'EUROPART'. Airborne particles in the indoor environment. A European interdisciplinary review of scientific evidence on associations between exposure to particles in buildings and health effects

The relevance of particle mass, surface area or number concentration as risk indicators for health effects in non-industrial buildings has been assessed by a European interdisciplinary group of researchers (called EUROPART) by reviewing papers identified in Medline, Toxline, and OSH. Studies dealing with dermal effects or cancer or specifically addressing environmental tobacco smoke, house dust-mite, cockroach or animal allergens, microorganisms and pesticides were excluded. A total of 70 papers were reviewed, and eight were identified for the final review: Five experimental studies involving mainly healthy subjects, two cross-sectional office studies and one longitudinal study among elderly on cardiovascular effects. From most studies, no definite conclusions could be drawn. Overall, the group concluded that there is inadequate scientific evidence that airborne, indoor particulate mass or number concentrations can be used as generally applicable risk indicators of health effects in non-industrial buildings and consequently that there is inadequate scientific evidence for establishing limit values or guidelines for particulate mass or number concentrations.     

Characterization of particulate emissions from occupant activities in offices

This paper characterizes the relationship between occupant activities and indoor air particulate levels in a non-smoking office building. Occupant activities were recorded on video. Particulate concentrations were monitored by three optical particle counters (OPCs) in five size ranges at three heights. Particulate mass concentrations were measured gravimetrically and bioaerosol concentrations were determined by impaction methods. Occupant activities and number concentrations were determined with 1-min resolution over a 1-week period. Occupant activities such as walking past or visiting the monitoring site explained 24-55% of the variation of 1- to 25-micron diameter particle number concentrations. Statistical models associating particulate concentrations with occupant activities depended on the size fraction and included an autocorrelative term. Occupant activities are estimated to contribute up to 10 micrograms m-3 in particulate concentrations per person. Number concentrations of particles smaller than 1 micron had little correlation with indoor activities other than cigarette smoking and were highly correlated with outdoor levels. The method can be used to characterize emissions from activities if rapid measurements can be made and if activities can be coded from the video record.     

在形式之外--试论数字化时代建筑内涵的变化

数字化时代为建筑与空间的形式创作带来了前所未有的新的技术手段，但在形式之外，更为重要的是建筑内涵的变化。从作为媒介的建筑、城市与建筑的结构性重组，以及建筑的审美与象征意义三个方面，阐释了建筑在社会生活和时代变迁的影响下所发生的实质性转变。     

An extension of ASM2d including pH calculation

This paper presents an extension of the Activated Sludge Model No. 2d (ASM2d) including a chemical model able to calculate the pH value in biological processes. The developed chemical model incorporates the complete set of chemical species affecting the pH value to ASM2d describing non-equilibrium biochemical processes. It considers the system formed by one aqueous phase, in which biochemical processes take place, and one gaseous phase, and is based on the assumptions of instantaneous chemical equilibrium under liquid phase and kinetically governed mass transport between the liquid and gas phase. The ASM2d enlargement comprises the addition of every component affecting the pH value and an ion-balance for the calculation of the pH value and the dissociation species. The significant pH variations observed in a sequencing batch reactor operated for enhanced biological phosphorus removal were used to verify the capability of the extended model for predicting the dynamics of pH jointly with concentrations of acetic acid and phosphate. A pH inhibition function for polyphosphate accumulating bacteria has also been included in the model to simulate the behaviour observed. Experimental data obtained in four different experiments (with different sludge retention time and influent phosphorus concentrations) were accurately reproduced.     

Contact flocculation-filtration of humic substances

Contact flocculation-filtration of humic dispersions with alum in medium grain (0.62 mm) sand gave short runs to breakthrough, while in coarse (1.2 mm) media clarification was inefficient. Alum with cationic polymer gave in coarse media acceptable runs, but shorter then for mineral dispersions. Analysis of results by parameters of existing filtration models showed that using the Ives-Iwasaki model and plotting filtration coefficient λ vs specific deposit σ gave different λ_max for different polymer dose, plot of λ_max vs dose goes through maximum at optimum dose.Plotting the cube root of headloss vs square root of specific deposit gave a straight line corresponding to Shektman formula.Analysis by Adin-Rebhun model showed that for contact flocculation-filtration humic dispersions attachment coefficient k₁ was similar to, detachment k₂ was many fold higher then and theoretical maximum mass capacity much lower then in case of mineral dispersions.Calculations showed that the solid content and the density of alumo-organic deposits in bed are much lower than of alumo-mineral deposits. Polymers and minerals increase the solid content, the density of deposits and the mass capacity of filter beds.     

从仓储库房火灾中获得的经验和教训

历史的经验表明,当灾害性火灾发生后,人们对火灾进行调查所获得的经验和教训推动了仓储库房防火的进步。下面讨论由这种方式得出的经验和教训。1自动喷水灭火系统的设计应和火灾危险相匹配该教训来源于含有可燃物质的气溶胶罐仓库的自动喷水灭火系统的防火评估。1978年在新泽西     

Attitudes towards regionalism in a rapid growth suburb

A key issue confronting our newer suburbs is the stance they should take towards efforts at regional cooperation and coordination of major policy areas. This article analyzes the preferences on this issue held by residents in a rapid growth suburb in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Through factor analysis, four identifiable dimensions of regionalist preferences were obtained from questionnaire responses--administrative cooperation, land-use cooperation, mass transit cooperation, and regional basic services cooperation. Correlational analyses between these dimensions of regionalist preferences and selected community status characteristics, social situation characteristics, and local political participation status of respondents reveal no systematic covariation. Thus municipal policies which influence the population mix within a community with respect to the life situation characteristics measured in this study are not likely to be useful instruments for influencing the preferences, pro or con, of the community towards regionalist policies. Further, local political participants are found to be representative of the larger community's regionalist policy preferences.     

塑料管道行业洗牌在即

近年来,国家化学建材领导小组相继出台了“关于加强我国化学建材生产和推广应用的若干意见”、“国家化学建材产业十五计划和2010年发展规划纲要”和“关于加速化学建材推广应用和限制淘汰落后产品的规定”等政策,这些政策大大加强了塑料建材的推广应用力度。在塑料管道行业发展前景一片光明而欣喜的同时,我们也不得不注意到这样一个情况,无论从市场需求还是资金的市场运作来看,塑料管道企业区域化、集团化形式已凸显出来。由于现阶段我国塑料管道产业集中度偏低,导致很多企业工艺装备小型化、科技水平低,造成产品缺乏竞争力,产品结构不合理…     

Landscape structure indices for assessing urban ecological networks

Analysis and planning of ecological networks is a relatively new phenomenon and is a response to fragmentation and deterioration of quality of natural systems. In urban areas, the problems of land use intransigence, political and jurisdictional issues create a difficult environment for implementing ecological networks. The specific questions addressed in this research program revolve around the viability of planning an ecological network in an urban landscape. The development and articulation of an ecological network plan was undertaken previously and in this paper, a series of assays of landscape structure are used to examine the viability of an ecological network in the Phoenix, Arizona urban area. Three principal analyses were utilized: (1) patch content analysis, (2) corridor content analysis, and (3) network structure analysis. Patch and corridor content analyses examined the internal characteristic and immediate context for each of the 89 ecological network elements. The network structure analysis incorporates a process for aggregating results of patch and corridor analyses and incorporates indicators that describe interrelationships between landscape elements. For each of these analyses the existing condition was compared to the optimal plan to demonstrate the level of change that can be expected. The results and conclusions of this research are that an ecological network plan provides modest but important improvement in ecological systems in the Phoenix urban area.