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When it comes to usefulness, not many building materials can compare to spray polyurethane foam insulation. SPF is an ideal insulation material for builders and contractors when energy efficiency and [...]

The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers is looking for authors to present white papers at its 2019 winter conference. The event is scheduled for Jan 12-16 in [...]

Lists several working papers published by the United States National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). `The Fallacy of the Fiscal Theory of the Price Level,' by Willem H. Buiter; `Costs of Air Quality Regulation,' by Randy A. Becker and J. Vernon Henderson; `Order Flow and Exchange Rate Dynamics,' by Martin D. D. Evans and Richard K. Lyons.

A study conducted by Tatyana Deryugina and Julian Reif examines the long-term effects of exposure to sulfur dioxide (SO2) on mortality rates in the United States. The researchers use data on death records and air pollution levels from 1972 to 1988 to calculate the variation in county-level SO2 levels resulting from wind-blown regional pollution. They find that acute exposure to SO2 leads to an immediate increase in mortality rates among frail individuals with short life expectancies, as well as an accelerated aging effect among healthier individuals. The study suggests that a permanent decline in SO2 levels could increase life expectancy by about 1.2 years. [Extracted from the article]

T.S. Elliot wrote that April is the cruelest month, but that didn't account for flu season. Winter, with its harsh weather that forces millions of people indoors for long periods, [...]

To address the challenge of facilitating overall problem solving and improving the overall efficiency of intelligent systems efforts through group decision making (GDM) by experts at all stages of the systems, this paper proposes an approach that focuses on improving consistency and enhancing local consensus. The proposed approach specifically considers the probabilistic linguistic preference relations (PLPRs) and incorporates personalized individual semantics (PISs) of decision makers (DMs). For the consistency procedure, we construct an expectation-additive consistency-driven semantic model to acquire PISs of different DMs. Secondly, the preference relation (PR) which does not satisfy the consistency is improved based on a minimum adjustment model. In particular, according to the expected value with PISs this paper, DMs offer PLPRs can be transformed into fuzzy preference relations (FPRs) correspondently for making decisions. For the FPRs, a virtue consensus measure is explored for the consensus reaching process (CRP) from two levels to combine the average value and variance of pair similarities, which effectively improves the accuracy of the consensus measurement. Next, a collective consensus level is calculated to replace the consensus threshold objectively, and then the DMs and alternative pairs that do not reach consensus are identified locally from two levels. Subsequently, an optimisation model that combines the two objectives is developed to improve the consensus level while ensuring consistency. Finally, our method is applied to a publicly available air quality dataset, and the consensus and ranking results are discussed in comparison with other advanced methods to confirm the superiority of the established method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• First introduced PD control theory for optimizing learning rate in CNN models. • Designed of innovative center selection and elite guidance strategies. • Developed an efficient enhanced battle royale algorithm(EBRO). • Proposed a new EBRO-ICNN model for air quality prediction. PM 2.5 concentration predictions can provide air pollution control, management, and early warning. However, the PM 2.5 data with high-dimensionality, complexity, and dynamics pose a great challenge to achieve optimal prediction results. Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) has unique advantages in processing complex data and contributes to state-of-the-art performances. However, designing the architecture and selecting the learning rate for CNN are time-consuming and requires prior knowledge. Evolutionary algorithms, with the advantages of global convergence, ergodicity, robustness and adaptability, are the most commonly used methods to design the optimal framework for CNNs. Therefore, to improve the predictive performance of CNNs, this paper proposes an improved CNN method (EBRO-ICNN) which employs the enhanced battle royale optimization (EBRO) algorithm and proportional-derivative (PD) control. Firstly, the EBRO algorithm with multistrategy collaborative optimization is introduced, and validated by CEC2017 benchmark functions, which demonstrates EBRO strong global exploration capability, fast convergence speed, and low time complexity. Next, PD control is applied to adjust the learning rate of CNN (ICNN) dynamically, which improves the efficiency and stability of the network training process. At the same time, the ICNN model is optimized using the EBRO algorithm, which can reduce the human interference, generate the optimal framework automatically and enhance the prediction accuracy effectively. Finally, a private air quality dataset and two public datasets are utilized to evaluate the performance of the EBRO-ICNN model, considering 3 error evaluation metrics and 7 prediction comparison models. The experimental results demonstrate that the EBRO-ICNN model exhibits great accuracy and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports residual fuel oil users finding the shortage of fuel oil. Demand for residual fuel oil has increased manifolds as plants and utilities are switching to low-sulfur fuel oil to follow stricter air pollution standards. As reported, prices of residual oil are rising sharply and despite that several oil suppliers are reluctant to make new contracts even at escalated prices.

The article focuses on several studies that tried to document the benefits of environmental policies concerning the Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) of the U.S. Environmental Protection (EPA). It explores the use of hedonic property value model to determine the delineated amenities and disamenities that influences the price in housing industry. It states that environmentalists used the sorting model in identifying the multi-market benefits for improved air quality.

In modern scientific applications, more and more data sets contain natural matrix predictors and traditional regression methods are not directly applicable. Matrix regression has been adapted to such data structure and received increasing attention in recent years. In this paper, we consider estimation of the conditional quantile in high-dimensional regularized matrix regression with a nuclear norm penalty and establish the convergence rate of the estimator. In order to construct a quantile matrix regression estimator in the distributed setting or for massive data sets, we propose a regularized communication-efficient surrogate loss (CSL) function. The proposed CSL method only needs the worker machines to compute the gradient based on local data and the central machine solves a regularized estimation problem. We prove that the estimation error based on the proposed CSL method matches the estimation error bound of the centralized method that analyzes the entire data set. An alternating direction method of multipliers algorithm is developed to efficiently obtain the distributed CSL estimator. The finite-sample performance of the proposed estimator is studied through simulations and an application to Beijing Air Quality data set. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As extensions of vector data with ultrahigh dimensionality and complex structures, matrix data are fast emerging in a large variety of scientific applications. In this paper, we consider the matrix regression with streaming data and propose two-stage online regularized estimators with nuclear norm (NN) and adaptive nuclear norm (ANN) penalties, respectively. In the first stage, an equivalent form of offline matrix regression loss function using current raw data and summary statistics from historical data is established. In the second stage, gradient descent algorithm and soft thresholding methods are implemented iteratively to obtain the proposed online NN and ANN estimators. We establish the asymptotic properties of the resulting online regularized estimators and show the rank selection consistency for the online ANN estimator. The finite-sample performance of the proposed estimators is studied through simulations and an application to Beijing Air Quality data set. • We consider the matrix regression with streaming data. • We establish the asymptotic properties and rank selection consistency. • The finite-sample performance of the proposed estimators is studied through simulations. • A real example on Beijing Air Quality data set is provided to show the performance of the proposed estimators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Estimate the air quality for both urban and non-urban areas. • Design terrain features to distinguish urban and non-urban areas. • Solve the problem that no station available in non-urban areas by using transfer regression. • Exploit the unlabeled data to improve the performance by using semi-supervised regression. Abstract Air quality estimation refers to the problem of inferring the air quality data of any fine-grained area with or without an air quality monitoring station. However, the existing methods are designed for urban areas without distinguishing urban and non-urban areas. It is a challenging task to accurately estimate air quality for both urban and non-urban areas. First, air quality of an urban area and that of a non-urban area have significantly different patterns. Second, most cities do not have air quality monitoring stations available in non-urban areas. To address these problems, this paper proposes MTSAE (M ulti-view T ransfer S emi-supervised learning for A ir quality E stimation). First, it distinguishes urban and non-urban areas using terrain features. Second, it trains the initial models using a transfer regression algorithm by leveraging the labeled data from other cities. Third, it refines the initial models using a semi-supervised regression algorithm by exploiting the unlabeled data from the target city itself. Extensive experiments show that the strategies of distinguishing urban and non-urban areas and combining transfer and semi-supervised learning are effective for air quality estimation. The experiment results show that MTSAE is able to yield a competitive performance over the state-of-the-art methods on non-urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 8 and 9 July 2018 extensive observations were conducted under fair-weather conditions in the German city of Stuttgart and its surroundings. This intensive observation period, part of the four weeks Urban Climate Under Change (UC)2 campaign, intended to provide a comprehensive data set to understand the complex interactions of thermally induced wind systems, vertical turbulent mixing and air pollutant concentration distribution in the atmospheric boundary layer of the city. Stuttgart has a very special and complex topography with a city center located in a basin surrounded by 250 to 300m higher hills influencing the wind and flow system, reducing the wind speed, and causing inhibited dispersion of air pollutants. Cold air flows from the surrounding plains can penetrate the urban areas and influence the urban climate including the air quality. For investigating these effects with a focus on urban climate, combinations of different measurement platforms and techniques were used, such as in situ stationary and mobile measurements with cars, vertical profiling by means of tethered balloons, radiosondes, a drone, and aircraft observations, remote sensing devices and satellite-based instruments. Numerous atmospheric processes in an urban area regarding boundary layer evolution, inversion, local wind systems, urban heat island, etc. were observed. Some important findings are: Temperature observations provide local information about the warmest areas in the city and about the city and its surroundings. The urban heat island effect was evident from the results of stationary and mobile air temperature measurements as the higher air temperature was measured in the Stuttgart basin compared to its surroundings. Considerable spatio-temporal differences concerning the wind (speed and direction), turbulence and the convective boundary depth are evident. Lower wind speeds were observed during the nighttime and the main wind direction in the Stuttgart valley was measured to be southwest, which carried cold air from the hillsides into the city and pollutants to the windward side of the city into the Neckar valley. The low wind speed favored the accumulation of pollutants in a shallow nocturnal boundary layer close to the surface. During the day, the overall pollutant concentration was reduced by vertical convective mixing. The vertical profile measurements have shown that the applied techniques provided a good overview to understand the vertical characteristics of meteorological parameters and pollutants as well as the stability of the atmosphere and extent of the urban boundary layer. It also showed that the extent of atmospheric mixing determines the dispersion, dilution and mixing of emitted pollutants. Finally, the additional comprehensive air-chemical observations (surface and satellite based) allow an understanding of the diurnal cycle of air pollutants in the atmospheric boundary layer of the city of Stuttgart. Satellitebased observations from Sentinel-5P/TROPOMI have shown their potential for mapping urban pollution islands and urban pollution plumes even in cities with a complex terrain like Stuttgart. These observations assisted to obtain a comprehensive data set intended for the validation of a novel urban climate model, PALM-4U. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As extensions of vector and matrix data with ultrahigh dimensionality and complex structures, tensor data are fast emerging in a large variety of scientific applications. In this paper, a two-stage estimation procedure for linear tensor quantile regression (QR) with longitudinal data is proposed. In the first stage, we account for within-subject correlations by using the generalized estimating equations and then impose a low-rank assumption on tensor coefficients to reduce the number of parameters by a canonical polyadic decomposition. To avoid the asymptotic analysis and computation problems caused by the non-smooth QR score function, kernel smoothing method is applied in the second stage to construct the smoothed tensor QR estimator. When the number of rank is given, a block-relaxation algorithm is proposed to estimate the regression coefficients. A modified BIC is applied to estimate the number of rank in practice and show the rank selection consistency. Further, a regularized estimator and its algorithm are investigated for better interpretation and efficiency. The asymptotic properties of the proposed estimators are established. Simulation studies and a real example on Beijing Air Quality data set are provided to show the performance of the proposed estimators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A report from Ghent University in Belgium discusses the need for quantitative limits on airborne microorganisms in food processing facilities to prevent food contamination. The review examines the complexities of microbial air quality in the food industry, including sources of airborne microorganisms, air sampling methods, and preventive measures. The research finds a lack of substantial evidence linking airborne microorganisms to food contamination and a lack of standardized air sampling methodologies. The development of tailored guidelines for microbial air quality in the food industry is necessary, taking into account factors such as product characteristics and production context. Ongoing collaborative efforts are needed to develop evidence-based guidelines that effectively mitigate risks without incurring unnecessary costs. [Extracted from the article]

Abstract: It is generally agreed that respiratory disease is closely related to ambient air quality and weather conditions. Besides, hygiene related factors such as the public health measures by the government and possible personal awareness in the community can also affect the spread of infectious respiratory diseases. However, there is no quantitative support for this conclusion, because of lack of quality data. The severe acute respiratory syndrome (or SARS) outbreak in 2003 triggered strict public health measures and personal awareness in the prevention of infectious respiratory diseases, providing us an opportunity to quantify the impact of hygiene related factors in the spread of the disease. In this paper, we model the number of the respiratory illnesses by a semiparametric model which models the environmental and weather impacts using a multiple index model and the impact of other public health measures and possible personal awareness using a growth curve with jump. Using data from Hong Kong, we found that public health measures contributed to about 39% of reduction in the number of respiratory illnesses during the SARS period. However, the impact of hygienically related factors eventually fades as time passes. The results provide indirect quantitative support to the usefulness of governmental campaigns to arouse the awareness of the public in staying away from transmission of respiratory diseases during the full outbreak of the disease. The results also show the fast fading of alertness of Hong Kong people towards the epidemic. Furthermore, our model also offers a way to model the impacts of environmental factors on respiratory diseases, when the data contains the effect of human intervention, by introducing the change point and growth curve to remove such an effect. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A six-week field study was conducted to determine spatial and temporal variability of sub-micron (diameter range 10-1000 nm) particles perpendicular to a main road in the city of Berlin, Germany. Measurements were carried out on 17 days with overall 72 runs along a 250m almost untraveled footpath. Particle number concentration (PNC) as well as the share of local sources were analyzed in relation to the distance to the road, wind speed and wind direction. This study aims to detect patterns of PNC dispersal along the footpath with increasing distance from the road in a built-up urban environment and to identify impact factors. In the majority of cases, results can be expressed well in terms of an exponential decrease of PNC with increasing distance from the road. Traffic flow along the main road has a substantial impact on concentration levels. About 30% of the PNC at the roadside and 15% at a distance greater than 100m can be attributed to traffic. Variations in background concentrations, however, contribute the largest share to concentration levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses U.S. schools' desperation to reopen and spending of millions on high-tech air purifiers to be installed in air ducts to scrub out the coronavirus as of July 2021. Topics covered include the lack of independent data on bipolar ionizers, findings on their general ineffectiveness in purifying air, and the risk they carry on creating harmful byproducts like formaldehyde. Also noted are air purifiers' situation in a grey zone with no oversight and regulation on their use.

Researchers from the University of Warsaw conducted a study to examine the impact of health status and experienced disutility caused by air pollution on individuals' preferences regarding health risk reductions resulting from air quality improvement. The study found that there was no direct impact of health status on willingness to pay for air quality improvement, except for smoking. However, individuals who self-reported a respiratory diagnosis or scored high on the breathlessness scale were more likely to display a latent trait indicating experienced disutility due to air pollution and were generally more in favor of air quality improvement programs. The research was supported by the National Science Centre Poland. [Extracted from the article]

A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Chicago investigated the association between PM2.5 exposure and cancer risks. The study utilized data from over 409,000 participants in the NIH All of Us Research Program, which has a diverse racial/ethnic makeup. The researchers found evidence of an association between PM2.5 exposure and breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancers. This study provides new insights into the impact of PM2.5 on cancer risk and highlights the need for further investigation in this area. [Extracted from the article]

The present article focuses on development of a tiny "electronic nose" to monitor the interior air quality and exterior emissions of automobiles to see whether they meet government regulations. The environmental sensor on a chip is part of the Brite Euram project at the University of Warwick, England. Automaker Fiat SpA expects to install the chips in about 1 million cars by the end of the decade. It claims the next step for the sniff sensor would be testing air quality in homes.

The article focuses on the efforts of James Lents, the head of the South Coast Air Quality Management District, to check pollution California. He is the man behind southern California's antipollution brouhaha. Lents has unveiled 123 measures that will drastically change life in southern California. Everything from house paint to chemical solvents will have to be reformulated. Industries will have to reduce emissions or move elsewhere. Critics say southern California's antipollution plan will cost $14 billion a year and chase away 55,000 jobs over the next 20 years. But Lents estimates the cost at $3 billion to $5 billion a year and says that the plan will in fact create thousands of jobs because of all the opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Comments on the United Nations-sponsored Zero Emissions Research Initiative (ZERI) and its aim at a global industrial policy with heavy industries centralized to maximize recycling. The motion picture `On Deadly Ground' as commercial for ZERI; The topics discussed at the Second Annual Congress on Emissions Research in May 1996; Why ZERI should be monitored; The illogical nature of the things ZERI is striving for.

The article reports on the problems of air pollution in the U.S. It cites the move of spurs industry to search for better devices to reduce air pollution like Chemical Construction Corp., which is developing instruments for detecting and measuring airborne contaminants. In addition, the Public Health Service provides nearly 10 million dollars to local states and regional units wanting to set up control agencies, study pollution problems, and improve existing controls.

How many plants do you need to purify the air in a small flat? A surprising amount, it turns out, finds James Wong [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on filling of litigation by three environmental groups in Santa Clarita, California such as Citizens for Chiquita Canyon Landfill Compliance, regarding approval for expansion of the Chiquita Canyon Landfill in Santa Clarita Valley by the Los Angeles County, California Board of Supervisors in June 2017. It mentions submission of lawsuit papers on August 24, 2017 citing concerns over landfill impacts such as on climate change, air quality and health.

The article presents the Green Business Awards to companies in Utah, U.S. including the Air Quality award to the Utah Clean Air partnership (UCAIR), the Water Conservation award to Swire Coca-Cola USA, and the Energy Conservation award to Vivint Solar.

Several letters to the editor are presented in response to articles in previous issues including "Why nothing works in Britain" in the February 10, 1975 issue, "When companies get too big to fail" in the January 27, 1975 issue, and "Detroit makes a deal" in the February 3, 1975 issue.

The article discusses research on the competitiveness and environmental rules implemented in the manufacturing sector of the U.S. It references a study by Michael Greenstone and colleagues, published in an issue of the "National Bureau of Economic Research." The study found that the economic costs of air quality rules have significant effects on the financial state of the sector.

Smog Free Tower: The Huge Hoover in the City A New Look into Toxicology Risk Assessement and Environmental Safety Effective remedies to the Southeast Asia Transboundary Haze: What's burning? The Haze Blanket on your Lungs, the Environment and the Costs [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2009.11.031 Byline: Alex Rogozhin (a), Michael Gallaher (a), Gloria Helfand (b), Walter McManus (c) Keywords: Automotive; Indirect costs; Cost analysis; Multiplier; Retail price equivalent Abstract: In addition to the direct costs incurred during the vehicle production process, a manufacturer incurs certain indirect costs. These costs may be related to production, corporate operations, or selling. Cost analysts often use markup factors that relate indirect costs to the changes in direct costs. These factors are often called retail price equivalent (RPE) multipliers. However, there are concerns in using RPE multipliers in cost analysis. This study develops modified multipliers, referred to as indirect cost multipliers, and estimates them to range from 1.05 to 1.45 in the short run and from 1.02 to 1.26 in the long run. Author Affiliation: (a) RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA (b) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, 2000 Traverwood Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA (c) Transportation Research Institute, University of Michigan, 2901 Baxter Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA Article History: Received 18 June 2009; Accepted 21 November 2009 Article Note: (footnote) [star] This paper is based on a study conducted by RTI International for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ().

In the 19905, it seemed that everyone was talking about sick building syndrome (SBS)--it was on the news, in the paper, and, of course, in trade magazines. Speculation was rife [...]

The article looks at the professional engineers in Canada as of June 2013. Topics include the work of the Engineers Canada organization to promote engineering education, policies meant to protect the safety of Canada's air, water, and infrastructure, and efforts to attract foreign engineers to Canada to mitigate the country's shortage of skilled professionals.

The article discusses issues concerning growth in carbon dioxide emissions across the globe. Some emissions control measures have been identified for reducing the rate of climate change and improving air quality. They include reducing methane emissions from coal mining, oil and gas production, municipal waste and landfills, wastewater, livestock manure, rice paddies, and reducing emissions from combustion in diesel vehicles and agricultural waste burning.

The article focuses on the challenges faced by the environmental sector in Canada. According to the annual reports by the Environment Canada, it routinely highlight negative trends for water quality, air quality and greenhouse gas emissions. It provides an overview of the report which concluded that without serious attention to environmental sustainability, Canada puts its society and its quality of life at risk.

Provides information on the suitability of the condition of a number of U.S. cities for men's health. Quality of air in Portland, Oregon; Incidence of lung cancer in Indianapolis, Indiana; Percentage of men in Saint Louis, Missouri with high blood pressure; Average body mass index of men living in Washington, D.C.; Morbidity due to colon cancer in New Orleans, Louisiana compared to Raleigh, North Carolina.

The article focuses on the increase in pollution control investments in the U.S. in 1968 according to the capital spending survey released by McGraw-Hill. It projects that the chemical industry will invest 112 million dollars for pollution control. It cites the impact of the enactment of the state water standards on the non-durable goods industries. It mentions that an air quality criteria will also be published by the Health, Education & Welfare Department.

Oregon State University researchers are developing an electronic nose to monitor air quality, detect safety threats, and diagnose diseases by measuring gases in a patient's breath. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the claims of U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore that the state of Texas, under the leadership of Governor and Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush, has the worst air pollution and considered as the worst place to live in the U.S. as of July 2000. In the new edition of Gore's book "Earth in the Balance," Gore states in the book's foreword that when he wrote the book, the city of Los Angeles in California, had the worst ozone pollution in the country, but recently, Houston, Texas, has taken over as the city with the worst air pollution. The statement is all part of a campaign on the whole state of Texas.

The article discusses the ten tips to upgrade the air distribution. It explains that the importance of ensuring the right amount of air that reaches each room of the house. The tips include adding a return-air duct or trunk line, adding a branch run, and balancing the systems. Further discussion concerning the maintenance of air distribution such as air direction and air quality is presented.

This article discusses economic trends in the U.S. in 1999. More Americans are working either long or short weeks, to their dissatisfaction. A study found air quality laws raise house prices. Employees are less concerned about job security and more satisfied with their jobs, according to a survey by Rutgers University.

Comments on the air pollution problem in Mexico City and its impact on the region's economy in 1996. Emergency measures taken by city officials to address the air pollution problem; Analysis of pertinent topics and relevant issues; Implications for air quality and environmental protection.

You've already switched to natural cleaning formulas, recycled paper towels, microfiber cloths and products that have minimal packaging --so now what? Take a look at your cleaning machines. This equipment [...]

The article offers news briefs related to economics and government policies in Canada as of 2014. A debate has emerged among public officials concerning the Fair Elections Act of the federal government, which proposed electoral reforms. A study entitled "Economic Freedom and Air Quality" has examined a data set from several countries from 2000 to 2010 about the relationship between environmental indicators and economic freedom.

The article reports on the impact of the new diesel engine emission standards on California dealers and businesses that manufacture and use heavy machinery. The new standards, if approved, would require construction equipment to be retrofitted or replaced at an estimated cost of $13 billion. However, the Environmental Protection Agency must review and approve the state's standards before the state can legally enforce them.

Focuses on the lack of improvement in the world's air and water quality. Details on the concept of sustainable development; Question on the ability of poor countries to address environmental concerns; Strategies to improve air and water quality.

Reports on the emergence of compressed natural gas as the fuel of choice for bus operators in California. Implementation of cleaner fuel alternatives; Regulations of the California Air Resources Board; San Diego Gas & Electric Co.'s investment in natural gas refueling sites.

A list of business services in Long Island, New York is presented. Future Environment Designs Inc. specialized in indoor air quality, industrial hygiene and safety services that will offer a return of investment while Rapid Refill Ink supplied cartridges for printers, copiers, faxes and all in one machines. Something Different by Debbie Viola provide leading edge finishes, portraits, art and murals for windows, walls, floors and furniture.