Combined use of an electrostatic precipitator and a high‐efficiency particulate air filter in building ventilation systems: Effects on cardiorespiratory health indicators in healthy adults

High‐efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration in combination with an electrostatic precipitator (ESP) can be a cost‐effective approach to reducing indoor particulate exposure, but ESPs produce ozone. The health effect of combined ESP‐HEPA filtration has not been examined. We conducted an intervention study in 89 volunteers. At baseline, the air‐handling units of offices and residences for all subjects were comprised of coarse, ESP, and HEPA filtration. During the 5‐week long intervention, the subjects were split into 2 groups, 1 with just the ESP removed and the other with both the ESP and HEPA removed. Each subject was measured for cardiopulmonary risk indicators once at baseline, twice during the intervention, and once 2 weeks after baseline conditions were restored. Measured indoor and outdoor PM_2.5 and ozone concentrations, coupled with time‐activity data, were used to calculate exposures. Removal of HEPA filters increased 24‐hour mean PM_2.5 exposure by 38 (95% CI: 31, 45) μg/m³. Removal of ESPs decreased 24‐hour mean ozone exposure by 2.2 (2.0, 2.5) ppb. No biomarkers were significantly associated with HEPA filter removal. In contrast, ESP removal was associated with a ?16.1% (?21.5%, ?10.4%) change in plasma‐soluble P‐selectin and a ?3.0% (?5.1%, ?0.8%) change in systolic blood pressure, suggesting reduced cardiovascular risks.     

The Borel measure of sequences with bounded run-length

Infinite sequences defined with a finite alphabet are studied and it is shown that the set of sequences with bounded run-length has measure zero with respect to the Borel measure. Such sequences arise in many applications including digitization of certain linear systems involving flows on the circle and 2-torus, large scale simulation, and cryptology. They are basic objects of study in ergodic theory.     

Evaluation of animal age and muscle type on beef log juice colour and residual GOT activity when cooked to target end-point temperature of 79.4 °C†

The effectiveness of the pink-juice test to determine 79.4 °C end-point temperature (EPT) of cooked beef logs was appraised. Logs made from five cuts of meat from three animal age groups were fabricated in triplicate to simulate products received at ports of entry and then cooked to EPTs of 78.0–81.8 °C. CIELAB L*, a*, b*, C and h ° values of internal surfaces of freshly sliced meat and pressed juices from samples were determined. Sensory ratings were made by six trained panelists to determine intensities of residual red color of the juices. Animal age and cut of meat had little effect on the CIELAB color values. Residual red color was apparent in all samples by both sensory and a* values analysis. Sensory ratings did not vary significantly (P < 0.05) by animal age or cut of meat. Average values of 3.2 (intensity range, 1–9) corresponded to an EPT slightly greater than 80 °C; absence of red color in the juices would therefore indicate an EPT in excess of the target temp of 79.4 °C. Residual glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase activity (GOT) activity, used as a collateral test for EPT, ranged from 482.5 to 1641.8 SFU ml⁻¹ of juice and differed significantly by cut of meat (P < 0.05), but not by animal age. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry     

Special relativity-on-a-chip: impact of optical loss in the performance of an optical analogue of Thomas Effect

ABSTRACT

We investigate the effect of the unavoidable optical loss on the recently reported optical analogue of the relativistic Thomas Effect which uses a photonic chip-based lossless All-Pass Filter (APF) circuit [J. of Mod. Optics 65.19 (2018): 2171-2178]. When the APF has loss, both its phase and amplitude responses are altered. This impacts the accuracy and operating range of the APF-based Thomas Effect analogue. To evaluate its impact on the phase output, we carry out a systematic evaluation of the phase response of the APF to explore when this Thomas Effect analogue breaks down. A lossy APF produces three dissimilar phase responses and varying dip in the amplitude response depending on the relative values of the coupling coefficient and the loss parameter. Numerical and analytical results show that APF must (i) be operated at an Over-Coupling (OC) condition (ii) with a loss parameter α ≥ 0.95 in order to have less than 1% phase error with the widest possible band coverage.     

A clinical evaluation of risperidone in the treatment of schizophrenia: a 10-week, open-label, multicenter trial. ARCS Study Group. Assessment of Risperdal in a Clinical Setting

The present investigation was conducted to study the effect of selected processing and storage methods on the concentration of ascorbic acid and beta-carotene in Bathua and fenugreek leaves. Methods included storage of leaves with or without polythene bags for 24 and 48 h in a refrigerator at 5 degrees C; at 30 degrees C in polythene bags; drying (sun and oven); blanching (5, 10, 15 min); open pan and pressure cooking. Ascorbic acid content of fresh leaves was 220.97 to 377.65 mg and beta-carotene content was 19.00 to 24.64 mg/100 g, DW. The percent loss of ascorbic acid ranged from 2.03 to 8.77 and 45.15 to 66.9 while lower losses (0.0 to 1.75 and 1.63 to 2.84) of beta-carotene were observed in leaves stored in the refrigerator and at 30 degrees C, respectively. A markedly greater reduction in ascorbic acid and beta-carotene was observed in dried, blanched and cooked leaves. The study data suggest that storage of leaves in refrigeration, drying in oven, blanching for a short time and cooking in a pressure cooker results in better retention of these two vitamins.     

Self-generated drug outcomes in high-risk adolescents.

The perceived outcomes of drug use were studied in a sample of high-risk adolescents. Participants' self-generated responses provided the actual words they used to describe drug outcomes as well as associative frequency norms valuable for future research. The authors also compared outcomes in terms of class of outcome (positive vs. negative) and class of drug (alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes, cocaine, speed, and LSD). Although the studied drugs have divergent pharmacological effects. participants self-generated some of the same outcomes (e.g., relaxation) across some of the drugs. In addition, outcomes self-generated as positive outcomes were very rarely also self-generated as negative outcomes. Finally, regressions revealed that self-generated responses were not predicted by ethnicity, gender, or previous drug use. Many drug use outcomes thus appeared to be available in memory regardless of previous drug use or other characteristics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mechanism of adhesion of alumina on MCrAlY alloys

X-ray diffraction has been used to measure stains/ stresses generated in oxide films formed under isothermal conditions at 1150–1225° C and cooled to room temperature. High compressive strains, of the order of 1%, were measured in alumina films formed on FeCrAlY. However, little or no strain was measured in oxide films on NiCrAlY and NiCoCrAlY samples, even when there was no scale spallation. Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) experiments have also been conducted to evaluate the role of segregation on scale adhesion. Our studies suggest that the adhesion mechanism might depend on the alloy composition. On iron-based alloys, the scale spallation might be prevented by mechanisms that involve strong bonding at the interface. On the other hand, the scale spallation on nickel-based alloys might be prevented by a mechanism that relieves stresses. Yttrium segregation might help in this process.     

A necessary and sufficient condition for the perspective observability problem

In this paper we derive a necessary and sufficient condition for observing the initial condition of a new class of system known as the perspective system. Such a system has already been applied in the field of computer vision especially in the area of motion estimation problems. Our result generalizes an earlier result by Popov-Belevitch-Hautus on the problem of observing a linear dynamical system.