Bromine released from sea-salt aerosols and seawater ice is known for its high chemical reactivity. Previous studies have suggested that its availability to the gas-phase could be enhanced by ...segregation processes increasing Br concentration on the aerosol surface as compared to the bulk. However, little is known about the composition within the near-surface region, that is, the outermost ∼100 monolayers. We used Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) to measure Br concentration profiles to a depth of about 750 nm of Br-doped NaCl single crystals to characterize the thermodynamics and kinetics of Br segregation to the near-surface region in moist air. These experiments were carried out on cleavage planes of melt-grown and of annealed solution-grown crystals at room temperature and relative humidities (RH) too low for formation of a stable liquid phase. Segregation of Br was below the detection limit on melt-grown crystals with Br/Cl = 0.01. In the case of annealed solution-grown crystals with Br/Cl = 0.002, average segregations of (0.24 ± 0.11) × 1015 and (0.42 ± 0.12) × 1015 Br atoms cm-2 were observed at 50% and 65% RH, respectively. No segregation was found at 20% RH. The observed Br segregation can be explained by the formation of an adsorbed liquid layer (depending on crystal surface properties and relative humidity) and preferential, diffusion-limited dissolution of Br into this layer according to the partition coefficient of Br between aqueous and solid NaCl. The thickness of the adsorbed liquid layer, which depends on crystal surface geometry and on relative humidity, can be estimated to range from 4 to at most 59 nm on the basis of measured Br concentrations and partition coefficients. Applying this concept of partitioning to natural sea salt suggests a Br/Cl molar ratio of up to 0.2 in adsorbed surface water of crystallized natural aerosol particles compared to about 0.0015 in seawater. This would have a major impact on heterogeneous reactions on sea-salt particles under dry conditions such as in the freeze-dried Arctic boundary layer.
In addition to "specific indoor fungal spores," the AAAAI position paper should consider the complex mixtures of airborne fungi, mycotoxins, bacteria, endotoxins, antigens, LPSs, and volatile organic ...compounds observed in water-damaged buildings (WDBs) that show evidence of microbial amplification.7 The conclusion that "data supporting the role of fungi in CRS chronic rhinosinusitis are lacking" cites only an author's editorial2 while ignoring many supporting studies and a National Institutes of Health press release announcing discovery of a non-IgE-mediated immunologic mechanism for mold-induced CRS.8 Two articles are cited without critical discussion in concluding that the literature on mold-induced immune system dysregulation "is of particularly poor quality."
We introduce a general parallel model for solving coupled nonlinear and time-dependent problems in soil mechanics, where we employ general purpose linear solvers with specially adjusted ...preconditioners. In particular, we present a parallel realization of the GMRES method applied to a triphasic porous media model in soil mechanics, where we compute the deformation of unsaturated soil together with the pore-fluid flow of water and air in the soil. Therefore, we propose a pointwise preconditioner coupling all unknowns at the nodal points. In two large-scale numerical experiments we finally present an extended evaluation of our parallel model for demanding configurations of the triphasic model.
This study sought to determine the effects of the California Tobacco Control Program on tobacco-related attitudes and behaviors.
In 1996 and 1998, a telephone survey was conducted among adults in ...randomly selected households in 18 California counties. Tenth-grade youths in 84 randomly selected high schools completed a written survey. In analyses conducted at the county level, differences in outcomes were regressed on an index of program exposure.
Among adults, program exposure was associated with decreased smoking prevalence rates, increased no-smoking policies in homes, and decreased violations of workplace no-smoking policies. Among youths, there was no effect of program exposure on outcomes.
These results suggest that the California Tobacco Control Program may have reduced adult smoking prevalence rates and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke.
Industrial processes generate vast amounts of time series data, yet extracting meaningful relationships and insights remains challenging. This paper introduces a framework for automated knowledge ...graph learning from time series data, specifically tailored for industrial applications. Our framework addresses the complexities inherent in industrial datasets, transforming them into knowledge graphs that improve decision-making, process optimization, and knowledge discovery. Additionally, it employs Granger causality to identify key attributes that can inform the design of predictive models. To illustrate the practical utility of our approach, we also present a motivating use case demonstrating the benefits of our framework in a real-world industrial scenario. Further, we demonstrate how the automated conversion of time series data into knowledge graphs can identify causal influences or dependencies between important process parameters.
In electric drives stator temperature, rotor position and speed are measured using distributed Sensors. The measured properties are used in the control algorithm as well as to ensure the safe ...operation of the drive. In this contribution a novel Sensor module will be presented, which does not just combine the functionality of conventional sensors, but adds upon these by capturing further machine properties such as rotor temperature and vibration patterns. This enables improvements in controllability, safety and state of health analysis of the drive. In addition to the multifunctionality, the sensors measurement approaches are based on innovative contactless methods not used before in this context.
Within the project "Environmental Modelling for Radiation Safety" (EMRAS) organized by the IAEA in 2003 experimental data of (131)I measurements following the Chernobyl accident in the Plavsk ...district of Tula region, Russia were used to validate the calculations of some radioecological transfer models. Nine models participated in the inter-comparison. Levels of (137)Cs soil contamination in all the settlements and (131)I/(137)Cs isotopic ratios in the depositions in some locations were used as the main input information. 370 measurements of (131)I content in thyroid of townspeople and villagers, and 90 measurements of (131)I concentration in milk were used for validation of the model predictions. A remarkable improvement in models performance comparing with previous inter-comparison exercise was demonstrated. Predictions of the various models were within a factor of three relative to the observations, discrepancies between the estimates of average doses to thyroid produced by most participant not exceeded a factor of ten.
The cases of four patients experiencing ventricular arrhythmia secondary to drug-induced hypokalaemia requiring treatment by a previously implanted cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) are reported here. ...In three cases, hypokalaemia developed within a short period of time after modification of diuretic regimen with loop and thiazide diuretics had been carried out or potassium-sparing drugs had been withdrawn. In one patient, hypokalaemia occurred after months of treatment with several potassium-sparing and non-potassium-sparing diuretics. The fact that the combination of thiazide and loop diuretics can be associated with pronounced hypokalaemia and life-threatening arrhythmias, which may be terminated by device treatment in patients with an ICD but may be fatal in patients with structural heart disease but without an ICD, is highlighted here. Prompt recognition and correction of hypokalaemia is mandatory if such patients present to the emergency department.
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