns. By doing so, the government will further enhance the economic density and scale, shifting the traffic density to the right side of the inverted U-shaped curve so that spatial agglomeration and technology spillover effects can mitigate smog pollution. • Chinese urban development has increased traffic congestion and air pollution. • We estimated the effect of traffic density on smog pollution in 283 Chinese cities. • The relationship between traffic density and air pollution differs by city scale. • There is an inverted U-shaped relationship in large and medium cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that a third of all global deaths from stroke, lung cancer and respiratory diseases can be linked to air pollution. In some cities, breathing polluted air is as dangerous as smoking 25 cigarettes a day. This is a literature review that focusses on the problem of the annual haze in Northern Thailand, in order to ascertain workable policies to help alleviate this annual smog or haze. The review was conducted from over 1000 peer reviewed papers from both Scopus and the ISI databases with preference given to papers published within the past 5 years. This paper is divided into five sections. The first section deals with the cause of the haze, the technologies and models that are being developed and used to monitor and predict pollution and the meteorological conditions specific to the North of Thailand. The second section concerns the effect from air pollution on the health of the general public both from Thailand and other countries. The third section looks at policies from around the world that have been used to successfully reduce haze and smog. These include conservation agriculture, low emission zones and education methods. The fourth section suggests policies that should be implemented in the North of Thailand to help alleviate this annual problem. The overall conclusion is that the annual pollution is a complex multi-faceted problem requiring coherent policies across multiple departments, provinces and countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, smog weather in China has continued to worsen. Aiming at the problem of smog pollution prediction, a new grey extended prediction model, which is based on the GM (grey model) (1,1) model, is proposed in this paper. When the input function takes different forms, the grey extended model can degenerate into various existing grey prediction models. At the same time, the iterative reweighted least squares method (IRLS) is introduced to improve the models. In addition, to study the application effect of the grey extended prediction model GM(1,1,u(t)) and the iterative reweighted least squares method, based on the data of the air quality index (AQI) from December 2013 to February 2018, in Shanghai, four different forms of the GM(1,1,u(t)) model are established in this paper. The ordinary least square method (OLS) and the iterative reweighted least squares method are used to estimate the parameters, and the simulation and prediction results of the models are compared with those of the univariate linear regression model, the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model and the feedforward neural network model. The result shows that the GM(1,1,u(t)) model (where u(t) = 1) under the IRLS method has the best prediction effect, which is not only suitable for predicting the normal values of AQI, but also suitable for predicting the outliers of AQI Therefore, it is proven that the GM(1,1,u(t)) model under iterative reweighted least squares is superior in simulation and prediction. • A new grey extended prediction model GM (grey model) (1,1,u(t)) is proposed in this paper. • The iterative reweighted least squares method is used to improve the parameter estimation. • Good prediction results in Shanghai City's smog pollution have been obtained. • Compare the effect of different forms of the GM(1,1,u(t)) models with the other three models. • Compare iterative reweighted least squares with other parameter estimation methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing smog has affected the entire society and has attracted widespread attention from the government and the public. At present, the smog has become a major obstacle to the fitness of the whole nation. Smog affects human health, such as harming human respiratory and cardiovascular systems, and causing respiratory diseases and cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Therefore, in smog weather, whether or not to adhere to outdoor exercise is a concern of the fitness groups. In this paper, the importance of pollution control is pointed out through the study on the effects of smog. For outdoor physical exercise, in the active response to the impact of bad weather, some measures should be taken to ensure the sustainable development of outdoor physical exercise, such as increasing and improving the fitness venue, reasonably arranging time and area for outdoor exercise, and launching new sports activities. On the basis of investigations and experiments, it is proved that mass aerobics has a special effect on the function of the respiratory system and cardiovascular system, and can adjust the exercise interest and prevent disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • More than 70% study participant indicated that they were concerned or very concerned about air quality in Tangshan. • Study participants share a consensus that smog affects daily activities, had negative health consequences. • Government media enjoys the highest trust levels in terms of providing air quality related information. • Results show the ambivalence among the Chinese public when it comes to taking specific measures to address the smog problem. Abstract Air pollution in China, increasingly known in policy circles and in popular discourse as "smog" (wumai), has aroused broad concern among citizens and in the international community. Although poor air quality has been a feature of urban life for decades in China, public engagement with the issue is a more recent phenomenon. In this article, we examine public knowledge and perceptions of smog, public trust in various sources of information about smog, and various actions, both individual and institutional, that people believe can be effective in managing and mitigating smog. We draw upon qualitative interviews and quantitative survey data collected in Tangshan, a heavily industrialized city in northern China. Our findings illustrate that smog, with its effects on human health and quality of life, is perceived as a serious concern that people encounter every day. Various information sources on the severity of air pollution, including online media content and mobile apps, are increasingly accessed by the public. Our findings suggest that trust in these information sources is shaped by a variety of demographic factors, especially educational attainment. We also find a sense of ambivalence among study participants about which specific individual and institutional measures can and should be taken to manage and mitigate the effects of smog. We discuss these findings in light of recent research on the role of public awareness and engagement in environmental protection campaigns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to determine the influence of aerobic exercise on the human respiratory system in smog, the classification algorithm based on uncertain data flow is used to extract the influence data of aerobic exercise on human respiratory system in smog, and obtain the subjective feeling index of respiratory system. After determining the inflammatory factor content in the sputum of the aerobics in the smog, the measurement model of the aerobic exercise in the smog on the human respiratory system is constructed, which is also the evaluation model of the damage degree of single and multiple respiratory systems in the smog. The degree of respiratory damage is calculated and unified with the smog weather to analyze the relationship between respiratory damage and smog weather, and to study the effects of aerobic exercise on the respiratory system in the smog. The experimental results show that the degree of smog damage to the elderly and children's respiratory system during aerobic exercise is in line with the actual characteristics, which is effective. The model has analyzed that the maximum error of smog damage to the respiratory system of aerobic exercise population is only 0.18 and it can clearly reflect the degree of damage to the human respiratory system caused by aerobic exercise in the smog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrafine particles (UFP) of Secondary Organic Aerosol (SOA) penetrate deep into the human respiratory system and exert fatal effects on human health. However, there is little data on the potential deposited doses of UFP-generated SOA in the human respiratory tract. This study is to estimate the fraction of aerosol deposition using a multiple-path-particle-dosimetry (MPPD) model. For relevancy of real life, the model employed measured concentrations of toluene-derived fresh and aged SOA produced within serially connected smog chamber and PAM-OFR (Potential Aerosol Mass-Oxidation Flow Reactor) under atmospheric environmental conditions (NOx and relative humidity). The number concentrations and chemical composition of fresh and aged aerosols produced within the chambers were measured using Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) and High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS), while the morphology of individual particles was analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The number concentration of aged SOA-w/s was more than double compared to that of fresh SOA-w/s (maximum reached after 10 h) with its size less than 100 nm. The O:C ratio for aged SOA-w/s were 0.96 and 1.15 depending on RH (0.96 at 3% RH and 1.15 at 50% RH), and individual spherical particles containing water were present in agglomerates with its size of less than 1 µm. In all inhalable fresh and aged SOA produced in the two chambers, 5–22% of aerosol is deposited in the Head airways, 4–8% in the tracheobronchial, and 8–34% in the alveolar regions. The predominant deposition of the aged aerosol occurred in the alveoli (in the generation 20th lobe), and the deposition faction in the alveoli was 2–3 times higher in the children group than the adults group. This study presented a quantitative exposure assessment of SOA generated under a realistic simulation and suggested the possibility of evaluating long-term exposure to SOA and potential health effects by determining the potential inhalable aerosol doses and the fraction of deposition in the human respiratory system. [Display omitted] • Toluene-derived fresh and aged SOAs were produced in smog chamber and PAM-OFR. • Concentrations, morphology and deposition fractions for SOAs (fresh and aged) were compared. • Aged-SOAs calculated using MPPD model were deposited at the end of generation (G20-G23). • In children groups, deposition faction in the alveoli was 2–3 times higher than that in the adults group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dense fog blankets Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) during winter affecting the lives and livelihoods of millions of its inhabitants. This study investigates fog climatology and typology of winter fog in IGP using half-hourly surface observations of visibility at seven North Indian cities from 1991 to 2020. It identifies fog events and characterises them based on time of occurrence and duration, and analyses their frequency at seasonal, monthly, and daily scales. Next, the fog events are classified based on fog formation processes. The analysis shows that the majority (∼84%) of the events are radiation fog, followed by advection fog (∼13%). The highest number of fog events occur in January. The fog onset timing shows an east-west trend, with western cities having delayed onset. On the other hand, the fog intensity exhibits a north-south trend, with northern cities having more intense fog events. The time-series analysis indicates that seasonal fog hours show a higher inter-annual variability, while durations of fog events exhibit inter-city variability. A comparison of fog characteristics with other regions of the world reveals that IGP has a relatively higher percentage of radiation fog and longer-duration fog events. [Display omitted] • Fog events are classified based on formation process, onset time and visibility. • Onset time & intensity of fog show east-west and north-south trends, respectively. • No significant trend is detected in the number of fog events during the last 3 decades. • Radiation fog is prevalent in IGP & fog events are of relatively longer-duration. • Missing data pose a serious impediment for fog studies and require careful handling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution has become a serious environmental problem in China and drawn worldwide attention. As a kind of air pollution of much concern in recent years, smog can negatively influence companies through their employees, the public/government, and investors. Based on CSMAR financial reports data and air quality monitoring data for the period from 2013 to 2017, we examine the firm-value effect of air pollution using smog as proxy variable in 74 cities in China. The empirical results show that smog can cause a loss of firm value in Chinese-listed companies. We also examine the moderating effect of state ownership on the influence of air pollution on firm value and find that compared to non-state-owned enterprises (NSOEs), state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are more likely to suffer less from the value loss caused by smog for more government supports they could achieve. The results show that unregulated development of Chinese companies at the expense of the environment has a negative effect on economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution worldwide, especially in China and India, has caused serious health issues. Because PM 2.5 particles consist of solid particles of diverse properties with payloads of inorganic, organic and biological pollutants, it is still not known what the major toxic components are and how these components induce toxicities. To explore this complex issue, we apply reductionism principle and an ultrafine particle library approach in this work. From investigation of 63 diversely functionalized ultrafine particles (FUPs) with adsorbed key pollutants, our findings indicate that 1) only certain pollutants in the payloads of PM 2.5 are responsible for causing cellular oxidative stress, cell apoptosis, and cytotoxicity while the particle carriers are much less toxic; 2) pollutant-induced cellular oxidative stress and oxidative stress-triggered apoptosis are identified as one of the dominant mechanisms for PM 2.5 -induced cytotoxicity; 3) each specific toxic component on PM 2.5 (such as As, Pb, Cr or BaP) mainly affects its specific target organ(s) and, adding together, these pollutants may cause synergistic or just additive effects. Our findings demonstrate that reductionism concept and model PM 2.5 particle library approach are very effective in our endeavor to search for a better understanding of PM 2.5 -induced health effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To check whether health risk impacts of exposure to airborne metals and Benzo(a) Pyrene during episodes of high PM 10 concentrations lead to an increased number of lung cancer cases in Poland. Methods In this work, we gathered data from 2002 to 2014 concerning the ambient concentrations of PM 10 and PM 10 -bound carcinogenic Benzo(a)pyrene [B(a)P] and As, Cd, Pb, and Ni. With the use of the criterion of the exceedance in the daily PM 10 mass concentration on at least 50% of all the analyzed stations, the PM 10 maxima's were selected. Lung cancer occurrences in periods with and without the episodes were further compared. Results During a 12-year period, 348 large-scale smog episodes occurred in Poland. A total of 307 of these episodes occurred in the winter season, which is characterized by increased emissions from residential heating. The occurrence of episodes significantly ( P < 0.05) increased the concentrations of PM 10 -bound carcinogenic As, Cd, Pb, Ni, and B(a)P. During these events, a significant increase in the overall health risk from those PM 10 -related compounds was also observed. The highest probability of lung cancer occurrences was found in cities, and the smallest probability was found in the remaining areas outside the cities and agglomerations. Conclusion The link between PM pollution and cancer risk in Poland is a serious public health threat that needs further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the effect of environmental regulations on the investment behavior of high-polluting enterprises. Our data are from A-share listed firms in China from 2006 to 2014. We use a sudden surge in the PM2.5 index as an exogenous event to conduct a natural experiment. We find that after the event with a series of regulatory policies introduced, investment expenditure declines significantly in local state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and non-state-owned enterprises (non-SOEs), whereas investment opportunity declines significantly in non-SOEs compared with SOEs. However, there are no significant changes in central SOEs’ investment expenditure and investment opportunity. Further analysis shows that investment expenditure and investment opportunity decline for high-polluting enterprises located in East China but increase for those located in West China. Our study is the first to investigate the effect of smog on enterprises’ investment behavior. Our findings reveal that environmental regulation has influence on the investment behavior of enterprises with different property rights and regional differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe smog days in many parts of developing countries, such as China and India, have drawn worldwide attention. This study aims at integrating various building retrofitting methods of existing buildings to control indoor PM2.5 concentrations. Methods are such as airtightness improvement, room pressure control, recycling air filtration, and combinations of the above. The study verifies the effectiveness of each control method to reduce the indoor PM2.5 concentration below 25 μg/m 3 in building. Measurements are conducted for different outdoor particle concentration scenarios under different control strategies at an apartment in Shanghai, China. This is the first time that various existing residential building retrofitting strategies are integrated jointly and different control methods are tested to ensure indoor air quality under different outdoor conditions. The results and conclusions can be used in many parts of the worlds, when building occupants choose proper retrofitting methods to control their indoor air quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a significant concern about the outdoor particles due to the recurrent smog days around the world. The penetration of outdoor particles through building cracks has a great impact on indoor environment. In this study, various crack models such as straight, L-shaped, Z-shaped and wedge-shaped cracks were investigated. Discrete Particle Model (DPM) in the Lagrangian coordinates was selected to simulate the particle transport through different cracks by employing the Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) under different calculation conditions. Moreover, the reliability and practicality of the crack model were well verified by comparing with the literature data. The influence of crack shape, crack size and differential pressure on the particle penetration factor was analyzed and compared in detail. The results showed that increasing crack height ( H ) and differential pressure ( Δ p ) or decreasing crack depth ( L ) can result in a higher particle penetration factor. For particles size less than 3 μm, the penetration factor is higher than 0.93 for cracks with 1 mm height regardless of their depth or differential pressure. For particles size from 3 to 8 μm, the faster penetration factor drops rapidly in the corresponding interval when there is more number of right-angles ( n ). There is a negative correlation between particle penetration factor and wedge-shaped crack tilt angle. The penetration factor decreases along with the increase in wedge-shaped crack tilt angle ( α ). The current study is useful to understand particle penetration through different shapes of building cracks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explicitly addresses the key works of public participation in subjective policy evaluation from the perspective of smog governance. Based on the unique data from a large survey distributed to more than 3500 respondents in 37 key cities of China, we adopt the ordered probit model to identify the factors affecting public evaluation towards the smog-governing policy. To solve the endogeneity problem, we construct an effective instrumental variable - the policy strength of government in eliminating smog to analyze empirically. The results suggest that public participation are significant and important predictors of the public evaluation, higher degree of participation is associated with more positive subjective evaluation. Further, this paper explores the role of effective public perception and concern as well as the expected subsidy. The results show that the public who actively participate into the co-governance of smog are more concern about the air quality and also have lower expected subsidy. • The impact of public participation on smog-governing policy evaluation is identified. • The policy strength of government in eliminating smog is used as instrumental variable. • Environmental and energy characteristic factors on policy evaluation are identified. • The public who actively participate into the co-governance of smog tend to give higher evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the seriousness of the problem, the city government does not wield much power in its attempt to reduce exhaust gases. While vehicle emissions are the main source of local pollution, they have regional environmental consequences. So far, localized measures to address regional smog are far from effective. This paper explains that local efforts are confined by economic interests and priorities that lie within the jurisdictional boundaries which find addressing local air pollution through limiting car ownership and use as politically unacceptable. Also, incomplete pollution data in China in general makes it difficult for city officials to come up with targeted and innovative approaches that can bring additional emission reductions. The paper further argues that without a strong and direct commitment to radically reducing current levels of vehicle-based pollution through a set of complementary behavioral modification measures, continued reliance on temporary technical fixes is likely to exacerbate the urban air pollution problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beijing's air pollution has become an increasingly urgent issue on both the media's and the public's agenda in China. To find out how the media construct the air pollution message and how the public perceives it, this study seeks to examine the two interconnected aspects of environmental communication in the case of Beijing's air pollution. Using qualitative frame analysis and a semi-structured focus group interview, this study compares how major newspapers in Beijing covered the smog in early 2013 and how the public perceived the air pollution. The findings indicate that there is a gap between what the newspaper says and what the public perceives. The findings suggest that the public actively engage with the air pollution issue by questioning the economic development model; however, the public is not empowered to act and contribute to the effort of improving air quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric phenomenon such as haze, fog, mist etc is originated by small particles in the air such as dust, smoke or moisture, which reduces the visibility of the outdoor scenes. The background theory behind it is the absorption and scattering of light, that passes through these atmospheric particles. In this paper, we instigate a single image dehazing approach which enhances the visibility of the hazy images. The proposed method focus on contrast based single image dehazing. This approach makes use of white balancing, which eliminates the color cast that is caused by the atmospheric color. In this method, we compute the saliency map of the white balanced image, in order to get the well defined boundaries and uniformly highlighted salient region. Morphological opening is performed on the saliency map, to preserve the size and structure of the objects in the image. At the final step we apply contrast enhancing approach CLAHE, to intensify the local contrast of the images. The performance analysis is done on various natural hazy images. This method has been evaluated with other dehazing algorithms reported in the literature. The experimental results show that the method we developed has the capability to remove the haze efficiently and it can retain the fine details of the regions closer to the horizon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Collegium Antropologicum is the property of Croatian Anthropological Society and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The reduction of environmental contaminants that contribute to smog and soot is a worldwide goal that has seen an increased focus in recent years. In the United States, for example, it is estimated that by 2014 new rules will lead to a 71% reduction of sulfur dioxide emissions and 52% of nitrogen oxide emissions as compared to 2005 level. Thus, medium-sized plants (100-500MW) that currently do not have flue gas desulfurization (FGD) units or selective catalytic reduction systems (SCRs) will be required to adapt. Similar emission reduction efforts are expected to be adopted globally, albeit at different levels. Wet-scrubber FGD is characterized as one of the most effective SO 2 removal techniques with low operating costs. However capital cost for implementation is considered high. Hence an effective optimization procedure is required to reduce these capital costs of conversion. Power plants commonly use a lime slurry spray reaction to reduce SO 2 emissions. Control of the droplets throughout the tower geometry is essential to ensuring maximum reduction while minimizing scale. The liquid slurry is known to have density, surface tension and viscosity values that deviate from standard water spray characteristics, which complicates process optimization. In order to improve the scrubber, nozzle characteristics and placement must be optimized to reduce the cost of the system implementation and mitigate risks of inadequate pollution reduction. A series of large flow rate, hydraulic, hollow cone sprays were investigated for this study. A Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model was used to examine potential scrubber designs for optimization of the system. Nozzle parameters were modeled to allow particle tracking through the system. An ANSYS Fluent Lagrangian particle tracking method was used with heat and mass transfer. The alkaline sorbent material and SO 2 reaction is modeled to determine uniformity and efficacy of the system. Volumetric chemistry mechanisms were used to simulate the reaction. These results demonstrate the expected liquid-gas interaction relative to the system efficiency. Drop size, liquid rheology, and spray array layout were examined to achieve SO 2 removal above 90%. Wall impingement and flow pattern results were evaluated due to their impact in minimizing equipment plugging and corrosion required as for long-term scrubber utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]