Plants for Sustainable Improvement of Indoor Air Quality.

PubMed

Brilli, Federico; Fares, Silvano; Ghirardo, Andrea; de Visser, Pieter; Calatayud, Vicent; Muñoz, Amalia; Annesi-Maesano, Isabella; Sebastiani, Federico; Alivernini, Alessandro; Varriale, Vincenzo; Menghini, Flavio

2018-06-01

Indoor pollution poses a serious threat to human health. Plants represent a sustainable but underexploited solution to enhance indoor air quality. However, the current selection of plants suitable for indoors fails to consider the physiological processes and mechanisms involved in phytoremediation. Therefore, the capacity of plants to remove indoor air pollutants through stomatal uptake (absorption) and non-stomatal deposition (adsorption) remains largely unknown. Moreover, the effects of the indoor plant-associated microbiome still need to be fully analyzed. Here, we discuss how a combination of the enhanced phytoremediation capacity of plants together with cutting-edge air-cleaning and smart sensor technologies can improve indoor life while reducing energy consumption. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Unsteady self-sustained detonation in flake aluminum dust/air mixtures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Q.; Li, S.; Huang, J.; Zhang, Y.

2017-07-01

Self-sustained detonation waves in flake aluminum dust/air mixtures have been studied in a tube of diameter 199 mm and length 32.4 m. A pressure sensor array of 32 sensors mounted around certain circumferences of the tube was used to measure the shape of the detonation front in the circumferential direction and pressure histories of the detonation wave. A two-head spin detonation wave front was observed for the aluminum dust/air mixtures, and the cellular structure resulting from the spinning movement of the triple point was analyzed. The variations in velocity and overpressure of the detonation wave with propagation distance in a cell were studied. The interactions of waves in triple-point configurations were analyzed and the flow-field parameters were calculated. Three types of triple-point configuration have been found in the wave front of the detonation wave of an aluminum dust/air mixture. Both strong and weak transverse waves exist in the unstable self-sustained detonation wave.

Smogbusters: Grassroots Action for Clean Air and Sustainable Transport in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manners, Eric; Wake, David; Carlisle, Rachel

2009-01-01

Smogbusters was a national, community-based, government-funded community education program promoting clean air and sustainable transport in Australia from 1994 to 2002. Smogbusters aimed to improve air quality primarily by raising awareness about motor vehicle transport and its negative impacts on health, the environment and communities, and by…

Notification: Evaluation of Benefits and Use of Office of Research and Development's Safe and Sustainable Water Resources Research

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Project #OPE-FY17-0021, August 1, 2017. The EPA OIG plans to begin preliminary research to assess the benefits and use of the Office of Research and Development’s (ORD) Safe and Sustainable Water Resources research.

Evaluation of the sustainability of deep groundwater as an arsenic-safe resource in the Bengal Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Michaela, Holly A.; Voss, Clifford I.

2008-01-01

Tens of millions of people in the Bengal Basin region of Bangladesh and India drink groundwater containing unsafe concentrations of arsenic. This high-arsenic groundwater is produced from shallow (<100 m) depths by domestic and irrigation wells in the Bengal Basin aquifer system. The government of Bangladesh has begun to install wells to depths of >150 m where groundwater arsenic concentrations are nearly uniformly low, and many more wells are needed, however, the sustainability of deep, arsenic-safe groundwater has not been previously assessed. Deeper pumping could induce downward migration of dissolved arsenic, permanently destroying the deep resource. Here, it is shown, through quantitative, large-scale hydrogeologic analysis and simulation of the entire basin, that the deeper part of the aquifer system may provide a sustainable source of arsenic-safe water if its utilization is limited to domestic supply. Simulations provide two explanations for this result: deep domestic pumping only slightly perturbs the deep groundwater flow system, and substantial shallow pumping for irrigation forms a hydraulic barrier that protects deeper resources from shallow arsenic sources. Additional analysis indicates that this simple management approach could provide arsenic-safe drinking water to >90% of the arsenic-impacted region over a 1,000-year timescale. This insight may assist water-resources managers in alleviating one of the world's largest groundwater contamination problems.

Is air travel safe for those with lung disease?

PubMed

Coker, R K; Shiner, R J; Partridge, M R

2007-12-01

Airlines commonly report respiratory in-flight emergencies; flight outcomes have not been examined prospectively in large numbers of respiratory patients. The current authors conducted a prospective, observational study of flight outcomes in this group. UK respiratory specialists were invited to recruit patients planning air travel. Centres undertook their usual pre-flight assessment. Within 2 weeks of returning, patients completed a questionnaire documenting symptoms, in-flight oxygen use and unscheduled healthcare use. In total, 616 patients were recruited. Of these, 500 (81%) returned questionnaires. The most common diagnoses were airway (54%) and diffuse parenchymal lung disease (23%). In total, 12 patients died, seven before flying and five within 1 month. Pre-flight assessment included oximetry (96%), spirometry (95%), hypoxic challenge (45%) and walk test (10%). Of the patients, 11% did not fly. In those who flew, unscheduled respiratory healthcare use increased from 9% in the 4 weeks prior to travel to 19% in the 4 weeks after travel. However, when compared with self-reported data during the preceding year, medical consultations increased by just 2%. In patients flying after careful respiratory specialist assessment, commercial air travel appears generally safe.

The challenges of sustainable access to safe drinking water in rural areas of developing countries: case of Zawtar El-Charkieh, Southern Lebanon.

PubMed

Massoud, May A; Al-Abady, Abdolmonim; Jurdi, Mey; Nuwayhid, Iman

2010-06-01

Adequate and safe water is important for human health and well-being, economic production, and sustainable development. Failure to ensure the safety of drinking water may expose the community to the risk of outbreaks of waterborne and infectious diseases. Although drinking water is a basic human right, many people do not have access to safe and adequate drinking water or proper sanitation facilities. The authors conducted a study to assess the quantity, cost, continuity, coverage, and quality of drinking water in the village of Zawtar El-Charkieh, Lebanon. Their aim was to identify the challenges of sustainable access to safe drinking water in order to determine the short-term management actions and long-term strategies to improve water quality. Results revealed that contamination of the source, absence of any disinfection method or insufficient dose, poor maintenance operations, and aging of the networks are significant factors contributing to water contamination during the storage and distribution process. Establishing a comprehensive drinking water system that integrates water supply, quality, and management as well as associated educational programs in order to ensure the safety and sustainability of drinking water supplies is essential.

Photopolymer Electrolytes for Sustainable, Upscalable, Safe, and Ambient-Temperature Sodium-Ion Secondary Batteries.

PubMed

Bella, Federico; Colò, Francesca; Nair, Jijeesh R; Gerbaldi, Claudio

2015-11-01

The first example of a photopolymerized electrolyte for a sodium-ion battery is proposed herein. By means of a preparation process free of solvents, catalysts, purification steps, and separation steps, it is possible to obtain a three-dimensional polymeric network capable of efficient sodium-ion transport. The thermal properties of the resulting solid electrolyte separator, characterized by means of thermogravimetric and calorimetric techniques, are excellent for use in sustainable energy systems conceived for safe large-scale grid storage. The photopolymerized electrolyte shows a wide electrochemical stability window up to 4.8 V versus Na/Na(+) along with the highest ionic conductivity (5.1 mS cm(-1) at 20 °C) obtained in the field of Na-ion polymer batteries so far and stable long-term constant-current charge/discharge cycling. Moreover, the polymeric networks are also demonstrated for the in situ fabrication of electrode/electrolyte composites with excellent interfacial properties, which are ideal for all-solid-state, safe, and easily upscalable device assembly. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Sustained periodic terrestrial locomotion in air-breathing fishes.

PubMed

Pace, C M; Gibb, A C

2014-03-01

While emergent behaviours have long been reported for air-breathing osteichthyians, only recently have researchers undertaken quantitative analyses of terrestrial locomotion. This review summarizes studies of sustained periodic terrestrial movements by air-breathing fishes and quantifies the contributions of the paired appendages and the axial body to forward propulsion. Elongate fishes with axial-based locomotion, e.g. the ropefish Erpetoichthys calabaricus, generate an anterior-to-posterior wave of undulation that travels down the axial musculoskeletal system and pushes the body against the substratum at multiple points. In contrast, appendage-based locomotors, e.g. the barred mudskipper Periophthalmus argentilineatus, produce no axial bending during sustained locomotion, but instead use repeated protraction-retraction cycles of the pectoral fins to elevate the centre of mass and propel the entire body anteriorly. Fishes that use an axial-appendage-based mechanism, e.g. walking catfishes Clarias spp., produce side-to-side, whole-body bending in co-ordination with protraction-retraction cycles of the pectoral fins. Once the body is maximally bent to one side, the tail is pressed against the substratum and drawn back through the mid-sagittal plane, which elevates the centre of mass and rotates it about a fulcrum formed by the pectoral fin and the ground. Although appendage-based terrestrial locomotion appears to be rare in osteichthyians, many different species appear to have converged upon functionally similar axial-based and axial-appendage-based movements. Based on common forms observed across divergent taxa, it appears that dorsoventral compression of the body, elongation of the axial skeleton or the presence of robust pectoral fins can facilitate effective terrestrial movement by air-breathing fishes. © 2014 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Drag crisis moderation by thin air layers sustained on superhydrophobic spheres falling in water.

PubMed

Jetly, Aditya; Vakarelski, Ivan U; Thoroddsen, Sigurdur T

2018-02-28

We investigate the effect of thin air layers naturally sustained on superhydrophobic surfaces on the terminal velocity and drag force of metallic spheres free falling in water. The surface of 20 mm to 60 mm steel or tungsten-carbide spheres is rendered superhydrophobic by a simple coating process that uses a commercially available hydrophobic agent. By comparing the free fall of unmodified spheres and superhydrophobic spheres in a 2.5 meter tall water tank, it is demonstrated that even a very thin air layer (∼1-2 μm) that covers the freshly dipped superhydrophobic sphere can reduce the drag force on the spheres by up to 80%, at Reynolds numbers from 10 5 to 3 × 10 5 , owing to an early drag crisis transition. This study complements prior investigations on the drag reduction efficiency of model gas layers sustained on heated metal spheres falling in liquid by the Leidenfrost effect. The drag reduction effects are expected to have significant implications for the development of sustainable air-layer-based energy saving technologies.

Sustained diffusive alternating current gliding arc discharge in atmospheric pressure air

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Jiajian; Gao, Jinlong; Li, Zhongshan; Ehn, Andreas; Aldén, Marcus; Larsson, Anders; Kusano, Yukihiro

2014-12-01

Rapid transition from glow discharge to thermal arc has been a common problem in generating stable high-power non-thermal plasmas especially at ambient conditions. A sustained diffusive gliding arc discharge was generated in a large volume in atmospheric pressure air, driven by an alternating current (AC) power source. The plasma column extended beyond the water-cooled stainless steel electrodes and was stabilized by matching the flow speed of the turbulent air jet with the rated output power. Comprehensive investigations were performed using high-speed movies measured over the plasma column, synchronized with simultaneously recorded current and voltage waveforms. Dynamic details of the novel non-equilibrium discharge are revealed, which is characterized by a sinusoidal current waveform with amplitude stabilized at around 200 mA intermediate between thermal arc and glow discharge, shedding light to the governing mechanism of the sustained spark-suppressed AC gliding arc discharge.

U.S. Air Force Spent Billions on F117 Engine Sustainment Without Knowing What a Fair Price Was

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-11

repair, or overhaul, as compared to the PW2000 commercial-derivative engine sustainment price for these services in the private sector.17 The House ... sustainment costs. The House committee was also concerned that the Air Force could not determine whether it is paying a fair and reasonable price for...administration. The House committee encouraged the Air Force to seek a competitive strategy to obtain F117 engine sustainment services and also encouraged it to

Household air pollution and the sustainable development goals.

PubMed

Amegah, Adeladza Kofi; Jaakkola, Jouni J K

2016-03-01

Globally, 41% of households, over 2.8 billion people, rely on solid fuels (coal and biomass) for cooking and heating. In developing countries in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa where these fuels are predominantly used, women who are customarily responsible for cooking, and their young children, are most exposed to the resulting air pollution. Solid fuels are still in widespread use and it appears that intervention efforts are not keeping pace with population growth in developing countries. Here we pinpoint the challenges and identify opportunities for addressing household air pollution while mitigating global climate change and promoting the sustainable development goals. We recommend the following actions: implementation of the WHO indoor air quality guidelines on household fuel combustion; effective promotion and dissemination of improved cookstoves through formation of country alliances for clean cookstoves; expansion of liquefied petroleum gas production facilities and distribution networks; harnessing renewable energy potential; promotion of biogas production at both household and community level; ensuring improved ventilation of homes through education and enforcement of building standards; and exploiting opportunities in the health and other sectors for changing health-damaging cooking behaviour.

Household air pollution and the sustainable development goals

PubMed Central

Jaakkola, Jouni JK

2016-01-01

Abstract Globally, 41% of households, over 2.8 billion people, rely on solid fuels (coal and biomass) for cooking and heating. In developing countries in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa where these fuels are predominantly used, women who are customarily responsible for cooking, and their young children, are most exposed to the resulting air pollution. Solid fuels are still in widespread use and it appears that intervention efforts are not keeping pace with population growth in developing countries. Here we pinpoint the challenges and identify opportunities for addressing household air pollution while mitigating global climate change and promoting the sustainable development goals. We recommend the following actions: implementation of the WHO indoor air quality guidelines on household fuel combustion; effective promotion and dissemination of improved cookstoves through formation of country alliances for clean cookstoves; expansion of liquefied petroleum gas production facilities and distribution networks; harnessing renewable energy potential; promotion of biogas production at both household and community level; ensuring improved ventilation of homes through education and enforcement of building standards; and exploiting opportunities in the health and other sectors for changing health-damaging cooking behaviour. PMID:26966333

Safe and sustainable: the extracranial approach toward frontoethmoidal meningoencephalocele repair.

PubMed

Heidekrueger, Paul I; Thu, Myat; Mühlbauer, Wolfgang; Holm-Mühlbauer, Charlotte; Schucht, Philippe; Anderl, Hans; Schoeneich, Heinrich; Aung, Kyawzwa; Mg Ag, Mg; Thu Soe Myint, Ag; Juran, Sabrina; Aung, Thiha; Ehrl, Denis; Ninkovic, Milomir; Broer, P Niclas

2017-10-01

OBJECTIVE Although rare, frontoethmoidal meningoencephaloceles continue to pose a challenge to neurosurgeons and plastic reconstructive surgeons. Especially when faced with limited infrastructure and resources, establishing reliable and safe surgical techniques is of paramount importance. The authors present a case series in order to evaluate a previously proposed concise approach for meningoencephalocele repair, with a focus on sustainability of internationally driven surgical efforts. METHODS Between 2001 and 2016, a total of 246 patients with frontoethmoidal meningoencephaloceles were treated using a 1-stage extracranial approach by a single surgeon in the Department of Neurosurgery of the Yangon General Hospital in Yangon, Myanmar, initially assisted by European surgeons. Outcomes and complications were evaluated. RESULTS A total of 246 patients (138 male and 108 female) were treated. Their ages ranged from 75 days to 32 years (median 8 years). The duration of follow-up ranged between 4 weeks and 16 years (median 4 months). Eighteen patients (7.3%) showed signs of increased intracranial pressure postoperatively, and early CSF rhinorrhea was observed in 27 patients (11%), with 5 (2%) of them requiring operative dural repair. In 8 patients, a decompressive lumbar puncture was performed. There were 8 postoperative deaths (3.3%) due to meningitis. In 15 patients (6.1%), recurrent herniation of brain tissue was observed; this herniation led to blindness in 1 case. The remaining patients all showed good to very good aesthetic and functional results. CONCLUSIONS A minimally invasive, purely extracranial approach to frontoethmoidal meningoencephalocele repair may serve well, especially in middle- and low-income countries. This case series points out how the frequently critiqued lack of sustainability in the field of humanitarian surgical missions, as well as the often-cited missing aftercare and dependence on foreign supporters, can be circumvented by meticulous

The safe removal of frozen air from the annulus of an LH2 storage tank

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krenn, A.; Starr, S.; Youngquist, R.; Nurge, M.; Sass, J.; Fesmire, J.; Cariker, C.; Bhattacharya, A.

2015-12-01

Large Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) storage tanks are vital infrastructure for NASA. Eventually, air may leak into the evacuated and perlite filled annular region of these tanks. Although the vacuum level is monitored in this region, the extremely cold temperature causes all but the helium and neon constituents of air to freeze. A small, often unnoticeable pressure rise is the result. As the leak persists, the quantity of frozen air increases, as does the thermal conductivity of the insulation system. Consequently, a notable increase in commodity boil-off is often the first indicator of an air leak. Severe damage can result from normal draining of the tank. The warming air will sublimate which will cause a pressure rise in the annulus. When the pressure increases above the triple point, the frozen air will begin to melt and migrate downward. Collection of liquid air on the carbon steel outer shell may chill it below its ductility range, resulting in fracture. In order to avoid a structural failure, as described above, a method for the safe removal of frozen air is needed. A thermal model of the storage tank has been created using SINDA/FLUINT modelling software. Experimental work is progressing in an attempt to characterize the thermal conductivity of a perlite/frozen nitrogen mixture. A statistical mechanics model is being developed in parallel for comparison to experimental work. The thermal model will be updated using the experimental/statistical mechanical data, and used to simulate potential removal scenarios. This paper will address methodologies and analysis techniques for evaluation of two proposed air removal methods.

The Safe Removal of Frozen Air from the Annulus of an LH2 Storage Tank

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krenn, A.; Starr, S.; Youngquist, R.; Nurge, M.; Sass, J.; Fesmire, J.; Cariker, C.; Bhattacharya, A.

2015-01-01

Large Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) storage tanks are vital infrastructure for NASA. Eventually, air may leak into the evacuated and perlite filled annular region of these tanks. Although the vacuum level is monitored in this region, the extremely cold temperature causes all but the helium and neon constituents of air to freeze. A small, often unnoticeable pressure rise is the result. As the leak persists, the quantity of frozen air increases, as does the thermal conductivity of the insulation system. Consequently, a notable increase in commodity boil-off is often the first indicator of an air leak. Severe damage can result from normal draining of the tank. The warming air will sublimate which will cause a pressure rise in the annulus. When the pressure increases above the triple point, the frozen air will begin to melt and migrate downward. Collection of liquid air on the carbon steel outer shell may chill it below its ductility range, resulting in fracture. In order to avoid a structural failure, as described above, a method for the safe removal of frozen air is needed. A thermal model of the storage tank has been created using SINDA/FLUINT modeling software. Experimental work is progressing in an attempt to characterize the thermal conductivity of a perlite/frozen nitrogen mixture. A statistical mechanics model is being developed in parallel for comparison to experimental work. The thermal model will be updated using the experimental/statistical mechanical data, and used to simulate potential removal scenarios. This paper will address methodologies and analysis techniques for evaluation of two proposed air removal methods.

Environmental health in China: challenges to achieving clean air and safe water

PubMed Central

Zhang, Junfeng (Jim); Mauzerall, Denise L.; Zhu, Tong; Liang, Song; Ezzati, Majid; Remais, Justin

2014-01-01

The health effects of environmental risks, especially those of air and water pollution, remain a major source of morbidity and mortality in China. Biomass fuel and coal are routinely burned for cooking and heating in almost all rural and many urban households resulting in severe indoor air pollution that contributes greatly to the burden of disease. Many communities lack access to safe drinking water and santiation, and thus the risk of waterborne disease in many regions remains high. At the same time, China is rapidly industrializing with associated increases in energy use and industrial waste. While economic growth resulting from industrialization has improved health and quality of life indicators in China, it has also increased the incidence of environmental disasters and the release of chemical toxins into the environment, with severe impacts on health. Air quality in China's cities is among the worst in the world and industrial water pollution has become a widespread health hazard. Moreover, emissions of climate-warming greenhouse gases from energy use are rapidly increasing. Global climate change will inevitably intensify China's environmental health problems, with potentially catastrophic outcomes from major shifts in temperature and precipitation. Facing the overlap of traditional, modern, and emerging environmental problems, China has committed substantial resources to environmental improvement. China has the opportunity to both address its national environmental health challenges and to assume a central role in the international effort to improve the global environment. PMID:20346817

Safe Use Practices for Pesticides

Science.gov Websites

; Environment Human Health Animal Health Safe Use Practices Food Safety Environment Air Water Soil Wildlife Ingredients Low-Risk Pesticides Organic Pesticide Ingredients Pesticide Incidents Human Exposure Pet Exposure Home Page Pesticide Health and Safety Information Safe Use Practices for Pesticides Related Topics

EPA's Safe and Sustainable Water Resources Research ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Increasing demands for sources of clean water—combined with changing land use practices, population growth, aging infrastructure, and climate change and variability—pose significant threats to our water resources. Failure to manage the Nation’s waters in an integrated, sustainable manner can jeopardize human and aquatic ecosystem health, which can impact our society and economy.Through innovative science and engineering, the SSWR Research Program is developing cost-effective, sustainable solutions to 21st century complex water issues and proactively developing solutions to emerging concerns. Our research is helping to ensure that clean, adequate, and equitable supplies of water are available to support human health and resilient aquatic ecosystems, now and into the future. To share information on EPA's water research program

Environmentally Safe SRM Strategies Using Liquefied Air

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Massmann, M.; Layton, K.

2010-12-01

This presentation includes several SRM strategies to offset global warming using the large scale release of liquefied air (Lair). Lair could be used to cool large atmospheric volumes as it expands from a liquid below minus 300 degrees F (-184 degrees C) into ambient air, which could trigger new clouds or brighten existing clouds. It is hoped that the potential feasibility and benefits of this concept would be found to warrant further development through funded research. A key trait of Lair is its enormous expansion ratio in warming from a cold liquid into ambient air. At sea level, this expansion is about 900 times. At high altitudes such as 50,000 ft (15 km) the same amount of Lair would expand 5,000 times. One strategy for this concept would be to release Lair at 50,000 ft to super-cool existing water vapor into reflective droplets or ice particles. This could create very large clouds thick enough to be highly-reflective and high enough for long residence times. Another strategy to consider for this concept would be to release CCN’s (such as salt particulates) along with Lair. This might enable the formation of clouds where Lair alone is insufficient. Water vapor could also be added to assist in cloud development if necessary. The use of these elements would be non-polluting, enabling the concept to be safely scaled as large as necessary to achieve the desired results without harming the environment. This is extremely important, because it eliminates the risk of environmental damage that is a potential roadblock for most other SRM schemes. Further strategies of this concept would include formation of clouds near the equator to maximize reflected energy, creating clouds over ocean regions so as to minimize weather changes on land, and creating clouds over Arctic regions to minimize the melting of sea ice. Because this concept requires only existing technology to implement, research and implementation timelines could be minimized (unlike most proposed schemes

Report of a workshop on ensuring sustainable access to safe blood in developing countries: International Blood Safety Forum, March 24, 2017.

PubMed

Katz, Louis M; Donnelly, John J; Gresens, Christopher J; Holmberg, Jerry A; MacPherson, James; Zacharias, Peter J K; Stanley, Jean; Bales, Christine

2018-05-01

On March 24, 2017, more than 90 experts in blood safety and international development from blood centers, industry, government, and international and nongovernmental organizations gathered in Arlington, Virginia, for the Third International Blood Safety Forum, cosponsored by America's Blood Centers and Global Healing. This report summarizes presentations and major conclusions. The meeting explored ways to increase access to affordable, safe blood for low- and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) in an era when funding from the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Global Fund has been redirected from preventing the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to diagnosing and treating the 25 million-plus people living with HIV in LMICs. More effective management systems must be developed to improve cost recovery for blood. While blood systems become more sustainable, continued investment is required to keep them operating. The traditional model of large grants from bilateral and multilateral donors will need to be supplemented (or replaced) with public-private partnerships and nongovernmental investment. A continued emphasis on quality is fundamental. Blood systems must build quality programs, based on accepted standards, including hospitals, clinics, and rural health care providers to ensure proper and safe use of blood. Proposals to resolve health care inequities between LMICs and high-income countries (HICs) must include helping LMICs to define sustainable national policies and practices for blood availability and utilization to suit local contexts. The blood safety lexicon should be revised to include availability, accessibility, and affordability of safe blood and blood products as the goal of all blood safety initiatives. © 2018 AABB.

[Italian Society of Hygiene (SItI) recommendations for a healthy, safe and sustainable housing].

PubMed

Signorelli, Carlo; Capolongo, Stefano; Buffoli, Maddalena; Capasso, Lorenzo; Faggioli, Antonio; Moscato, Umberto; Oberti, Ilaria; Petronio, Maria Grazia; D'Alessandro, Daniela

2016-01-01

As part of the strategies to promote health in urban areas, the Italian Society of Hygiene (SItI) has updated its recommendations for healthy, safe and sustainable housing. They were issued by an ad hoc SitI working group on the basis of the best available evidence retrieved from a review of the scientific and legal literature on the topic and in line with World Health Organisation, European Union, and other international bodies statements. SItI document includes recommendations for environmental comfort, mental and social wellbeing, environmental protection as well as the safety of people who dwell houses. In addition to typical issues (such as relative humidity parameters, ventilation, and safety rules), SItI recommendations address innovative aspects such as building compatibility between different functions, building safety management and green area design. In this context, SItI recommendations emphasise the need of a strengthened interaction between architects and public health experts to ensure the complete wellbeing in houses where people spend more than 50% of their lives.

LIFE: a sustainable solution for developing safe, clean fusion power.

PubMed

Reyes, Susana; Dunne, Mike; Kramer, Kevin; Anklam, Tom; Havstad, Mark; Mazuecos, Antonio Lafuente; Miles, Robin; Martinez-Frias, Joel; Deri, Bob

2013-06-01

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in California is currently in operation with the goal to demonstrate fusion energy gain for the first time in the laboratory-also referred to as "ignition." Based on these demonstration experiments, the Laser Inertial Fusion Energy (LIFE) power plant is being designed at LLNL in partnership with other institutions with the goal to deliver baseload electricity from safe, secure, sustainable fusion power in a time scale that is consistent with the energy market needs. For this purpose, the LIFE design takes advantage of recent advances in diode-pumped, solid-state laser technology and adopts the paradigm of Line Replaceable Units used on the NIF to provide high levels of availability and maintainability and mitigate the need for advanced materials development. The LIFE market entry plant will demonstrate the feasibility of a closed fusion fuel cycle, including tritium breeding, extraction, processing, refueling, accountability, and safety, in a steady-state power-producing device. While many fusion plant designs require large quantities of tritium for startup and operations, a range of design choices made for the LIFE fuel cycle act to reduce the in-process tritium inventory. This paper presents an overview of the delivery plan and the preconceptual design of the LIFE facility with emphasis on the key safety design principles being adopted. In order to illustrate the favorable safety characteristics of the LIFE design, some initial accident analysis results are presented that indicate potential for a more attractive licensing regime than that of current fission reactors.

Sustainable Energy - Without the hot air

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacIsaac, Dan

2009-11-01

Reader John Roeder writes about a website associated with David MacKay's book Sustainable Energy-Without the hot air. The book is a freely downloadable PDF (or purchasable) book describing an analysis detailing a low-carbon renewable energy transformation route for a large, modern first world industrial country (the United Kingdom). Written for the layman, the work uses vernacular language, e.g., energy consumption and production in a series of bar charts detailing the impacts of necessary strategies such as population reduction, lifestyle changes, and technology changes. MacKay notes that most reasonable plans have large nuclear and ``clean coal'' or other carbon capture components, lots of pumped heat, wind, and much efficiency improvement. He debunks some sacred cows (roof-mounted micro-turbines; hydrogen-powered cars) while pointing out simple effective technologies such as roof-mounted solar water heaters. Similar modest changes in the U.S. (painting roofs white in the southern half of the country) have strong impacts. MacKay claims that he ``doesn't advocate any particular plan or technology,'' but ``tells you how many bricks are in the lego box, and how big each brick is'' so readers can start making planning decisions.

Delay Discounting as an Index of Sustainable Behavior: Devaluation of Future Air Quality and Implications for Public Health.

PubMed

Berry, Meredith S; Nickerson, Norma P; Odum, Amy L

2017-09-01

Poor air quality and resulting annual deaths represent significant public health concerns. Recently, rapid delay discounting (the devaluation of future outcomes) of air quality has been considered a potential barrier for engaging in long term, sustainable behaviors that might help to reduce emissions (e.g., reducing private car use, societal support for clean air initiatives). Delay discounting has been shown to be predictive of real world behavior outside of laboratory settings, and therefore may offer an important framework beyond traditional variables thought to measure sustainable behavior such as importance of an environmental issue, or environmental attitudes/values, although more research is needed in this area. We examined relations between discounting of air quality, respiratory health, and monetary gains and losses. We also examined, relations between discounting and self-reported importance of air quality and respiratory health, and nature relatedness. Results showed rapid delay discounting of all outcomes across the time frames assessed, and significant positive correlations between delay discounting of air quality, respiratory health, and monetary outcomes. Steeper discounting of monetary outcomes relative to air quality and respiratory health outcomes was observed in the context of gains; however, no differences in discounting were observed across losses of monetary, air quality, and respiratory health. Replicating the sign effect, monetary outcomes were discounted more steeply than monetary losses. Importance of air quality, respiratory health and nature relatedness were significantly and positively correlated with one another, but not with degree of delay discounting of any outcome, demonstrating the need for more comprehensive measures that predict pro-environmental behaviors that might benefit individuals and public health over time. These results add to our understanding of decision-making, and demonstrate alarming rates of delay discounting of

Safe and sustainable increases in day case emergency surgery.

PubMed

Hotchen, Andrew J; Coleman, Grant; O'Callaghan, John M; McWhinnie, Doug

2016-03-01

Selected patients referred to emergency general surgery departments are suitable for day case emergency surgery with no overnight hospital stay. There are no well-described sustainable pathways for these expedited operations and in many hospitals patients undergo unnecessary admissions and experience long waiting times. The authors proposed a new, sustainable, day case emergency surgery pathway which was implemented to streamline the assessment, treatment and discharge of acute surgical referrals. It requires rapid assessment of the patient by a senior clinician, and ready availability of diagnostic services and operating facilities. To assess this pathway, the authors conducted a prospective audit of general surgical referrals to a district general hospital in the UK. During the inclusion period 746 emergency referrals were assessed, 281 (37%) of these underwent an operation. Over a 5-month investigation period, the audit found that approximately 27% of all emergency general surgery patients requiring an operation could be managed with day case emergency surgery. This figure was maintained throughout the duration of the study. Operations included incision and drainage of abscesses, incarcerated hernia repairs and appendicectomies. The average length of stay of all surgical admissions decreased from 5 days to less than 3 days and the median time to senior review was 30 minutes. The authors have developed a pathway involving permanent members of the surgical assessment team that is sustainable over a 5-month period. The pathway has allowed rapid assessment of patients and reduced unnecessary inpatient stay in a sustainable and reproducible manner.

EnviroSafe Finding of Violation

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document outlines the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reissuing an enclosed Finding of Violation (FOV) to Enviro-Safe Refrigerants, Inc. (you). We find that you have violated the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. § 7413(a) (the CAA).

[Safe and family-centered maternity hospitals: organizational culture of maternity hospitals in the province of Buenos Aires].

PubMed

Ramos, Silvina; Romero, Mariana; Ortiz, Zulma; Brizuela, Vanessa

2015-12-01

In 2010, the Safe and Family-Centered Maternity Hospitals initiative was launched in order to transform large public maternity centers into settings where safe practices are implemented and the rights of women, newborn infants and families are warranted. As a result, the paradigm of perinatal care was modified. This article reports on the findings of organizational culture as a component for the implementation of the initiative. The sample was selected in a non-probabilistic way and was made up of 29 public hospitals located in the province of Buenos Aires that participated in the initiative. During 2011 and 2012, an anonymous, self-administered survey was completed by members of the Department of Neonatology and the Department of Obstetrics. The survey collected information on three dimensions of the organizational culture: organizational environment, safe practices, and facilitation of change. A total of 1828 surveys were collected; 51% of survey respondents stated that there is a need to improve communication by having more meetings, while 60% made a positive assessment of various aspects of leadership. Work overload was described as the main cause of conflicts by 60%. Approximately 25% agreed and showed commitment with the initiative of transforming maternity centers. Adherence to practices was dissimilar depending on the practice, but half of survey respondents reported that there were genuine reasons for change. The assessment of the organizational culture showed that commitment to the Safe and Family-Centered Maternity Hospitals initiative is yet to be consolidated, and the evaluation of leadership is not comprehensive. Work overload and communication failures are the main reasons for conflict.

The first sustainable material designed for air particulate matter capture: An introduction to Azure Chemistry.

PubMed

Zanoletti, A; Bilo, F; Depero, L E; Zappa, D; Bontempi, E

2018-07-15

This work presents a new porous material (SUNSPACE) designed for air particulate matter (PM) capture. It was developed in answer to the European Commission request of an innovative, affordable, and sustainable solution, based on design-driven material, to reduce the concentration of air particulate matter in urban areas. SUNSPACE material was developed from by-products and low-cost materials, such as silica fume and sodium alginate. Its capability to catch ultrafine PM was evaluated by different ad-hoc tests, considering diesel exhaust fumes and incense smoke PM. Despite the fact that procedures and materials can be designed for remediation, the high impact on the environment, for example in terms of natural resources consumption and emissions, are not usually considered. Instead, we believe that the technologies must be always evaluated in terms of material embodied energy (EE) and carbon footprint (CF). We define our approach to solve environment problems by a sustainable methodology "Azure Chemistry". For the SUNSPACE synthesis, the multi-criteria decision analysis was performed to select the best sustainable solution. The emissions and the energies involved in the synthesis of SUNSPACE material were evaluated with the Azure Chemistry approach, showing that this could be the best available technology to face the problem of capturing the PM in urban area. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sustainable Agriculture: Cover Cropping

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webster, Megan

2018-01-01

Sustainable agriculture practices are increasingly being used by farmers to maintain soil quality, increase biodiversity, and promote production of food that is environmentally safe. There are several types of sustainable agriculture practices such as organic farming, crop rotation, and aquaculture. This lesson plan focuses on the sustainable…

Surgical fires in laser laryngeal surgery: are we safe enough?

PubMed

Roy, Soham; Smith, Lee P

2015-01-01

Laser surgery of the larynx and airway remains high risk for the formation of operating room fire. Traditional methods of fire prevention have included use of "laser safe" tubes, inflation of a protective cuff with saline, and wet pledgets to protect the endotracheal tube from laser strikes. We tested a mechanical model of laser laryngeal surgery to evaluate the fire risk. Mechanical model. Laboratory. An intubation mannequin was positioned for suspension microlaryngoscopy. A Laser-Shield II cuffed endotracheal tube was placed through the larynx and the cuff inflated using saline. Wet pledgets covered the inflated cuff. A CO2 laser created an inadvertent cuff strike at varying oxygen concentrations. Risk reduction measures were implemented to discern any notable change in the outcome after fire. At 100% FiO2 an immediate fire with sustained flame was created and at 40% FiO2 a near immediate sustained flame was created. At 29% FiO2, a small nonsustained flame was noted. At room air, no fire was created. There was no discernible difference in the severity of laryngeal damage after the fire occurred whether the tube was immediately pulled from the mannequin or if saline was poured down the airway as a first response. While "laser safe" tubes provide a layer of protection against fires, they are not fire proof. Inadvertent cuff perforation may result in fire formation in low-level oxygen enriched environments. Placement of wet pledgets do not provide absolute protection. Endotracheal tube (ETT) cuffs should be placed distally well away from an inadvertent laser strike while maintaining the minimum supplemental oxygen necessary. © American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2014.

Evaluation of various activated carbons for air cleaning - Towards design of immune and sustainable buildings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haghighat, Fariborz; Lee, Chang-Seo; Pant, Bhuvan; Bolourani, Golnoush; Lakdawala, Ness; Bastani, Arash

There are increased demands for security, sustainability and indoor air quality in today's building design, construction, operation and maintenance. Installation of air cleaning systems can improve the indoor air quality by reducing the air pollution levels, and enhance the building security against sudden release of chemical and/or biological agents. At the same time, air cleaning techniques may reduce the building energy consumption by reducing the outdoor air supply rate, hence lowering the needs for conditioning of outdoor air. While the air filtration of particulate matter is well standardized, the standards against which the performance of air cleaning for gaseous contaminants is measured or classified are still under development. This study examined the performance of various granular activated carbons (GACs) for the removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from mechanically ventilated buildings. Eight different GACs (three virgin and five impregnated) were tested against toluene using a dynamic test system. The virgin GACs showed better performance than impregnated ones, the percentage and the type of impregnation affected the removal efficiencies. Tests were also conducted with selected GACs against toluene, cyclohexane and ethyl acetate at relative humidity (RH) values of 30%, 50% and 70%. The effect of humidity was dependant on the VOC used. Both for toluene and cyclohexane, the removal efficiency decreased as RH increased. However, higher humidity showed a positive impact on the removal of ethyl acetate.

Delay Discounting as an Index of Sustainable Behavior: Devaluation of Future Air Quality and Implications for Public Health

PubMed Central

Berry, Meredith S.; Nickerson, Norma P.; Odum, Amy L.

2017-01-01

Poor air quality and resulting annual deaths represent significant public health concerns. Recently, rapid delay discounting (the devaluation of future outcomes) of air quality has been considered a potential barrier for engaging in long term, sustainable behaviors that might help to reduce emissions (e.g., reducing private car use, societal support for clean air initiatives). Delay discounting has been shown to be predictive of real world behavior outside of laboratory settings, and therefore may offer an important framework beyond traditional variables thought to measure sustainable behavior such as importance of an environmental issue, or environmental attitudes/values, although more research is needed in this area. We examined relations between discounting of air quality, respiratory health, and monetary gains and losses. We also examined, relations between discounting and self-reported importance of air quality and respiratory health, and nature relatedness. Results showed rapid delay discounting of all outcomes across the time frames assessed, and significant positive correlations between delay discounting of air quality, respiratory health, and monetary outcomes. Steeper discounting of monetary outcomes relative to air quality and respiratory health outcomes was observed in the context of gains; however, no differences in discounting were observed across losses of monetary, air quality, and respiratory health. Replicating the sign effect, monetary outcomes were discounted more steeply than monetary losses. Importance of air quality, respiratory health and nature relatedness were significantly and positively correlated with one another, but not with degree of delay discounting of any outcome, demonstrating the need for more comprehensive measures that predict pro-environmental behaviors that might benefit individuals and public health over time. These results add to our understanding of decision-making, and demonstrate alarming rates of delay discounting of

Water Quality and Sustainable Environmental Health

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Setegn, S. G.

2014-12-01

Lack of adequate safe water, the pollution of the aquatic environment and the mismanagement of resources are major causes of ill-health and mortality, particularly in the developing countries. In order to accommodate more growth, sustainable fresh water resource management will need to be included in future development plans. One of the major environmental issues of concern to policy-makers is the increased vulnerability of ground water quality. The main challenge for the sustainability of water resources is the control of water pollution. To understand the sustainability of the water resources, one needs to understand the impact of future land use and climate changes on the natural resources. Providing safe water and basic sanitation to meet the Millennium Development Goals will require substantial economic resources, sustainable technological solutions and courageous political will. A balanced approach to water resources exploitation for development, on the one hand, and controls for the protection of health, on the other, is required if the benefits of both are to be realized without avoidable detrimental effects manifesting themselves. Meeting the millennium development goals for water and sanitation in the next decade will require substantial economic resources, sustainable technological solutions and courageous political will. In addition to providing "improved" water and "basic" sanitation services, we must ensure that these services provide: safe drinking water, adequate quantities of water for health, hygiene, agriculture and development and sustainable sanitation approaches to protect health and the environment.

Tracking sustainable development with a national barometer for South Africa using a downscaled "safe and just space" framework.

PubMed

Cole, Megan J; Bailey, Richard M; New, Mark G

2014-10-21

Nations in the 21st century face a complex mix of environmental and social challenges, as highlighted by the on-going Sustainable Development Goals process. The "planetary boundaries" concept [Rockström J, et al. (2009) Nature 461(7263):472-475], and its extension through the addition of social well-being indicators to create a framework for "safe and just" inclusive sustainable development [Raworth K (2012) Nature Climate Change 2(4):225-226], have received considerable attention in science and policy circles. As the chief aim of this framework is to influence public policy, and this happens largely at the national level, we assess whether it can be used at the national scale, using South Africa as a test case. We developed a decision-based methodology for downscaling the framework and created a national "barometer" for South Africa, combining 20 indicators and boundaries for environmental stress and social deprivation. We find that it is possible to maintain the original design and concept of the framework while making it meaningful in the national context, raising new questions and identifying priority areas for action. Our results show that South Africa has exceeded its environmental boundaries for biodiversity loss, marine harvesting, freshwater use, and climate change, and social deprivation is most severe in the areas of safety, income, and employment. Trends since 1994 show improvement in nearly all social indicators, but progression toward or over boundaries for most environmental indicators. The barometer shows that achieving inclusive sustainable development in South Africa requires national and global action on multiple fronts, and careful consideration of the interplay between different environmental domains and development strategies.

Anatase TiO2 ultrathin nanobelts derived from room-temperature-synthesized titanates for fast and safe lithium storage

PubMed Central

Wen, Wei; Wu, Jin-ming; Jiang, Yin-zhu; Yu, Sheng-lan; Bai, Jun-qiang; Cao, Min-hua; Cui, Jie

2015-01-01

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are promising energy storage devices for portable electronics, electric vehicles, and power-grid applications. It is highly desirable yet challenging to develop a simple and scalable method for constructions of sustainable materials for fast and safe LIBs. Herein, we exploit a novel and scalable route to synthesize ultrathin nanobelts of anatase TiO2, which is resource abundant and is eligible for safe anodes in LIBs. The achieved ultrathin nanobelts demonstrate outstanding performances for lithium storage because of the unique nanoarchitecture and appropriate composition. Unlike conventional alkali-hydrothermal approaches to hydrogen titanates, the present room temperature alkaline-free wet chemistry strategy guarantees the ultrathin thickness for the resultant titanate nanobelts. The anatase TiO2 ultrathin nanobelts were achieved simply by a subsequent calcination in air. The synthesis route is convenient for metal decoration and also for fabricating thin films of one/three dimensional arrays on various substrates at low temperatures, in absence of any seed layers. PMID:26133276

49 CFR 230.70 - Safe condition.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION STEAM LOCOMOTIVE INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE STANDARDS Steam Locomotives and... of each day the locomotive is used, the steam locomotive operator shall ensure that: (1) The brakes on the steam locomotive and tender are in safe and suitable condition for service; (2) The air...

Respiratory transfer value has fail-safe feature

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Puccinelli, A. A.; Smith, J. R., Jr.

1965-01-01

Quick-acting, remote controlled valve connects either one of two oxygen or air supplies to a breathing tube. The valve, which is fall-safe, incorporates a cammed piston arrangement that is driven by a remote controlled reversible rotary solenoid or reversible electric motor.

Sustainable intensification of agriculture for human prosperity and global sustainability.

PubMed

Rockström, Johan; Williams, John; Daily, Gretchen; Noble, Andrew; Matthews, Nathanial; Gordon, Line; Wetterstrand, Hanna; DeClerck, Fabrice; Shah, Mihir; Steduto, Pasquale; de Fraiture, Charlotte; Hatibu, Nuhu; Unver, Olcay; Bird, Jeremy; Sibanda, Lindiwe; Smith, Jimmy

2017-02-01

There is an ongoing debate on what constitutes sustainable intensification of agriculture (SIA). In this paper, we propose that a paradigm for sustainable intensification can be defined and translated into an operational framework for agricultural development. We argue that this paradigm must now be defined-at all scales-in the context of rapidly rising global environmental changes in the Anthropocene, while focusing on eradicating poverty and hunger and contributing to human wellbeing. The criteria and approach we propose, for a paradigm shift towards sustainable intensification of agriculture, integrates the dual and interdependent goals of using sustainable practices to meet rising human needs while contributing to resilience and sustainability of landscapes, the biosphere, and the Earth system. Both of these, in turn, are required to sustain the future viability of agriculture. This paradigm shift aims at repositioning world agriculture from its current role as the world's single largest driver of global environmental change, to becoming a key contributor of a global transition to a sustainable world within a safe operating space on Earth.

Tracking sustainable development with a national barometer for South Africa using a downscaled “safe and just space” framework

PubMed Central

Cole, Megan J.; Bailey, Richard M.; New, Mark G.

2014-01-01

Nations in the 21st century face a complex mix of environmental and social challenges, as highlighted by the on-going Sustainable Development Goals process. The “planetary boundaries” concept [Rockström J, et al. (2009) Nature 461(7263):472–475], and its extension through the addition of social well-being indicators to create a framework for “safe and just” inclusive sustainable development [Raworth K (2012) Nature Climate Change 2(4):225–226], have received considerable attention in science and policy circles. As the chief aim of this framework is to influence public policy, and this happens largely at the national level, we assess whether it can be used at the national scale, using South Africa as a test case. We developed a decision-based methodology for downscaling the framework and created a national “barometer” for South Africa, combining 20 indicators and boundaries for environmental stress and social deprivation. We find that it is possible to maintain the original design and concept of the framework while making it meaningful in the national context, raising new questions and identifying priority areas for action. Our results show that South Africa has exceeded its environmental boundaries for biodiversity loss, marine harvesting, freshwater use, and climate change, and social deprivation is most severe in the areas of safety, income, and employment. Trends since 1994 show improvement in nearly all social indicators, but progression toward or over boundaries for most environmental indicators. The barometer shows that achieving inclusive sustainable development in South Africa requires national and global action on multiple fronts, and careful consideration of the interplay between different environmental domains and development strategies. PMID:25294930

Infrastructure Task Force Sustainable Infrastructure Goals and Concepts Document

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document outlines the concepts of appropriate infrastructure and sustainable management entities to guide the coordinated federal efforts to achieve greater sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.

Microelectromechanical safe arm device

DOEpatents

Roesler, Alexander W [Tijeras, NM

2012-06-05

Microelectromechanical (MEM) apparatus and methods for operating, for preventing unintentional detonation of energetic components comprising pyrotechnic and explosive materials, such as air bag deployment systems, munitions and pyrotechnics. The MEM apparatus comprises an interrupting member that can be moved to block (interrupt) or complete (uninterrupt) an explosive train that is part of an energetic component. One or more latching members are provided that engage and prevent the movement of the interrupting member, until the one or more latching members are disengaged from the interrupting member. The MEM apparatus can be utilized as a safe and arm device (SAD) and electronic safe and arm device (ESAD) in preventing unintentional detonations. Methods for operating the MEM apparatus include independently applying drive signals to the actuators coupled to the latching members, and an actuator coupled to the interrupting member.

"You're Really Gonna Kick Us All Out?" Sustaining Safe Spaces for Community-Based HIV Prevention and Control among Black Men Who Have Sex with Men.

PubMed

Garcia, Jonathan; Parker, Caroline; Parker, Richard G; Wilson, Patrick A; Philbin, Morgan M; Hirsch, Jennifer S

2015-01-01

Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) experience among the highest rates of HIV infection in the United States. We conducted a community-based ethnography in New York City to identify the structural and environmental factors that influence BMSMs vulnerability to HIV and their engagement with HIV prevention services. Methods included participant observation at community-based organizations (CBOs) in New York City, in-depth interviews with 31 BMSM, and 17 key informant interviews. Our conceptual framework shows how creating and sustaining safe spaces could be a critical environmental approach to reduce vulnerability to HIV among BMSM. Participant observation, in-depth and key informant interviews revealed that fear and mistrust characterized men's relation to social and public institutions, such as churches, schools, and the police. This fear and mistrust created HIV vulnerability among the BMSM in our sample by challenging engagement with services. Our findings suggest that to be successful, HIV prevention efforts must address these structural and environmental vulnerabilities. Among the CBOs that we studied, "safe spaces" emerged as an important tool for addressing these environmental vulnerabilities. CBOs used safe spaces to provide social support, to address stigma, to prepare men for the workforce, and to foster a sense of community among BMSM. In addition, safe spaces were used for HIV and STI testing and treatment campaigns. Our ethnographic findings suggest that safe spaces represent a promising but so far under-utilized part of HIV prevention infrastructure. Safe spaces seem integral to high impact comprehensive HIV prevention efforts, and may be considered more appropriately as part of HIV capacity-building rather than being nested within program-specific funding structures.

Energy, Transportation, Air Quality, Climate Change, Health Nexus: Sustainable Energy is Good for Our Health

PubMed Central

Erickson, Larry E.; Jennings, Merrisa

2017-01-01

The Paris Agreement on Climate Change has the potential to improve air quality and human health by encouraging the electrification of transportation and a transition from coal to sustainable energy. There will be human health benefits from reducing combustion emissions in all parts of the world. Solar powered charging infrastructure for electric vehicles adds renewable energy to generate electricity, shaded parking, and a needed charging infrastructure for electric vehicles that will reduce range anxiety. The costs of wind power, solar panels, and batteries are falling because of technological progress, magnitude of commercial activity, production experience, and competition associated with new trillion dollar markets. These energy and transportation transitions can have a very positive impact on health. The energy, transportation, air quality, climate change, health nexus may benefit from additional progress in developing solar powered charging infrastructure. PMID:29922702

Energy, Transportation, Air Quality, Climate Change, Health Nexus: Sustainable Energy is Good for Our Health.

PubMed

Erickson, Larry E; Jennings, Merrisa

2017-01-01

The Paris Agreement on Climate Change has the potential to improve air quality and human health by encouraging the electrification of transportation and a transition from coal to sustainable energy. There will be human health benefits from reducing combustion emissions in all parts of the world. Solar powered charging infrastructure for electric vehicles adds renewable energy to generate electricity, shaded parking, and a needed charging infrastructure for electric vehicles that will reduce range anxiety. The costs of wind power, solar panels, and batteries are falling because of technological progress, magnitude of commercial activity, production experience, and competition associated with new trillion dollar markets. These energy and transportation transitions can have a very positive impact on health. The energy, transportation, air quality, climate change, health nexus may benefit from additional progress in developing solar powered charging infrastructure.

Hybridized electromagnetic-triboelectric nanogenerator for scavenging air-flow energy to sustainably power temperature sensors.

PubMed

Wang, Xue; Wang, Shuhua; Yang, Ya; Wang, Zhong Lin

2015-04-28

We report a hybridized nanogenerator with dimensions of 6.7 cm × 4.5 cm × 2 cm and a weight of 42.3 g that consists of two triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) and two electromagnetic generators (EMGs) for scavenging air-flow energy. Under an air-flow speed of about 18 m/s, the hybridized nanogenerator can deliver largest output powers of 3.5 mW for one TENG (in correspondence of power per unit mass/volume: 8.8 mW/g and 14.6 kW/m(3)) at a loading resistance of 3 MΩ and 1.8 mW for one EMG (in correspondence of power per unit mass/volume: 0.3 mW/g and 0.4 kW/m(3)) at a loading resistance of 2 kΩ, respectively. The hybridized nanogenerator can be utilized to charge a capacitor of 3300 μF to sustainably power four temperature sensors for realizing self-powered temperature sensor networks. Moreover, a wireless temperature sensor driven by a hybridized nanogenerator charged Li-ion battery can work well to send the temperature data to a receiver/computer at a distance of 1.5 m. This work takes a significant step toward air-flow energy harvesting and its potential applications in self-powered wireless sensor networks.

Safe and Affordable Drinking Water for Developing Countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gadgil, Ashok

2008-09-01

Safe drinking water remains inaccessible for about 1.2 billion people in the world, and the hourly toll from biological contamination of drinking water is 200 deaths mostly among children under five years of age. This chapter summarizes the need for safe drinking water, the scale of the global problem, and various methods tried to address it. Then it gives the history and current status of an innovation ("UV Waterworks™") developed to address this major public health challenge. It reviews water disinfection technologies applicable to achieve the desired quality of drinking water in developing countries, and specifically, the limitations overcome by one particular invention: UV Waterworks. It then briefly describes the business model and financing option than is accelerating its implementation for affordable access to safe drinking water to the unserved populations in these countries. Thus this chapter describes not only the innovation in design of a UV water disinfection system, but also innovation in the delivery model for safe drinking water, with potential for long term growth and sustainability.

Transportation of Organs by Air: Safety, Quality, and Sustainability Criteria.

PubMed

Mantecchini, L; Paganelli, F; Morabito, V; Ricci, A; Peritore, D; Trapani, S; Montemurro, A; Rizzo, A; Del Sordo, E; Gaeta, A; Rizzato, L; Nanni Costa, A

2016-03-01

The outcomes of organ transplantation activities are greatly affected by the ability to haul organs and medical teams quickly and safely. Organ allocation and usage criteria have greatly improved over time, whereas the same result has not been achieved so far from the transport point of view. Safety and the highest level of service and efficiency must be reached to grant transplant recipients the healthiest outcome. The Italian National Transplant Centre (CNT), in partnership with the regions and the University of Bologna, has promoted a thorough analysis of all stages of organ transportation logistics chains to produce homogeneous and shared guidelines throughout the national territory, capable of ensuring safety, reliability, and sustainability at the highest levels. The mapping of all 44 transplant centers and the pertaining airport network has been implemented. An analysis of technical requirements among organ shipping agents at both national and international level has been promoted. A national campaign of real-time monitoring of organ transport activities at all stages of the supply chain has been implemented. Parameters investigated have been hospital and region of both origin and destination, number and type of organs involved, transport type (with or without medical team), stations of arrival and departure, and shipping agents, as well as actual times of activities involved. National guidelines have been issued to select organ storage units and shipping agents on the basis of evaluation of efficiency, reliability, and equipment with reference to organ type and ischemia time. Guidelines provide EU-level standards on technical equipment of aircrafts, professional requirements of shipping agencies and cabin crew, and requirements on service provision, including pricing criteria. The introduction in the Italian legislation of guidelines issuing minimum requirements on topics such as the medical team, packaging, labeling, safety and integrity, identification

Strategic Research Action Plans 2016-2019

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA's six research priorities: Air, Climate, Energy; Chemical Safety for Sustainability, Homeland Security, Human Health Risk Assessment, Sustainable and Healthy Communities, Safe and Sustainable Water Resources.

Get Research Publications and News by Email

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA's six research priorities: Air, Climate, Energy; Chemical Safety for Sustainability, Homeland Security, Human Health Risk Assessment, Sustainable and Healthy Communities, Safe and Sustainable Water Resources.

Building Sustainability into the Air Force Remediation Process

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-05-06

Sustainability in AF Remediation: “Green” Remediation Phytoremediation , Travis AFB, CA  Sustainability metrics not new endeavor  ER programs focus on cost, risk...remediation technology examples:  Phytoremediation – 5  LNAPL recovery – 16  Passive in situ treatment Wetlands  Enh bio – 114  MNA – 105

The Safe Yield and Climatic Variability: Implications for Groundwater Management.

PubMed

Loáiciga, Hugo A

2017-05-01

Methods for calculating the safe yield are evaluated in this paper using a high-quality and long historical data set of groundwater recharge, discharge, extraction, and precipitation in a karst aquifer. Consideration is given to the role that climatic variability has on the determination of a climatically representative period with which to evaluate the safe yield. The methods employed to estimate the safe yield are consistent with its definition as a long-term average extraction rate that avoids adverse impacts on groundwater. The safe yield is a useful baseline for groundwater planning; yet, it is herein shown that it is not an operational rule that works well under all climatic conditions. This paper shows that due to the nature of dynamic groundwater processes it may be most appropriate to use an adaptive groundwater management strategy that links groundwater extraction rates to groundwater discharge rates, thus achieving a safe yield that represents an estimated long-term sustainable yield. An example of the calculation of the safe yield of the Edwards Aquifer (Texas) demonstrates that it is about one-half of the average annual recharge. © 2016, National Ground Water Association.

SafeNet: a methodology for integrating general-purpose unsafe devices in safe-robot rehabilitation systems.

PubMed

Vicentini, Federico; Pedrocchi, Nicola; Malosio, Matteo; Molinari Tosatti, Lorenzo

2014-09-01

Robot-assisted neurorehabilitation often involves networked systems of sensors ("sensory rooms") and powerful devices in physical interaction with weak users. Safety is unquestionably a primary concern. Some lightweight robot platforms and devices designed on purpose include safety properties using redundant sensors or intrinsic safety design (e.g. compliance and backdrivability, limited exchange of energy). Nonetheless, the entire "sensory room" shall be required to be fail-safe and safely monitored as a system at large. Yet, sensor capabilities and control algorithms used in functional therapies require, in general, frequent updates or re-configurations, making a safety-grade release of such devices hardly sustainable in cost-effectiveness and development time. As such, promising integrated platforms for human-in-the-loop therapies could not find clinical application and manufacturing support because of lacking in the maintenance of global fail-safe properties. Under the general context of cross-machinery safety standards, the paper presents a methodology called SafeNet for helping in extending the safety rate of Human Robot Interaction (HRI) systems using unsafe components, including sensors and controllers. SafeNet considers, in fact, the robotic system as a device at large and applies the principles of functional safety (as in ISO 13489-1) through a set of architectural procedures and implementation rules. The enabled capability of monitoring a network of unsafe devices through redundant computational nodes, allows the usage of any custom sensors and algorithms, usually planned and assembled at therapy planning-time rather than at platform design-time. A case study is presented with an actual implementation of the proposed methodology. A specific architectural solution is applied to an example of robot-assisted upper-limb rehabilitation with online motion tracking. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Planetary boundaries: exploring the safe operating space for humanity

Treesearch

Johan Rockström; Will Steffen; Kevin Noone; Asa Persson; F. Stuart Chapin; Eric Lambin; Timothy M. Lenton; Marten Scheffer; Carl Folke; Hans Joachim Schellnhuber; Björn Nykvist; Cynthia A. de Wit; Terry Hughes; Sander van der Leeuw; Henning Rodhe; Sverker Sörlin; Peter K. Snyder; Robert Costanza; Uno Svedin; Malin Falkenmark; Louise Karlberg; Robert W. Corell; Victoria J. Fabry; James Hansen; Brian Walker; Diana Liverman; Katherine Richardson; Paul Crutzen; Jonathan Foley

2009-01-01

Anthropogenic pressures on the Earth System have reached a scale where abrupt global environmental change can no longer be excluded. We propose a new approach to global sustainability in which we define planetary boundaries within which we expect that humanity can operate safely. Transgressing one or more planetary boundaries may be deleterious or even catastrophic due...

Air bags and children: a potentially lethal combination.

PubMed

McCaffrey, M; German, A; Lalonde, F; Letts, M

1999-01-01

Air bags have been responsible for saving thousands of lives since their introduction in the early 1970s. Now, however, it has become apparent that under certain conditions, these restraint mechanisms designed to save lives have in fact been the cause of needless morbidity and mortality in children. We reviewed 13 children injured by air bags in Canada, where seat belt wear is mandatory for all occupants. Although 12 of the children sustained relatively minor air bag trauma, one child was killed by the air bag deployment, sustaining an occipital-C1 dislocation. The pediatric population is at particular risk as many parents continue to unwittingly place their children in the front seat and thus in jeopardy of sustaining air bag-induced injuries should a collision occur.

Safe Handover : Safe Patients - The Electronic Handover System.

PubMed

Till, Alex; Sall, Hanish; Wilkinson, Jonathan

2014-01-01

Failure of effective handover is a major preventable cause of patient harm. We aimed to promote accurate recording of high-quality clinical information using an Electronic Handover System (EHS) that would contribute to a sustainable improvement in effective patient care and safety. Within our hospital the human factors associated with poor communication were compromising patient care and unnecessarily increasing the workload of staff due to the poor quality of handovers. Only half of handovers were understood by the doctors expected to complete them, and more than half of our medical staff felt it posed a risk to patient safety. We created a standardised proforma for handovers that contained specific sub-headings, re-classified patient risk assessments, and aided escalation of care by adding prompts for verbal handover. Sources of miscommunication were removed, accountability for handovers provided, and tasks were re-organised to reduce the workload of staff. Long-term, three-month data showed that each sub-heading achieved at least 80% compliance (an average improvement of approximately 40% for the overall quality of handovers). This translated into 91% of handovers being subjectively clear to junior doctors. 87% of medical staff felt we had reduced a risk to patient safety and 80% felt it increased continuity of care. Without guidance, doctors omit key information required for effective handover. All organisations should consider implementing an electronic handover system as a viable, sustainable and safe solution to handover of care that allows patient safety to remain at the heart of the NHS.

Air travel with known pneumocephalus following outpatient sinus surgery.

PubMed

Willson, Thomas J; Grady, Conor; Braxton, Ernest; Weitzel, Erik

2014-01-01

Intracranial air is a common finding after many neurosurgical procedures and trauma to the head. In patients requiring transport via air to reach a destination there is risk of expansion of the intracranial air and development of neurological complications. Though relatively uncommon after functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS), pneumocephalus may be encountered. We describe one of our patients in whom intracranial air was introduced during FESS. Following the procedure she required commercial air transportation from our center to her home. A 45-min commercial flight to the destination was safely completed without the patient experiencing any neurological sequellae. This case highlights the controversy surrounding air travel with pneumocephalus and provides an example of safe commercial air travel after diagnosis of post-FESS pneumocephalus.

Topical Reports: Sustainable Design for Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fox, Anne W.

This document presents several reports on the practical applications of sustainable design and schools; it includes information about student performance and sustainable design features involving lighting, acoustics, air quality, and student well-being. Three case studies (Washington's Bainbridge Island School District, Texas' Roy Lee Walker…

Sustainable nanomaterials using waste agricultural residues

EPA Science Inventory

Sustainable synthetic processes developed during the past two decades involving the use of alternate energy inputs and greener reaction media are summarized. Learning from nature, one can produce a wide variety of nanoparticles using completely safe and benign materials such as ...

Safe sex

MedlinePlus

... sex; Sexually transmitted - safe sex; GC - safe sex; Gonorrhea - safe sex; Herpes - safe sex; HIV - safe sex; ... contact. STIs include: Chlamydia Genital herpes Genital warts Gonorrhea Hepatitis HIV HPV Syphilis STIs are also called ...

Repeat dose NRPT (nicotinamide riboside and pterostilbene) increases NAD+ levels in humans safely and sustainably: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

PubMed

Dellinger, Ryan W; Santos, Santiago Roel; Morris, Mark; Evans, Mal; Alminana, Dan; Guarente, Leonard; Marcotulli, Eric

2017-01-01

NRPT is a combination of nicotinamide riboside (NR), a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD +) precursor vitamin found in milk, and pterostilbene (PT), a polyphenol found in blueberries. Here, we report this first-in-humans clinical trial designed to assess the safety and efficacy of a repeat dose of NRPT (commercially known as Basis). NRPT was evaluated in a randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled study in a population of 120 healthy adults between the ages of 60 and 80 years. The study consisted of three treatment arms: placebo, recommended dose of NRPT (NRPT 1X), and double dose of NRPT (NRPT 2X). All subjects took their blinded supplement daily for eight weeks. Analysis of NAD + in whole blood demonstrated that NRPT significantly increases the concentration of NAD + in a dose-dependent manner. NAD + levels increased by approximately 40% in the NRPT 1X group and approximately 90% in the NRPT 2X group after 4 weeks as compared to placebo and baseline. Furthermore, this significant increase in NAD + levels was sustained throughout the entire 8-week trial. NAD + levels did not increase for the placebo group during the trial. No serious adverse events were reported in this study. This study shows that a repeat dose of NRPT is a safe and effective way to increase NAD + levels sustainably.

Appraisal of knowledge and attitude of Akwa Ibomites toward a sustainable environment in Nigeria.

PubMed Central

Ebong, Rosemary D

2002-01-01

Developing countries are constantly and continuously confronted with a myriad of health and environmental problems that threaten the efforts to establish and maintain safe air and water supplies. Nigeria, in general, and Akwa Ibom State, in particular, are not isolated from increasing health and sanitation problems. My goal in this study was to determine the knowledge base of men and women related to sanitation and environmental health in Akwa Ibom State. I found no differences in the attitudes of men and women toward the sustainability of health or a healthy environment in the state. However, more sanitation and environmental education is needed as part of long-term strategy for abating sanitation and environmental health problems in this state. PMID:11882469

46 CFR 154.345 - Air locks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Air locks. 154.345 Section 154.345 Shipping COAST GUARD....345 Air locks. (a) An air lock may be used for access from a gas-dangerous zone on the weather deck to a gas-safe space. (b) Each air lock must: (1) Consist of two steel doors, at least 1.5 m (4.9 ft...

46 CFR 154.345 - Air locks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Air locks. 154.345 Section 154.345 Shipping COAST GUARD....345 Air locks. (a) An air lock may be used for access from a gas-dangerous zone on the weather deck to a gas-safe space. (b) Each air lock must: (1) Consist of two steel doors, at least 1.5 m (4.9 ft...

46 CFR 154.345 - Air locks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Air locks. 154.345 Section 154.345 Shipping COAST GUARD....345 Air locks. (a) An air lock may be used for access from a gas-dangerous zone on the weather deck to a gas-safe space. (b) Each air lock must: (1) Consist of two steel doors, at least 1.5 m (4.9 ft...

46 CFR 154.345 - Air locks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Air locks. 154.345 Section 154.345 Shipping COAST GUARD....345 Air locks. (a) An air lock may be used for access from a gas-dangerous zone on the weather deck to a gas-safe space. (b) Each air lock must: (1) Consist of two steel doors, at least 1.5 m (4.9 ft...

46 CFR 154.345 - Air locks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Air locks. 154.345 Section 154.345 Shipping COAST GUARD....345 Air locks. (a) An air lock may be used for access from a gas-dangerous zone on the weather deck to a gas-safe space. (b) Each air lock must: (1) Consist of two steel doors, at least 1.5 m (4.9 ft...

Air Support Control Officer Individual Position Training Simulation

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-01

Analysis design development implementation evaluation ASCO Air support control officer ASLT Air support liaison team ASNO Air support net operator...Instructional system design LSTM Long-short term memory MACCS Marine Air Command and Control System MAGTF Marine Air Ground Task Force MASS Marine Air...information to designated MACCS agencies. ASCOs play an important part in facilitating the safe and successful conduct of air operations in DASC- controlled

Safe Handover : Safe Patients – The Electronic Handover System

PubMed Central

Till, Alex; Sall, Hanish; Wilkinson, Jonathan

2014-01-01

Failure of effective handover is a major preventable cause of patient harm. We aimed to promote accurate recording of high-quality clinical information using an Electronic Handover System (EHS) that would contribute to a sustainable improvement in effective patient care and safety. Within our hospital the human factors associated with poor communication were compromising patient care and unnecessarily increasing the workload of staff due to the poor quality of handovers. Only half of handovers were understood by the doctors expected to complete them, and more than half of our medical staff felt it posed a risk to patient safety. We created a standardised proforma for handovers that contained specific sub-headings, re-classified patient risk assessments, and aided escalation of care by adding prompts for verbal handover. Sources of miscommunication were removed, accountability for handovers provided, and tasks were re-organised to reduce the workload of staff. Long-term, three-month data showed that each sub-heading achieved at least 80% compliance (an average improvement of approximately 40% for the overall quality of handovers). This translated into 91% of handovers being subjectively clear to junior doctors. 87% of medical staff felt we had reduced a risk to patient safety and 80% felt it increased continuity of care. Without guidance, doctors omit key information required for effective handover. All organisations should consider implementing an electronic handover system as a viable, sustainable and safe solution to handover of care that allows patient safety to remain at the heart of the NHS. PMID:26734244

Maintaining safe, efficient and sustainable intermodal transport through the Port of Portland.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-10-01

"About $15 billion of freight passes annually through the Lower Columbia River (LCR) navigation channel to reach Portland and Vancouver, : where most of it connects with land transport. This commerce plays a vital role in sustaining the regional econ...

Port Stakeholder Summit: Advancing More Sustainable Ports (April 2014)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA's National Port Stakeholders Summit, Advancing More Sustainable Ports, focused on actions to protect air quality while reducing climate risk and supporting economic growth, making ports more environmentally sustainable.

User's manual for sustainable transportation performance measures calculator

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-08-01

Sustainable transportation can be viewed as the provision of safe, effective, and efficient : access and mobility into the future while considering economic, social, and environmental : needs. For the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to ass...

Challenges of Enterprise Wide AM for Air Force Sustainment

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-01

December 2016 Naguy is chief of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Product Support Engineering Division at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in...today and into the future. To truly capitalize on the full potential of AM, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) in close collabora...approach for material standards and quality include un- derstanding powder characteristics, developing an enterprise material characterization

The congestion mitigation and air quality improvement program

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-01-01

Clean air is an important part of a healthy environment. Unfortunately, many industrial and transportation activities that sustain our economy can also produce air pollutant emissions as by-products, degrading our air quality. Safeguarding our air fr...

Science 101: How Do People Design Safe Amusement Park Rides?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robertson, Bill

2015-01-01

To address the question of how people design safe amusement park rides, Bill Robertson focuses on the factors designers must consider so that human bodies don't experience too large an acceleration (any change in speed and/or direction) or "g-force" (the acceleration an object undergoes while freely falling, with no air resistance, under…

Critically safe volume vacuum pickup for use in wet or dry cleanup of radioactive enclosures

DOEpatents

Zeren, J.D.

1993-12-28

A physical compact vacuum pickup device of critically safe volume and geometric shape is provided for use in radioactive enclosures, such as a small glove box, to facilitate manual cleanup of either wet or dry radioactive material. The device is constructed and arranged so as to remain safe when filled to capacity with plutonium-239 oxide. Two fine mesh filter bags are supported on the exterior of a rigid fine mesh stainless steel cup. This assembly is sealed within, and spaced from, the interior walls of a stainless steel canister. An air inlet communicates with the interior of the canister. A modified conventional vacuum head is physically connected to, and associated with, the interior of the mesh cup. The volume of the canister, as defined by the space between the mesh cup and the interior walls of the canister, forms a critically safe volume and geometric shape for dry radioactive particles that are gathered within the canister. A critically safe liquid volume is maintained by operation of a suction terminating float valve, and/or by operation of redundant vacuum check/liquid drain valves and placement of the air inlet. 5 figures.

Critically safe volume vacuum pickup for use in wet or dry cleanup of radioactive enclosures

DOEpatents

Zeren, Joseph D.

1993-12-28

A physical compact vacuum pickup device of critically safe volume and geometric shape is provided for use in radioactive enclosures, such as a small glove box, to facilitate manual cleanup of either wet or dry radioactive material. The device is constructed and arranged so as to remain safe when filled to capacity with plutonium-239 oxide. Two fine mesh filter bags are supported on the exterior of a rigid fine mesh stainless steel cup. This assembly is sealed within, and spaced from, the interior walls of a stainless steel canister. An air inlet communicates with the interior of the canister. A modified conventional vacuum head is physically connected to, and associated with, the interior of the mesh cup. The volume of the canister, as defined by the space between the mesh cup and the interior walls of the canister, forms a critically safe volume and geometric shape for dry radioactive particles that are gathered within the canister. A critically safe liquid volume is maintained by operation of a suction terminating float valve, and/or by operation of redundant vacuum check/liquid drain valves and placement of the air inlet.

Sustainability. Systems integration for global sustainability.

PubMed

Liu, Jianguo; Mooney, Harold; Hull, Vanessa; Davis, Steven J; Gaskell, Joanne; Hertel, Thomas; Lubchenco, Jane; Seto, Karen C; Gleick, Peter; Kremen, Claire; Li, Shuxin

2015-02-27

Global sustainability challenges, from maintaining biodiversity to providing clean air and water, are closely interconnected yet often separately studied and managed. Systems integration—holistic approaches to integrating various components of coupled human and natural systems—is critical to understand socioeconomic and environmental interconnections and to create sustainability solutions. Recent advances include the development and quantification of integrated frameworks that incorporate ecosystem services, environmental footprints, planetary boundaries, human-nature nexuses, and telecoupling. Although systems integration has led to fundamental discoveries and practical applications, further efforts are needed to incorporate more human and natural components simultaneously, quantify spillover systems and feedbacks, integrate multiple spatial and temporal scales, develop new tools, and translate findings into policy and practice. Such efforts can help address important knowledge gaps, link seemingly unconnected challenges, and inform policy and management decisions. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Long-Cycling Aqueous Organic Redox Flow Battery (AORFB) toward Sustainable and Safe Energy Storage.

PubMed

Hu, Bo; DeBruler, Camden; Rhodes, Zayn; Liu, T Leo

2017-01-25

Redox flow batteries (RFBs) are a viable technology to store renewable energy in the form of electricity that can be supplied to electricity grids. However, widespread implementation of traditional RFBs, such as vanadium and Zn-Br 2 RFBs, is limited due to a number of challenges related to materials, including low abundance and high costs of redox-active metals, expensive separators, active material crossover, and corrosive and hazardous electrolytes. To address these challenges, we demonstrate a neutral aqueous organic redox flow battery (AORFB) technology utilizing a newly designed cathode electrolyte containing a highly water-soluble ferrocene molecule. Specifically, water-soluble (ferrocenylmethyl)trimethylammonium chloride (FcNCl, 4.0 M in H 2 O, 107.2 Ah/L, and 3.0 M in 2.0 NaCl, 80.4 Ah/L) and N 1 -ferrocenylmethyl-N 1 ,N 1 ,N 2 ,N 2 ,N 2 -pentamethylpropane-1,2-diaminium dibromide, (FcN 2 Br 2 , 3.1 M in H 2 O, 83.1 Ah/L, and 2.0 M in 2.0 M NaCl, 53.5 Ah/L) were synthesized through structural decoration of hydrophobic ferrocene with synergetic hydrophilic functionalities including an ammonium cation group and a halide anion. When paired with methyl viologen (MV) as an anolyte, resulting FcNCl/MV and FcN 2 Br 2 /MV AORFBs were operated in noncorrosive neutral NaCl supporting electrolytes using a low-cost anion-exchange membrane. These ferrocene/MV AORFBs are characterized as having high theoretical energy density (45.5 Wh/L) and excellent cycling performance from 40 to 100 mA/cm 2 . Notably, the FcNCl/MV AORFBs (demonstrated at 7.0 and 9.9 Wh/L) exhibited unprecedented long cycling performance, 700 cycles at 60 mA/cm 2 with 99.99% capacity retention per cycle, and delivered power density up to 125 mW/cm 2 . These AORFBs are built from earth-abundant elements and are environmentally benign, thus representing a promising choice for sustainable and safe energy storage.

How to reduce workload--augmented reality to ease the work of air traffic controllers.

PubMed

Hofmann, Thomas; König, Christina; Bruder, Ralph; Bergner, Jörg

2012-01-01

In the future the air traffic will rise--the workload of the controllers will do the same. In the BMWi research project, one of the tasks is, how to ensure safe air traffic, and a reasonable workload for the air traffic controllers. In this project it was the goal to find ways how to reduce the workload (and stress) for the controllers to allow safe air traffic, esp. at huge hub-airports by implementing augmented reality visualization and interaction.

[Policies for the promotion of sustainable mobility and the reduction of traffic-related air pollution in the cities participating in the EpiAir2 project].

PubMed

Di Lonardo, Sara; Nuvolone, Daniela; Forastiere, Francesco; Cadum, Ennio; Barchielli, Alessandro

2013-01-01

to describe transport policies adopted in recent years (2006-2010) by some Italian municipalities and their effectiveness. survey data refer to fifteen cities participating in the EpiAir2 project: Torino, Milano, Venezia, Bologna, Firenze, Pisa, Roma, Taranto, Palermo, Cagliari, Trieste, Genova, Ancona, Napoli, and Bari. this survey revealed strengths and weaknesses of the way in which these Italian cities address the promotion of sustainable mobility. As a general rule, the vehicle fleets have been renewed with a reduction of old-emission-standard vehicles. Italian cities reported a considerable delay in the development of underground and tram systems, and suburban rail networks, compared to other European urban areas. Regarding other aspects of urban mobility (supply/demand for public transport, low traffic and pedestrian zones, bike paths, car and bike sharing), this survey highlighted a great heterogeneity among Italian cities. differences between Italian cities are partly explained by structural and cultural features and also by local governance, specifically the political capability to design and adopt effective policies concerning urban transportation systems and their environmental impact. Various and fragmented initiatives are signs that Italy has not formulated a comprehensive and integrated strategy about sustainable mobility in urban areas yet.

Monitoring and improving roadway surface conditions for safe driving environment and sustainable infrastructure.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-06-01

Toward the goal of reducing collisions while maintaining the integrity and sustainability of roadways, separate projects in both France and : California in recent years have been developed to achieve the following objectives: Evaluating the effec...

The sun rises on the Space Shuttle Discovery as it rests on the runway at Edwards Air Force Base, California, after a safe landing August 9, 2005

NASA Image and Video Library

2005-08-09

The sun rises on the Space Shuttle Discovery as it rests on the runway at Edwards Air Force Base, California, after a safe landing August 9, 2005 to complete the STS-114 mission. Space Shuttle Discovery landed safely at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California at 5:11:22 a.m. PDT this morning, following the very successful 14-day STS-114 return to flight mission. During their two weeks in space, Commander Eileen Collins and her six crewmates tested out new safety procedures and delivered supplies and equipment the International Space Station. Discovery spent two weeks in space, where the crew demonstrated new methods to inspect and repair the Shuttle in orbit. The crew also delivered supplies, outfitted and performed maintenance on the International Space Station. A number of these tasks were conducted during three spacewalks. In an unprecedented event, spacewalkers were called upon to remove protruding gap fillers from the heat shield on Discovery's underbelly. In other spacewalk activities, astronauts installed an external platform onto the Station's Quest Airlock and replaced one of the orbital outpost's Control Moment Gyroscopes. Inside the Station, the STS-114 crew conducted joint operations with the Expedition 11 crew. They unloaded fresh supplies from the Shuttle and the Raffaello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module. Before Discovery undocked, the crews filled Raffeallo with unneeded items and returned to Shuttle payload bay. Discovery launched on July 26 and spent almost 14 days on orbit.

Clean Air Excellence Awards

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

These non-monetary awards honor sustainable efforts toward pollutant emissions reduction from innovators in clean air technology, community action and outreach, policy development, and transportation efficiency.

Dynamic contraction of the positive column of a self-sustained glow discharge in air flow

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shneider, M. N.; Mokrov, M. S.; Milikh, G. M.

We study the dynamic contraction of a self-sustained glow discharge in air in a rectangular duct with convective cooling. A two dimensional numerical model of the plasma contraction was developed in a cylindrical frame. The process is described by a set of time-dependent continuity equations for the electrons, positive and negative ions; gas and vibrational temperature; and equations which account for the convective heat and plasma losses by the transverse flux. Transition from the uniform to contracted state was analyzed. It was shown that such transition experiences a hysteresis, and that the critical current of the transition increases when themore » gas density drops. Possible coexistence of the contracted and uniform state of the plasma in the discharge, where the current flows along the density gradient of the background gas, is discussed.« less

Air bag restraint device

DOEpatents

Marts, D.J.; Richardson, J.G.

1995-10-17

A rear-seat air bag restraint device is disclosed that prevents an individual, or individuals, from continuing violent actions while being transported in a patrol vehicle`s rear seat without requiring immediate physical contact by the law enforcement officer. The air bag is activated by a control switch in the front seat and inflates to independently restrict the amount of physical activity occurring in the rear seat of the vehicle while allowing the officer to safely stop the vehicle. The air bag can also provide the officer additional time to get backup personnel to aid him if the situation warrants it. The bag is inflated and maintains a constant pressure by an air pump. 8 figs.

Air bag restraint device

DOEpatents

Marts, Donna J.; Richardson, John G.

1995-01-01

A rear-seat air bag restraint device is disclosed that prevents an individual, or individuals, from continuing violent actions while being transported in a patrol vehicle's rear seat without requiring immediate physical contact by the law enforcement officer. The air bag is activated by a control switch in the front seat and inflates to independently restrict the amount of physical activity occurring in the rear seat of the vehicle while allowing the officer to safely stop the vehicle. The air bag can also provide the officer additional time to get backup personnel to aid him if the situation warrants it. The bag is inflated and maintains a constant pressure by an air pump.

Safe Patient Handling and Mobility: Development and Implementation of a Large-Scale Education Program.

PubMed

Lee, Corinne; Knight, Suzanne W; Smith, Sharon L; Nagle, Dorothy J; DeVries, Lori

This article addresses the development, implementation, and evaluation of an education program for safe patient handling and mobility at a large academic medical center. The ultimate goal of the program was to increase safety during patient mobility/transfer and reduce nursing staff injury from lifting/pulling. This comprehensive program was designed on the basis of the principles of prework, application, and support at the point of care. A combination of online learning, demonstration, skill evaluation, and coaching at the point of care was used to achieve the goal. Specific roles and responsibilities were developed to facilitate implementation. It took 17 master trainers, 88 certified trainers, 176 unit-based trainers, and 98 coaches to put 3706 nurses and nursing assistants through the program. Evaluations indicated both an increase in knowledge about safe patient handling and an increased ability to safely mobilize patients. The challenge now is sustainability of safe patient-handling practices and the growth and development of trainers and coaches.

Advanced Architectures and Relatives of Air Electrodes in Zn–Air Batteries

PubMed Central

Pan, Jing; Xu, Yang Yang; Yang, Huan; Dong, Zehua; Liu, Hongfang

2018-01-01

Abstract Zn–air batteries are becoming the promising power sources for portable and wearable electronic devices and hybrid/electric vehicles because of their high specific energy density and the low cost for next‐generation green and sustainable energy technologies. An air electrode integrated with an oxygen electrocatalyst is the most important component and inevitably determines the performance and cost of a Zn–air battery. This article presents exciting advances and challenges related to air electrodes and their relatives. After a brief introduction of the Zn–air battery, the architectures and oxygen electrocatalysts of air electrodes and relevant electrolytes are highlighted in primary and rechargeable types with different configurations, respectively. Moreover, the individual components and major issues of flexible Zn–air batteries are also highlighted, along with the strategies to enhance the battery performance. Finally, a perspective for design, preparation, and assembly of air electrodes is proposed for the future innovations of Zn–air batteries with high performance. PMID:29721418

Advanced Architectures and Relatives of Air Electrodes in Zn-Air Batteries.

PubMed

Pan, Jing; Xu, Yang Yang; Yang, Huan; Dong, Zehua; Liu, Hongfang; Xia, Bao Yu

2018-04-01

Zn-air batteries are becoming the promising power sources for portable and wearable electronic devices and hybrid/electric vehicles because of their high specific energy density and the low cost for next-generation green and sustainable energy technologies. An air electrode integrated with an oxygen electrocatalyst is the most important component and inevitably determines the performance and cost of a Zn-air battery. This article presents exciting advances and challenges related to air electrodes and their relatives. After a brief introduction of the Zn-air battery, the architectures and oxygen electrocatalysts of air electrodes and relevant electrolytes are highlighted in primary and rechargeable types with different configurations, respectively. Moreover, the individual components and major issues of flexible Zn-air batteries are also highlighted, along with the strategies to enhance the battery performance. Finally, a perspective for design, preparation, and assembly of air electrodes is proposed for the future innovations of Zn-air batteries with high performance.

Sustainability of the Catalytic Activity of a Silica-Titania Composite (STC) for Long-Term Indoor Air Quality Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coutts, Janelle L.; Levine, Lanfang H.; Richards, Jeffrey T.

2011-01-01

TiO2-assisted photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) is an emerging technology for indoor air quality control and is also being evaluated as an alternative trace contaminant control technology for crew habitats in space exploration. Though there exists a vast range of literature on the development of photocatalysts and associated reactor systems, including catalyst performance and performance-influencing factors, the critical question of whether photocatalysts can sustain their initial catalytic activity over an extended period of operation has not been adequately addressed. For a catalyst to effectively serve as an air quality control product, it must be rugged enough to withstand exposure to a multitude of low concentration volatile organic compounds (VOCs) over long periods of time with minimal loss of activity. The objective of this study was to determine the functional lifetime of a promising photocatalyst - the silica-titania composite (STC) from Sol Gel Solutions, LLC in a real-world scenario. A bench-scale STC-packed annular reactor under continuous irradiation by a UV-A fluorescent black-light blue lamp ((lambda)max = 365 nm) was exposed to laboratory air continuously at an apparent contact time of 0.27 sand challenged with a known concentration of ethanol periodically to assess any changes in catalytic activity. Laboratory air was also episodically spiked with halocarbons (e.g., octafluoropropane), organosulfur compounds (e.g., sulfur hexafluoride), and organosilicons (e.g., siloxanes) to simulate accidental releases or leaks of such VOCs. Total organic carbon (TOC) loading and contaminant profiles of the laboratory air were also monitored. Changes in STC photocatalytic performance were evaluated using the ethanol mineralization rate, mineralization efficiency, and oxidation intermediate (acetaldehyde) formation. Results provide insights to any potential catalyst poisoning by trace halocarbons and organosulfur compounds.

NASA Ames Sustainability Initiatives: Aeronautics, Space Exploration, and Sustainable Futures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grymes, Rosalind A.

2015-01-01

In support of the mission-specific challenges of aeronautics and space exploration, NASA Ames produces a wealth of research and technology advancements with significant relevance to larger issues of planetary sustainability. NASA research on NexGen airspace solutions and its development of autonomous and intelligent technologies will revolutionize both the nation's air transporation systems and have applicability to the low altitude flight economy and to both air and ground transporation, more generally. NASA's understanding of the Earth as a complex of integrated systems contributes to humanity's perception of the sustainability of our home planet. Research at NASA Ames on closed environment life support systems produces directly applicable lessons on energy, water, and resource management in ground-based infrastructure. Moreover, every NASA campus is a 'city'; including an urbanscape and a workplace including scientists, human relations specialists, plumbers, engineers, facility managers, construction trades, transportation managers, software developers, leaders, financial planners, technologists, electricians, students, accountants, and even lawyers. NASA is applying the lessons of our mission-related activities to our urbanscapes and infrastructure, and also anticipates a leadership role in developing future environments for living and working in space.

Nigeria: Energy for sustainable development

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Eleri, E.O.

Though an essentially contested concept, it is safe to acknowledge that the attainment of sustainable development requires that the growth and well-being of present generations are brought about in such ways that the ability of future people to meet their own needs will not be compromised. The availability of safe and sound energy as a factor of production is a key element in such a development process. Despite the abundance of energy resources, acute shortages of energy services have become endemic in Nigeria. This paper reassesses the common proposition that energy has fueled growth and development in Nigeria by itsmore » role as the chief source of state revenue and through its input into economic activities in the country. It is argued here, however, that conventional energy management in Nigeria has tended to create development flaws of its own. The article is divided into six sections: 1st, a general account of the energy and development linkages in Nigeria; 2nd, the failures of these linkages are assessed; 3rd, policy initiatives are considered that would be reconcilable to the nation`s sustainable development; 4th, the present reform agenda, its inadequacies and barriers are surveyed; 5th, the achievement of sustainable development, it is argued, will demand the re-institutionalization of the political economy of the energy sector in Nigeria, which will depend largely on the resolution of the dilemmas and conflicts in the country`s broader political and economic reforms; and 6th, an outlook is suggested for future policy development.« less

Sustainable and safe design of footwear integrating ecological footprint and risk criteria.

PubMed

Herva, Marta; Álvarez, Antonio; Roca, Enrique

2011-09-15

The ecodesign of a product implies that different potential environmental impacts of diverse nature must be taken into account considering its whole life cycle, apart from the general design criteria (i.e. technical, functional, ergonomic, aesthetic or economic). In this sense, a sustainability assessment methodology, ecological footprint (EF), and environmental risk assessment (ERA), were combined for the first time to derive complementary criteria for the ecodesign of footwear. Four models of children's shoes were analyzed and compared. The synthetic shoes obtained a smaller EF (6.5 gm(2)) when compared to the leather shoes (11.1 gm(2)). However, high concentrations of hazardous substances were detected in the former, even making the Hazard Quotient (HQ) and the Cancer Risk (CR) exceed the recommended safety limits for one of the synthetic models analyzed. Risk criteria were prioritized in this case and, consequently, the design proposal was discarded. For the other cases, the perspective provided by the indicators of different nature was balanced to accomplish a fairest evaluation. The selection of fibers produced under sustainable criteria and the reduction of the materials consumption was recommended, since the area requirements would be minimized and the absence of hazardous compounds would ensure safety conditions during the use stage. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Behavioral Determinants of Switching to Arsenic-Safe Water Wells.

PubMed

George, Christine Marie; Inauen, Jennifer; Perin, Jamie; Tighe, Jennifer; Hasan, Khaled; Zheng, Yan

2017-02-01

More than 100 million people globally are estimated to be exposed to arsenic in drinking water that exceeds the World Health Organization guideline of 10 µg/L. In an effort to develop and test a low-cost sustainable approach for water arsenic testing in Bangladesh, we conducted a randomized controlled trial which found arsenic educational interventions when combined with fee-based water arsenic testing programs led to nearly all households buying an arsenic test for their drinking water sources (93%) compared with only 53% when fee-based arsenic testing alone was offered. The aim of the present study was to build on the findings of this trial by investigating prospectively the psychological factors that were most strongly associated with switching to arsenic-safe wells in response to these interventions. Our theoretical framework was the RANAS (risk, attitude, norm, ability, and self-regulation) model of behavior change. In the multivariate logistic regression model of 285 baseline unsafe well users, switching to an arsenic-safe water source was significantly associated with increased instrumental attitude (odds ratio [OR] = 9.12; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.85, 45.00]), descriptive norm (OR = 34.02; 95% CI = [6.11, 189.45]), coping planning (OR = 11.59; 95% CI = [3.82, 35.19]), and commitment (OR = 10.78; 95% CI = [2.33, 49.99]). In addition, each additional minute from the nearest arsenic-safe drinking water source reduced the odds of switching to an arsenic-safe well by more than 10% (OR = 0.89; 95% CI = [0.87, 0.92]). Future arsenic mitigation programs should target these behavioral determinants of switching to arsenic-safe water sources.

Cool and Safe: Multiplicity in Safe Innovation at Unilever

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Penders, Bart

2011-01-01

This article presents the making of a safe innovation: the application of ice structuring protein (ISP) in edible ices. It argues that safety is not the absence of risk but is an active accomplishment; innovations are not "made safe afterward" but "safe innovations are made". Furthermore, there are multiple safeties to be accomplished in the…

An Integrated Safety Analysis Methodology for Emerging Air Transport Technologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kostiuk, Peter F.; Adams, Milton B.; Allinger, Deborah F.; Rosch, Gene; Kuchar, James

1998-01-01

The continuing growth of air traffic will place demands on NASA's Air Traffic Management (ATM) system that cannot be accommodated without the creation of significant delays and economic impacts. To deal with this situation, work has begun to develop new approaches to providing a safe and economical air transportation infrastructure. Many of these emerging air transport technologies will represent radically new approaches to ATM, both for ground and air operations.

Challenges of Integrating Affordable and Sustainable Housing in Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Syed Jamaludin, S. Z. H.; Mahayuddin, S. A.; Hamid, S. H. A.

2018-04-01

Developing countries including Malaysia have begun to comprehend the needs for affordable and sustainable housing development. The majority of the population is still aspiring for a comfortable, safe and reasonably priced house. Households in the low-middle income range face difficulties to find housing that can satisfy their needs and budget. Unfortunately, most of the housing development programs are considering affordability rather than sustainable aspects. Furthermore, developers are more interested in profit and neglect sustainability issues. Thus, the aim of this paper is to review the challenges in integrating affordable housing and sustainable practices in Malaysia. This paper is produced based on an extensive literature review as a basis to develop strategies of integrated affordable and sustainable housing in Malaysia. The challenges are divided into four sections, namely market challenges, professional challenges, societal challenges and technological challenges. The outcomes of this paper will assist in the decision making involving housing development and in enhancing quality of life for sustainable communities.

Transition to Sustainability: Science Support Through Characterizing and Quantifying Sustainability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plag, Hans-Peter; Jules-Plag, Shelley

2013-04-01

Humanity's sustainability crisis caused by a growing, resource-demanding population on a finite, rapidly changing planet challenges us with large uncertainties. While some see the planet on the edge, it is more likely that humanity as a global species is on the edge. However, science, Earth observations, and socio-economic data do not provide clear indications of where this edge is, and how close we are to this edge. The instruments in the cockpit of a modern airplane provide more relevant and actionable information to the pilots than the "cockpit" of planet Earth provides to those involved in the governance of our planet. There is no manual for those responsible to keep us on a track within the "safe operational space" of humanity. What science and research is needed to make progress towards a future, where knowledge of sustainability and resilience allows for an evidence-based, adaptive policy and decision-making? Paradoxically, innovation over the recent decades have worsened the sustainablity crisis, but more innovation is imperative to bring us out of it. The comprehensive, conceptual framework for sustainability research that would provide an umbrella identifying the key challenges and a basis for this innovation seems to be missing. Defining sustainability as a characteristic of a process that can be maintained at a certain level indefinitely, we need to agree in a societal deliberation on a few aspects, including what processes we want to consider (the anthroposphere as embedded in the Earth system?), what time frames we want to aim at (not infinity, but very long time frames, e.g., 10,000 years?), and what spatial scales we need to look at (from local to global?). Most importantly, we need to acknowledge that humanity's sustainability is the result of intertwined social, economic, and environmental (s2e) processes that can not be separate. The research then has to clarify in the s2e context what are the attributes of sustainability, the relevant processes

Laser-initiated ordnance for air-to-air missiles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sumpter, David R.

1993-01-01

McDonnell Douglas Missile Systems Company (MDMSC) has developed a laser ignition subsystem (LIS) for air-to-air missile applications. The MDMSC subsystem is designed to activate batteries, unlock fins, and sequence propulsion system events. The subsystem includes Pyro Zirconium Pump (PZP) lasers, mechanical Safe & Arm, fiber-optic distribution system, and optically activated pyrotechnic devices (initiators, detonators, and thermal batteries). The LIS design has incorporated testability features for the laser modules, drive electronics, fiber-optics, and pyrotechnics. Several of the LIS have been fabricated and have supported thermal battery testing, integral rocket ramjet testing, and have been integrated into integral rocket ramjet flight test vehicles as part of the flight control subsystem.

[Safe school].

PubMed

Liberal, Edson Ferreira; Aires, Roberto Tschoepke; Aires, Mariana Tschoepke; Osório, Ana Carla de Albuquerque

2005-11-01

To review the strategies to make school a safe environment. The paper first addresses the social context of accidents and violence in the school environment, and makes recommendations, based on the literature data, for the implementation of safe schools. Articles published between 1993 and 2005 in the MEDLINE database. Brazilian epidemiological and literature data have also been searched. There is growing evidence that intervention has multiple components, focusing on health education practices, with the participation of the whole community. The aim of those interventions is to help students and community members to adopt healthy and safe behaviors. Schools are taking on an increasing role in health promotion, disease prevention, and injury prevention. In the context of prevention of external causes of morbidity and mortality, it is important to recognize a risky environment, places, and risk behaviors as favorable to injury and violence, as well as the concept of accident as something one can avoid. Implementation of safe schools represents a promising new direction for school-based preventive work. It is important to note that a safe school should intervene not only in its physical structure, but it should also make it as safe as possible by gathering the school community through health education, and mainly encouraging healthy behavior.

Air-Based Remediation Workshop - Section 7 Sustainable Remediation And Air-Based Technologies

EPA Science Inventory

Pursuant to the EPA-AIT Implementing Arrangement 7 for Technical Environmental Collaboration, Activity 11 "Remediation of Contaminated Sites, " the USEPA Office of International Affairs Organized a Forced Air Remediation Workshop in Taipei to deliver expert training to the Enviro...

Developing sustainable transportation performance measures for TXDOT's strategic plan : technical report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-04-01

For this research project, sustainable transportation can be viewed as the provision of safe, effective, and : efficient access and mobility into the future while considering economic, social, and environmental needs. : This project developed a perfo...

Application of color to reduce complexity in air traffic control.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-11-01

The United States Air Traffic Control (ATC) system is designed to provide for the safe and efficient flow of air : traffic from origin to destination. The Federal Aviation Administration predicts that traffic levels will continue : increasing over th...

Investigation of safe-life fail-safe criteria for the space shuttle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

An investigation was made to determine the effects of a safe-life design approach and a fail-safe design approach on the space shuttle booster vehicle structure, and to recommend any changes to the structural design criteria. Two configurations of the booster vehicle were considered, one incorporating a delta wing (B-9U configuration) and the other a swept wing (B-16B configuration). Several major structural components of the booster were studied to determine the fatigue life, safe-life, and fail-safe capabilities of the baseline design. Each component was investigated to determine the practicability of applying a safe-life or fail-safe design philosophy, the changes such design approaches might require, and the impact of these changes on weight, cost, development plans, and performance.

The effect of frontal air bags on eye injury patterns in automobile crashes.

PubMed

Duma, Stefan M; Jernigan, M Virginia; Stitzel, Joel D; Herring, Ian P; Crowley, John S; Brozoski, Fred T; Bass, Cameron R

2002-11-01

To investigate eye injuries resulting from frontal automobile crashes and to determine the effects of frontal air bags. The National Automotive Sampling System database files from January 1, 1993, through December 31, 1999, were examined in a 3-part study that included an investigation of 22 236 individual crashes that occurred in the United States. A new 4-level eye injury severity scale that quantifies injuries based on recovery time, need for surgery, and possible loss of sight was developed. Of all occupants who were exposed to an air bag deployment, 3% sustained an eye injury. In contrast, 2% of occupants not exposed to an air bag deployment sustained an eye injury. A closer examination of the type of eye injuries showed that there was a statistically significant increase in the risk of corneal abrasions for occupants who were exposed to an air bag compared with those who were not (P =.03). Of occupants exposed to an air bag deployment, 0.5% sustained a corneal abrasion compared with 0.04% of occupants who were not exposed to an air bag. Using the new injury levels, it was shown that although occupants exposed to an air bag deployment had a higher risk of sustaining minor eye injuries, the air bag appears to have provided a beneficial exchange by reducing the number of severe eye injuries.

A Novel Concept for Safe, Stiffness-Controllable Robot Links.

PubMed

Stilli, Agostino; Wurdemann, Helge A; Althoefer, Kaspar

2017-03-01

The recent decade has seen an astounding increase of interest and advancement in a new field of robotics, aimed at creating structures specifically for the safe interaction with humans. Softness, flexibility, and variable stiffness in robotics have been recognized as highly desirable characteristics for many applications. A number of solutions were proposed ranging from entirely soft robots (such as those composed mainly from soft materials such as silicone), via flexible continuum and snake-like robots, to rigid-link robots enhanced by joints that exhibit an elastic behavior either implemented in hardware or achieved purely by means of intelligent control. Although these are very good solutions paving the path to safe human-robot interaction, we propose here a new approach that focuses on creating stiffness controllability for the linkages between the robot joints. This article proposes a replacement for the traditionally rigid robot link-the new link is equipped with an additional capability of stiffness controllability. With this added feature, a robot can accurately carry out manipulation tasks (high stiffness), but can virtually instantaneously reduce its stiffness when a human is nearby or in contact with the robot. The key point of the invention described here is a robot link made of an airtight chamber formed by a soft and flexible, but high-strain resistant combination of a plastic mesh and silicone wall. Inflated with air to a high pressure, the mesh silicone chamber behaves like a rigid link; reducing the air pressure, softens the link and rendering the robot structure safe. This article investigates a number of link prototypes and shows the feasibility of the new concept. Stiffness tests have been performed, showing that a significant level of stiffness can be achieved-up to 40 N reaction force along the axial direction, for a 25-mm-diameter sample at 60 kPa, at an axial deformation of 5 mm. The results confirm that this novel concept to linkages

Safe Zones: Creating LGBT Safe Space Ally Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poynter, Kerry John; Tubbs, Nancy Jean

2008-01-01

This article discusses model LGBT Safe Space Ally programs. These programs, often called "Safe Zones," include self selected students, faculty, and employees who publicly show support by displaying stickers, signs, and other identifiable items. Issues covered in the article include history, development, training, membership, assessment, and…

Indoor Air Quality in Schools

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This web site will educate the public about indoor environmental issues specific to educational facilities and the importance of developing and sustaining comprehensive indoor air quality management programs.

Using cold air for reducing needle-injection pain.

PubMed

Al-Qarqaz, Firas; Al-Aboosi, Mustafa; Al-shiyab, Diala; Al Dabbagh, Ziad

2012-07-01

Pain is associated with skin injections. Reducing injection-associated pain is important especially when multiple injections are needed in difficult areas, such as the palms. We present a new safe application for cold air used in laser therapy. The main objectives of this study are to see whether cold air can reduce needle-injection pain and to evaluate the safety of this new application. Patients undergoing skin injection (n=40) were included. Assessment of pain level using visual analog scale (VAS) was done using cold air and again without cold air in the same patient. Comparison of pain scores was performed. Thirty-three patients had lower VAS scores using cold air. Five patients had worse VAS scores, and two patients did not have any change in their pain score. In the group of patients where injections were made to the palms (n=5), there was even more reduction in VAS scores. There were no significant immediate or delayed side effects. Cold air seems to be useful in reducing needle-injection pain in the majority of patients, especially in the palms. This procedure is safe, apart from immediate tolerable discomfort when used around the nose. © 2012 The International Society of Dermatology.

Self-sustaining intense vortices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carrier, G.; Fendell, F.; Mitchell, J.; Bronstein, M.

1994-10-01

We seek to identify an accessible observable for anticipating tornadogenesis in mesocyclones, because such tornadoes are characterized by exceptionally extended lifespan, exceptionally long and wide path, and exceptionally high wind speed. We associate tornadogenesis with the transition from a one-cell vortex to a two-cell vortex. After such a transition, the core (“eye”) of the vortex consists of virtually nonrotating, slowly recirculating, relatively dry air. Rapidly swirling air swiftly ascends in an annulus (“eyewall”), situated at a small but finite distance from the axis of rotation. The swiftly ascending air is described by a locus of thermodynamic states well approximated by a moist adiabat. Such a transition from a one-cell vortex to a two-cell vortex, on vastly large lateral scale, is known to characterize the intensification of a tropical storm to a typhoon. We adopt a simplified, tractable model for our initial analytic efforts. We examine a quasisteady axisymmetric vortex with a four-part structure, consisting of a bulk potential vortex, a near-ground inflow layer, an “eyewall”, and an “eye”. We inquire under what conditions such a four-part intense vortex, formed in convectively unstable stratified air, is self-sustaining. In particular, we inquire whether the vertical profile of the angular momentum outside of the eyewall is a discriminant for identifying the conditions for which an intense (two-cell) vortex could be self-sustaining. Guidance from laboratory experiments would be helpful concerning the turnaround (the portion of the flow field in which the near-ground swirling inflow separates to form the swirling updraft of the eyewall annulus).

Economic transition and environmental sustainability: effects of economic restructuring on air pollution in the Russian Federation.

PubMed

Cherp, Aleg; Kopteva, Irina; Mnatsakanian, Ruben

2003-06-01

Economic liberalization in former socialist countries may have various implications for their environmental sustainability. Positive effects of this process are potentially associated with improved efficiency, investments into cleaner technologies, responsiveness to environmentally aware markets, and ending subsidies to heavy industries. On the other hand, market liberalization may result in weaker environmental controls, economic instabilities distracting attention from environmental issues, and increasing orientation towards profit-making leading to more intensive exploitation of natural resources. In addition, trade liberalization may result in shifts towards more pollution and resource-intensive industries. This article seeks to quantify effects of economic restructuring in Russia on air pollution from productive economic sectors in the 1990s. Air pollution in Russia had significantly declined in 1991-1999, however, this decline was largely due to economic decline, as the overall pollution intensity of the economy had decreased only slightly. The factors that affected the pollution intensity are: (1) a decrease in the combined share of industrial and transport activities in the economy and (2) changing pollution intensities of the industrial and transport sectors. The pollution intensity of the Russian industry had remained relatively stable during the 1990s. This was the result of the two opposite and mutually canceling trends: (a) increasing shares of pollution-intensive branches such as metal smelting and oil production vs. less pollution intensive manufacturing and (b) decline in pollution intensities within the industrial branches. The article proposes a methodology by which the contribution of both factors to the overall pollution intensity of the industrial sector can be quantified. The pollution intensity of the Russian transport sector appears to have declined in the first half of the 1990s and increased in the second half. The most recent trend can be

Green remediation. Tool for safe and sustainable environment: a review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Mamta; Pant, Gaurav; Hossain, Kaizar; Bhatia, A. K.

2017-10-01

Nowadays, the bioremediation of toxic pollutants is a subject of interest in terms of health issues and environmental cleaning. In the present review, an eco-friendly, cost-effective approach is discussed for the detoxification of environmental pollutants by the means of natural purifier, i.e., blue-green algae over the conventional methods. Industrial wastes having toxic pollutants are not able to eliminate completely by existing the conventional techniques; in fact, these methods can only change their form rather than the entire degradation. These pollutants have an adverse effect on aquatic life, such as fauna and flora, and finally harm human life directly or indirectly. Cyanobacterial approach for the removal of this contaminant is an efficient tool for sustainable development and pollution control. Cyanobacteria are the primary consumers of food chain which absorbed complex toxic compounds from environments and convert them to simple nontoxic compounds which finally protect higher food chain consumer and eliminate risk of pollution. In addition, these organisms have capability to solve secondary pollution, as they can remediate radioactive compound, petroleum waste and degrade toxins from pesticides.

A method of calculating the safe fatigue life of compact, highly-stressed components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cardick, Arthur W.; Pike, Vera J.

1994-01-01

This paper describes a method which has been developed for estimating the safe fatigue life of compact, highly-stressed and inaccessible components for aeroplanes and helicopters of the Royal Air Force. It is explained why the Design Requirements for British Military Aircraft do not favor the use of a damage-tolerance approach in these circumstances.

[Air travel during pregnancy].

PubMed

Rabinerson, David; Ninio, Avraham; Glezerman, Marek

2008-04-01

Nowadays, millions of people travel by air every day and it is common to find pregnant women among the passengers. Travelling during pregnancy raises the question of the woman's safety during the flight. This is due to the risk of exposure to cosmic radiation, the drop in air pressure, and the possibility of thromboembolism due to seating conditions and flight duration. Other risks include obstetric emergencies, such as hemorrhage, premature contractions and actual labor. Further issues associated with air travel during pregnancy have to do with the safety of pregnant aircrew, if emergency evacuation becomes necessary and the airline's view regarding the admittance of pregnant women on flights. We discuss these issues extensively in our review. We conclude that for a healthy woman whose pregnancy involves no risk factors, air travel is safe up to the 36th gestational week.

AEROMEDICAL EVACUATION: CLINICALLY PREPARING AIR FORCE FLIGHT NURSES

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-10

AU/ACSC/2016 AIR COMMAND AND STAFF COLLEGE AIR UNIVERSITY AEROMEDICAL EVACUATION: CLINICALLY PREPARING AIR FORCE FLIGHT NURSES by Michael...15 Figure 6: Patient Movement Visibility……………………………………………………..……16 Figure 7: Clinical Flight Nursing Qualification Criteria...treating each patient’s malady. Flight nurses ensure patients receive safe transport and are treated with dignity. For military members required

Bee guide to complying with the Safe Drinking Water Act. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Garland, J.G.; Acker, A.M.

This report provides current information on the Safe Drinking Water Act and recent amendments. The report describes the evolution of the Safe Drinking Water Act and the responsibilities of base personnel involved in compliance with the Act. It also describes the monitoring requirements, analytical requirements, best available technology for controlling contaminants, and public notification requirements for regulated contaminants. The appendixes include proposed contaminants and state water quality agencies. Each Air Force public water distribution system (PWDS) must comply with the SDWA, and the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWRs). In the United States and its territories, the provisions of themore » SDWA and the NPDWRs are enforced by the states except in the few instances in which the state has not been delegated primary enforcement responsibility (primacy) by the EPA. States that have primacy may establish drinking water regulations, monitoring schedules, and reporting requirements more stringent than, or in addition to, those in the NPDWRs. Air Force public water systems in these states are required to comply with these additional requirements as well as federal enforcement actions as carried out by the EPA Regional Office.« less

CREST-SAFE: Snow LST validation, wetness profiler creation, and depth/SWE product development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perez Diaz, C. L.; Lakhankar, T.; Romanov, P.; Khanbilvardi, R.; Munoz Barreto, J.; Yu, Y.

2017-12-01

CREST-SAFE: Snow LST validation, wetness profiler creation, and depth/SWE product development The Field Snow Research Station (also referred to as Snow Analysis and Field Experiment, SAFE) is operated by the NOAA Center for Earth System Sciences and Remote Sensing Technologies (CREST) in the City University of New York (CUNY). The field station is located within the premises of the Caribou Municipal Airport (46°52'59'' N, 68°01'07'' W) and in close proximity to the National Weather Service (NWS) Regional Forecast Office. The station was established in 2010 to support studies in snow physics and snow remote sensing. The Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Land Surface Temperature (LST) Environmental Data Record (EDR) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) LST product (provided by the Terra and Aqua Earth Observing System satellites) were validated using in situ LST (T-skin) and near-surface air temperature (T-air) observations recorded at CREST-SAFE for the winters of 2013 and 2014. Results indicate that T-air correlates better than T-skin with VIIRS LST data and that the accuracy of nighttime LST retrievals is considerably better than that of daytime. Several trends in the MODIS LST data were observed, including the underestimation of daytime values and night-time values. Results indicate that, although all the data sets showed high correlation with ground measurements, day values yielded slightly higher accuracy ( 1°C). Additionally, we created a liquid water content (LWC)-profiling instrument using time-domain reflectometry (TDR) at CREST-SAFE and tested it during the snow melt period (February-April) immediately after installation in 2014. Results displayed high agreement when compared to LWC estimates obtained using empirical formulas developed in previous studies, and minor improvement over wet snow LWC estimates. Lastly, to improve on global snow cover mapping, a snow product capable of estimating snow depth and snow water

Safe Schools, Safe Communities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Julie E.; Pickett, Dean; Pulliam, Janet L.; Schwartz, Richard A.; St. Germaine, Anne-Marie; Underwood, Julie; Worona, Jay

Schools must work together with agencies, groups, and individuals to eliminate the forces leading children to violence. Chapter 1, "School Safety: Working Together to Keep Schools Safe," stresses the importance of community collaboration in violence prevention. Effective prevention requires sharing information about students, consistent…

Sustainability Infused Curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibarra, D. L.

2015-12-01

The Independent Schools Foundation Academy (ISF) in Hong Kong established a sustainability policy in 2015, which explicitly states, "an experimentally integrated, environmentally and ethically sustainable system of science education and conservation practices based on the 2012 Jeju Declaration of the World Conservation Congress will be implemented through the school". ISF Academy is a private Chinese bilingual school in Hong Kong serving over 1500 students K-12, following the framework and curriculum of the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). The strategy behind the implementation of this policy includes: development of a scientific sustainable curriculum that is age appropriate; establish a culture of sustainability within the ISF community and beyond to the wider HK community; install sustainable infrastructure that allows students to learn; and learn first hand sustainable living practices. It is well understood that solutions to the environmental challenges facing Hong Kong and our planet will require multiple disciplines. The current sustainability programs at ISF include: a) a whole school aerobic food waste composting system and organic farming, b) energy consumption monitoring of existing buildings, c) upcoming installation of an air pollution monitoring equipment that will correlate with the AQHI data collected by the Hong Kong government, d) a Renewable Energy Education Center (REEC) that will teach students about RE and also produce solar energy for classroom consumption, and e) student lead environmental group that manages the paper and used cooking oil recycling on campus. The Shuyuan Science and Sustainability faculty work closely with classroom teachers to ensure that the above mentioned projects are incorporated into the curriculum throughout the school. Interdisciplinary units (IDU) of study are being developed that encourage faculty and students to work across subject areas. Projects include Personal Projects, Extended Essays

Evaluating the sustainability of space life support systems: case study on air revitalisation systems ARES and BIORAT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suomalainen, Emilia; Erkman, Suren

Space life support systems can be taken as kinds of miniature models of industrial systems found on Earth. The term "industrial" is employed here in a generic sense, referring to all human technological activities. The time scale as well as the physical scope of space life support systems is reduced compared to most terrestrial systems and so is consequently their complexity. These systems can thus be used as a kind of a "laboratory of sustainability" to examine concerns related to the environmental sustainability of industrial systems and in particular to their resource use. Two air revitalisation systems, ARES and BIORAT, were chosen as the test cases of our study. They represent respectively a physico-chemical and a biological life support system. In order to analyse the sustainability of these systems, we began by constructing a generic system representation applicable to both these systems (and to others). The metabolism of the systems was analysed by performing Material Flow Analyses—MFA is a tool frequently employed on terrestrial systems in the field of industrial ecology. Afterwards, static simulation models were developed for both ARES and BIORAT, focusing, firstly, on the oxygen balances of the systems and, secondly, on the total mass balances. It was also necessary to define sustainability indicators adapted to space life support systems in order to evaluate and to compare the performances of ARES and BIORAT. The defined indicators were partly inspired from concepts used in Material Flow Accounting and they were divided into four broad categories: 1. recycling and material use efficiency, 2. autarky and coverage time, 3. resource use and waste creation, and 4. system mass and energy consumption. The preliminary results of our analyses show that the performance of BIORAT is superior compared to ARES in terms of the defined resource use indicators. BIORAT seems especially effective in reprocessing carbon dioxide created by human metabolism. The

Impacts of air pollution wave on years of life lost: A crucial way to communicate the health risks of air pollution to the public.

PubMed

Huang, Jing; Pan, Xiaochuan; Guo, Xinbiao; Li, Guoxing

2018-04-01

Limited studies have explored the impacts of exposure to sustained high levels of air pollution (air pollution wave) on mortality. Given that the frequency, intensity and duration of air pollution wave has been increasing in highly polluted regions recently, understanding the impacts of air pollution wave is crucial. In this study, air pollution wave was defined as 2 or more consecutive days with air pollution index (API) > 100. The impacts of air pollution wave on years of life lost (YLL) due to non-accidental, cardiovascular and respiratory deaths were evaluated by considering both consecutive days with high levels of air pollution and daily air pollution levels in Tianjin, China, from 2006 to 2011. The results showed the durational effect of consecutive days with high levels of air pollution was substantial in addition to the effect of daily air pollution. For instance, the durational effect was related to an increase in YLL of 116.6 (95% CI: 4.8, 228.5) years from non-accidental deaths when the air pollution wave was sustained for 4 days, while the corresponding daily air pollution's effect was 121.2 (95% CI: 55.2, 187.1) years. A better interpretation of the health risks of air pollution wave is crucial for air pollution control policy making and public health interventions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bringing hands-on exploration of air quality technology to the ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This is an educational presentation to the OAQPS Teachers Workshop on the PM sensor kit and other related air technology educational activities. This workshop for teachers and other educators includes topics, such as: how EPA manages air quality, the environmental health effects and risks of air pollution, climate change, and sustainability solutions and more. Attendees will also build a DYI Sensor kit and explore energy choices and the environment when they play the interactive board game developed by EPA scientists called Generate! This workshop for teachers and other educators includes topics, such as: how EPA manages air quality, the environmental health effects and risks of air pollution, climate change and sustainability and more. Attendees will also build a DYI Sensor kit and explore energy choices and the environment when they play the interactive board game developed by EPA scientists called Generate!

Air and Pesticides

Science.gov Websites

Pesticides and Human Health Pesticide Incidents What Happens to Pesticides Released into the Environment Pesticides and Human Health Pesticide Incidents What Happens to Pesticides Released into the Environment ; Environment Human Health Animal Health Safe Use Practices Food Safety Environment Air Water Soil Wildlife

Air Traffic Management Research at NASA Ames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Thomas J.

2012-01-01

The Aviation Systems Division at the NASA Ames Research Center conducts leading edge research in air traffic management concepts and technologies. This overview will present concepts and simulation results for research in traffic flow management, safe and efficient airport surface operations, super density terminal area operations, separation assurance and system wide modeling and simulation. A brief review of the ongoing air traffic management technology demonstration (ATD-1) will also be presented. A panel discussion, with Mr. Davis serving as a panelist, on air traffic research will follow the briefing.

Injuries of the spine sustained whilst surfboard riding.

PubMed

Dimmick, Simon; Brazier, Daivd; Wilson, Peter; Anderson, Suzanne E

2013-01-01

Surfboard riding is a popular sport worldwide. Although surfing is considered a 'safe' pastime, significant injuries do occur, particularly to the head and cervical spine. Spinal injuries most commonly occur when the surfer's head strikes the seafloor. This case series identifies the spectrum of spinal pathologies sustained whilst surfing and their imaging appearances. No similar study has previously been published.

Smart aircraft fastener evaluation (SAFE) system: a condition-based corrosion detection system for aging aircraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schoess, Jeffrey N.; Seifert, Greg; Paul, Clare A.

1996-05-01

The smart aircraft fastener evaluation (SAFE) system is an advanced structural health monitoring effort to detect and characterize corrosion in hidden and inaccessible locations of aircraft structures. Hidden corrosion is the number one logistics problem for the U.S. Air Force, with an estimated maintenance cost of $700M per year in 1990 dollars. The SAFE system incorporates a solid-state electrochemical microsensor and smart sensor electronics in the body of a Hi-Lok aircraft fastener to process and autonomously report corrosion status to aircraft maintenance personnel. The long-term payoff for using SAFE technology will be in predictive maintenance for aging aircraft and rotorcraft systems, fugitive emissions applications such as control valves, chemical pipeline vessels, and industrial boilers. Predictive maintenance capability, service, and repair will replace the current practice of scheduled maintenance to substantially reduce operational costs. A summary of the SAFE concept, laboratory test results, and future field test plans is presented.

Effectiveness of intercropping with soybean as a sustainable farming practice to maintain food production and reduce air pollution in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fung, K. M.; Tai, A. P. K.; Yong, T.; Liu, X.

2016-12-01

Agriculture provides the majority of human food sources, but is also an important contributor to an array of environmental problems including air pollution. In China, 96% of ammonia emissions come from agricultural activities, and emitted ammonia contributes more than 20% of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) mass concentrations, with substantial ramification for human health and visibility. Sustainable farming practices that reduce ammonia emissions may therefore have the potential to secure both food production and environmental quality. Intercropping, as such a practice, allows different crops to grow on the same field simultaneously side-by-side. Studies show that it enhances crop yield due to mutualistic crop-crop interactions especially when one of the crops is a legume such as soybean. Below-ground nutrient competition promotes greater nitrogen fixation by soybean, which then induces a greater supply of soil nitrogen not only for soybean itself but also for the other non-nitrogen-fixing crop. To capture this co-benefit, the DNDC biogeochemical model is modified to include the interactive effects between intercropped soybean and maize. We conduct model experiments to compare the performance of a maize-soybean intercropping system and their respective monoculture system in different regions of China. We find that, with intercropping, maize yield can be maintained with only 64% of default fertilizer input, an extra batch of soybean production, and a 52% reduction in ammonia emission, which we calculate to be equivalent to a US$0.94 billion saving per year in terms of pollution-induced health costs. We further estimate the downstream effects on air quality in China using the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model. By reducing ammonia emissions according to the DNDC-simulated results, we find that if maize-soybean intercropping is practiced nationwide, concentrations of ammonium and nitrate in eastern China can be reduced by approximately 4.9% (0.63 μg m-3) and 6.8% (2

Rational and Safe Design of Concrete Transportation Structures for Size Effect and Multi-Decade Sustainability

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-10-01

The overall goal of this project was to improve the safety and sustainability in the design of large : prestressed concrete bridges and other transportation structures. The safety of large concrete : structures, including bridges, has been insufficie...

Footprints of air pollution and changing environment on the sustainability of built infrastructure.

PubMed

Kumar, Prashant; Imam, Boulent

2013-02-01

Over 150 research articles relating three multi-disciplinary topics (air pollution, climate change and civil engineering structures) are reviewed to examine the footprints of air pollution and changing environment on the sustainability of building and transport structures (referred as built infrastructure). The aim of this review is to synthesize the existing knowledge on this topic, highlight recent advances in our understanding and discuss research priorities. The article begins with the background information on sources and emission trends of global warming (CO(2), CH(4), N(2)O, CFCs, SF(6)) and corrosive (SO(2), O(3), NO(X)) gases and their role in deterioration of building materials (e.g. steel, stone, concrete, brick and wood) exposed in outdoor environments. Further section covers the impacts of climate- and pollution-derived chemical pathways, generally represented by dose-response functions (DRFs), and changing environmental conditions on built infrastructure. The article concludes with the discussions on the topic areas covered and research challenges. A comprehensive inventory of DRFs is compiled. The case study carried out for analysing the inter-comparability of various DRFs on four different materials (carbon steel, limestone, zinc and copper) produced comparable results. Results of another case study revealed that future projected changes in temperature and/or relatively humidity are expected to have a modest effect on the material deterioration rate whereas changes in precipitation were found to show a more dominant impact. Evidences suggest that both changing and extreme environmental conditions are expected to affect the integrity of built infrastructure both in terms of direct structural damage and indirect losses of transport network functionality. Unlike stone and metals, substantially limited information is available on the deterioration of brick, concrete and wooden structures. Further research is warranted to develop more robust and

The University Case for Sustainability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bacow, Lawrence; Moomaw, William

2007-01-01

The path from environmental regulation to sustainable institutions has not been a smooth one. By the 1960s, it was clear that the environment was in trouble, with severe air and water pollution, the casual disposal of toxic waste, mountains of garbage, and the loss of many species of plants and animals. The response was a series of restrictive…

Bioenergy Sustainability Analysis | Bioenergy | NREL

Science.gov Websites

and bioenergy systems produce benefits and also impacts to air, water, and land locally, regionally overlap are photos of water, a tree branch with a city in the background, two children walking in a field photo and contains the text: Environmental Sustainability: Climate, Soil quality, Water quality and

Maintaining and restoring sustainable ecosystems in southern Nevada [Chapter 7

Treesearch

Jeanne C. Chambers; Burton K. Pendleton; Donald W. Sada; Steven M. Ostoja; Matthew L. Brooks

2013-01-01

Managers in southern Nevada are challenged with determining appropriate goals and objectives and developing viable approaches for maintaining and restoring sustainable ecosystems in a time of rapid socio-ecological and environmental change. Sustainable or “healthy” ecosystems supply clean air, water and habitat for a diverse array of plants and animals. As described in...

Environmental education: Ensuring a sustainable future

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rogers, D.P.; Lee, J.C.

1997-12-31

It is important to remember that personal actions and decisions have a significant impact on the environment. Although they may sometimes forget, today`s school children are the policy and decision makers of tomorrow. Today`s students must be exposed to factual information about the environment so they will be able to make responsible and informed ecological decisions. Since the National Environmental Education Act was signed into law in 1990, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken an active role in ensuring a sustainable future through environmental education. Through its education programs, the EPA strives to increase environmental literacy throughout the countrymore » and encourages young people to pursue careers in math, science, engineering, communications, and other fields essential to a sustainable environment. The US Environmental Protection Agency`s Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS), located in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, is an international center for air quality research and information. One of the ways OAQPS invests in the environmental preservation of the Nation is through unique environmental education programs that target teachers and students of all ages. To be sure that environmental education programs incorporate a complete look at the environment, including issues associated with air quality, the EPA works with North Carolina teachers and students through the Education and Outreach Group`s Environmental Education Program. The EPA recognizes that the key to a sustainable future is engaging teachers and others in significant environmental education experiences. They will in turn instill a sense of environmental stewardship in America`s young people. There is hope that by the year 2000, every citizen will be fluent in the principles of ecology.« less

Urban air pollution in Sub-Saharan Africa: Time for action.

PubMed

Amegah, A Kofi; Agyei-Mensah, Samuel

2017-01-01

Air quality in cities of Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries has deteriorated with the situation driven by rapid population growth and its attendant increased vehicle ownership, increased use of solid fuels for cooking and heating, and poor waste management practices. Industrial expansion in these cities is also a major contributor to the worsening air pollution. Exposure to ambient air pollution is a major threat to human health in SSA with 176,000 deaths and 626,000 DALYs in the region attributable to ambient air pollution exposure. These estimates are however likely to be much higher than reported due to the limited data emanating from the region. Recently, the adoption of the World Health Assembly resolution on air pollution and health, and Sustainable Development Goals are a welcome boost for urban air pollution control efforts in SSA. In this article, we have outlined within the broad framework of these international policy instruments, measures for addressing urban air pollution and its associated health impacts in SSA sustainably. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

76 FR 52731 - On-Line Complaint Form for Service-Related Issues in Air Transportation

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-23

... for Service-Related Issues in Air Transportation AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Department of... consumer protection and civil rights laws and regulations related to air transportation. The Enforcement... travelers, and to ensure safe and adequate service in air transportation. Filing a complaint using a web...

Environmental Sustainability and Mold Hygiene in Buildings

PubMed Central

Ng, Tsz Wai; Lai, Ka Man

2018-01-01

Environmental sustainability is one of the key issues in building management. In Hong Kong, one of the initiatives is to reduce the operation hours of air-conditioning in buildings to cut down energy consumption. In this study, we reported a mold contamination case in a newly refurbished laboratory, in which the air-conditioner was switched from 24- to 18-h mode after refurbishment. In order to prevent mold recurrence, the air-conditioner was switched back to 24-h mode in the laboratory. During the mold investigation, visible mold patches in the laboratory were searched and then cultured, counted and identified. Building and environmental conditions were recorded, and used to deduce different causes of mold contamination. Eight contaminated sites including a wall, a bench, some metal and plastic surfaces and seven types of molds including two Cladosporium spp., two Aspergillus spp., one Rhizopus sp., one Trichoderma sp., and one Tritirachium sp. were identified. Cladosporium spp. were the most abundant and frequently found molds in the laboratory. The contaminated areas could have one to five different species on them. Based on the mold and environmental conditions, several scenarios causing the mold contamination were deduced, and different mold control measures were discussed to compare them with the current solution of using 24-h air-conditioning to control mold growth. This study highlights the importance of mold hygiene in sustainable building management. PMID:29617339

Environmental Sustainability and Mold Hygiene in Buildings.

PubMed

Wu, Haoxiang; Ng, Tsz Wai; Wong, Jonathan Wc; Lai, Ka Man

2018-04-04

Environmental sustainability is one of the key issues in building management. In Hong Kong, one of the initiatives is to reduce the operation hours of air-conditioning in buildings to cut down energy consumption. In this study, we reported a mold contamination case in a newly refurbished laboratory, in which the air-conditioner was switched from 24- to 18-h mode after refurbishment. In order to prevent mold recurrence, the air-conditioner was switched back to 24-h mode in the laboratory. During the mold investigation, visible mold patches in the laboratory were searched and then cultured, counted and identified. Building and environmental conditions were recorded, and used to deduce different causes of mold contamination. Eight contaminated sites including a wall, a bench, some metal and plastic surfaces and seven types of molds including two Cladosporium spp., two Aspergillus spp., one Rhizopus sp., one Trichoderma sp., and one Tritirachium sp. were identified. Cladosporium spp. were the most abundant and frequently found molds in the laboratory. The contaminated areas could have one to five different species on them. Based on the mold and environmental conditions, several scenarios causing the mold contamination were deduced, and different mold control measures were discussed to compare them with the current solution of using 24-h air-conditioning to control mold growth. This study highlights the importance of mold hygiene in sustainable building management.

Operationalizing safe operating space for regional social-ecological systems.

PubMed

Hossain, Md Sarwar; Dearing, John A; Eigenbrod, Felix; Johnson, Fiifi Amoako

2017-04-15

This study makes a first attempt to operationalize the safe operating space concept at a regional scale by considering the complex dynamics (e.g. non-linearity, feedbacks, and interactions) within a systems dynamic model (SD). We employ the model to explore eight 'what if' scenarios based on well-known challenges (e.g. climate change) and current policy debates (e.g. subsidy withdrawal). The findings show that the social-ecological system in the Bangladesh delta may move beyond a safe operating space when a withdrawal of a 50% subsidy for agriculture is combined with the effects of a 2°C temperature increase and sea level rise. Further reductions in upstream river discharge in the Ganges would push the system towards a dangerous zone once a 3.5°C temperature increase was reached. The social-ecological system in Bangladesh delta may be operated within a safe space by: 1) managing feedback (e.g. by reducing production costs) and the slow biophysical variables (e.g. temperature, rainfall) to increase the long-term resilience, 2) negotiating for transboundary water resources, and 3) revising global policies (e.g. withdrawal of subsidy) that negatively impact at regional scales. This study demonstrates how the concepts of tipping points, limits to adaptations, and boundaries for sustainable development may be defined in real world social-ecological systems. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sustainable medicines and global health care.

PubMed

Cordell, Geoffrey A

2011-07-01

The global population has now exceeded 7 billion, and forests and other resources around the world are being irreversibly depleted for energy, food, shelter, material goods, and drugs to accommodate population needs. For most of the world's population, plants, based on many well-established systems of medicine, in either crude or extract form, represent the foundation of primary health care for the foreseeable future. Contemporary harvesting methods for medicinal plants are severely depleting these critical indigenous resources. However, maintaining and enhancing the availability of quality medicinal agents on a sustainable basis is an unappreciated public health care concept. To accomplish these goals for future health care, and restore the health of the Earth, a profound paradigm shift is necessary: ALL medicinal agents should be regarded as a sustainable commodity, irrespective of their source. Several approaches to enhancing the availability of safe and efficacious plant-based medicinal agents will be presented including integrated strategies to manifest the four pillars (information, botany, chemistry, and biology) for medicinal plant quality control. These integrated initiatives involve information systems, DNA barcoding, metabolomics, biotechnology, nanotechnology, in-field analysis of medicinal plants, and the application of new detection techniques for the development of medicinal plants with enhanced levels of safe and reproducible biological agents. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Safe sex self-efficacy and safe sex practice in a Southern United States College

PubMed Central

Addoh, Ovuokerie; Sng, Eveleen; Loprinzi, Paul D.

2017-01-01

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the association between safe sex self-efficacy and safe-sex practice in a Southern college setting. Methods: Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the association between safe sex self-efficacy in four domains (mechanics, partner disapproval, assertiveness, intoxicants) and safe sex practice (outcome variable). Results: For every 1-unit increase in the composite condom use self-efficacy score, there was an 8% increase in the odds of being beyond the median safe-sex practice score (odds ration [OR]: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.02-1.15). Additionally, for every 1-unit increase in intoxicants self-efficacy score, there was a 31% increase in the odds of being beyond the median safe-sex practice score (OR: 1.31, 95% CI: 1.08-1.58). Conclusion: A greater degree of safe-sex self-efficacy is associated with increased odds of safe-sex practice. These findings are informative for the development of targeted approaches to foster safe-sex behavior in Southern US colleges. PMID:28326287

49 CFR 232.107 - Air source requirements and cold weather operations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Air source requirements and cold weather... source requirements and cold weather operations. (a) Monitoring plans for yard air sources. (1) A... to the equipment and territory of that railroad to cover safe train operations during cold weather...

DroidSafe

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-01

branches of our work . 3.1 Understanding Sensitive API Call and API Information Usage Android applications are written in a type- safe language (Java...directly invoke resolved targets. Because DroidSafe works with a comprehensive model of the Android environment , it supports precise resolution of...STATEMENT. FOR THE CHIEF ENGINEER: / S / / S / MARK K. WILLIAMS WARREN H. DEBANY, JR. Work Unit Manager

A Safe Ride to School; A Safe Ride Home.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois State Board of Education, Springfield.

Text and illustrations are used to teach safe school bus riding practices. The guide begins with instructions to parents or guardians to set a good example of safe behavior, and to help children learn safety rules and be on time. Instructions to children concern obeying the bus driver, boarding the bus, riding the bus, crossing the road, and using…

Lessons Learned From Developing a Sustainable Arsenic-Safe Water Program in West Bengal, India Over a Period of Eight Years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, M. M.; Liaw, J.; Hira, A.; Guha, P.; Pal, S. S.; Hore, T.; Smith, A. H.

2010-12-01

Arsenic is a carcinogen, and causes many cancers and noncancer diseases. Recent findings have shown that exposure to arsenic in drinking water as a child or before birth can cause illness and death even as an adult. In the West Bengal region of India, more than six million people are drinking crystal clear but arsenic-contaminated water from tubewells. Project Well, a non-profit organization based in California, has provided safe drinking water to villages in West Bengal since 2001 through modern modified dugwells, currently numbering 163. Along the way, Project Well has faced the challenge of persuading people to stop consuming good-tasting, arsenic-laced water and instead drink chlorinated water, which is safe but may have the smell of chlorine. Additionally, West Bengal receives abundant annual rainfall, and hence it is difficult to convince people to pay for treated water. From its inception, the Project Well program was set up with a tracking system to assess the efficacy of the modern dugwells, which has helped identify where technical improvements were needed. Continuous interaction with community-based user groups has also helped overcome many constraints and make the program sustainable. Project Well monitoring records from August 2010 show that out of 163 modern dugwells, 48 percent were being used, providing water for 2948 villagers; 23 percent were closed; 6 percent were dry (11 districts of West Bengal were in a drought); 6 percent required maintenance; and 7 percent were not used. Arsenic concentrations in the modern dugwells were measured every year during peak season when the water table was low and the median arsenic concentration of operational dugwells over the eight years between 2002 and 2010 was 15 ppb (the permissible limit in India is 50 ppb). Each year, about 6 to 10 percent of the dugwells have arsenic levels above 50 ppb during the summer season, when the water level is low. Bacterial counts, i.e., total coliform and fecal coliform, are

Sustainability in Housing: A Curriculum Case Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parrott, Kathleen; Emmel, Joann M.

2001-01-01

Explores the influence of environmental issues on the field of housing, from the perspective of sustainable housing. Presents a case study of the development of a college course to address these issues by integrating energy management, air quality, water quality, and waste management. (Author)

Air Purification in Closed Environments: An Overview of Spacecraft Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perry, Jay L.; LeVan, Douglas; Crumbley, Robert (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The primary goal for a collective protection system and a spacecraft environmental control and life support system (ECLSS) are strikingly similar. Essentially both function to provide the occupants of a building or vehicle with a safe, habitable environment. The collective protection system shields military and civilian personnel from short-term exposure to external threats presented by toxic agents and industrial chemicals while an ECLSS sustains astronauts for extended periods within the hostile environment of space. Both have air quality control similarities with various aircraft and 'tight' buildings. This paper reviews basic similarities between air purification system requirements for collective protection and an ECLSS that define surprisingly common technological challenges and solutions. Systems developed for air revitalization on board spacecraft are discussed along with some history on their early development as well as a view of future needs. Emphasis is placed upon two systems implemented by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) onboard the International Space Station (ISS): the trace contaminant control system (TCCS) and the molecular sieve-based carbon dioxide removal assembly (CDRA). Over its history, the NASA has developed and implemented many life support systems for astronauts. As the duration, complexity, and crew size of manned missions increased from minutes or hours for a single astronaut during Project Mercury to days and ultimately months for crews of 3 or more during the Apollo, Skylab, Shuttle, and ISS programs, these systems have become more sophisticated. Systems aboard spacecraft such as the ISS have been designed to provide long-term environmental control and life support. Challenges facing the NASA's efforts include minimizing mass, volume, and power for such systems, while maximizing their safety, reliability, and performance. This paper will highlight similarities and differences among air purification systems

The effect of sustained hypoxia on the cardio-respiratory response of bowfin Amia calva: implications for changes in the oxygen transport system.

PubMed

Porteus, C S; Wright, P A; Milsom, W K

2014-03-01

This study examined mechanisms underlying cardio-respiratory acclimation to moderate sustained hypoxia (6.0 kPa for 7 days at 22° C) in the bowfin Amia calva, a facultative air-breathing fish. This level of hypoxia is slightly below the critical oxygen tension (pcrit ) of A. calva denied access to air (mean ± s.e. = 9.3 ± 1.0 kPa). Before exposure to sustained hypoxia, A. calva with access to air increased air-breathing frequency on exposure to acute progressive hypoxia while A. calva without access to air increased gill-breathing frequency. Exposure to sustained hypoxia increased the gill ventilation response to acute progressive hypoxia in A. calva without access to air, regardless of whether they had access to air or not during the sustained hypoxia. Additionally, there was a decrease in Hb-O2 binding affinity in these fish. This suggests that, in A. calva, acclimation to hypoxia elicits changes that increase oxygen delivery to the gas exchange surface for oxygen uptake and reduce haemoglobin affinity to enhance oxygen delivery to the tissues. © 2013 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Startup of air-cooled condensers and dry cooling towers at low temperatures of the cooling air

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milman, O. O.; Ptakhin, A. V.; Kondratev, A. V.; Shifrin, B. A.; Yankov, G. G.

2016-05-01

The problems of startup and performance of air-cooled condensers (ACC) and dry cooling towers (DCT) at low cooling air temperatures are considered. Effects of the startup of the ACC at sub-zero temperatures are described. Different options of the ACC heating up are analyzed, and examples of existing technologies are presented (electric heating, heating up with hot air or steam, and internal and external heating). The use of additional heat exchanging sections, steam tracers, in the DCT design is described. The need for high power in cases of electric heating and heating up with hot air is noted. An experimental stand for research and testing of the ACC startup at low temperatures is described. The design of the three-pass ACC unit is given, and its advantages over classical single-pass design at low temperatures are listed. The formation of ice plugs inside the heat exchanging tubes during the start-up of ACC and DCT at low cooling air temperatures is analyzed. Experimental data on the effect of the steam flow rate, steam nozzle distance from the heat-exchange surface, and their orientation in space on the metal temperature were collected, and test results are analyzed. It is noted that the surface temperature at the end of the heat up is almost independent from its initial temperature. Recommendations for the safe start-up of ACCs and DCTs are given. The heating flow necessary to sufficiently heat up heat-exchange surfaces of ACCs and DCTs for the safe startup is estimated. The technology and the process of the heat up of the ACC with the heating steam external supply are described by the example of the startup of the full-scale section of the ACC at sub-zero temperatures of the cooling air, and the advantages of the proposed start-up technology are confirmed.

Airspace Complexity and its Application in Air Traffic Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sridhar, Banavar; Chatterji, Gano; Sheth, Kapil; Edwards, Thomas (Technical Monitor)

1998-01-01

The United States Air Traffic Management (ATM) system provides services to enable safe, orderly and efficient aircraft operations within the airspace over the continental United States and over large portions of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, and the Gulf of Mexico. It consists of two components, Air Traffic Control (ATC) and Traffic Flow Management (TFM). The ATC function ensures that the aircraft within the airspace are separated at all times while the TFM function organizes the aircraft into a flow pattern to ensure their safe and efficient movement. In order to accomplish the ATC and TFM functions, the airspace over United States is organized into 22 Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCCs). The Center airspace is stratified into low-altitude, high-altitude and super-high altitude groups of Sectors. Each vertical layer is further partitioned into several horizontal Sectors. A typical ARTCC airspace is partitioned into 20 to 80 Sectors. These Sectors are the basic control units within the ATM system.

An aluminum - ionic liquid interface sustaining a durable Al-air battery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gelman, Danny; Shvartsev, Boris; Wallwater, Itamar; Kozokaro, Shahaf; Fidelsky, Vicky; Sagy, Adi; Oz, Alon; Baltianski, Sioma; Tsur, Yoed; Ein-Eli, Yair

2017-10-01

A thorough study of a unique aluminum (Al)-air battery utilizing a pure Al anode, an air cathode, and hydrophilic room temperature ionic liquid electrolyte 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium oligofluorohydrogenate [EMIm(HF)2.3F] is reported. The effects of various operation conditions, both at open circuit potential and under discharge modes, on the battery components were discussed. A variety of techniques were utilized to investigate and study the interfaces and processes involved, including electrochemical studies, electron microscopy, spectroscopy and diffraction. As a result of this intensive study, the upon-operation voltage drop (;dip;) obstacle, occurring in the initial stages of the Al-air battery discharge, has been resolved. In addition, the interaction of the Al anode with oligofluorohydrogenate electrolyte forms an Al-O-F layer on the Al surface, which allows both activation and low corrosion rates of the Al anode. The evolution of this layer has been studied via impedance spectroscopy genetic programming enabling a unique model of the Al-air battery.

Resilient Communities: From Sustainable to Secure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bragdon, Clifford R.

2009-07-01

A sustainable biosphere is an absolute necessity to support the world's growing population, (now exceeding 6.2 billion persons), as civilization advances through the 21st century. Sustainability primarily refers to a bio-physical environment that is not a risk, which can provide the necessary support system for both plant and human habitat involving the earth's lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere. However, that alone will not provide the necessary protection, since our human habitat must also be safe and secure. A more operable term should be resilient, rather than sustainable, since a climate positive community, with an on-site CO2 emission near zero, does not mean the population is protected from both natural and manmade disasters. Effective neoteric planning of our biosphere is necessary as it involves spatial, temporal, and sensory aspects of the community habitat. Two-dimensional planning that addresses just the surface (e.g., land), fails to be comprehensive, since both aerial and subsurface features are omitted. Effective neoteric planning of our biosphere is necessary as it involves spatial, temporal, and sensory aspects of the community habitat. Two-dimensional planning that addresses just the surface (e.g., land), is not comprehensive, since aerial and subsurface features are omitted. A three dimensional approach is needed, which involves the combination of the x, y and z axis, in order to be spatially accurate. Our personal transportation based mobility systems, along with its accompanying infrastructure, has resulted in a drive-thru society that is becoming supersized. Urban obesity in terms of modes of transport and today's living environment has resulted in McMansions and mega-vehicles have created an energy demand that if unchecked could create a carhenge by the year 3000. Infrastructure gridlock besides global warming is costing the world's economy, approximately 6% of the gross domestic product (GDP). Impaired global mobility which threatens

[Chemistry for sustainable construction: 20 years of progress].

PubMed

Leoni, R

2012-01-01

Sustainable development is based on three pillars, economic, social and environmental development. Sustainable products can be developed only by companies that grow on these pillars, but in building sustainability is often identified only with the reduction of dangerous synthetic substances. From this point of view, the efforts of the construction chemicals industry have focused on reducing emissions, dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), replacing, if technically possible, the most dangerous components, such as formaldehyde, phthalates, and chlorinated or aromatic solvents, and developing water-borne products with very low VOC emissions. Differences in the definition of VOC and in the methods of measurement of emissions, however, make it difficult to choose the safest product and grows in the construction industry the need to reference trusted standards and product certifications to guarantee users. At present, products labeled "bio", "eco" or "solvent free" do not necessarily mean safe products.

Health benefits from improved outdoor air quality and intervention in China.

PubMed

Li, Shanshan; Williams, Gail; Guo, Yuming

2016-07-01

China is at its most critical stage of outdoor air quality management. In order to prevent further deterioration of air quality and to protect human health, the Chinese government has made a series of attempts to reduce ambient air pollution. Unlike previous literature reviews on the widespread hazards of air pollution on health, this review article firstly summarized the existing evidence of human health benefits from intermittently improved outdoor air quality and intervention in China. Contents of this paper provide concrete and direct clue that improvement in outdoor air quality generates various health benefits in China, and confirm from a new perspective that it is worthwhile for China to shift its development strategy from economic growth to environmental economic sustainability. Greater emphasis on sustainable environment design, consistently strict regulatory enforcement, and specific monitoring actions should be regarded in China to decrease the health risks and to avoid long-term environmental threats. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Resource Conservation and a Sustainable Las Vegas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Piechota, Thomas C.

2014-05-15

This research project developed educational, research, and outreach activities that addressed the challenges of Las Vegas as related to a secure energy supply through conservation, clean and adequate water supply, economic growth and diversification, air quality, and the best use of land, and usable public places. This was part of the UNLV Urban Sustainability Initiative (USI) that responded to a community and state need where a unifying vision of sustainability was developed in a cost-effective manner that promoted formal working partnerships between government, community groups, and industry.

Air, Climate, and Energy Strategic Research Action Plan, 2012 - 2016

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) moves forward, it is necessary to more fully understand the interplay between air, climate change, and the changing energy landscape to develop innovative and sustainable solutions to improve air quality

Use Medicines Safely

MedlinePlus

... Medicines Safely Print This Topic En español Use Medicines Safely Browse Sections The Basics Overview Prescription Medicines ... Medicines 1 of 7 sections The Basics: Prescription Medicines There are different types of medicine. The 2 ...

Public Perception of the Millennium Development Goals on Access to Safe Drinking Water in Cross River State, Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eni, David D.; Ojong, William M.

2014-01-01

This study evaluated the public perception of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of environmental sustainability with focus on the MDG target which has to do with reducing the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water in Cross River State, Nigeria. The stratified and systematic sampling techniques were adopted for the study,…

Picture Me Safe

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Irvin, Daniel W.

1977-01-01

The validity of well-written articles can be destroyed by poor illustration, especially when the pictures show unsafe practices. The responsibility lies with the author to provide clear printable pictures showing safe working environments and safe practices. (Editor)

49 CFR 393.51 - Warning signals, air pressure and vacuum gauges.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Warning signals, air pressure and vacuum gauges... REGULATIONS PARTS AND ACCESSORIES NECESSARY FOR SAFE OPERATION Brakes § 393.51 Warning signals, air pressure... paragraphs (b), (c), (d) or (e) of this section. (b) Hydraulic brakes. Vehicles manufactured on or after...

49 CFR 393.51 - Warning signals, air pressure and vacuum gauges.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 49 Transportation 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Warning signals, air pressure and vacuum gauges... REGULATIONS PARTS AND ACCESSORIES NECESSARY FOR SAFE OPERATION Brakes § 393.51 Warning signals, air pressure... paragraphs (b), (c), (d) or (e) of this section. (b) Hydraulic brakes. Vehicles manufactured on or after...

"From safe source to safe sink" development of colorimetric assay for gabapentin in bulk drug and capsules using naturally derived genipin.

PubMed

Winotapun, Weerapath; Kongpakwattana, Khachen; Dejpittayanunt, Sirirat; Pathomcharoensukchai, Suwaparp; Suksaran, Udomluck; Nuntharatanapong, Nopparat; Rojanarata, Theerasak

2012-09-15

A novel colorimetric assay for gabapentin in bulk drug and capsules has been developed via a safety-and-sustainability concerning concept. The method relied on the reaction of primary amino group of drug with non-toxic and eco-friendly genipin in totally aqueous medium to form the blue product which was subsequently measured by visible spectrophotometry at 590 nm. Under the optimized conditions, Beer's law was obeyed in the concentration range of 0.15-0.50 mM (r(2)=0.9998). It was accurate, precise and insensitive to the interferences from all related compounds specified in the United States Pharmacopeia as well as commonly used excipients. Furthermore, it gave the assay results in agreement with the pharmacopeial chromatographic method. Owing to the environmental concern and responsibility, a fast and facile method was also proposed for the treatment of waste generated from the assay based on the decoloration by using gypsum as a cheap and commonly available adsorbent. After the treatment, more than 95% of the initial blue product was removed from the waste solution and the treated waste was proven to be safe for aquatic organisms, as studied in brine shrimp and guppy fishes. Therefore, this work not only reports for the first time the application of naturally derived genipin to drug analysis, but also presents a new and contemporary paradigm that illustrates the fully benign-by-design development of the analytical methodologies in the era of Green Chemistry, starting from the safe source of reagents toward the safe sink when waste is released into the environment. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Green Propulsion Technologies for Advanced Air Transports

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Del Rosario, Ruben

2015-01-01

Air transportation is critical to U.S. and Global economic vitality. However, energy and climate issues challenge aviation's ability to be sustainable in the long term. Aviation must dramatically reduce fuel use and related emissions. Energy costs to U.S. airlines nearly tripled between 1995 and 2011, and continue to be the highest percentage of operating costs. The NASA Advanced Air Transports Technology Project addresses the comprehensive challenge of enabling revolutionary energy efficiency improvements in subsonic transport aircraft combined with dramatic reductions in harmful emissions and perceived noise to facilitate sustained growth of the air transportation system. Advanced technologies and the development of unconventional aircraft systems offer the potential to achieve these improvements. The presentation will highlight the NASA vision of revolutionary systems and propulsion technologies needed to achieve these challenging goals. Specifically, the primary focus is on the N+3 generation; that is, vehicles that are three generations beyond the current state of the art, requiring mature technology solutions in the 2025-30 timeframe.

Air pollution and fuel vapour induced changes in lung functions: are fuel handlers safe?

PubMed

Chawla, Anuj; Lavania, A K

2008-01-01

Automobile exhaust derived air pollutants have become a major health hazard. Coupled with the inhalation of fuel vapour, as occurs in petrol station workers, this may lead to significant impairment of lung function. Spirometric lung functions were studied in 58 petrol station workers to examine this possibility. The forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), forced expiratory flow 25%-75% (FEF25-75) and peak expiratory flow (PEF) were recorded and analysed separately for smokers and non-smokers. The workers were divided into 5 groups for analysis of data based on the number of years of work in the petrol pumps. Outdoor air analysis was also carried out. The FVC, FEV1 and PEF declined significantly with increasing years of work in petrol stations in both smokers and non-smokers. Smoking as an independent variable was found to affect the FEV1 significantly but not FVC or PEF. The FEF25-75 was found to be the most affected spirometric value with a significant reduction with increasing years of work. Smoking as such did not affect it. Oxides of nitrogen (NOx), suspended particulate matter (SPM) and particulate matter less than 10 microns (PM10) in outdoor air were higher than the national ambient air quality standards. Exposure to automobile exhaust and fuel vapour impairs lung function in a time-dependent manner. Cigarette smoking appears to accelerate the decline.

Nursing's leadership in positioning human health at the core of urban sustainability.

PubMed

St Pierre Schneider, Barbara; Menzel, Nancy; Clark, Michele; York, Nancy; Candela, Lori; Xu, Yu

2009-01-01

The United Nations predicts that by 2050 nearly three fourths of the world's population will live in urban areas, including cities. People are attracted to cities because these urban areas offer diverse opportunities, including the availability of goods and services and a higher quality of life. Cities, however, may not be sustainable with this population boom. To address sustainability, urban developers and engineers are building green structures, and businesses are creating products that are safe for the environment. Additionally, efforts are needed to place human health at the core of urban sustainability. Without human health, cities will not survive for future generations. Nursing is the discipline that can place human health in this position. Nursing's initiatives throughout history are efforts of sustainability-improving human health within the physical, economic, and social environments. Therefore, nursing must take a leadership role to ensure that human health is at the core of urban sustainability.

Safe Schools/Safe Communities: A Directory of Resources for Pennsylvania.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pennsylvania State Dept. of Education, Harrisburg.

This document contains a directory of resources available in Pennsylvania to help achieve the goal of safe schools. Following a copy of the Safe Schools Act of 1993, nine sections list agencies that provide services and products under the headings of: conflict resolution/mediation, gangs, suicide, crisis response, family violence, diversity,…

Lessons Learned from Safe Kids/Safe Streets. Juvenile Justice Bulletin

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cronin, Roberta; Gragg, Frances; Schultz, Dana; Eisen, Karla

2006-01-01

This bulletin reports results from an evaluation of six sites of the Safe Kids/Safe Streets (SK/SS) program, which applies a comprehensive, collaborative approach to the child maltreatment field. The bulletin provides insights into collaboration building, systems reform, service options, and other strategies. Among the findings were that the SK/SS…

Using Module-Based Learning Methods to Introduce Sustainable Manufacturing in Engineering Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sengupta, Debalina; Huang, Yinlun; Davidson, Cliff I.; Edgar, Thomas F.; Eden, Mario R.; El-Halwagi, Mahmoud M.

2017-01-01

Purpose: Sustainable manufacturing may be defined as the creation of manufactured products that use processes that are non-polluting, conserve energy and natural resources, and are economically sound and safe for employees, communities and consumers. Recently, there have been several industrial and governmental endeavors to launch sustainable…

49 CFR 393.51 - Warning signals, air pressure and vacuum gauges.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 49 Transportation 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Warning signals, air pressure and vacuum gauges... REGULATIONS PARTS AND ACCESSORIES NECESSARY FOR SAFE OPERATION Brakes § 393.51 Warning signals, air pressure... paragraph (f), must be equipped with a signal that provides a warning to the driver when a failure occurs in...

49 CFR 393.51 - Warning signals, air pressure and vacuum gauges.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 49 Transportation 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Warning signals, air pressure and vacuum gauges... REGULATIONS PARTS AND ACCESSORIES NECESSARY FOR SAFE OPERATION Brakes § 393.51 Warning signals, air pressure... paragraph (f), must be equipped with a signal that provides a warning to the driver when a failure occurs in...

Defining a Safe Operating Space for inland recreational fisheries

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carpenter, Stephen R.; Brock, William A.; Hansen, Gretchen J. A.; Hansen, Jonathan F.; Hennessy, Joseph M.; Isermann, Daniel A.; Pedersen, Eric J.; Perales, K. Martin; Rypel, Andrew L.; Sass, Greg G.; Tunney, Tyler D.; Vander Zanden, M. Jake

2017-01-01

The Safe Operating Space (SOS) of a recreational fishery is the multidimensional region defined by levels of harvest, angler effort, habitat, predation and other factors in which the fishery is sustainable into the future. SOS boundaries exhibit trade-offs such that decreases in harvest can compensate to some degree for losses of habitat, increases in predation and increasing value of fishing time to anglers. Conversely, high levels of harvest can be sustained if habitat is intact, predation is low, and value of fishing effort is moderate. The SOS approach recognizes limits in several dimensions: at overly high levels of harvest, habitat loss, predation, or value of fishing effort, the stock falls to a low equilibrium biomass. Recreational fisheries managers can influence harvest and perhaps predation, but they must cope with trends that are beyond their control such as changes in climate, loss of aquatic habitat or social factors that affect the value of fishing effort for anglers. The SOS illustrates opportunities to manage harvest or predation to maintain quality fisheries in the presence of trends in climate, social preferences or other factors that are not manageable.

Evaluation of MODIS Land Surface Temperature with In Situ Snow Surface Temperature from CREST-SAFE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perez Diaz, C. L.; Lakhankar, T.; Romanov, P.; Munoz, J.; Khanbilvardi, R.; Yu, Y.

2016-12-01

This paper presents the procedure and results of a temperature-based validation approach for the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Land Surface Temperature (LST) product provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Terra and Aqua Earth Observing System satellites using in situ LST observations recorded at the Cooperative Remote Sensing Science and Technology Center - Snow Analysis and Field Experiment (CREST-SAFE) during the years of 2013 (January-April) and 2014 (February-April). A total of 314 day and night clear-sky thermal images, acquired by the Terra and Aqua satellites, were processed and compared to ground-truth data from CREST-SAFE with a frequency of one measurement every 3 min. Additionally, this investigation incorporated supplementary analyses using meteorological CREST-SAFE in situ variables (i.e. wind speed, cloud cover, incoming solar radiation) to study their effects on in situ snow surface temperature (T-skin) and T-air. Furthermore, a single pixel (1km2) and several spatially averaged pixels were used for satellite LST validation by increasing the MODIS window size to 5x5, 9x9, and 25x25 windows for comparison. Several trends in the MODIS LST data were observed, including the underestimation of daytime values and nighttime values. Results indicate that, although all the data sets (Terra and Aqua, diurnal and nocturnal) showed high correlation with ground measurements, day values yielded slightly higher accuracy ( 1°C), both suggesting that MODIS LST retrievals are reliable for similar land cover classes and atmospheric conditions. Results from the CREST-SAFE in situ variables' analyses indicate that T-air is commonly higher than T-skin, and that a lack of cloud cover results in: lower T-skin and higher T-air minus T-skin difference (T-diff). Additionally, the study revealed that T-diff is inversely proportional to cloud cover, wind speed, and incoming solar radiation. Increasing the MODIS window size

76 FR 12719 - Safe Schools/Healthy Students Program; Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools; Safe Schools/Healthy...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-08

... official version of this document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Safe Schools/Healthy Students Program; Office of Safe and Drug- Free... telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-800-877-8339...

Safe syringe disposal is related to safe syringe access among HIV-positive injection drug users.

PubMed

Coffin, Phillip O; Latka, Mary H; Latkin, Carl; Wu, Yingfeng; Purcell, David W; Metsch, Lisa; Gomez, Cynthia; Gourevitch, Marc N

2007-09-01

We evaluated the effect of syringe acquisition on syringe disposal among HIV-positive injection drug users (IDUs) in Baltimore, New York City, and San Francisco (N = 680; mean age 42 years, 62% male, 59% African-American, 21% Hispanic, 12% White). Independent predictors of safe disposal were acquiring syringes through a safe source and ever visiting a syringe exchange program. Weaker predictors included living in San Francisco, living in the area longer, less frequent binge drinking, injecting with an HIV+ partner, peer norms supporting safe injection, and self-empowerment. Independent predictors of safe "handling"-both acquiring and disposing of syringes safely-also included being from New York and being older. HIV-positive IDUs who obtain syringes from a safe source are more likely to safely dispose; peer norms contribute to both acquisition and disposal. Interventions to improve disposal should include expanding sites of safe syringe acquisition while enhancing disposal messages, alternatives, and convenience.

How Collaborative Governance Can Facilitate Quality Learning for Sustainability in Cities: A Comparative Case Study of Bristol, Kitakyushu and Tongyeong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ofei-Manu, Paul; Didham, Robert J.; Byun, Won Jung; Phillips, Rebecca; Dickella Gamaralalage, Premakumara Jagath; Rees, Sian

2018-01-01

Quality learning for sustainability can have a transformative effect in terms of promoting empowerment, leadership and wise investments in individual and collective lives and regenerating the local economies of cities, making them more inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. It can also help cities move towards achieving the United Nations…

Aviation safety : information on FAA's data on operational errors at air traffic control towers

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-09-23

A fundamental principle of aviation safety is the need to maintain adequate separation between aircraft and to ensure that aircraft maintain a safe distance from terrain, obstructions, and airspace that is not designated for routine air travel. Air t...

Earth Applications of Closed Ecological Systems: Relevance to the Development of Sustainability in our Global Biosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dempster, W.; van Thillo, M.; Alling, A.; Allen, J.; Silverstone, S.; Nelson, M.

The parallels between the challenges facing bioregenerative life support and closed ecological systems and those in our global biosphere are striking. At the scale of the current global technosphere and human population, it is increasingly obvious that the biosphere can no longer be counted on to be vast enough to safely buffer and absorb technogenic and anthropogenic pollutants. With an increasing percentage of the world's natural resources and primary productivity being dictated by, and directed to, humans, our species is starting to appreciate its survival and quality of life depends on regulating its activities, and insuring that crucial biogeochemical cycles continue to function. This shift of consciousness has led to the widespread call for moving towards the sustainability of human activities. For researchers working on bioreenerative life support, the small volumes and faster cycling times have made it obvious that systems must be created in to ensure renewal of water and atmosphere, nutrient recycling, and where all technical systems can be safely integrated with the maintenance of safe environmental conditions. The development of technical systems that can be fully integrated with the living systems that they support should be a harbinger of new perspectives in the global environment. The paper will review some of these environmental technologies which are emerging from bioregenerative life support system research such as high-yield intensive agricultural methods, waste treatment and nutrient recycling, air purification, modeling, sensor and control systems and their potential applications in the global biosphere. In addition, a review of the human experience in closed ecological systems shows that these can offer opportunities for public education and consciousness-changing of how humans regard our global biosphere.

Integrated Systems Health Management for Sustainable Habitats (Using Sustainability Base as a Testbed)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, Rodney A.

2017-01-01

Habitation systems provide a safe place for astronauts to live and work in space and on planetary surfaces. They enable crews to live and work safely in deep space, and include integrated life support systems, radiation protection, fire safety, and systems to reduce logistics and the need for resupply missions. Innovative health management technologies are needed in order to increase the safety and mission-effectiveness for future space habitats on other planets, asteroids, or lunar surfaces. For example, off-nominal or failure conditions occurring in safety-critical life support systems may need to be addressed quickly by the habitat crew without extensive technical support from Earth due to communication delays. If the crew in the habitat must manage, plan and operate much of the mission themselves, operations support must be migrated from Earth to the habitat. Enabling monitoring, tracking, and management capabilities on-board the habitat and related EVA platforms for a small crew to use will require significant automation and decision support software.Traditional caution and warning systems are typically triggered by out-of-bounds sensor values, but can be enhanced by including machine learning and data mining techniques. These methods aim to reveal latent, unknown conditions while still retaining and improving the ability to provide highly accurate alerts for known issues. A few of these techniques will briefly described, along with performance targets for known faults and failures. Specific system health management capabilities required for habitat system elements (environmental control and life support systems, etc.) may include relevant subsystems such as water recycling systems, photovoltaic systems, electrical power systems, and environmental monitoring systems. Sustainability Base, the agency's flagship LEED-platinum certified green building acts as a living laboratory for testing advanced information and sustainable technologies that provides an

Report to Congress on Sustainable Ranges, 2012

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-05-01

4ID AVN BDE HQ, 41st Fires BDE, 4th Sustainment BDE, 7-158 AVN (-), 6-52 AVN (-), 11th MP BN, 308th MI BDE, 21st Cavalry BDE (Air Combat), TF Odin, 1st...Army Division West HQ, 120 Infantry BDE, 166th AVN , 479 FA BDE, 407 AFSB, 901 SPT BN, 15th Sustainment BDE, 36th EN BDE, 89th MP BDE, 57th SIG BDE...1st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade; 162nd Infantry Training Brigade; the JRTC Operations Group; the 115th CSH and the 5th AVN BN. Home station unit

Sustainable Transport Systems: Linkages Between Environmental Issues, Public Transport, Non-Motorized Transport And Safety

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-10-01

A sustainable transport system must provide mobility and accessibility to all urban residents in a safe and end environmentally friendly mode of transport. This is a complex and difficult task when the needs and demands of people belonging to differe...

Facilitating the safe use of insulin pens in hospitals through a mentored quality-improvement program.

PubMed

Lutz, Mark F; Haines, Stuart T; Lesch, Christine A; Szumita, Paul M

2016-10-01

Results of the MENTORED QUALITY IMPROVEMENT IMPACT PROGRAM℠ (MQIIP) on Ensuring Insulin Pen Safety in Hospitals, which was part of an ASHP educational initiative aimed at ensuring the safe use of insulin pens in hospitals, are described. During this ASHP initiative, which also included continuing-education activities and Web-based resources, distance mentoring by pharmacists with expertise in the safe use of insulin pens was provided to interprofessional teams at 14 hospitals between September 2014 and May 2015. The results of baseline assessments of nursing staff knowledge of insulin pen use, insulin pen storage and labeling audits, and insulin pen injection observations conducted in September and October 2014 were the basis for insulin pen quality-improvement plans. Postintervention data were collected in April and May 2015. Compared with the baseline period, significant improvements in nurses' knowledge of insulin pen use, insulin pen labeling and storage, and insulin pen administration were observed in the postintervention period despite the relatively short time frame for implementation of quality-improvement plans. Program participants are committed to sustaining and building on improvements achieved during the program. The outcome measures described in this report could be adapted by other health systems to identify opportunities to improve the safety of insulin pen use. Focused attention on insulin pen safety through an interprofessional team approach during the MQIIP enabled participating sites to detect potential safety issues based on collected data, develop targeted process changes, document improvements, and identify areas requiring further intervention. A sustained organizational commitment is required to ensure the safe use of insulin pen devices in hospitals. Copyright © 2016 by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. All rights reserved.

Cleaner Air for Home and Office

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

Increased insulation has led to higher concentrations in homes and offices of toxic chemicals caused by emissions from synthetic building components. Recent NASA research regarding future interplanetary manned spacecraft has shown that certain plants can absorb gasses, reducing indoor air pollution. After working with water purifying water hyacinths, Dr. B. C. Wolverton at NSTL developed a carbon/plant filter system to remove chemicals, smoke, etc. Two companies have commercialized the system. Bio-safe provides plants, a bed of activated carbon and an air pump installed near the plant's roots. Pollutants are trapped by the charcoal and either digested by the roots or broken down by microorganisms. Purified air is then directed back into the room. Applied Indoor Resource Company markets Bio-Pure, which includes plants on a layer of patented soil medium with activated carbon. Legumes and mosses filter the air; a blower moves air through the filtering system for cleansing by microorganisms. Research at NSTL continues, and the system may eventually be enlarged.

Effects of artemisinin sustained-release granules on mixed alga growth and microcystins production and release.

PubMed

Ni, Lixiao; Li, Danye; Hu, Shuzhen; Wang, Peifang; Li, Shiyin; Li, Yiping; Li, Yong; Acharya, Kumud

2015-12-01

To safely and effectively apply artemisinin sustained-release granules to control and prevent algal water-blooms, the effects of artemisinin and its sustained-release granules on freshwater alga (Scenedesmus obliquus (S. obliquus) and Microcystis aeruginosa (M. aeruginosa)), as well as the production and release of microcystins (MCs) were studied. The results showed that artemisinin sustained-release granules inhibited the growth of M. aeruginosa (above 95% IR) and S. obliquus (about 90% IR), with M. aeruginosa more sensitive. The artemisinin sustained-release granules had a longer inhibition effect on growth of pure algae and algal coexistence than direct artemisinin dosing. The artemisinin sustained-release granules could decrease the production and release of algal toxins due to the continued stress of artemisinin released from artemisinin sustained-release granules. There was no increase in the total amount of MC-LR in the algal cell culture medium.

[Air humidifier--benefit or risk?].

PubMed

Fidler, A H

1989-12-01

Indoor air pollution has become an issue of growing importance for the scientific community. A recent publication of a report of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) showed evidence that portable ultrasonic humidifiers may play a significant role as health hazards as far as indoor air pollution with heavy metal particles is concerned. Especially if the manufacturers' guidelines are not followed strictly and the device is operated with tap water, indoor particle concentrations may reach up to 50 times US outdoor standards for toxic particle concentration. This paper highlights potential risks and benefits of various types of humidifiers, both in private and hospital settings, emphasizing that risks of air humidification in certain situations might outweigh anticipated benefits. The health policy implication of these findings should lead to a more critical application of air humidification in the health care environment and in addition to that, promote better information of the customer about safe operation and useful indications of such devices.

Annual Reports

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

tools,data, and models that are: improving air quality; helping communities become more resilient; reducing emissions of carbon and other pollutants; ushering in new generations of safer, more sustainable chemicals, advancing safe drinking water resources

The Air Program Information Management System (APIMS)

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-11-02

Technology November 2, 2011 The Air Program Information Management System (APIMS) Frank Castaneda, III, P.E. APIMS Program Manager AFCEE/TDNQ APIMS...NOV 2011 2. REPORT TYPE 3. DATES COVERED 00-00-2011 to 00-00-2011 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE The Air Program Information Management System (APIMS... Information   Management   System : Sustainability of  Enterprise air quality management system • Aspects and Impacts to Process • Auditing and Measurement

Measurement of Atmospheric Pressure Air Plasma via Pulsed Electron Beam and Sustaining Electric Field

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-08-29

cell plasma code ( MAGIC ) and an air-chemistry code are used to quantify beam propagation through an electron-beam transmission window into air and the...to generate and maintain plasma in air on the timescale of 1 ms. 15. SUBJECT TERMS Air Chemistry, Air Plasma, MAGIC Modeling, Plasma, Power, Test-Cell...Microwave diagnostics quantify electron number density and optical diagnostics quantify ozone production. A particle in cell plasma code ( MAGIC ) and an

Mechanisms of behavioural maintenance: Long-term effects of theory-based interventions to promote safe water consumption.

PubMed

Inauen, Jennifer; Mosler, Hans-Joachim

2016-01-01

Theory-based interventions can enhance people's safe water consumption, but the sustainability of these interventions and the mechanisms of maintenance remain unclear. We investigated these questions based on an extended theory of planned behaviour. Seven hundred and ten (445 analysed) randomly selected households participated in two cluster-randomised controlled trials in Bangladesh. Study 1 promoted switching to neighbours' arsenic-safe wells, and Study 2 promoted switching to arsenic-safe deep wells. Both studies included two intervention phases. Structured interviews were conducted at baseline (T1), and at 1-month (T2), 2-month (T3) and 9-month (T4) follow-ups. In intervention phase 1 (between T1 and T2), commitment-based behaviour change techniques--reminders, implementation intentions and public commitment--were combined with information and compared to an information-only control group. In phase 2 (between T2 and T3), half of each phase 1 intervention group was randomly assigned to receive either commitment-based techniques once more or coping planning with reminders and information. Initial well-switching rates of up to 60% significantly declined by T4: 38.3% of T2 safe water users stopped consuming arsenic-safe water. The decline depended on the intervention. Perceived behavioural control, intentions, commitment strength and coping planning were associated with maintenance. In line with previous studies, the results indicate that commitment and reminders engender long-term behavioural change.

Impact of safe community program on motorcyclists' safety with focus on helmet usage in 14 cities of IR Iran.

PubMed

Moghisi, Alireza; Mohammadi, Reza; Svanström, Leif

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of safe community interventions on motorcyclists' safety. Two cross sectional observations were conducted in 14 cities (five safe community practicing and nine safe community non-practicing cities) independently on 2005 and 2007. Ten percent of registered motorcycles were observed and interviewed (n=1114 in each observation). 87.9% used motorcycle for commercial purposes. All motorcyclists were male and mostly aged 18-29 years old. Death rate significantly rose from 122 to 254 per 100000 motorcyclists in Fars province since the first observation (p < 0.0001). Helmet usage rate was constant (13%). Recorded crashes increased from 16.4% to 23.1% in safe community setting (p < 0.0001). 11% carried more than one pillion. Heat disturbances, embarrassment, hearing blockage, and negligence were the most mentioned excuses for not using helmet. Law enforcement, public education, accessibility to helmets on discount rate, new legislation and, finally, access to new designed helmet were the most suggestions made by motorcyclists to promote helmet usage. No significant effect was noticed between two settings except in injury registration system in safe community. Community involvement in the safety programs could ensure sustainability of initiatives and continuity of interventions in safe communities.

Safe Grid

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chow, Edward T.; Stewart, Helen; Korsmeyer, David (Technical Monitor)

2003-01-01

The biggest users of GRID technologies came from the science and technology communities. These consist of government, industry and academia (national and international). The NASA GRID is moving into a higher technology readiness level (TRL) today; and as a joint effort among these leaders within government, academia, and industry, the NASA GRID plans to extend availability to enable scientists and engineers across these geographical boundaries collaborate to solve important problems facing the world in the 21 st century. In order to enable NASA programs and missions to use IPG resources for program and mission design, the IPG capabilities needs to be accessible from inside the NASA center networks. However, because different NASA centers maintain different security domains, the GRID penetration across different firewalls is a concern for center security people. This is the reason why some IPG resources are been separated from the NASA center network. Also, because of the center network security and ITAR concerns, the NASA IPG resource owner may not have full control over who can access remotely from outside the NASA center. In order to obtain organizational approval for secured remote access, the IPG infrastructure needs to be adapted to work with the NASA business process. Improvements need to be made before the IPG can be used for NASA program and mission development. The Secured Advanced Federated Environment (SAFE) technology is designed to provide federated security across NASA center and NASA partner's security domains. Instead of one giant center firewall which can be difficult to modify for different GRID applications, the SAFE "micro security domain" provide large number of professionally managed "micro firewalls" that can allow NASA centers to accept remote IPG access without the worry of damaging other center resources. The SAFE policy-driven capability-based federated security mechanism can enable joint organizational and resource owner approved remote

The exposure of children to deploying side air bags: an initial field assessment.

PubMed

Arbogast, Kristy B; Kallan, Michael J

2007-01-01

Tremendous effort has been invested in the laboratory to ensure side air bag (SAB) deployments minimize injury metrics in pediatric anthropometric test devices (ATDs). Little is known, however, about the experience of children exposed to this technology in real world crashes. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of SAB exposure in children and provide estimates of injury risk among those exposed. This study utilized data from the Partners for Child Passenger Safety study, a large-scale child-focused crash surveillance system, to identify a probability sample of 348 child occupants, age 0-15 years, weighted to represent 6,600 children, in vehicles of model year 1998 and newer, equipped with SABs, in side impact crashes from three large U.S. regions between 1/1/05 and 12/31/06. In the study sample, 27 children per 1000 children in crashes were exposed to a deployed side air bag. Over 75% of these children were seated in the rear seat and 83% were exposed to a head curtain SAB. 65% of those exposed were less than 9 years of age. Of those exposed, 10.6% sustained an AIS2+ injury; all injuries were of the AIS 2 level and limited to the head or upper extremity. This paper provides the first population-based estimates of the exposure of children to SABs. Initial experience suggests that the risk of injury is fairly low with only one in ten sustaining injury - none of which were serious or life threatening. These findings offer assurance that efforts by regulators and the automotive industry to minimize negative consequences from SABs to vulnerable occupants appear to be effective and cause no change in the current recommendation of safe seating for children next to SABs.

Basic Principles--Outdoor Living Skills Series. Instructor Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deaton, Don

The priorities for sustaining life--air, shelter, water, and food--are the subjects of this module designed to give junior and senior high school students the foundation for safe, rewarding experiences in the outdoors. Five 50-minute lesson plans cover the basic need in order of priority: air (3 minutes to survive without it), shelter (3 hours, in…

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Many vendors and organizations displayed their products during the Spaceport Super Safety and Health Day at KSC and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, an annual event dedicated to reinforcing safe and healthful behaviors in the workforce. This scene is at Hangar S, CCAFS.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-10-15

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Many vendors and organizations displayed their products during the Spaceport Super Safety and Health Day at KSC and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, an annual event dedicated to reinforcing safe and healthful behaviors in the workforce. This scene is at Hangar S, CCAFS.

Safe Manual Jettison

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barton, Jay

2008-01-01

In space, the controlled release of certain cargoes is no less useful than the maritime jettisons from which they take their name but is also much more dangerous. Experience has shown that jettisons can be performed safely, but the process is complicated with the path to performing a jettison taking months or even years. In the background, time is also required to write procedures, train the crew, configure the vehicle, and many other activities. This paper outlines the current process used by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for manual jettisons, detailing the methods used to assure that the jettisons and the jettisoned objects are as safe as achievable and that the crew is adequately trained to be able to affect the safe jettison. The goal of this paper is not only to capture what it takes to perform safe jettisons in the near Earth environment but to extrapolate this knowledge to future space exploration scenarios that will likely have Extravehicular Activity (EVA) and International Partner (IP) interfaces.

Effects of water-contaminated air on blowoff limits of opposed jet hydrogen-air diffusion flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pellett, Gerald L.; Jentzen, Marilyn E.; Wilson, Lloyd G.; Northam, G. Burton

1988-01-01

The effects of water-contaminated air on the extinction and flame restoration of the central portion of N2-diluted H2 versus air counterflow diffusion flames are investigated using a coaxial tubular opposed jet burner. The results show that the replacement of N2 contaminant in air by water on a mole for mole basis decreases the maximum sustainable H2 mass flow, just prior to extinction, of the flame. This result contrasts strongly with the analogous substitution of water for N2 in a relatively hot premixed H2-O2-N2 flame, which was shown by Koroll and Mulpuru (1986) to lead to a significant, kinetically controlled increase in laminar burning velocity.

Safe-Play Knowledge, Aggression, and Head-Impact Biomechanics in Adolescent Ice Hockey Players.

PubMed

Schmidt, Julianne D; Pierce, Alice F; Guskiewicz, Kevin M; Register-Mihalik, Johna K; Pamukoff, Derek N; Mihalik, Jason P

2016-05-01

Addressing safe-play knowledge and player aggression could potentially improve ice hockey sport safety. To compare (1) safe-play knowledge and aggression between male and female adolescent ice hockey players and (2) head-impact frequency and severity between players with high and low levels of safe-play knowledge and aggression during practices and games. Cohort study. On field. Forty-one male (n = 29) and female (n = 12) adolescent ice hockey players. Players completed the Safe Play Questionnaire (0 = less knowledge, 7 = most knowledge) and Competitive Aggressiveness and Anger Scale (12 = less aggressive, 60 = most aggressive) at midseason. Aggressive penalty minutes were recorded throughout the season. The Head Impact Telemetry System was used to capture head-impact frequency and severity (linear acceleration [g], rotational acceleration [rad/s(2)], Head Impact Technology severity profile) at practices and games. One-way analyses of variance were used to compare safe play knowledge and aggression between sexes. Players were categorized as having high or low safe-play knowledge and aggression using a median split. A 2 × 2 mixed-model analysis of variance was used to compare head-impact frequency, and random-intercept general linear models were used to compare head-impact severity between groups (high, low) and event types (practice, game). Boys (5.8 of 7 total; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 5.3, 6.3) had a trend toward better safe-play knowledge compared with girls (4.9 of 7 total; 95% CI = 3.9, 5.9; F1,36 = 3.40, P = .073). Less aggressive male players sustained significantly lower head rotational accelerations during practices (1512.8 rad/s (2) , 95% CI = 1397.3, 1637.6 rad/s(2)) versus games (1754.8 rad/s (2) , 95% CI = 1623.9, 1896.2 rad/s(2)) and versus high-aggression players during practices (1773.5 rad/s (2) , 95% CI = 1607.9, 1956.3 rad/s (2) ; F1,26 = 6.04, P = .021). Coaches and sports medicine professionals should ensure that athletes of all levels

Green Propulsion Technologies for Advanced Air Transports

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Del Rosario, Ruben

2015-01-01

Air transportation is critical to U.S. and Global economic vitality. However, energy and climate issues challenge aviations ability to be sustainable in the long term. Aviation must dramatically reduce fuel use and related emissions. Energy costs to U.S. airlines nearly tripled between 1995 and 2011, and continue to be the highest percentage of operating costs. The NASA Advanced Air Transports Technology Project addresses the comprehensive challenge of enabling revolutionary energy efficiency improvements in subsonic transport aircraft combined with dramatic reductions in harmful emissions and perceived noise to facilitate sustained growth of the air transportation system. Advanced technologies and the development of unconventional aircraft systems offer the potential to achieve these improvements. The presentation will highlight the NASA vision of revolutionary systems and propulsion technologies needed to achieve these challenging goals. Specifically, the primary focus is on the N+3 generation; that is, vehicles that are three generations beyond the current state of the art, requiring mature technology solutions in the 2025-30 timeframe, which are envisioned as being powered by Hybrid Electric Propulsion Systems.

Sustainability Actions in Higher Education

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

This brochure details common sustainability actions taken by universities to reduce their energy consumption. Some of the most common actions include energy efficiency (existing building commissioning; lighting; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning upgrades; plug loads) and renewable energy (RE) (on-site or off-site solar deployment, RE procurement). We focus on the costs and benefits of energy efficiency measures and RE through the brochure while highlighting resources where readers can find more information.

Broadcast control of air traffic

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Litchford, G. B.

1972-01-01

The development of a system of broadcast control for improved flight safety and air traffic control is discussed. The system provides a balance of equality between improved cockpit guidance and control capability and ground control in order to provide the pilot with a greater degree of participation. The manner in which the system is operated and the equipment required for safe operation are examined.

Air Force Journal of Logistics. Volume 29, Number 1, Spring 2005

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-01-01

Air Force, is necessary in the transaction of the public business as required by the law of the department. The Secretary of the Air Force approved the...reengineer Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) progress and introduce a supplier scorecard. sustainment business processes. This transformation effort, AFMC...empowerment." company. I think one of the things we’re seeing in American However, the business side of the Air Force consistently has business is a resurgence

MEDICAL ASPECTS OF COMMERCIAL JET AIR TRAVEL

PubMed Central

Leeds, M. Frederick

1959-01-01

Jet aircraft will further enhance the medically safe and comfortable transportation of persons with disease. Experience in military medicine, substantiated by civilian commercial air travel experience, has already proved that transportation of sick or disabled persons in propeller-driven planes is essentially benign. Certain restrictions are necessary regarding carriage of sick passengers on commercial aircraft whether jet-propelled or of propeller type. These restrictions are primarily related to the comfort of fellow passengers and to the nonmedical environment of commercial airliners rather than to any risk of air travel per se. PMID:13638839

Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program: Integrated Program Plan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None, None

Nuclear power has safely, reliably, and economically contributed almost 20% of electrical generation in the United States over the past two decades. It remains the single largest contributor (more than 60%) of non-greenhouse-gas-emitting electric power generation in the United States. Domestic demand for electrical energy is expected to grow by about 24% from 2013 to 2040 . At the same time, most of the currently operating nuclear power plants will begin reaching the end of their initial 20-year extension to their original 40-year operating license, for a total of 60 years of operation (the oldest commercial plants in the Unitedmore » States reached their 40th anniversary in 2009). Figure E-1 shows projected nuclear energy contribution to the domestic generating capacity for 40- and 60-year license periods. If current operating nuclear power plants do not operate beyond 60 years (and new nuclear plants are not built quickly enough to replace them), the total fraction of generated electrical energy from nuclear power will rapidly decline. That decline will be accelerated if plants are shut down before 60 years of operation. Decisions on extended operation ultimately rely on economic factors; however, economics can often be improved through technical advancements. The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy’s 2010 Research and Development Roadmap (2010 Nuclear Energy Roadmap) organizes its activities around four objectives that ensure nuclear energy remains a compelling and viable energy option for the United States. The four objectives are as follows: 1. Develop technologies and other solutions that can improve the reliability, sustain the safety, and extend the life of the current reactors; 2. Develop improvements in the affordability of new reactors to enable nuclear energy to help meet the Administration’s energy security and climate change goals; 3. Develop sustainable nuclear fuel cycles; and 4. Understand and minimize the risks of nuclear

Should I stay or should I go? COPD and air travel.

PubMed

Ergan, Begum; Akgun, Metin; Pacilli, Angela Maria Grazia; Nava, Stefano

2018-06-30

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a challenging respiratory problem throughout the world. Although survival is prolonged with new therapies and better management, the magnitude of the burden resulting from moderate-to-severe disease is increasing. One of the major aims of the disease management is to try to break the vicious cycle of patients being homebound and to promote an active lifestyle. A fundamental component of active daily life is, of course, travelling. Today, the world is getting smaller with the option of travelling by air. Air travel is usually the most preferred choice as it is easy, time saving, and relatively inexpensive. Although it is a safe choice for many passengers, the environment inside the aeroplane may sometimes have adverse effects on health. Hypobaric hypoxaemia due to cabin altitude may cause health risks in COPD patients who have limited cardiopulmonary reserve. Addressing the potential risks of air travel, promoting proactive strategies including pre-flight assessment, and education of COPD patients about the "fitness to fly" concept are essential. Thus, in this narrative review, we evaluated the current evidence for potential risks of air travel in COPD and tried to give a perspective for how to plan safe air travel for COPD patients. Copyright ©ERS 2018.

Sustainable design of high-performance microsized microbial fuel cell with carbon nanotube anode and air cathode.

PubMed

Mink, Justine E; Hussain, Muhammad Mustafa

2013-08-27

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a promising alternative energy source that both generates electricity and cleans water. Fueled by liquid wastes such as wastewater or industrial wastes, the microbial fuel cell converts waste into energy. Microsized MFCs are essentially miniature energy harvesters that can be used to power on-chip electronics, lab-on-a-chip devices, and/or sensors. As MFCs are a relatively new technology, microsized MFCs are also an important rapid testing platform for the comparison and introduction of new conditions or materials into macroscale MFCs, especially nanoscale materials that have high potential for enhanced power production. Here we report a 75 μL microsized MFC on silicon using CMOS-compatible processes and employ a novel nanomaterial with exceptional electrochemical properties, multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), as the on-chip anode. We used this device to compare the usage of the more commonly used but highly expensive anode material gold, as well as a more inexpensive substitute, nickel. This is the first anode material study done using the most sustainably designed microsized MFC to date, which utilizes ambient oxygen as the electron acceptor with an air cathode instead of the chemical ferricyanide and without a membrane. Ferricyanide is unsustainable, as the chemical must be continuously refilled, while using oxygen, naturally found in air, makes the device mobile and is a key step in commercializing this for portable technology such as lab-on-a-chip for point-of-care diagnostics. At 880 mA/m(2) and 19 mW/m(2) the MWCNT anode outperformed the others in both current and power densities with between 6 and 20 times better performance. All devices were run for over 15 days, indicating a stable and high-endurance energy harvester already capable of producing enough power for ultra-low-power electronics and able to consistently power them over time.

Keeping the Air Clean and Safe: An Anthrax Smoke Detector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

Scientists at work in the Planetary Protection division at NASA s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) sterilize everything before blasting it to the Red Planet. They take great pains to ensure that all spacecraft are void of bacterial life, especially the microscopic bacteria that can live hundreds of years in their spore states. No one is quite sure what Earthly germs would do on Mars, but scientists agree that it is safest to keep the Martian terrain as undisturbed as possible. Errant Earth germs would also render useless the instruments placed on exploration rovers to look for signs of life, as the life that they registered would be life that came with them from Earth. A team at JPL, headed by Dr. Adrian Ponce, developed a bacterial spore-detection system that uses a simple and robust chemical reaction that visually alerts Planetary Protection crews. It is a simple air filter that traps micron-sized bacterial spores and then submits them to the chemical reaction. When the solution is then viewed under an ultraviolet light, the mixture will glow green if it is contaminated by bacteria. Scientists can then return to the scrubbing and cleaning stages of the sterilization process to remove these harmful bacteria. The detection system is the space-bound equivalent of having your hands checked for cleanliness before being allowed to the table; and although intended to keep terrestrial germs from space, this technology has awesome applications here on Mother Earth. The bacterial spore-detection unit can recognize anthrax and other harmful, spore-forming bacteria and alert people of the impending danger. As evidenced in the anthrax mailings of fall 2001 in the United States, the first sign of anthrax exposure was when people experienced flu-like symptoms, which unfortunately, can take as much as a week to develop after contamination. Anthrax cost 5 people their lives and infected 19 others; and the threat of bioterrorism became a routine concern, with new threats popping up

The BetterBirth Program: Pursuing Effective Adoption and Sustained Use of the WHO Safe Childbirth Checklist Through Coaching-Based Implementation in Uttar Pradesh, India.

PubMed

Kara, Nabihah; Firestone, Rebecca; Kalita, Tapan; Gawande, Atul A; Kumar, Vishwajeet; Kodkany, Bhala; Saurastri, Rajiv; Pratap Singh, Vinay; Maji, Pinki; Karlage, Ami; Hirschhorn, Lisa R; Semrau, Katherine Ea

2017-06-27

Shifting childbirth into facilities has not improved health outcomes for mothers and newborns as significantly as hoped. Improving the quality and safety of care provided during facility-based childbirth requires helping providers to adhere to essential birth practices-evidence-based behaviors that reduce harm to and save lives of mothers and newborns. To achieve this goal, we developed the BetterBirth Program, which we tested in a matched-pair, cluster-randomized controlled trial in Uttar Pradesh, India. The goal of this intervention was to improve adoption and sustained use of the World Health Organization Safe Childbirth Checklist (SCC), an organized collection of 28 essential birth practices that are known to improve the quality of facility-based childbirth care. Here, we describe the BetterBirth Program in detail, including its 4 main features: implementation tools, an implementation strategy of coaching, an implementation pathway (Engage-Launch-Support), and a sustainability plan. This coaching-based implementation of the SCC motivates and empowers care providers to identify, understand, and resolve the barriers they face in using the SCC with the resources already available. We describe important lessons learned from our experience with the BetterBirth Program as it was tested in the BetterBirth Trial. For example, the emphasis on relationship building and respect led to trust between coaches and birth attendants and helped influence change. In addition, the cloud-based data collection and feedback system proved a valuable asset in the coaching process. More research on coaching-based interventions is required to refine our understanding of what works best to improve quality and safety of care in various settings.Note: At the time of publication of this article, the results of evaluation of the impact of the BetterBirth Program were pending publication in another journal. After the impact findings have been published, we will update this article with a

The BetterBirth Program: Pursuing Effective Adoption and Sustained Use of the WHO Safe Childbirth Checklist Through Coaching-Based Implementation in Uttar Pradesh, India

PubMed Central

Kara, Nabihah; Firestone, Rebecca; Kalita, Tapan; Gawande, Atul A; Kumar, Vishwajeet; Kodkany, Bhala; Saurastri, Rajiv; Pratap Singh, Vinay; Maji, Pinki; Karlage, Ami; Hirschhorn, Lisa R; Semrau, Katherine EA

2017-01-01

Shifting childbirth into facilities has not improved health outcomes for mothers and newborns as significantly as hoped. Improving the quality and safety of care provided during facility-based childbirth requires helping providers to adhere to essential birth practices—evidence-based behaviors that reduce harm to and save lives of mothers and newborns. To achieve this goal, we developed the BetterBirth Program, which we tested in a matched-pair, cluster-randomized controlled trial in Uttar Pradesh, India. The goal of this intervention was to improve adoption and sustained use of the World Health Organization Safe Childbirth Checklist (SCC), an organized collection of 28 essential birth practices that are known to improve the quality of facility-based childbirth care. Here, we describe the BetterBirth Program in detail, including its 4 main features: implementation tools, an implementation strategy of coaching, an implementation pathway (Engage-Launch-Support), and a sustainability plan. This coaching-based implementation of the SCC motivates and empowers care providers to identify, understand, and resolve the barriers they face in using the SCC with the resources already available. We describe important lessons learned from our experience with the BetterBirth Program as it was tested in the BetterBirth Trial. For example, the emphasis on relationship building and respect led to trust between coaches and birth attendants and helped influence change. In addition, the cloud-based data collection and feedback system proved a valuable asset in the coaching process. More research on coaching-based interventions is required to refine our understanding of what works best to improve quality and safety of care in various settings. (After publication of this article, the impact results of the BetterBirth intervention were published in the New England Journal of Medicine [volume 377, pages 2313-2324, doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1701075]. The results showed that the intervention had

Safe drinking water and clean air: an experimental study evaluating the concept of combining household water treatment and indoor air improvement using the Water Disinfection Stove (WADIS).

PubMed

Christen, Andri; Navarro, Carlos Morante; Mäusezahl, Daniel

2009-09-01

Indoor air pollution and unsafe water remain two of the most important environmental risk factors for the global burden of infectious diseases. Improved stoves and household water treatment (HWT) methods represent two of the most effective interventions to fight respiratory and diarrhoeal illnesses at household level. Since new improved stoves are highly accepted and HWT methods have their drawbacks regarding sustained use, combining the two interventions in one technical solution could result in notable positive convenience and health benefits. A WAter DIsinfection Stove (WADIS) based on a Lorena-stove design with a simple flow-through boiling water-treatment system was developed and tested by a pilot experimental study in rural Bolivia. The results of a post-implementation evaluation of two WADIS and 27 Lorena-stoves indicate high social acceptance rather due to convenience gains of the stove than to perceived health improvements. The high efficacy of the WADIS-water treatment system, with a reduction of microbiological contamination load in the treated water from 87600 thermotolerant coliform colony forming units per 100mL (CFU/100mL) to zero is indicative. The WADIS concept unifies two interventions addressing two important global burdens of disease. WADIS' simple design, relying on locally available materials and low manufacturing costs (approx. 6 US) indicates potential for spontaneous diffusion and scaling up.

Air-borne heavy metal contamination to dietary vegetables: a case study from India.

PubMed

Pandey, J; Pandey, Richa; Shubhashish, K

2009-12-01

Contamination of edible parts of three dietary vegetables, Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.), Radish (Raphanus sativus L.), and Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) by air-borne cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), and lead (Pb) was determined using pot culture experiments at three sites in the city of Varanasi, India. The data revealed that although Cr and Cu in vegetables remained below their safe limits, about 68% of the total samples contained Cd, Ni, and Pb above their respective safe limits of 1.5, 1.5, and 2.5 μg g(-1). Site wise synchrony and air accumulation factor (AAF) indicated that atmospheric deposition was the main contributor of metal contamination to vegetables. The study suggests that if the present trends of atmospheric deposition are continued, air-borne heavy metals will contaminate the agricultural produce with long-term health implications.

Small water and wastewater systems: pathways to sustainable development?

PubMed

Ho, G

2003-01-01

Globally we are faced with billions of people without access to safe water and adequate sanitation. These are generally located in developing communities. Even in developed communities the current large scale systems for supplying water, collecting wastewater and treating it are not environmentally sustainable, because it is difficult to close the cycle of water and nutrients. This paper discusses the advantages of small scale water and wastewater systems in overcoming the difficulties in providing water and wastewater systems in developing communities and in achieving sustainability in both developed and developing communities. Particular attention is given to technology and technology choice, even though technology alone does not provide the complete answer. Disadvantages of small scale systems and how they may be overcome are discussed.

Buying & Using Medicine Safely

MedlinePlus

... Generic Drugs - Patient Education Resources Patient and Prescriber materials: Videos, PSAs, factsheets and more. Spotlight Drugs@FDA Index to Drug-Specific Information Protecting Yourself Safe Disposal of Medicines Generic Medicines – safe, effective and ...

Need for Robust Sensors for Inherently Fail-Safe Gas Turbine Engine Controls, Monitoring, and Prognostics (Postprint)

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-09-01

MONITORING , AND PROGNOSTICS Alireza R. Behbahani Controls / Engine Health Management Turbine Engine Division / PRTS U.S. Air Force Research...Technical Report 2005. 8. Greitzer, Frank et al, “Gas Turbine Engine Health Monitoring and Prognostics ”, International Society of Logistics (SOLE...AFRL-PR-WP-TP-2007-217 NEED FOR ROBUST SENSORS FOR INHERENTLY FAIL-SAFE GAS TURBINE ENGINE CONTROLS, MONITORING , AND PROGNOSTICS (POSTPRINT

Sustainable engineered processes to mitigate the global arsenic crisis in drinking water: challenges and progress.

PubMed

Sarkar, Sudipta; Greenleaf, John E; Gupta, Anirban; Uy, Davin; Sengupta, Arup K

2012-01-01

Millions of people around the world are currently living under the threat of developing serious health problems owing to ingestion of dangerous concentrations of arsenic through their drinking water. In many places, treatment of arsenic-contaminated water is an urgent necessity owing to a lack of safe alternative sources. Sustainable production of arsenic-safe water from an arsenic-contaminated raw water source is currently a challenge. Despite the successful development in the laboratory of technologies for arsenic remediation, few have been successful in the field. A sustainable arsenic-remediation technology should be robust, composed of local resources, and user-friendly as well as must attach special consideration to the social, economic, cultural, traditional, and environmental aspects of the target community. One such technology is in operation on the Indian subcontinent. Wide-scale replication of this technology with adequate improvisation can solve the arsenic crisis prevalent in the developing world.

The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources: clean land, water, and air for healthy people and communities.

PubMed

Riegel, Lisa Diaz; Wakild, Charles; Boothe, Laura; Hildebrandt, Heather J; Nicholson, Bruce

2012-01-01

The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources works with communities and other agencies to sustain clean air, water, and land. Sustainability efforts include protecting air quality through community design, community enhancement through brownfields revitalization, community development strategies to protect water resources, and the integration of natural resource conservation.

Time to harmonize national ambient air quality standards.

PubMed

Kutlar Joss, Meltem; Eeftens, Marloes; Gintowt, Emily; Kappeler, Ron; Künzli, Nino

2017-05-01

The World Health Organization has developed ambient air quality guidelines at levels considered to be safe or of acceptable risk for human health. These guidelines are meant to support governments in defining national standards. It is unclear how they are followed. We compiled an inventory of ambient air quality standards for 194 countries worldwide for six air pollutants: PM 2.5 , PM 10 , ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide. We conducted literature and internet searches and asked country representatives about national ambient air quality standards. We found information on 170 countries including 57 countries that did not set any air quality standards. Levels varied greatly by country and by pollutant. Ambient air quality standards for PM 2.5 , PM 10 and SO 2 poorly complied with WHO guideline values. The agreement was higher for CO, SO 2 (10-min averaging time) and NO 2 . Regulatory differences mirror the differences in air quality and the related burden of disease around the globe. Governments worldwide should adopt science based air quality standards and clean air management plans to continuously improve air quality locally, nationally, and globally.

Enabling Early Sustainment Decisions: Application to F-35 Depot-Level Maintenance

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

Level Maintenance John G. Drew, Ronald G. McGarvey, Peter Buryk Research Report Enabling Early Sustainment Decisions Application to F-35 Depot-Level...Maintenance John G. Drew, Ronald G. McGarvey, Peter Buryk RAND Project AIR FORCE Prepared for the United States Air Force Approved for public...Related publications include the following: John Drew, Russell D. Shaver, Kristin F. Lynch, Mahyar A. Amouzegar, and Don Snyder, Unmanned Aerial

Multiple curved descending approaches and the air traffic control problem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hart, S. G.; Mcpherson, D.; Kreifeldt, J.; Wemple, T. E.

1977-01-01

A terminal area air traffic control simulation was designed to study ways of accommodating increased air traffic density. The concepts that were investigated assumed the availability of the microwave landing system and data link and included: (1) multiple curved descending final approaches; (2) parallel runways certified for independent and simultaneous operation under IFR conditions; (3) closer spacing between successive aircraft; and (4) a distributed management system between the air and ground. Three groups each consisting of three pilots and two air traffic controllers flew a combined total of 350 approaches. Piloted simulators were supplied with computer generated traffic situation displays and flight instruments. The controllers were supplied with a terminal area map and digital status information. Pilots and controllers also reported that the distributed management procedure was somewhat more safe and orderly than the centralized management procedure. Flying precision increased as the amount of turn required to intersect the outer mark decreased. Pilots reported that they preferred the alternative of multiple curved descending approaches with wider spacing between aircraft to closer spacing on single, straight in finals while controllers preferred the latter option. Both pilots and controllers felt that parallel runways are an acceptable way to accommodate increased traffic density safely and expeditiously.

Sustainability Tools Inventory - Initial Gaps Analysis | Science ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This report identifies a suite of tools that address a comprehensive set of community sustainability concerns. The objective is to discover whether "gaps" exist in the tool suite’s analytic capabilities. These tools address activities that significantly influence resource consumption, waste generation, and hazard generation including air pollution and greenhouse gases. In addition, the tools have been evaluated using four screening criteria: relevance to community decision making, tools in an appropriate developmental stage, tools that may be transferrable to situations useful for communities, and tools with requiring skill levels appropriate to communities. This document provides an initial gap analysis in the area of community sustainability decision support tools. It provides a reference to communities for existing decision support tools, and a set of gaps for those wishing to develop additional needed tools to help communities to achieve sustainability. It contributes to SHC 1.61.4

Exploring Socio-Technical Insights for Safe Nursing Handover.

PubMed

Wong, Ming Chao; Yee, Kwang Chien; Turner, Paul

2017-01-01

Current efforts to improve nursing handover frequently use prescriptive approaches based on research evidence of handover issues within a single nursing ward or nursing specialty. Despite reported handover improvement, few studies adequately consider the transferability of results to other nursing handover environments or acknowledge the unique attributes that supported sustained improvement. With the increasing diffusion of electronic tools it has become even more critical to ensure that socio-technical issues that may impact on the quality and safety of nursing handovers are identified. This paper describes a qualitative research project that examined nursing handover in three different wards - General Medicine, General Surgery and Department of Emergency Medicine in a tertiary teaching hospital. Through conduct of a detailed analysis of nursing handover processes, this paper highlights the similarities and differences in the handover among the three different wards and presents five key socio-technical insights to support safe nursing handover.

Astronaut James Lovell reads newspaper account of Apollo 13 safe recovery

NASA Image and Video Library

1970-04-17

S70-15501 (17 April 1970) --- Astronaut James A. Lovell Jr., Apollo 13 mission commander, reads a newspaper account of the safe recovery of the problem plagued mission. Lovell is on board the USS Iwo Jima, prime recovery ship for Apollo 13, which was on a course headed for Pago Pago. From Pago Pago the astronauts flew to Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, where they were presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Richard M. Nixon. Other Apollo 13 crew members were astronauts John L. Swigert Jr., command module pilot, and Fred W. Haise Jr., lunar module pilot.

Investing in Our Children's Future: Building Sustainable Environmental Health Programs in Our Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grevatt, Peter

2011-01-01

Providing safe and healthy learning environments for our children is a fundamental way to advance sustainability in our K-12 schools. However, according to reports by the Government Accountability Office, the U.S. Department of Education, the American Federation of Teachers and other organizations, many schools are in poor condition, and many have…

Cultivating the Art of Safe Space

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunter, Mary Ann

2008-01-01

Performance-making and peace-building are processes predicated on the production of safe space. But what is "safe space"? In performance-making, what is it that makes space safe without losing the creative potential of tension? What role is there for risk? And, once achieved, how does safe space become meaningful beyond its immediate…

Concept for a Satellite-Based Advanced Air Traffic Management System : Volume 8. Operational Logic Flow Diagrams for a Generic Advanced Air Traffic Management system

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1974-02-01

The volume presents a description of the services a generic Advanced Air Traffic Management System (AATMS) should provide to the useres of the system to facilitate the safe, efficient flow of traffic. It provides a definition of the functions which t...

Safe Affordable Fission Engine-(SAFE-) 100a Heat Exchanger Thermal and Structural Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steeve, B. E.

2005-01-01

A potential fission power system for in-space missions is a heat pipe-cooled reactor coupled to a Brayton cycle. In this system, a heat exchanger (HX) transfers the heat of the reactor core to the Brayton gas. The Safe Affordable Fission Engine- (SAFE-) 100a is a test program designed to thermally and hydraulically simulate a 95 Btu/s prototypic heat pipe-cooled reactor using electrical resistance heaters on the ground. This Technical Memorandum documents the thermal and structural assessment of the HX used in the SAFE-100a program.

Leveraging success: applying Interagency Lessons learned to the Joint Air Delivered Nuclear Weapons Acquisition Process

DTIC Science & Technology

Effective coordination and communication between the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Defense (DoD) is necessary to ensure that the... nuclear weapons stockpile remains safe, secure, and effective without nuclear testing. The science-based Stockpile Sustainment Program (SSP) is the...method used to sustain and maintain the nuclear stockpile throughout the weapons life cycle. A comprehensive review was conducted of the joint

Carbon Dioxide Detection and Indoor Air Quality Control.

PubMed

Bonino, Steve

2016-04-01

When building ventilation is reduced, energy is saved because it is not necessary to heat or cool as much outside air. Reduced ventilation can result in higher levels of carbon dioxide, which may cause building occupants to experience symptoms. Heating or cooling for ventilation air can be enhanced by a DCV system, which can save energy while providing a comfortable environment. Carbon dioxide concentrations within a building are often used to indicate whether adequate fresh air is being supplied to the building. These DCV systems use carbon dioxide sensors in each space or in the return air and adjust the ventilation based on carbon dioxide concentration; the higher the concentration, the more people occupy the space relative to the ventilation rate. With a carbon dioxide sensor DCV system, the fresh air ventilation rate varies based on the number ofpeople in the space, saving energy while maintaining a safe and comfortable environment.

Eliminating second-hand smoke from Mexican-American households: outcomes from Project Clean Air-Safe Air (CASA).

PubMed

Prokhorov, Alexander V; Hudmon, Karen Suchanek; Marani, Salma K; Bondy, Melissa L; Gatus, Leticia A; Spitz, Margaret R; Wilkinson, Anna V; Hammond, S Katharine; Koehly, Laura M

2013-01-01

Exposure to second-hand smoke (SHS) is a major public health problem and a risk factor for morbidity and mortality. The objective of this randomized trial was to estimate the impact of a culturally-sensitive intervention to reduce SHS exposure in Mexican-American households. A total of 91 households (with a child under 18 years of age and two adults, one of whom was a smoker) were recruited from a population-based cohort of Mexican-American households and randomized to receive the experimental intervention (EI; n=47) or standard care (SC; n=44). Of these, 74 households (83%) provided baseline, 6-month, and 12-month survey and nicotine monitor data (EI, n=39; SC, n=35). The EI materials, designed to increase the participants' likelihood of adopting a smoke-free indoor home air policy, included one culturally-appropriate bilingual comic book for children and two fotonovelas for adults. Ambient nicotine levels significantly decreased over the 12 study months (F=13.6, DF=147; p<0.001); with a significantly greater decrease in the EI households compared to the SC households (F=4.1, DF=72; p<0.05). At 12 months, 73% of EI households had banned smoking vs. 56% of SC households. Ambient nicotine levels, measured using nicotine air sampling monitors, were significantly associated with self-reported SHS exposure at the 12-month follow-up. Knowledge of the health effects of SHS increased from baseline to 6 and 12 months in the EI condition but not in the SC condition (F=6.0, DF=238; p<0.01), and smokers and quitters in the EI group reported an increased perception of health vulnerability compared to those in the SC group. Our low-cost intervention impacted SHS-related knowledge and exposure among Mexican Americans. This culturally-appropriate intervention has the potential to decrease SHS-related health problems in the target population substantially. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Ecological Intelligence and Sustainability Education in Special Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Kristen E.

2013-01-01

Before the detection of ozone depletion in the 1970s, an environmental movement began throughout the nation based on an increasing awareness of air and water pollution, and "deaths as a result of work conditions". Since then, movements for sustainable environmental practices and human rights continue to gain momentum. All over the globe,…

Unmanned Aerial Systems Traffic Management (UTM): Safely Enabling UAS Operations in Low-Altitude Airspace

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rios, Joseph

2016-01-01

Currently, there is no established infrastructure to enable and safely manage the widespread use of low-altitude airspace and UAS flight operations. Given this, and understanding that the FAA faces a mandate to modernize the present air traffic management system through computer automation and significantly reduce the number of air traffic controllers by FY 2020, the FAA maintains that a comprehensive, yet fully automated UAS traffic management (UTM) system for low-altitude airspace is needed. The concept of UTM is to begin by leveraging concepts from the system of roads, lanes, stop signs, rules and lights that govern vehicles on the ground today. Building on its legacy of work in air traffic management (ATM), NASA is working with industry to develop prototype technologies for a UAS Traffic Management (UTM) system that would evolve airspace integration procedures for enabling safe, efficient low-altitude flight operations that autonomously manage UAS operating in an approved low-altitude airspace environment. UTM is a cloud-based system that will autonomously manage all traffic at low altitudes to include UASs being operated beyond visual line of sight of an operator. UTM would thus enable safe and efficient flight operations by providing fully integrated traffic management services such as airspace design, corridors, dynamic geofencing, severe weather and wind avoidance, congestion management, terrain avoidance, route planning re-routing, separation management, sequencing spacing, and contingency management. UTM removes the need for human operators to continuously monitor aircraft operating in approved areas. NASA envisions concepts for two types of UTM systems. The first would be a small portable system, which could be moved between geographical areas in support of operations such as precision agriculture and public safety. The second would be a Persistent system, which would support low-altitude operations in an approved area by providing continuous automated

Breastfeeding FAQs: Safely Storing Breast Milk

MedlinePlus

... Staying Safe Videos for Educators Search English Español Breastfeeding FAQs: Safely Storing Breast Milk KidsHealth / For Parents / Breastfeeding FAQs: Safely Storing Breast Milk What's in this ...

Safe-Play Knowledge, Aggression, and Head-Impact Biomechanics in Adolescent Ice Hockey Players

PubMed Central

Schmidt, Julianne D.; Pierce, Alice F.; Guskiewicz, Kevin M.; Register-Mihalik, Johna K.; Pamukoff, Derek N.; Mihalik, Jason P.

2016-01-01

Context:  Addressing safe-play knowledge and player aggression could potentially improve ice hockey sport safety. Objectives:  To compare (1) safe-play knowledge and aggression between male and female adolescent ice hockey players and (2) head-impact frequency and severity between players with high and low levels of safe-play knowledge and aggression during practices and games. Design:  Cohort study. Setting:  On field. Patients or Other Participants:  Forty-one male (n = 29) and female (n = 12) adolescent ice hockey players. Intervention(s):  Players completed the Safe Play Questionnaire (0 = less knowledge, 7 = most knowledge) and Competitive Aggressiveness and Anger Scale (12 = less aggressive, 60 = most aggressive) at midseason. Aggressive penalty minutes were recorded throughout the season. The Head Impact Telemetry System was used to capture head-impact frequency and severity (linear acceleration [g], rotational acceleration [rad/s2], Head Impact Technology severity profile) at practices and games. Main Outcome Measure(s):  One-way analyses of variance were used to compare safe play knowledge and aggression between sexes. Players were categorized as having high or low safe-play knowledge and aggression using a median split. A 2 × 2 mixed-model analysis of variance was used to compare head-impact frequency, and random-intercept general linear models were used to compare head-impact severity between groups (high, low) and event types (practice, game). Results:  Boys (5.8 of 7 total; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 5.3, 6.3) had a trend toward better safe-play knowledge compared with girls (4.9 of 7 total; 95% CI = 3.9, 5.9; F1,36 = 3.40, P = .073). Less aggressive male players sustained significantly lower head rotational accelerations during practices (1512.8 rad/s2, 95% CI = 1397.3, 1637.6 rad/s2) versus games (1754.8 rad/s2, 95% CI = 1623.9, 1896.2 rad/s2) and versus high-aggression players during practices (1773.5 rad/s2, 95% CI = 1607

Sustainable freight infrastructure to meet climate and air quality goals.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-02-01

This report examines the potential for freight modal shift from truck-to-rail in the upper Midwestern U.S. : to improve air quality and reduce CO2 emissions. Two scenarios were generated, one focusing on : intra-regional freight movements within the ...

Land cover, land use changes and air pollution in Asia: a synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vadrevu, Krishna; Ohara, Toshimasa; Justice, Chris

2017-12-01

A better understanding of land cover/land use changes (LCLUC) and their interactions with the atmospheric environment is essential for the sustainable management of natural resources, environmental protection, air quality, agricultural planning and food security. The 15 papers published in this focus issue showcase a variety of studies relating to drivers and impacts of LCLUC and air pollution in different South/Southeast Asian (S/SEA) countries. This synthesis article, in addition to giving context to the articles in this focus issue, also reviews the broad linkages between population, LCLUC and air pollution. Additionally, we identify knowledge gaps and research priorities that are essential in addressing air pollution issues in the region. We conclude that for effective pollution mitigation in S/SEA countries, quantifying drivers, sources and impacts of pollution need a thorough data analysis through ground-based instrumentation, models and integrated research approaches. We also stress the need for the development of sustainable technologies and strengthening the scientific and resource management communities through capacity building and training activities to address air pollution issues in S/SEA countries.

PROMOTING AIR QUALITY THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY VERIFICATION

EPA Science Inventory

The paper discusses the promotion of improved air quality through environmental technology verifications (ETVs). In 1995, the U.S. EPA's Office of Research and Development began the ETV Program in response to President Clinton's "Bridge to a Sustainable Future" and Vice Presiden...

A Retrospective Analysis of Initial Posterior Root Canal Therapy on United States Air Force Personnel

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-01

and John Yaccino, DDS Abstract Introduction: The Air Force Dental Service (AFDS) has established evidence-based treatment standards for endodontics...and cuspal coverage restorations (4-6). With this research, the Air Force Dental Service (AFDS) established evidence-based treatment standards for...endodontics to ensure Airmen receive high-quality, safe dental care (7). These standards are taught at the two Air Force (AF) Postgraduate Endodontic

Air bag-mediated fatal craniocervical trauma: a case report.

PubMed

Büyük, Yalçin; Uzün, Ibrahim; Erkol, Zerrin; Ağritmiş, Hasan; Ustündağ, Kasim T

2010-07-01

This case report describes a four-year-old girl (102 cm, 17 kg) who sustained fatal craniocerebral injuries as a result of an inflating automobile air bag. The car struck the lid of the sewer system, which was 15 cm above the ground level, at a low speed, and both the driver and passenger air bags inflated. Despite the fact that air bag usage has lessened both the possibility and severity of occupant injuries in frontal collisions, case reports of serious injuries and even deaths especially in children due to air bag deployment, particularly during low speed impacts, highlight the need for changes in both system design and possibly the threshold speed of air bag deployment.

Safe disposal of cytotoxic waste: an evaluation of an air-tight system.

PubMed

Craig, Gemma; Wadey, Charlotte

2017-09-07

A 3-month evaluation was undertaken at the Kent Oncology Centre's chemotherapy day unit (CDU) to trial an air-tight sealing disposal system for cytotoxic waste management. Research has identified the potential risk to staff who handle waste products that are hazardous to health. Staff safety was a driving force behind a trial of a new way of working. This article provides an overview of the evaluation of the Pactosafe system in one clinical area, examining reviews by oncology healthcare workers, the practicalities in the clinical setting, training, cost effectiveness and the environmental benefits.

Speed control with end cushion for high speed air cylinder

DOEpatents

Stevens, Wayne W.; Solbrig, Charles W.

1991-01-01

A high speed air cylinder in which the longitudinal movement of the piston within the air cylinder tube is controlled by pressurizing the air cylinder tube on the accelerating side of the piston and releasing pressure at a controlled rate on the decelerating side of the piston. The invention also includes a method for determining the pressure required on both the accelerating and decelerating sides of the piston to move the piston with a given load through a predetermined distance at the desired velocity, bringing the piston to rest safely without piston bounce at the end of its complete stroke.

Deep learning architecture for air quality predictions.

PubMed

Li, Xiang; Peng, Ling; Hu, Yuan; Shao, Jing; Chi, Tianhe

2016-11-01

With the rapid development of urbanization and industrialization, many developing countries are suffering from heavy air pollution. Governments and citizens have expressed increasing concern regarding air pollution because it affects human health and sustainable development worldwide. Current air quality prediction methods mainly use shallow models; however, these methods produce unsatisfactory results, which inspired us to investigate methods of predicting air quality based on deep architecture models. In this paper, a novel spatiotemporal deep learning (STDL)-based air quality prediction method that inherently considers spatial and temporal correlations is proposed. A stacked autoencoder (SAE) model is used to extract inherent air quality features, and it is trained in a greedy layer-wise manner. Compared with traditional time series prediction models, our model can predict the air quality of all stations simultaneously and shows the temporal stability in all seasons. Moreover, a comparison with the spatiotemporal artificial neural network (STANN), auto regression moving average (ARMA), and support vector regression (SVR) models demonstrates that the proposed method of performing air quality predictions has a superior performance.

The safe home project.

PubMed

Arphorn, Sara; Jiraniratisai, Sopaphan; Rungtakul, Rungsri; Phutta, Nikom

2011-12-01

The Thai Health Promotion Foundation supported the Improvement of Quality of Life of Informal Workers project in Ban Luang District, Amphur Photaram, Ratchaburi Province. There were many informal workers in Ban Luang District. Sweet-crispy fish producers in Ban Luang were the largest group among the sweet-crispy fish producers in Thailand. This project was aimed at improving living and working conditions of informal workers, with a focus on the sweet-crispy fish group. Good practices of improved living and working conditions were used to help informal workers build safe, healthy and productive work environments. These informal workers often worked in substandard conditions and were exposed to various hazards in the working area. These hazards included risk of exposure to hot work environment, ergonomics-related injuries, chemical hazards, electrical hazards etc. Ergonomics problems were commonly in the sweet-crispy fish group. Unnatural postures such as prolonged sitting were performed dominantly. One hundred and fifty informal workers participated in this project. Occupational health volunteers were selected to encourage occupational health and safety in four groups of informal workers in 2009. The occupational health volunteers trained in 2008 were farmers, beauty salon workers and doll makers. The occupational health and safety knowledge is extended to a new informal worker group: sweet-crispy fish producer, in 2009. The occupational health and safety training for sweet-crispy fish group is conducted by occupational health volunteers. The occupational health volunteers increased their skills and knowledge assist in to make safe home and safe community through participatory oriented training. The improvement of living and working condition is conducted by using a modified WISH, Work Improvement for Safe Home, checklist. The plans of improvement were recorded. The informal workers showed improvement mostly on material handling and storage. The safe uses and safe

Sustainability of Fossil Fuels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lackner, K. S.

2002-05-01

effects of injecting excess carbon into the environment need to be eliminated before fossil fuels can be considered sustainable. Sustainable fossil fuel use would likely rely on abundant, low-grade hydrocarbons like coal, tar, and shale. It would require a closed cycle approach in which carbon is extracted from the ground, processed for its energy content, and returned into safe and stable sinks for permanent disposal. Such sequestration technologies already exist and more advanced approaches that could maintain access to fossil energy for centuries are on the drawing boards. I will review these options and outline a pathway towards a zero emission fossil fuel based economy that could provide energy at prices comparable to those of today for several centuries. A successful implementation will depend not only on technological advances but also on the development of economic institutions that allow one to pay for the required carbon management. If done correctly the markets will decide whether renewable energy, or sustainable fossil energy provides a better choice.

Cost and financial sustainability of a household-based water treatment and storage intervention in Zambia.

PubMed

Banerjee, Anyana; McFarland, Deborah A; Singh, Ritu; Quick, Robert

2007-09-01

Providing safe water to >1 billion people in need is a major challenge. To address this need, the Safe Water System (SWS) - household water treatment with dilute bleach, safe water storage, and behavior change - has been implemented in >20 countries. To assess the potential sustainability of the SWS, we analyzed costs in Zambia of "Clorin" brand product sold in bottles sufficient for a month of water treatment at a price of $0.09. We analyzed production, marketing, distribution, and overhead costs of Clorin before and after sales reached nationwide scale, and analyzed Clorin sales revenue. The average cost per bottle of Clorin production, marketing and distribution at start-up in 1999 was $1.88 but decreased by 82% to $0.33 in 2003, when >1.7 million bottles were sold. The financial loss per bottle decreased from $1.72 in 1999 to $0.24 in 2003. Net program costs in 2003 were $428,984, or only $0.04 per person-month of protection. A sensitivity analysis showed that if the bottle price increased to $0.18, the project would be self-sustaining at maximum capacity. This analysis demonstrated that efficiencies in the SWS supply chain can be achieved through social marketing. Even with a subsidy, overall program costs per beneficiary are low.

Swimming in air-breathing fishes.

PubMed

Lefevre, S; Domenici, P; McKenzie, D J

2014-03-01

Fishes with bimodal respiration differ in the extent of their reliance on air breathing to support aerobic metabolism, which is reflected in their lifestyles and ecologies. Many freshwater species undertake seasonal and reproductive migrations that presumably involve sustained aerobic exercise. In the six species studied to date, aerobic exercise in swim flumes stimulated air-breathing behaviour, and there is evidence that surfacing frequency and oxygen uptake from air show an exponential increase with increasing swimming speed. In some species, this was associated with an increase in the proportion of aerobic metabolism met by aerial respiration, while in others the proportion remained relatively constant. The ecological significance of anaerobic swimming activities, such as sprinting and fast-start manoeuvres during predator-prey interactions, has been little studied in air-breathing fishes. Some species practise air breathing during recovery itself, while others prefer to increase aquatic respiration, possibly to promote branchial ion exchange to restore acid-base balance, and to remain quiescent and avoid being visible to predators. Overall, the diversity of air-breathing fishes is reflected in their swimming physiology as well, and further research is needed to increase the understanding of the differences and the mechanisms through which air breathing is controlled and used during exercise. © 2014 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Analysis of feature selection with Probabilistic Neural Network (PNN) to classify sources influencing indoor air quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saad, S. M.; Shakaff, A. Y. M.; Saad, A. R. M.; Yusof, A. M.; Andrew, A. M.; Zakaria, A.; Adom, A. H.

2017-03-01

There are various sources influencing indoor air quality (IAQ) which could emit dangerous gases such as carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), ozone (O3) and particulate matter. These gases are usually safe for us to breathe in if they are emitted in safe quantity but if the amount of these gases exceeded the safe level, they might be hazardous to human being especially children and people with asthmatic problem. Therefore, a smart indoor air quality monitoring system (IAQMS) is needed that able to tell the occupants about which sources that trigger the indoor air pollution. In this project, an IAQMS that able to classify sources influencing IAQ has been developed. This IAQMS applies a classification method based on Probabilistic Neural Network (PNN). It is used to classify the sources of indoor air pollution based on five conditions: ambient air, human activity, presence of chemical products, presence of food and beverage, and presence of fragrance. In order to get good and best classification accuracy, an analysis of several feature selection based on data pre-processing method is done to discriminate among the sources. The output from each data pre-processing method has been used as the input for the neural network. The result shows that PNN analysis with the data pre-processing method give good classification accuracy of 99.89% and able to classify the sources influencing IAQ high classification rate.

Modern air protection technologies at thermal power plants (review)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roslyakov, P. V.

2016-07-01

Realization of the ecologically safe technologies for fuel combustion in the steam boiler furnaces and the effective ways for treatment of flue gases at modern thermal power plants have been analyzed. The administrative and legal measures to stimulate introduction of the technologies for air protection at TPPs have been considered. It has been shown that both the primary intrafurnace measures for nitrogen oxide suppression and the secondary flue gas treatment methods are needed to meet the modern ecological standards. Examples of the environmentally safe methods for flame combustion of gas-oil and solid fuels in the boiler furnaces have been provided. The effective methods and units to treat flue gases from nitrogen and sulfur oxides and flue ash have been considered. It has been demonstrated that realization of the measures for air protection should be accompanied by introduction of the systems for continuous instrumentation control of the composition of combustion products in the gas path of boiler units and for monitoring of atmospheric emissions.

Recovery of Trace and Heavy Metals from Coal Combustion Residues for Reuse and Safe Disposal: A Review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Ashvani; Samadder, Sukha Ranjan; Elumalai, Suresh Pandian

2016-09-01

The safe disposal of coal combustion residues (CCRs) will remain a major public issue as long as coal is used as a fuel for energy production. Both dry and wet disposal methods of CCRs create serious environmental problems. The dry disposal method creates air pollution initially, and the wet disposal method creates water pollution as a result of the presence of trace and heavy metals. These leached heavy metals from fly ash may become more hazardous when they form toxic compounds such as arsenic sulfite (As2S3) and lead nitrate (N2O6Pb). The available studies on trace and heavy metals present in CCRs cannot ensure environmentally safe utilization. In this work, a novel approach has been offered for the retrieval of trace and heavy metals from CCRs. If the proposed method becomes successful, then the recovered trace and heavy metals may become a resource and environmentally safe use of CCRs may be possible.

Waste to energy – key element for sustainable waste management

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brunner, Paul H., E-mail: paul.h.brunner@tuwien.ac.at; Rechberger, Helmut

2015-03-15

Highlights: • First paper on the importance of incineration from a urban metabolism point of view. • Proves that incineration is necessary for sustainable waste management. • Historical and technical overview of 100 years development of MSW incineration. - Abstract: Human activities inevitably result in wastes. The higher the material turnover, and the more complex and divers the materials produced, the more challenging it is for waste management to reach the goals of “protection of men and environment” and “resource conservation”. Waste incineration, introduced originally for volume reduction and hygienic reasons, went through a long and intense development. Together withmore » prevention and recycling measures, waste to energy (WTE) facilities contribute significantly to reaching the goals of waste management. Sophisticated air pollution control (APC) devices ensure that emissions are environmentally safe. Incinerators are crucial and unique for the complete destruction of hazardous organic materials, to reduce risks due to pathogenic microorganisms and viruses, and for concentrating valuable as well as toxic metals in certain fractions. Bottom ash and APC residues have become new sources of secondary metals, hence incineration has become a materials recycling facility, too. WTE plants are supporting decisions about waste and environmental management: They can routinely and cost effectively supply information about chemical waste composition as well as about the ratio of biogenic to fossil carbon in MSW and off-gas.« less

Hopi Sustainable Energy Plan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Norman Honie, Jr.; Margie Schaff; Mark Hannifan

2004-08-01

The Hopi Tribal Government as part of an initiative to ?Regulate the delivery of energy and energy services to the Hopi Reservation and to create a strategic business plan for tribal provision of appropriate utility, both in a manner that improves the reliability and cost efficiency of such services,? established the Hopi Clean Air Partnership Project (HCAPP) to support the Tribe?s economic development goals, which is sensitive to the needs and ways of the Hopi people. The Department of Energy (DOE) funded, Formation of Hopi Sustainable Energy Program results are included in the Clean Air Partnership Report. One of themore » Hopi Tribe?s primary strategies to improving the reliability and cost efficiency of energy services on the Reservation and to creating alternative (to coal) economic development opportunities is to form and begin implementation of the Hopi Sustainable Energy Program. The Hopi Tribe through the implementation of this grant identified various economic opportunities available from renewable energy resources. However, in order to take advantage of those opportunities, capacity building of tribal staff is essential in order for the Tribe to develop and manage its renewable energy resources. As Arizona public utilities such as APS?s renewable energy portfolio increases the demand for renewable power will increase. The Hopi Tribe would be in a good position to provide a percentage of the power through wind energy. It is equally important that the Hopi Tribe begin a dialogue with APS and NTUA to purchase the 69Kv transmission on Hopi and begin looking into financing options to purchase the line.« less

Open Air Silicon Deposition by Atmospheric Pressure Plasma under Local Ambient Gas Control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naito, Teruki; Konno, Nobuaki; Yoshida, Yukihisa

2015-09-01

In this paper, we report open air silicon (Si) deposition by combining a silane free Si deposition technology and a newly developed local ambient gas control technology. Recently, material processing in open air has been investigated intensively. While a variety of materials have been deposited, there were only few reports on Si deposition due to the susceptibility to contamination and the hazardous nature of source materials. Since Si deposition is one of the most important processes in device fabrication, we have developed open air silicon deposition technologies in BEANS project. For a clean and safe process, a local ambient gas control head was designed. Process gas leakage was prevented by local evacuation, and air contamination was shut out by inert curtain gas. By numerical and experimental investigations, a safe and clean process condition with air contamination less than 10 ppm was achieved. Si film was deposited in open air by atmospheric pressure plasma enhanced chemical transport under the local ambient gas control. The film was microcrystalline Si with the crystallite size of 17 nm, and the Hall mobility was 2.3 cm2/V .s. These properties were comparable to those of Si films deposited in a vacuum chamber. This research has been conducted as one of the research items of New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization ``BEANS'' project.

Consensus Conference Findings on Supragingival and Subgingival Air Polishing.

PubMed

Cobb, Charles M; Daubert, Diane M; Davis, Karen; Deming, Jodi; Flemmig, Thomas F; Pattison, Anna; Roulet, Jean-François; Stambaugh, Roger V

2017-02-01

A consensus conference was convened to evaluate and address issues of safety and efficacy when using glycine powder in an air-powder jet device for supra- and subgingival applications during dental prophylaxis and periodontal maintenance. The conference reported the following conclusions: 1) Supra- and subgingival air polishing using glycine powder is safe and effective for removal of biofilms from natural tooth structure and restorative materials; 2) there is no evidence of soft-tissue abrasion when using glycine powder in an air-polishing device; 3) in periodontal probing depths of 1 mm to 4 mm, glycine-powder air polishing, using a standard air-polishing nozzle, is more effective at removing subgingival biofilm than manual or ultrasonic instruments; and 4) at probing depths of 5 mm to 9 mm, using a subgingival nozzle, glycine powder air polishing is more effective at removing subgingival biofilm than manual or ultrasonic instrumentation. This conference statement, supported by an industry grant, was drafted by a panel of distinguished dental professionals.

Balanced Scorecard: Evaluation of Air Force Materiel Command’s Implementation and Use

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-01

Department of Operational Sciences Graduate School of Engineering and Management Air Force Institute of Technology Air University Air Education...and Alignment (2006). Operational experience has also been accumulated through a number of BSC implementations. Together, organizations now have a...sustain operations . By 1994, it was the least profitable company in its sector. Executives knew things needed to change and decided to roll out

Is Sustainability Sustainable?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bonevac, Daniel

2010-01-01

The most important concept in current environmental thinking is "sustainability". Environmental policies, economic policies, development, resource use--all of these things, according to the consensus, ought to be sustainable. But what is sustainability? What is its ethical foundation? There is little consensus about how these questions…

Environmental indicators for sustainable production of algal biofuels

DOE PAGES

Efroymson, Rebecca A.; Dale, Virginia H.

2014-10-01

For analyzing sustainability of algal biofuels, we identify 16 environmental indicators that fall into six categories: soil quality, water quality and quantity, air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity, and productivity. Indicators are selected to be practical, widely applicable, predictable in response, anticipatory of future changes, independent of scale, and responsive to management. Major differences between algae and terrestrial plant feedstocks, as well as their supply chains for biofuel, are highlighted, for they influence the choice of appropriate sustainability indicators. Algae strain selection characteristics do not generally affect which indicators are selected. The use of water instead of soil as themore » growth medium for algae determines the higher priority of water- over soil-related indicators. The proposed set of environmental indicators provides an initial checklist for measures of biofuel sustainability but may need to be modified for particular contexts depending on data availability, goals of the stakeholders, and financial constraints. Ultimately, use of these indicators entails defining sustainability goals and targets in relation to stakeholder values in a particular context and can lead to improved management practices.« less

Factors affecting sustainability of rural water schemes in Swaziland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peter, Graciana; Nkambule, Sizwe E.

The Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target to reduce the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water by the year 2015 has been met as of 2010, but huge disparities exist. Some regions, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa are lagging behind it is also in this region where up to 30% of the rural schemes are not functional at any given time. There is need for more studies on factors affecting sustainability and necessary measures which when implemented will improve the sustainability of rural water schemes. The main objective of this study was to assess the main factors affecting the sustainability of rural water schemes in Swaziland using a Multi-Criteria Analysis Approach. The main factors considered were: financial, social, technical, environmental and institutional. The study was done in Lubombo region. Fifteen functional water schemes in 11 communities were studied. Data was collected using questionnaires, checklist and focused group discussion guide. A total of 174 heads of households were interviewed. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyse the data and to calculate sustainability scores for water schemes. SPSS was also used to classify sustainability scores according to sustainability categories: sustainable, partially sustainable and non-sustainable. The averages of the ratings for the different sub-factors studied and the results on the sustainability scores for the sustainable, partially sustainable and non-sustainable schemes were then computed and compared to establish the main factors influencing sustainability of the water schemes. The results indicated technical and social factors as most critical while financial and institutional, although important, played a lesser role. Factors which contributed to the sustainability of water schemes were: functionality; design flow; water fetching time; ability to meet additional demand; use by population; equity; participation in decision making on operation and

How Safe Are Kid-Safe Search Engines?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Masterson-Krum, Hope

2001-01-01

Examines search tools available to elementary and secondary school students, both human-compiled and crawler-based, to help direct them to age-appropriate Web sites; analyzes the procedures of search engines labeled family-friendly or kid safe that use filters; and tests the effectiveness of these services to students in school libraries. (LRW)

SOME PROBLEMS OF "SAFE DOSE" ESTIMATION

EPA Science Inventory

In environmental carcinogenic risk assessment, the usually defined "safe doses" appear subjective in some sense. n this paper a method of standardizing "safe doses" based on some objective parameters is introduced and a procedure of estimating safe doses under the competing risks...

Implications of climate change mitigation for sustainable development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jakob, Michael; Steckel, Jan Christoph

2016-10-01

Evaluating the trade-offs between the risks related to climate change, climate change mitigation as well as co-benefits requires an integrated scenarios approach to sustainable development. We outline a conceptual multi-objective framework to assess climate policies that takes into account climate impacts, mitigation costs, water and food availability, technological risks of nuclear energy and carbon capture and sequestration as well as co-benefits of reducing local air pollution and increasing energy security. This framework is then employed as an example to different climate change mitigation scenarios generated with integrated assessment models. Even though some scenarios encompass considerable challenges for sustainability, no scenario performs better or worse than others in all dimensions, pointing to trade-offs between different dimensions of sustainable development. For this reason, we argue that these trade-offs need to be evaluated in a process of public deliberation that includes all relevant social actors.

Safe Use of Acoustic Vestibular-Evoked Myogenic Potential Stimuli: Protocol and Patient-Specific Considerations.

PubMed

Portnuff, Cory D F; Kleindienst, Samantha; Bogle, Jamie M

2017-09-01

Vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) are commonly used clinical assessments for patients with complaints of dizziness. However, relatively high air-conducted stimuli are required to elicit the VEMP, and ultimately may compromise safe noise exposure limits. Recently, research has reported the potential for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) from VEMP stimulus exposure through studies of reduced otoacoustic emission levels after VEMP testing, as well as a recent case study showing permanent sensorineural hearing loss associated with VEMP exposure. The purpose of this report is to review the potential for hazardous noise exposure from VEMP stimuli and to suggest clinical parameters for safe VEMP testing. Literature review with presentation of clinical guidelines and a clinical tool for estimating noise exposure. The literature surrounding VEMP stimulus-induced hearing loss is reviewed, including several cases of overexposure. The article then presents a clinical calculation tool for the estimation of a patient's safe noise exposure from VEMP stimuli, considering stimulus parameters, and includes a discussion of how varying stimulus parameters affect a patient's noise exposure. Finally, recommendations are provided for recognizing and managing specific patient populations who may be at higher risk for NIHL from VEMP stimulus exposure. A sample protocol is provided that allows for safe noise exposure. VEMP stimuli have the potential to cause NIHL due to high sound exposure levels. However, with proper safety protocols in place, clinicians may reduce or eliminate this risk to their patients. Use of the tools provided, including the noise exposure calculation tool and sample protocols, may help clinicians to understand and ensure safe use of VEMP stimuli. American Academy of Audiology

Safe and rapid resolution of severe hypertriglyceridaemia in two patients with intravenous insulin.

PubMed

Triay, J M; Day, A; Singhal, P

2010-09-01

To rapidly reduce serum triglyceride to a safe serum level. Severe hypertriglyceridaemia is associated with uncontrolled diabetes, obesity and poor physical activity. Even moderate increases in triglyceride levels (> 5mmol/L) confer an increased risk of pancreatitis and coronary artery disease. We present two patients with diabetes and serum triglyceride levels of greater than 85mmol/L despite polypharmacy intervention. 72-hour intravenous insulin infusion was administered. Serum triglyceride levels fell to 9.4 and 4.6 mmol/L respectively, without adverse events and sustained effect over several months. We suggest the use of intravenous insulin infusion where lifestyle and oral drug therapies have failed can impact on severe hypertriglyceridaemia.

Aging Theories for Establishing Safe Life Spans of Airborne Critical Structural Components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ko, William L.

2003-01-01

New aging theories have been developed to establish the safe life span of airborne critical structural components such as B-52B aircraft pylon hooks for carrying air-launch drop-test vehicles. The new aging theories use the equivalent-constant-amplitude loading spectrum to represent the actual random loading spectrum with the same damaging effect. The crack growth due to random loading cycling of the first flight is calculated using the half-cycle theory, and then extrapolated to all the crack growths of the subsequent flights. The predictions of the new aging theories (finite difference aging theory and closed-form aging theory) are compared with the classical flight-test life theory and the previously developed Ko first- and Ko second-order aging theories. The new aging theories predict the number of safe flights as considerably lower than that predicted by the classical aging theory, and slightly lower than those predicted by the Ko first- and Ko second-order aging theories due to the inclusion of all the higher order terms.

Using Opioids Safely After Surgery

MedlinePlus

... Adult , Geriatric Using Opioids Safely After Surgery Using Opioids Safely After Surgery Stick to the lowest dose ... need opioid pain medicine. If your doctor says opioids aren’t necessary. If your doctor thinks you ...

The Three Gorges Project: How sustainable?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kepa Brian Morgan, Te Kipa; Sardelic, Daniel N.; Waretini, Amaria F.

2012-08-01

SummaryIn 1984 the Government of China approved the decision to construct the Three Gorges Dam Project, the largest project since the Great Wall. The project had many barriers to overcome, and the decision was made at a time when sustainability was a relatively unknown concept. The decision to construct the Three Gorges Project remains contentious today, especially since Deputy Director of the Three Gorges Project Construction Committee, Wang Xiaofeng, stated that "We absolutely cannot relax our guard against ecological and environmental security problems sparked by the Three Gorges Project" (Bristow, 2007; McCabe, 2007). The question therefore was posed: how sustainable is the Three Gorges Project? Conventional approaches to sustainability assessment tend to use monetary based assessment aligned to triple bottom line thinking. That is, projects are evaluated as trade-offs between economic, environmental and social costs and benefits. The question of sustainability is considered using such a traditional Cost-Benefit Analysis approach, as undertaken in 1988 by a CIPM-Yangtze Joint Venture, and the Mauri Model Decision Making Framework (MMDMF). The Mauri Model differs from other approaches in that sustainability performance indicators are considered independently from any particular stakeholder bias. Bias is then introduced subsequently as a sensitivity analysis on the raw results obtained. The MMDMF is unique in that it is based on the Māori concept of Mauri, the binding force between the physical and the spiritual attributes of something, or the capacity to support life in the air, soil, and water. This concept of Mauri is analogous to the Chinese concept of Qi, and there are many analogous concepts in other cultures. It is the universal relevance of Mauri that allows its use to assess sustainability. This research identified that the MMDMF was a strong complement to Cost-Benefit Analysis, which is not designed as a sustainability assessment tool in itself. The

How Safe Is Safe Enough for Self-Driving Vehicles?

PubMed

Liu, Peng; Yang, Run; Xu, Zhigang

2018-05-21

Self-driving vehicles (SDVs) promise to considerably reduce traffic crashes. One pressing concern facing the public, automakers, and governments is "How safe is safe enough for SDVs?" To answer this question, a new expressed-preference approach was proposed for the first time to determine the socially acceptable risk of SDVs. In our between-subject survey (N = 499), we determined the respondents' risk-acceptance rate of scenarios with varying traffic-risk frequencies to examine the logarithmic relationships between the traffic-risk frequency and risk-acceptance rate. Logarithmic regression models of SDVs were compared to those of human-driven vehicles (HDVs); the results showed that SDVs were required to be safer than HDVs. Given the same traffic-risk-acceptance rates for SDVs and HDVs, their associated acceptable risk frequencies of SDVs and HDVs were predicted and compared. Two risk-acceptance criteria emerged: the tolerable risk criterion, which indicates that SDVs should be four to five times as safe as HDVs, and the broadly acceptable risk criterion, which suggests that half of the respondents hoped that the traffic risk of SDVs would be two orders of magnitude lower than the current estimated traffic risk. The approach and these results could provide insights for government regulatory authorities for establishing clear safety requirements for SDVs. © 2018 Society for Risk Analysis.

Framework for Sustainability Performance Assessment for Manufacturing Processes- A Review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, K.; Sultan, I.

2017-07-01

Manufacturing industries are facing tough competition due to increasing raw material cost and depleting natural resources. There is great pressure on the industry to produce environmental friendly products using environmental friendly processes. To address these issues modern manufacturing industries are focusing on sustainable manufacturing. To develop more sustainable societies, industries need to better understand how to respond to environmental, economic and social challenges. This paper proposed some framework and tools that accelerate the transition towards a sustainable system. The developed framework will be beneficial for sustainability assessment comparing different plans alongside material properties, ultimately helping the manufacturing industries to reduce the carbon emissions and material waste, besides improving energy efficiency. It is expected that this would be highly beneficial for determination of environmental impact of a process at early design stages. Therefore, it would greatly help the manufacturing industries for selection of process plan based on sustainable indices. Overall objective of this paper would have good impact on reducing air emissions and protecting environment. We expect this work to contribute to the development of a standard reference methodology to help further sustainability in the manufacturing sector.

Modeling large-scale adoption of intercropping as a sustainable agricultural practice for food security and air pollution mitigation around the globe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fung, K. M.; Tai, A. P. K.; Yong, T.; Liu, X.

2017-12-01

The fast-growing world population will impose a severe pressure on our current global food production system. Meanwhile, boosting crop yield by increasing fertilizer use comes with a cascade of environmental problems including air pollution. In China, agricultural activities contribute to 95% of total ammonia emissions. Such emissions are attributable to 20% of the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) formed in the downwind regions, which imposes severe health risks to the citizens. Field studies of soybean intercropping have demonstrated its potential to enhance crop yield, lower fertilizer use, and thus reduce ammonia emissions by taking advantage of legume nitrogen fixation and enabling mutualistic crop-crop interactions between legumes and non-legume crops. In our work, we revise the process-based biogeochemical model, DeNitrification-DeComposition (DNDC) to capture the belowground interactions of intercropped crops and show that with intercropping, only 58% of fertilizer is required to yield the same maize production of its monoculture counterpart, corresponding to a reduction in ammonia emission by 43% over China. Using the GEOS-Chem global 3-D chemical transport model, we estimate that such ammonia reduction can lessen downwind inorganic PM2.5 by up to 2.1% (equivalent to 1.3 μg m-3), which saves the Chinese air pollution-related health costs by up to US$1.5 billion each year. With the more enhanced crop growth and land management algorithms in the Community Land Model (CLM), we also implement into CLM the new parametrization of the belowground interactions to simulate large-scale adoption of intercropping around the globe and study their beneficial effects on food production, fertilizer usage and ammonia reduction. This study can serve as a scientific basis for policy makers and intergovernmental organizations to consider promoting large-scale intercropping to maintain a sustainable global food supply to secure both future crop production and air quality.

Implementation of the NANoREG Safe-by-Design approach for different nanomaterial applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Micheletti, C.; Roman, M.; Tedesco, E.; Olivato, I.; Benetti, F.

2017-06-01

The Safe-by-Design (SbD) concept is already in use in different industrial sectors as an integral part of the innovation process management. However, the adopted approach is often limited to design solutions aiming at hazard reduction. Safety is not always considered during the innovation process, mainly due to the lack of knowledge (e.g. in small and medium companies, SMEs) and the lack of dialogue between actors along the innovation chain. The net result is that safety is considered only at the end of the innovation process at the market authorization phase, with potential loss of time and money. This is especially valid for manufactured nanomaterials (MNM) for which the regulatory context is not completely developed, and the safety knowledge is not readily available. In order to contribute to a sustainable innovation process in the nanotechnology field by maximising both benefits and safety, the NANoREG project developed a Safe Innovation approach, based on two elements: the Safe-by-Design approach which aims at including risk assessment into all innovation stages; and the Regulatory Preparedness, focused on the dialogue with stakeholders along the innovation chain. In this work we present some examples about the implementation in our Laboratory of this approach for different MNM applications, covering different steps of the innovation chain. The case studies include: the feasibility study of a medical device including substances, for topical application; the testing of two potential nanotech solutions for the consolidation of cultural heritage artifacts; the testing of coatings already on the market for other uses, which was tested as food contact materials (FCM) to evaluate the conformity to food applications. These three examples represent a good opportunity to show the importance of NANoREG SbD and Safe Innovation Approach in general, for developing new nanotechnology-based products, also highlighting the crucial role of EU ProSafe project in promoting this

Methylotrophic bacteria in sustainable agriculture.

PubMed

Kumar, Manish; Tomar, Rajesh Singh; Lade, Harshad; Paul, Diby

2016-07-01

Excessive use of chemical fertilizers to increase production from available land has resulted in deterioration of soil quality. To prevent further soil deterioration, the use of methylotrophic bacteria that have the ability to colonize different habitats, including soil, sediment, water, and both epiphytes and endophytes as host plants, has been suggested for sustainable agriculture. Methylotrophic bacteria are known to play a significant role in the biogeochemical cycle in soil ecosystems, ultimately fortifying plants and sustaining agriculture. Methylotrophs also improve air quality by using volatile organic compounds such as dichloromethane, formaldehyde, methanol, and formic acid. Additionally, methylotrophs are involved in phosphorous, nitrogen, and carbon cycling and can help reduce global warming. In this review, different aspects of the interaction between methylotrophs and host plants are discussed, including the role of methylotrophs in phosphorus acquisition, nitrogen fixation, phytohormone production, iron chelation, and plant growth promotion, and co-inoculation of these bacteria as biofertilizers for viable agriculture practices.

How to Safely Give Acetaminophen

MedlinePlus

... Educators Search English Español How to Safely Give Acetaminophen KidsHealth / For Parents / How to Safely Give Acetaminophen ... without getting a doctor's OK first. What Is Acetaminophen Also Called? Acetaminophen is the generic name of ...

Today's Leaders for a Sustainable Tomorrow

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wood, Bryan

2013-02-27

Today's Leaders for a Sustainable Tomorrow is a collaboration of five residential environmental learning centers (Audubon Center of the North Woods, Deep Portage Learning Center, Laurentian Environmental Center, Long Lake Conservation Center and Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center) that together increased energy efficiency, energy conservation and renewable energy technologies through a number of different means appropriate for each unique center. For energy efficiency upgrades the centers installed envelope improvements to seal air barriers through better insulation in walls, ceilings, windows, doors as well as the installation of more energy efficient windows, doors, lighting and air ventilation systems. Through energy sub-metermore » monitoring the centers are able to accurately chart the usage of energy at each of their campuses and eliminate unnecessary energy usage. Facilities reduced their dependence on fossil fuel energy sources through the installation of renewable energy technologies including wood gasification, solar domestic hot water, solar photovoltaic, solar air heat, geothermal heating and wind power. Centers also installed energy education displays on the specific renewable energy technologies used at the center.« less

Oxygen as a driving gas for nebulisers: safe or dangerous?

PubMed

Gunawardena, K A; Patel, B; Campbell, I A; MacDonald, J B; Smith, A P

1984-01-28

Changes in blood gas tensions occurring when 100% oxygen or air was used as the driving gas for nebulised salbutamol were studied in 23 patients with severe airways obstruction. The patients fell into three groups: nine had chronic bronchitis and emphysema with carbon dioxide retention, seven had emphysema and chronic bronchitis without carbon dioxide retention, and seven had severe asthma (no carbon dioxide retention). When oxygen was used as the driving gas patients who retained carbon dioxide showed a mean rise of 1.03 kPa (7.7 mm Hg) in their pressure of carbon dioxide (Pco2) after 15 minutes (p less than 0.001) but the Pco2 returned to baseline values within 20 minutes of stopping the nebuliser. The other two groups showed no rise in Pco2 with oxygen. When air was used as the driving gas none of the groups became significantly more hypoxic. Although it is safe to use oxygen as the driving gas for nebulisers in patients with obstructive airways disease with normal Pco2, caution should be exercised in those who already have carbon dioxide retention.

Safe sorting of GFP-transduced live cells for subsequent culture using a modified FACS vantage.

PubMed

Sørensen, T U; Gram, G J; Nielsen, S D; Hansen, J E

1999-12-01

A stream-in-air cell sorter enables rapid sorting to a high purity, but it is not well suited for sorting of infectious material due to the risk of airborne spread to the surroundings. A FACS Vantage cell sorter was modified for safe use with potentially HIV infected cells. Safety tests with bacteriophages were performed to evaluate the potential spread of biologically active material during cell sorting. Cells transduced with a retroviral vector carrying the gene for GFP were sorted on the basis of their GFP fluorescence, and GFP expression was followed during subsequent culture. The bacteriophage sorting showed that the biologically active material was confined to the sorting chamber. A failure mode simulating a nozzle blockage resulted in detectable droplets inside the sorting chamber, but no droplets could be detected when an additional air suction from the sorting chamber had been put on. The GFP transduced cells were sorted to 99% purity. Cells not expressing GFP at the time of sorting did not turn on the gene during subsequent culture. Un-sorted cells and cells sorted to be positive for GFP showed a decrease in the fraction of GFP positive cells during culture. Sorting of live infected cells can be performed safely and with no deleterious effects on vector expression using the modified FACS Vantage instrument. Copyright 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Global warming and air transport : meeting the challenge of sustainable growth

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-04-01

Aviation impacts community noise footprints, air quality, water quality, energy usage and availability, and the global climate. Trends show environmental impacts from aircraft noise and aviation emissions will be a critical constraint on capacity gro...

When Is Safe, Safe Enough?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neil, Kirk

2002-01-01

Discusses events affecting parental school-safety concerns and what school districts can do to alleviate those concerns. Addresses post-September 11 crisis-management procedures, preventing sports-related student deaths, maintaining healthy indoor air quality. (PKP)

Nozzle Extension for Safety Air Gun

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zumbrun, H. N.; Croom, Delwin R., Jr.

1986-01-01

New nozzle-extension design overcomes problems and incorporates original commercial nozzle, retaining intrinsic safety features. Components include extension tube, length of which made to suit application; adaptor fitting, and nozzle adaptor repinned to maintain original safety features. Design moves conical airstream to end of extension to blow machine chips away from operator. Nozzle-extension modification allows safe and efficient operation of machine tools while maintaining integrity of orginial safety-air-gun design.

AN AIR QUALITY DATA ANALYSIS SYSTEM FOR INTERRELATING EFFECTS, STANDARDS, AND NEEDED SOURCE REDUCTIONS: PART 13. APPLYING THE EPA PROPOSED GUIDELINES FOR CARCINOGEN RISK ASSESSMENT TO A SET OF ASBESTOS LUNG CANCER MORTALITY DATA

EPA Science Inventory

The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (CAAA-90) list 189 hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) for which "safe" ambient concentrations are to be determined. For a carcinogen, such as asbestos, the amendments specify that the safe concentration shall allow one excess cancer case per mi...

Sustainability.

PubMed

Chang, Chein-Chi; DiGiovanni, Kimberly; Mei, Ying; Wei, Li

2016-10-01

This review on Sustainability covers selected 2015 publications on the focus of Sustainability. It is divided into the following sections : • Sustainable water and wastewater utilities • Sustainable water resources management • Stormwater and green infrastructure • Sustainability in wastewater treatment • Life cycle assessment (LCA) applications • Sustainability and energy in wastewater industry, • Sustainability and asset management.

InaSAFE applications in disaster preparedness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pranantyo, Ignatius Ryan; Fadmastuti, Mahardika; Chandra, Fredy

2015-04-01

Disaster preparedness activities aim to reduce the impact of disasters by being better prepared to respond when a disaster occurs. In order to better anticipate requirements during a disaster, contingency planning activities can be undertaken prior to a disaster based on a realistic disaster scenario. InaSAFE is a tool that can inform this process. InaSAFE is a free and open source software that estimates the impact to people and infrastructure from potential hazard scenarios. By using InaSAFE, disaster managers can develop scenarios of disaster impacts (people and infrastructures affected) to inform their contingency plan and emergency response operation plan. While InaSAFE provides the software framework exposure data and hazard data are needed as inputs to run this software. Then InaSAFE can be used to forecast the impact of the hazard scenario to the exposure data. InaSAFE outputs include estimates of the number of people, buildings and roads are affected, list of minimum needs (rice and clean water), and response checklist. InaSAFE is developed by Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) and the Australian Government, through the Australia-Indonesia Facility for Disaster Reduction (AIFDR), in partnership with the World Bank - Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR). This software has been used in many parts of Indonesia, including Padang, Maumere, Jakarta, and Slamet Mountain for emergency response and contingency planning.

Level of awareness of cervical and breast cancer risk factors and safe practices among college teachers of different states in india: do awareness programmes have an impact on adoption of safe practices?

PubMed

Shankar, Abhishek; Rath, Gk; Roy, Shubham; Malik, Abhidha; Bhandari, Ruchir; Kishor, Kunal; Barnwal, Keshav; Upadyaya, Sneha; Srivastava, Vivek; Singh, Rajan

2015-01-01

Breast and cervical cancers are the most common causes of cancer mortality among women in India, but actually they are largely preventable diseases. Although early detection is the only way to reduce morbidity and mortality, there are limited data on breast and cervical cancer knowledge, safe practices and attitudes of teachers in India. The purpose of this study is to assess the level of awareness and impact of awareness programs in adoption of safe practices in prevention and early detection. This assessment was part of a pink chain campaign on cancer awareness. During cancer awareness events in 2011 at various women colleges in different parts in India, a pre-test related to cervical cancer and breast cancer was followed by an awareness program. Post-tests using the same questionnaire were conducted at the end of the interactive session, at 6 months and 1 year. A total of 156 out of 182 teachers participated in the study (overall response rate was 85.7 %). Mean age of the study population was 42.4 years (range- 28-59 yrs). There was a significant increase in level of knowledge regarding cervical and breast cancer at 6 months and this was sustained at 1 year. Adoption of breast self examination (BSE) was significantly more frequent in comparison to CBE, mammography and the Pap test. Magazines and newspapers were sources for knowledge regarding screening tests for breast cancer in more than 60% of teachers where as more than 75% were educated by doctors regarding the Pap test. Post awareness at 6 months and 1 year, there was a significant change in alcohol and smoking habits. Major reasons for not doing screening test were found to be ignorance (50%), lethargic attitude (44.8%) and lack of time (34.6%). Level of knowledge of breast cancer risk factors, symptoms and screening methods was high as compared to cervical cancer. There was a significant increase in level of knowledge regarding cervical and breast cancer at 6 months and this was sustained at 1 year

78 FR 29613 - Modification and Revocation of Air Traffic Service Routes; Jackson, MS

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-21

... structure as required to preserve the safe and efficient flow of air traffic. Environmental Review The FAA... Guthrie 156[deg] and Millsap, TX, 274[deg] radials; Millsap; Glen Rose, TX; Cedar Creek, TX; Quitman, TX...

Critically safe vacuum pickup for use in wet or dry cleanup of radioactive materials

DOEpatents

Zeren, Joseph D.

1994-01-01

A vacuum pickup of critically safe quantity and geometric shape is used in cleanup of radioactive materials. Collected radioactive material is accumulated in four vertical, parallel, equally spaced canisters arranged in a cylinder configuration. Each canister contains a filter bag. An upper intake manifold includes four 90 degree spaced, downward facing nipples. Each nipple communicates with the top of a canister. The bottom of each canister communicates with an exhaust manifold comprising four radially extending tubes that meet at the bottom of a centrally located vertical cylinder. The top of the central cylinder terminates at a motor/fan power head. A removable HEPA filter is located intermediate the top of the central cylinder and the power head. Four horizontal bypass tubes connect the top of the central cylinder to the top of each of the canisters. Air enters the vacuum cleaner via a hose connected to the intake manifold. Air then travels down the canisters, where particulate material is accumulated in generally equal quantities in each filter bag. Four air paths of bag filtered air then pass radially inward to the bottom of the central cylinder. Air moves up the central cylinder, through the HEPA filter, through a vacuum fan compartment, and exits the vacuum cleaner. A float air flow valve is mounted at the top of the central cylinder. When liquid accumulates to a given level within the central cylinder, the four bypass tubes, and the four canisters, suction is terminated by operation of the float valve.

Capacity Takes Flight: A Vehicle-Centered Approach to Sustainable Airspace Productivity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wing, David J.; Ballin, Mark G.; Barmore, Bryan E.

2005-01-01

The National Airspace System (NAS) faces a significant challenge. With the nation's economy growing stronger, and passengers returning to the skies, the demand for air transportation is steadily rising once again. The capacity of the current airspace system will struggle to keep pace in the near term, and with demand expected to double within a decade, air traffic delays are likely to escalate, soon becoming intolerable for aviation businesses. Recognition in the aviation community is forming that retaining a growing, thriving air transportation system for the benefit of the traveling public and the world economy will likely require implementing transformational ideas in air traffic management. This video illustrates an approach NASA is pursuing to this end: the notion that a major untapped resource available to air traffic management can be leveraged, the aircraft itself. The thesis presented is that implementation of vehicle-centric air traffic management capabilities into the NAS could have a profound, positive, and sustainable impact on system capacity, individual aircraft operators, and the economy through its dependency on air.

Strategies for Countering Terrorist Safe Havens

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-02-20

within safe havens, tactical containment, pseudo operations, and surrogate security forces. The thesis draws from four historical case studies to...leadership targeting within safe havens, tactical containment, pseudo operations, and surrogate security forces. The thesis draws from four historical case ...surrogate forces and pseudo operations—provide viable potential options for USSOF to counter the complex problem of safe havens. Overall, the case

Remote sensing applications of wildland fire and air quality in China

Treesearch

John J. Qu; Xianjun Hao; Yongqiang Liu; Allen R. Riebau; Haoruo Yi; Xianlin Qin

2009-01-01

As one of the most populous and geographically largest countries, China faces many problems including industrial growth, economic sustainability, food security, climate change, and air pollution. Interwoven with these challenges,...

Light-weight extension tubes for compressed-air garden sprayers

Treesearch

Thomas W. McConkey; Charles E. Swett

1967-01-01

To hand-spray taller trees safely and efficiently, 8-, 12-, and 16-foot extension tubes for compressed-air garden sprayers were designed and built. These light-weight tubes have been used successfully for spraying white pine leaders for weevil control on the Massabesic Experimental Forest in Maine. Bill of materials and assembly instructions are included.

General aviation accidents : the United States Air Force Aero Club solution

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-08-01

Aviation if an intrisically safe mode of travel. In 1994, the United States Air Force system of Aero Clubs put forth substantial effort to put a program in place (Fly Smart) to improve flying safety in it aircraft. This study compares the accident ra...

Indoor air quality and sources in schools and related health effects.

PubMed

Annesi-Maesano, Isabella; Baiz, Nour; Banerjee, Soutrik; Rudnai, Peter; Rive, Solenne; SINPHONIE Group

2013-01-01

Good indoor air quality in schools is important to provide a safe, healthy, productive, and comfortable environment for students, teachers, and other school staff. However, existing studies demonstrated that various air pollutants are found in classrooms, sometimes at elevated concentrations. Data also indicated that poor air quality may impact children's health, in particular respiratory health, attendance, and academic performance. Nevertheless, it should be noted that there are other adverse health effects that are less documented. Few data exist for teachers and other adults that work in schools. Allergic individuals seem to be at a higher risk for adverse respiratory health consequences. Air quality improvement represents an important measure for prevention of adverse health consequences in children and adults in schools.

Comparison of heat transfer and soil impacts of air curtain burner burning and slash pile burning

Treesearch

Woongsoon Jang; Deborah S. Page-Dumroese; Han-Sup Han

2017-01-01

We measured soil heating and subsequent changes in soil properties between two forest residue disposal methods: slash pile burning (SPB) and air curtain burner (ACB). The ACB consumes fuels more efficiently and safely via blowing air into a burning container. Five burning trials with different fuel sizes were implemented in northern California, USA. Soil temperature...

Clean air matters: an overview of traffic-related air pollution and pregnancy.

PubMed

Slovic, Anne Dorothée; Diniz, Carmen Simone; Ribeiro, Helena

2017-02-16

The right to a healthy pregnancy and to giving birth in a safe environment is source of comprehensive research. Decent birth facilities, respect, and no discrimination are already recognized as fundamental rights, but an accurate look at the outdoor environment is required. Air pollution is a dangerous factor to pregnant women and newborns, many of whom highly exposed to traffic-related atmospheric pollutants in urban areas. Such exposure can lead to low birth weight and long-lasting effects, such as respiratory diseases and premature death. Thus, this commentary, based on the analysis of literature, presents the importance of the exposome concept and of epigenetics in identifying the role of the environment for better health conditions of pregnant women and newborns. In the final considerations, this study proposes the deepening of the subject and the mobilization in this regard, with a human rights-based approach to environmental health and to the increased awareness of pregnant women on the risks of air pollution and its effects on health.

The effect of mental fatigue on sustained attention: an fNIRS study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zhen; Yang, Hanjun; Cao, Yong; Xu, Fenggang; Jiang, Jin; Jiao, Xuejun

2017-01-01

Sustained attention is the ability to keep focused and vigilance for long time in external stimulation, which was crucial in safe-critical human-machine system. While the ability of sustained attention will decline because of mental fatigue, even lead to serious accidents in fatigue state. Therefore, it is of great significance to explore the impact of fatigue on sustained attention. Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) can measure cerebral hemoglobin in order to reflect cognitive function indirectly. In previous related fatigue studies, monotonous and long-time CPT (continuous performance test task) was often used to explore the performance change and brain activity, but the effect of time on task (TOT) was always involved. In this study, in order to avoid the TOT effect, the sustained attention task and fatigue task were separated. It was adopted in the study that the modified continuous performance test (CPT) was chosen as the sustained attention task and verbal 2-back task as the fatigue induced task. The fNIRS signals were extracted from 10 channels in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) from 20 healthy subjects. Studies found that cerebral lateralization increased significantly from alert to fatigue state in sustained attention task. Besides, Average oxyhemoglobin (HBO) of PFC increased significantly from alert to fatigue task, and the spatial pattern of activity of oxyhemoglobin also changed, which c be sensitive features to fatigue detection.

Safety of commercial air travel following myocardial infarction.

PubMed

Cox, G R; Peterson, J; Bouchel, L; Delmas, J J

1996-10-01

Travelers occasionally suffer myocardial infarction (MI) while abroad. Existing guidelines recommend a 4- to 24-week convalescent period following MI before air travel should be permitted. Air travel may be undertaken safely in the early post-MI period. The aeromedical transport records of two international medical assistance companies over a 3-yr period were reviewed. We identified 209 patients who suffered MI; 13 transported by private air ambulance were excluded. We reviewed the aeromedical transports of the remaining 196 adults carried on commercial aircraft between 3-53 d post-MI to investigate the safety of air travel in this group. Data were recorded regarding patient age; sex; location of MI; complications of MI; presence of medical escort; duration of flight(s); use of oxygen, medications, or cardiac monitoring during transport; and development of symptoms in flight. Within 7 d of their acute MI 3 patients (2%) were transported; 87 (44%) between days 8-14 post-MI; 65 (33%) between days 15-21; 27 (14%) between days 22-28; and 14 (7%) more than 28 d post-MI. Some 187 patients (95%) were transported without incident; 9 (5%) patients experienced symptoms requiring evaluation by the escorting physician. Of the 9, 6 problems occurred in patients being transported less than 14 d post-MI. Symptoms resolved spontaneously or immediately after physician intervention in all but one case. International aeromedical transport of patients may be safely accomplished 2-3 wk after an acute MI when an accompanying physician is present. Recommendations for delaying travel more than 4 wk after infarction are not supported by clinical experience and should be revised.

Elasto-Aerodynamics-Driven Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Scavenging Air-Flow Energy.

PubMed

Wang, Shuhua; Mu, Xiaojing; Wang, Xue; Gu, Alex Yuandong; Wang, Zhong Lin; Yang, Ya

2015-10-27

Efficient scavenging the kinetic energy from air-flow represents a promising approach for obtaining clean, sustainable electricity. Here, we report an elasto-aerodynamics-driven triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) based on contact electrification. The reported TENG consists of a Kapton film with two Cu electrodes at each side, fixed on two ends in an acrylic fluid channel. The relationship between the TENG output power density and its fluid channel dimensions is systematically studied. TENG with a fluid channel size of 125 × 10 × 1.6 mm(3) delivers the maximum output power density of about 9 kW/m(3) under a loading resistance of 2.3 MΩ. Aero-elastic flutter effect explains the air-flow induced vibration of Kapton film well. The output power scales nearly linearly with parallel wiring of multiple TENGs. Connecting 10 TENGs in parallel gives an output power of 25 mW, which allows direct powering of a globe light. The TENG is also utilized to scavenge human breath induced air-flow energy to sustainably power a human body temperature sensor.

Sustainable Table | Welcome to Sustainable Table

Science.gov Websites

celebrates local, sustainable food, educates consumers about the benefits of sustainable agriculture and agriculture from the basics to key issues in depth. Eating Sustainably Find out how to shop for and prepare educate others to help build a sustainable food future! In Focus Sustainable Agriculture - The Basics

A fail safe laser activated switch used as an emergency control link at the Langley Vortex Research Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kassel, P. C., Jr.

1978-01-01

A fail safe light activated switch was used as an emergency control link at the Langley Vortex Research Facility. In this facility aircraft models were towed through a still air test chamber by a gasoline powered vehicle which was launched from one end of a 427-meter track and attained velocities to 31 m/sec in the test chamber. A 5 mW HeNe laser with a mechanical copper provided a connecting link with the moving tow vehicle on which a silicon photodiode receiver with a specially designed amplifier provided a fail safe switching action. This system provided an emergency means of stopping the vehicle by turning off the laser to interrupt the power to the vehicle ignition and brake release systems.

Safe Schools, Safe Students. Proceedings of the National Education Goals Panel/National Alliance of Pupil Services Organizations Conference on "Safe Schools, Safe Students: A Collaborative Approach to Achieving Safe, Disciplined, and Drug-free Schools Conducive to Learning" (Washington, D.C., October 28-29, 1994).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Talley, Ronda C., Ed.; Walz, Garry R., Ed.

The "Safe Schools, Safe Students" conference brought together leading researchers and practitioners in order to share knowledge about innovative safety strategies being used in America's schools. The papers here represent the thinking of scientific experts and school-based pupil service providers who are implementing programs to prevent…

Infrared Laser System for Extended Area Monitoring of Air Pollution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Snowman, L. R.; Gillmeister, R. J.

1971-01-01

An atmospheric pollution monitoring system using a spectrally scanning laser has been developed by the General Electric Company. This paper will report on an evaluation of a breadboard model, and will discuss applications of the concept to various ambient air monitoring situations. The system is adaptable to other tunable lasers. Operating in the middle infrared region, the system uses retroreflectors to measure average concentrations over long paths at low, safe power levels. The concept shows promise of meeting operational needs in ambient air monitoring and providing new data for atmospheric research.

The Role of Collaborations in Sustaining an Evidence-Based Intervention to Reduce Child Neglect

PubMed Central

Green, Amy E.; Trott, Elise; Willging, Cathleen E.; Finn, Natalie K.; Ehrhart, Mark G.; Aarons, Gregory A.

2016-01-01

Child neglect is the most prevalent form of child maltreatment and represents 79.5% of open child-welfare cases. A recent study found the evidence-based intervention (EBI) SafeCare® (SC) to significantly reduce child neglect recidivism rates. To fully capitalize on the effectiveness of such EBIs, service systems must engage in successful implementation and sustainment; however, little is known regarding what factors influence EBI sustainment. Collaborations among stakeholders are suggested as a means for facilitating EBI implementation and sustainment. This study combines descriptive quantitative survey data with qualitative interview and focus group findings to examine the role of collaboration within the context of public-private partnerships in 11 child welfare systems implementing SC. Participants included administrators of government child welfare systems and community-based organizations, as well as supervisors, coaches, and home visitors of the SC program. Sites were classified as fully-, partially-, and non-sustaining based on implementation fidelity. One-way analysis of variance was used to examine differences in stakeholder reported Effective Collaboration scores across fully-sustaining, partially-sustaining, and non-sustaining sites. Qualitative transcripts were analyzed via open and focused coding to identify the commonality, diversity, and complexity of collaborations involved in implementing and sustaining SC. Fully-sustaining sites reported significantly greater levels of effective collaboration than non-sustaining sites. Key themes described by SC stakeholders included shared vision, building on existing relationships, academic support, problem solving and resource sharing, and maintaining collaborations over time. Both quantitative and qualitative results converge in highlighting the importance of effective collaboration in EBI sustainment in child welfare service systems. PMID:26712422

Empowering the village communities for sustained observation of permafrost-related environmental changes, Upper Kuskokwim, Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panda, S. K.; Kholodov, A. L.; Hanson, T.

2016-12-01

A suite of environmental changes are underway in the North directly affecting the socio-economic state of native communities in remote Arctic villages. We cannot possibly have enough scientists and professionals on the ground to timely predict and effectively respond to the major changes. We believe the most cost-effective and possibly sustainable approach to cover more ground for monitoring and prediction of changes is by building community capacity for monitoring and research, and supporting communities to use resulting data and new findings to address emerging environmental issues and ensuing socio-economic challenges. The goal of this project is to help the communities of Upper Kuskokwim region take the lead in assessing and responding to the environmental changes that are coming with warmer climate and thawing permafrost. The permafrost related societal impacts that the communities are aware of are a) drying of lakes which affect their fishing and trapping, b) lower water level in Rivers due to bank erosion which affect their main mode of transportation in summer, c) appearance of sinkholes that pose threat to the safety of the community members and their properties, and d) eruption of a sand dune in the middle of the Telida village air strip. In August 2016 we will spend ten days in the Nikolai and Telida communities to understand the community need for monitoring through a community survey. We will offer training workshop on climate science and landscape change, and in making scientific observation and data collection. Also, we will install sensors to monitor air temperature, soil temperature, soil moisture, and snow at 12 sites spread across different ecotypes and topographic settings. Also, we will survey sites of major change to help develop a geo-hazard map for the region to facilitate safe subsistence practices and land use. As broader impact, the project will offer the traditionally-underserved native communities of the Upper Kuskokwim region an

Sustainability of fisheries through marine reserves: a robust modeling analysis.

PubMed

Doyen, L; Béné, C

2003-09-01

Among the many factors that contribute to overexploitation of marine fisheries, the role played by uncertainty is important. This uncertainty includes both the scientific uncertainties related to the resource dynamics or assessments and the uncontrollability of catches. Some recent works advocate for the use of marine reserves as a central element of future stock management. In the present paper, we study the influence of protected areas upon fisheries sustainability through a simple dynamic model integrating non-stochastic harvesting uncertainty and a constraint of safe minimum biomass level. Using the mathematical concept of invariance kernel in a robust and worst-case context, we examine through a formal modeling analysis how marine reserves might guarantee viable fisheries. We also show how sustainability requirement is not necessarily conflicting with optimization of catches. Numerical simulations are provided to illustrate the main findings.

Sustainability.

PubMed

Chang, Chein-Chi; DiGiovanni, Kimberly; Zhang, Gong; Yang, Xiahua; You, Shao-Hong

2015-10-01

This review on Sustainability covers selected 2014 publications on the focus of the following sections: • Sustainable water and wastewater utilities • Sustainable water resources management • Stormwater and green infrastructure • Sustainability in wastewater treatment • Life cycle assessment (LCA) applications • Sustainability and energy in wastewater industry, • Sustainability and asset management.

The determination of nutritional requirements for Safe Haven Food Supply System (emergency/survival foods)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ahmed, Selina

1987-01-01

The Space Station Safe Haven Food System must sustain 8 crew members under emergency conditions for 45 days. Emergency Survival Foods are defined as a nutritionally balanced collection of high density food and beverages selected to provide for the survival of Space Station flight crews in contingency situations. Since storage volume is limited, the foods should be highly concentrated. A careful study of different research findings regarding starvation and calorie restricted diets indicates that a minimum nutritional need close to RDA is an important factor for sustaining an individual's life in a stressful environment. Fat, protein, and carbohydrates are 3 energy producing nutrients which play a vital role in the growth and maintenance process of human life. A lower intake of protein can minimize the water intake, but it causes a negative nitrogen balance and a lower performance level. Other macro and micro nutrients are also required for nutritional interrelationships to metabolize the other 3 nutrients to their optimum level. The various options for longer duration than 45 days are under investigation.

Steering teens safe: a randomized trial of a parent-based intervention to improve safe teen driving.

PubMed

Peek-Asa, Corinne; Cavanaugh, Joseph E; Yang, Jingzhen; Chande, Vidya; Young, Tracy; Ramirez, Marizen

2014-07-31

Crashes are the leading cause of death for teens, and parent-based interventions are a promising approach. We assess the effectiveness of Steering Teens Safe, a parent-focused program to increase safe teen driving. Steering Teens Safe aimed to improve parental communication with teens about safe driving using motivational interviewing techniques in conjunction with 19 safe driving lessons. A randomized controlled trial involved 145 parent-teen dyads (70 intervention and 75 control). Intervention parents received a 45-minute session to learn the program with four follow-up phone sessions, a DVD, and a workbook. Control parents received a standard brochure about safe driving. Scores were developed to measure teen-reported quantity and quality of parental communication about safe driving. The main outcome measure was a previously validated Risky Driving Score reported by teens. Because the Score was highly skewed, a generalized linear model based on a gamma distribution was used for analysis. Intervention teens ranked their parent's success in talking about driving safety higher than control teens (p = 0.035) and reported that their parents talked about more topics (non-significant difference). The Risky Driving Score was 21% lower in intervention compared to control teens (85% CI = 0.60, 1.00). Interaction between communication quantity and the intervention was examined. Intervention teens who reported more successful communication had a 42% lower Risky Driving Score (95% CI = 0.37, 0.94) than control parents with less successful communication. This program had a positive although not strong effect, and it may hold the most promise in partnership with other programs, such as Driver's Education or Graduated Driver's License policies. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01014923. Registered Nov. 16, 2009.

Efficacy of using an air arthrogram for EUA and injection of the hip joint in adults.

PubMed

Shahid, Mohammad; Shyamsundar, Srinivasan; Bali, Navi; McBryde, Callum; O'Hara, John; Bache, Edward

2014-09-01

Hip arthrography usually requires the injection of iodine based dyes which can cause complications. We wanted to determine the accuracy of using air for hip arthrography. A prospective study was undertaken including all adults who had a hip arthrogram. We initially did an air arthrogram and subsequently injected iohexol to see if we were still in the joint. Forty injections were done. Mean age 32 years. There was a 100% success rate with obtaining a positive air arthrogram. Air arthrogram of the hip offers a safe, cost free and accurate alternative to iodine based arthrograms.

Safe biodegradable fluorescent particles

DOEpatents

Martin, Sue I [Berkeley, CA; Fergenson, David P [Alamo, CA; Srivastava, Abneesh [Santa Clara, CA; Bogan, Michael J [Dublin, CA; Riot, Vincent J [Oakland, CA; Frank, Matthias [Oakland, CA

2010-08-24

A human-safe fluorescence particle that can be used for fluorescence detection instruments or act as a safe simulant for mimicking the fluorescence properties of microorganisms. The particle comprises a non-biological carrier and natural fluorophores encapsulated in the non-biological carrier. By doping biodegradable-polymer drug delivery microspheres with natural or synthetic fluorophores, the desired fluorescence can be attained or biological organisms can be simulated without the associated risks and logistical difficulties of live microorganisms.

CUTTING THE CORD: SUSTAINING UNTETHERED AIR SUPERIORITY OPERATIONS IN THE PACIFIC

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-01

designed to provide logistics support in an A2/AD environment. In the past the USAF has used sea-based sustainment effectively and could very well... pavement classification number that represents how much weight the runway can support.14 Once suitable airfields are identified, they will need to be...Anti-Access and Area Denial (A2/AD) Anti-access capabilities are designed to prevent an adversary from accessing specific target areas such as

Safe Haven.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bush, Gail

2003-01-01

Discusses school libraries as safe havens for teenagers and considers elements that foster that atmosphere, including the physical environment, lack of judgments, familiarity, leisure, and a welcoming nature. Focuses on the importance of relationships, and taking the time to listen to teens and encourage them. (LRW)

Air Defense: A Computer Game for Research in Human Performance.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-07-01

warfare (ANW) threat analysis. M’ajor elements of the threat analysis problem \\\\,erc eoibedded in an interactive air detoense game controlled by a...The game requires sustained attention to a complex and interactive "hostile" environment, provides proper experimental control of relevant variables...AD-A102 725 NAVY PERSONNEL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER SAN DETC F/6 5/10 AIR DEFENSE: A COMPUTER GAME FOR RESEARCH IN HUMAN PERFORMANCE.(U) JUL

Sustaining Air Force Aging Aircraft into the 21st Century

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-08-01

Yankel, AFMC CXI SAB Members: Mrs. Natalie Crawford Prof Mark Goorsky Mr. Neil Kacena Prof. David W. Miller Dr. Robert Schafrik Prof. Douglas...D. Eick Professor Mark S. Goorsky Mr. Neil G. Kacena Professor David W. Miller Dr. Robert E. Schafrik Dr. Douglas C. Schmidt Professor Daniel L...AFB, UT. Ivey, R., & Heath , R. (2011, April). Implementing MECSIP Through a Reliability Centered Maintenance Program for the Air Force C-130 SPO

Conflict resolution in air traffic management : a study in multi-agent hybrid systems

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-04-01

Air Traffic Management (ATM) of the future allows for the possibility of free flight, in which aircraft choose their own optimal routes, altitudes, and velocities. The safe resolution of trajectory conflicts between aircraft is necessary to the succe...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - One of many vendors displaying their products during the Spaceport Super Safety and Health Day at KSC and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida Power and Light draws a crowd during a demonstration. The annual KSC event is dedicated to reinforcing safe and healthful behaviors in the workforce.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-10-15

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - One of many vendors displaying their products during the Spaceport Super Safety and Health Day at KSC and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida Power and Light draws a crowd during a demonstration. The annual KSC event is dedicated to reinforcing safe and healthful behaviors in the workforce.

Towards sustainable mobile systems configurations: Application to a tuna purse seiner.

PubMed

García Rellán, A; Vázquez Brea, C; Bello Bugallo, P M

2018-08-01

Fishing is one of the most important marine activities. It contributes to both overfishing and marine pollution, the two main threats to the ocean environment. In this context, the aim of this work is to investigate and validate methodologies for the identification of more sustainable operating configurations for a tuna purse seiner. The proposed methodology is based on a previous one applied to secondary industrial systems, taking into account the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control focus, developed for the most potentially industrial polluting sources. The idea is to apply the same type of methodologies and concepts used for secondary industrial punctual sources, to a primary industrial mobile activity. This methodology combines two tools: "Material and Energy Flow Analysis" (a tool from industrial metabolism), and "Best Available Techniques Analysis". The first provides a way to detect "Improvable Flows" into de system, and the second provides a way to define sustainable options to improve them. Five main Improvable Flows have been identified in the selected case study, the activity of a purse seiner, most of them related with energy consumption and air emission, in different stages of the fishing activity. Thirty-one Best Available Techniques candidates for the system have been inventoried, that potentially could improve the sustainability of the activity. Seven of them are not implemented yet to the case study. The potential improvements of the system proposed by this work are related to energy efficiency, waste management, prevention and control of air emissions. This methodology demonstrates to be a good tool towards sustainable punctual systems, but also towards sustainable mobile systems such as the fishing activity in oceans, as the tuna purse seiner validated here. The practical application of the identified technologies to fishing systems will contribute to prevent and reduce marine pollution, one of the greatest threats of today's oceans

Sustainable Management of Urban Heat Islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, K.; Rumohr, S.; Balke, K.-D.; Bayer, P.; Blum, P.

2009-04-01

In recent years, geothermal energy has become increasingly popular, because it offers a number of advantages over traditional energy sources based on fossil fuels. It is a renewable energy source, it is clean and safe for the surrounding environment, and it also contributes to reduction of CO2 emissions. Geothermal energy systems are recognized as one of the most efficient heating and cooling systems on the market. Therefore, there is great chance for future growth of geothermal energy use, particularly in densely populated urban regions. But there are also drawbacks: In many large cities, groundwater is heated up by several degrees (~ 5˚ C) compared to the surrounding areas. Causes might be microclimatic changes in the urban environment and the heating effect of sewage effluents. In fact, a major role plays overutilization of the ground as a cooling medium during the hot seasons for the air conditioning of large office buildings. The focus of this project is set on sustainable geothermal use in such large and densely populated areas, which are also called "urban heat islands". Previous studies focus on spatial temperature trends in the subsurface, and only a few have been able to reveal temporal trends, for which long-term measurement records are needed. This study is dedicated to two German locations: the city of Frankfurt/Main and the city of Cologne. The purpose of the study in Frankfurt is a comprehensive field investigation of the spatial temperature variations in the underlying aquifers, while in Cologne the attention is also on the temporal trends of urban groundwater temperatures. Of particular interest is not only to develop a sustainable management concept, but also a quantitative geophysical and hydrogeological assessment. For the city of Frankfurt/Main, the Hessian Agency for the Environment and Geology (HLUG) provides access to ongoing, highly spatially resolved field measurement locations. For Cologne, about 40 years old intensive temperature

Safe Inner Ear Gas Tensions for Switch from Helium to Air Breathing During Decompression

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-04-01

heliox to air during decompression is that it is associated with symptoms of injury to the vestibulocochlear apparatus (inner ear) such as vertigo ...dive. Vertigo , nausea, and other symptoms consistent with injury to the vestibulocochlear apparatus have been described during 1200 feet sea water (fsw...and undulating nausea. No other symptoms. No numbness, tingling, weakness or vertigo . Symptoms attributed to large amount of food <supplied>cold pizza

More than a Safe Space

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sadowski, Michael

2016-01-01

Over the past three decades, much of the conversation about LGBTQ students in schools has centered on safety--anti-bullying policies, the "safe space" of gay-straight alliances, and "safe zones" marked by rainbow-colored stickers on classroom doors. In this article, Michael Sadowski argues that it's time to move beyond safety…

Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management (UTM) Safely Enabling UAS Operations in Low-Altitude Airspace

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kopardekar, Parimal H.

2016-01-01

Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Traffic Management (UTM) Enabling Civilian Low-Altitude Airspace and Unmanned Aircraft System Operations What is the problem? Many beneficial civilian applications of UAS have been proposed, from goods delivery and infrastructure surveillance, to search and rescue, and agricultural monitoring. Currently, there is no established infrastructure to enable and safely manage the widespread use of low-altitude airspace and UAS operations, regardless of the type of UAS. A UAS traffic management (UTM) system for low-altitude airspace may be needed, perhaps leveraging concepts from the system of roads, lanes, stop signs, rules and lights that govern vehicles on the ground today, whether the vehicles are driven by humans or are automated. What system technologies is NASA exploring? Building on its legacy of work in air traffic management for crewed aircraft, NASA is researching prototype technologies for a UAS Traffic Management (UTM) system that could develop airspace integration requirements for enabling safe, efficient low-altitude operations. While incorporating lessons learned from the today's well-established air traffic management system, which was a response that grew out of a mid-air collision over the Grand Canyon in the early days of commercial aviation, the UTM system would enable safe and efficient low-altitude airspace operations by providing services such as airspace design, corridors, dynamic geofencing, severe weather and wind avoidance, congestion management, terrain avoidance, route planning and re-routing, separation management, sequencing and spacing, and contingency management. One of the attributes of the UTM system is that it would not require human operators to monitor every vehicle continuously. The system could provide to human managers the data to make strategic decisions related to initiation, continuation, and termination of airspace operations. This approach would ensure that only authenticated UAS could operate

Sustainable diets within sustainable food systems.

PubMed

Meybeck, Alexandre; Gitz, Vincent

2017-02-01

Sustainable diets and sustainable food systems are increasingly explored by diverse scientific disciplines. They are also recognised by the international community and called upon to orient action towards the eradication of hunger and malnutrition and the fulfilment of sustainable development goals. The aim of the present paper is to briefly consider some of the links between these two notions in order to facilitate the operationalisation of the concept of sustainable diet. The concept of sustainable diet was defined in 2010 combining two totally different perspectives: a nutrition perspective, focused on individuals, and a global sustainability perspective, in all its dimensions: environmental, economic and social. The nutrition perspective can be easily related to health outcomes. The global sustainability perspective is more difficult to analyse directly. We propose that it be measured as the contribution of a diet to the sustainability of food systems. Such an approach, covering the three dimensions of sustainability, enables identification of interactions and interrelations between food systems and diets. It provides opportunities to find levers of change towards sustainability. Diets are both the results and the drivers of food systems. The drivers of change for those variously involved, consumers and private individuals, are different, and can be triggered by different dimensions (heath, environment, social and cultural). Combining different dimensions and reasons for change can help facilitate the transition to sustainable diets, recognising the food system's specificities. The adoption of sustainable diets can be facilitated and enabled by food systems, and by appropriate policies and incentives.

Department of Defense Sustainability: Progress and Plans for the Future

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-11-02

Teleworking DoDI (Oct 2010) •Sulfur Hexafluoride Risk Management (Oct 2010) •Integrated Solid Waste Management DoDI (being prepared) •Sustainable Ranges (being...electronically track compliance •Air Force stormwater hydrology  analysis  tool to estimate pre‐ and post‐hydrology IN PROGRESS Teleworking   •Coding employees...as:  ineligible  eligible/regular eligible/ad hoc •Accurately capturing actual time  teleworked – still figuring out the best way Sustainable Planning

Global environmental health and sustainable development: the role at Rio+20.

PubMed

Furie, Gregg Lawrence; Balbus, John

2012-06-01

The Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development represents a crucial opportunity to place environmental health at the forefront of the sustainable development agenda. Billions of people living in low- and middle-income countries continue to be afflicted by preventable diseases due to modifiable environmental exposures, causing needless suffering and perpetuating a cycle of poverty. Current processes of economic development, while alleviating many social and health problems, are increasingly linked to environmental health threats, ranging from air pollution and physical inactivity to global climate change. Sustainable development practices attempt to reduce environmental impacts and should, in theory, reduce adverse environmental health consequences compared to traditional development. Yet these efforts could also result in unintended harm and impaired economic development if the new "Green Economy" is not carefully assessed for adverse environmental and occupational health impacts. The environmental health community has an essential role to play in underscoring these relationships as international leaders gather to craft sustainable development policies.

Designing a 'safe and just operating space' for the Chilika lagoon fishery of the Mahanadi delta, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooper, Gregory; Dearing, John

2017-04-01

Annual fish production from the Chilika lagoon is worth US25-million/year, underpinning the livelihoods of 35,000 fishers and 200,000 secondary dependants. The system has a legacy of collapse, transitioning from annual production rates of 9000 tonnes to 1300 tonnes during the late-1980s, with resulting livelihood losses triggering the first recorded instances of economic migration from Chilika. Despite engineered recovery since 2000, the future persistence of Chilika's resource stock is uncertain. Climate change may strengthen freshwater and sediment delivery, promoting ecohydrological degradation through tidal outlet sedimentation, reduced salinity and freshwater weed growth. Simultaneously, human population growth, fleet motorisation and consumption demands threaten overexploitation driven collapse. These critical social-ecological drivers and feedbacks are projected into future by integrating system dynamics modelling with Monte Carlo inputs. Sustainable pathways are identified from outputs producing social-ecologically desirable futures, such as mid-century catch equalling maximum sustainable yield. The 'safe and just operating space' metaphor is regionalised by the limits of sustainable trajectories, such as the permissible number of active fishers, motorised boats and juvenile catch under alternative governance scenarios. These critical thresholds suggest policy-relevant guardrails for the sustainable governance of Chilika, in order to avoid regional productivity collapse, ecological degradation and livelihood losses. Benefits and trade-offs of alternative governance approaches are also discussed, aiding the optimisation of future regulatory decision-making.

Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning. Resource Manual for Custodial Training Course #3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Florida State Dept. of Education, Tallahassee. School Plant Management Section.

Intended as a manual to provide school custodians with some understanding of basic functions of heating, ventilating, and air conditioning equipment for safe, efficient operation. Contains general rules and specifications for providing custodians with a more complete awareness of their equipment and the field of "Climate Control" within the…

Evolution of the Hubble Space Telescope Safing Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pepe, Joyce; Myslinski, Michael

2006-01-01

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) was launched on April 24 1990, with an expected lifespan of 15 years. Central to the spacecraft design was the concept of a series of on-orbit shuttle servicing missions permitting astronauts to replace failed equipment, update the scientific instruments and keep the HST at the forefront of astronomical discoveries. One key to the success of the Hubble mission has been the robust Safing systems designed to monitor the performance of the observatory and to react to keep the spacecraft safe in the event of equipment anomaly. The spacecraft Safing System consists of a range of software tests in the primary flight computer that evaluate the performance of mission critical hardware, safe modes that are activated when the primary control mode is deemed inadequate for protecting the vehicle, and special actions that the computer can take to autonomously reconfigure critical hardware. The HST Safing System was structured to autonomously detect electrical power system, data management system, and pointing control system malfunctions and to configure the vehicle to ensure safe operation without ground intervention for up to 72 hours. There is also a dedicated safe mode computer that constantly monitors a keep-alive signal from the primary computer. If this signal stops, the safe mode computer shuts down the primary computer and takes over control of the vehicle, putting it into a safe, low-power configuration. The HST Safing system has continued to evolve as equipment has aged, as new hardware has been installed on the vehicle, and as the operation modes have matured during the mission. Along with the continual refinement of the limits used in the safing tests, several new tests have been added to the monitoring system, and new safe modes have been added to the flight software. This paper will focus on the evolution of the HST Safing System and Safing tests, and the importance of this evolution to prolonging the science operations of the

Managing Cassini Safe Mode Attitude at Saturn

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burk, Thomas A.

2010-01-01

The Cassini spacecraft was launched on October 15, 1997 and arrived at Saturn on June 30, 2004. It has performed detailed observations and remote sensing of Saturn, its rings, and its satellites since that time. In the event safe mode interrupts normal orbital operations, Cassini has flight software fault protection algorithms to detect, isolate, and recover to a thermally safe and commandable attitude and then wait for further instructions from the ground. But the Saturn environment is complex, and safety hazards change depending on where Cassini is in its orbital trajectory around Saturn. Selecting an appropriate safe mode attitude that insures safe operation in the Saturn environment, including keeping the star tracker field of view clear of bright bodies, while maintaining a quiescent, commandable attitude, is a significant challenge. This paper discusses the Cassini safe table management strategy and the key criteria that must be considered, especially during low altitude flybys of Titan, in deciding what spacecraft attitude should be used in the event of safe mode.

Is under the ground under the big blue water named for the land next to us good for putting away bad air?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hills, D. J.

2017-12-01

Putting bad air under the ground in rocks can help the world be safe from hotter air and keep people happy. A lot of the bad air is made near the big blue water named for the land next to us so we are looking at the ground under that big blue water to see if the rocks will hold the bad air for a very, very, very long time. There are a lot of rocks that are good to put the bad air in with other good rocks on top of them to hold the bad air in under the ground under the big blue water. We are helping decide what good rocks are the best to put the bad air in with the best rocks on top of them to hold it in. We are figuring out how much bad air these rocks can hold in to keep people safe from hotter air and keep them happy. Some of these rocks are not far under the ground, but that might worry some people that the bad air is too close. Some of these good rocks are really far under the ground, but that might take a lot of money to put in the bad air. We are trying to figure out what will be best to keep the bad air under the ground and make the most people happy.

"Safe Schools within Safe Communities: A Regional Summit in the Heartland." Policy Briefs Special Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huertas, Aurelio, Jr.; Sullivan, Carol

This report documents the proceedings of a regional policy seminar hosted by the Iowa Department of Education with support from the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL) and the Midwest Regional Center for Drug-Free Schools and Communities (MRC). The seminar, "Safe Schools Within Safe Communities," was held on September 19-20,…

Is Prevent a Safe Space?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramsay, Peter

2017-01-01

In this article, I test the claims of the UK government and universities that the Prevent programme aims to create a safe space for the discussion of "extremist" ideas in universities. I do this by comparing the main elements of the Prevent duty that has been imposed on universities with those of safe spaces as imagined by student…

75 FR 29391 - National Safe Boating Week, 2010

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-26

... Safe Boating Week, 2010 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Our Nation's... National Safe Boating Week to practicing safe techniques so boaters of all ages can enjoy this pastime... annually the 7-day period prior to Memorial Day weekend as ``National Safe Boating Week.'' NOW, THEREFORE...

Personality and physiological correlates of performance decrement on a monotonous task requiring sustained attention.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1973-12-01

The reductions in task load resulting from the increasing automation of air traffic control may actually increase the requirement for controllers to maintain high levels of sustained attention in order to detect infrequent system malfunctions. A prev...

HOMOGENEOUS AIR OXIDATION OF HYDROCARBONS UTILIZING MN AND CO CATALYSTS

EPA Science Inventory

Homogeneous Air Oxidation of Hydrocarbons Utilizing Mn and Co Catalysts

Thomas M. Becker and Michael A. Gonzalez*, Sustainable Technology Division, Office of Research and Development; United States Environmental Protection Agency, 26 West Martin Luther King Drive, Mail Sto...

30 CFR 77.312 - Fail safe monitoring systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Fail safe monitoring systems. 77.312 Section 77... Thermal Dryers § 77.312 Fail safe monitoring systems. Thermal dryer systems and controls shall be protected by a fail safe monitoring system which will safely shut down the system and any related equipment...

30 CFR 77.312 - Fail safe monitoring systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Fail safe monitoring systems. 77.312 Section 77... Thermal Dryers § 77.312 Fail safe monitoring systems. Thermal dryer systems and controls shall be protected by a fail safe monitoring system which will safely shut down the system and any related equipment...

30 CFR 77.312 - Fail safe monitoring systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Fail safe monitoring systems. 77.312 Section 77... Thermal Dryers § 77.312 Fail safe monitoring systems. Thermal dryer systems and controls shall be protected by a fail safe monitoring system which will safely shut down the system and any related equipment...

30 CFR 77.312 - Fail safe monitoring systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Fail safe monitoring systems. 77.312 Section 77... Thermal Dryers § 77.312 Fail safe monitoring systems. Thermal dryer systems and controls shall be protected by a fail safe monitoring system which will safely shut down the system and any related equipment...

30 CFR 77.312 - Fail safe monitoring systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Fail safe monitoring systems. 77.312 Section 77... Thermal Dryers § 77.312 Fail safe monitoring systems. Thermal dryer systems and controls shall be protected by a fail safe monitoring system which will safely shut down the system and any related equipment...

29 CFR 1915.15 - Maintenance of safe conditions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Enclosed Spaces and Other Dangerous Atmospheres in Shipyard Employment § 1915.15 Maintenance of safe... into spaces that have been certified “Safe for Workers” or “Safe for Hot Work” shall be disconnected... certificates. A competent person shall visually inspect and test each space certified as “Safe for Workers” or...

29 CFR 1915.15 - Maintenance of safe conditions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Enclosed Spaces and Other Dangerous Atmospheres in Shipyard Employment § 1915.15 Maintenance of safe... into spaces that have been certified “Safe for Workers” or “Safe for Hot Work” shall be disconnected... certificates. A competent person shall visually inspect and test each space certified as “Safe for Workers” or...

A Vision of Success: How Nutrient Management Will Enhance and Sustain Ecosystem Services

EPA Science Inventory

Clean air and water, ample food, renewable fuels, productive fisheries, diverse ecosystems, resilient coasts and watersheds: these are some of the benefits that depend on sustainable nitrogen use and management. Thus, in our vision of the future, uses of reactive nitrogen are suf...

Staying Healthy and Safe at Work

MedlinePlus

... The Prematurity Campaign About us Annual report Our work Community impact Global programs Research Need help? Frequently ... safe at work Staying healthy and safe at work E-mail to a friend Please fill in ...

Immunocompromised patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome: secondary analysis of the LUNG SAFE database.

PubMed

Cortegiani, Andrea; Madotto, Fabiana; Gregoretti, Cesare; Bellani, Giacomo; Laffey, John G; Pham, Tai; Van Haren, Frank; Giarratano, Antonino; Antonelli, Massimo; Pesenti, Antonio; Grasselli, Giacomo

2018-06-12

The aim of this study was to describe data on epidemiology, ventilatory management, and outcome of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in immunocompromised patients. We performed a post hoc analysis on the cohort of immunocompromised patients enrolled in the Large Observational Study to Understand the Global Impact of Severe Acute Respiratory Failure (LUNG SAFE) study. The LUNG SAFE study was an international, prospective study including hypoxemic patients in 459 ICUs from 50 countries across 5 continents. Of 2813 patients with ARDS, 584 (20.8%) were immunocompromised, 38.9% of whom had an unspecified cause. Pneumonia, nonpulmonary sepsis, and noncardiogenic shock were their most common risk factors for ARDS. Hospital mortality was higher in immunocompromised than in immunocompetent patients (52.4% vs 36.2%; p < 0.0001), despite similar severity of ARDS. Decisions regarding limiting life-sustaining measures were significantly more frequent in immunocompromised patients (27.1% vs 18.6%; p < 0.0001). Use of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) as first-line treatment was higher in immunocompromised patients (20.9% vs 15.9%; p = 0.0048), and immunodeficiency remained independently associated with the use of NIV after adjustment for confounders. Forty-eight percent of the patients treated with NIV were intubated, and their mortality was not different from that of the patients invasively ventilated ab initio. Immunosuppression is frequent in patients with ARDS, and infections are the main risk factors for ARDS in these immunocompromised patients. Their management differs from that of immunocompetent patients, particularly the greater use of NIV as first-line ventilation strategy. Compared with immunocompetent subjects, they have higher mortality regardless of ARDS severity as well as a higher frequency of limitation of life-sustaining measures. Nonetheless, nearly half of these patients survive to hospital discharge. ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02010073

Johnson Space Center's Role in a Sustainable Future

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ewert, Michael K.

2004-01-01

NASA scientists and many others are contributing to the growing knowledge of our Earth and its ecosystems. Satellites measure sea level rise, and changes in vegetation and air pollutants that travel between countries and continents. The U.S. federal government seeks to be a leader in environmental sustainability efforts through various Executive Orders and policies that save energy, reduce waste, and encourage less reliance on oil as an energy source. NASA, as an agency that is by nature focused on the future, has much to contribute to these efforts. The NASA mission is 'To understand and protect our home planet, to explore the universe and search for life, to inspire the next generation of explorers as only NASA can.' Pollution prevention, affirmative procurement and sustainable design are all programs that are under way at NASA. But more can be done. By sharing ideas and learning from other organizations as well as from the talented workforce we are a part of, JSC can improve its sustainability performance and spread the benefits to our community.

33 CFR 83.06 - Safe speed (Rule 6).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Safe speed (Rule 6). 83.06... Safe speed (Rule 6). Every vessel shall at all times proceed at a safe speed so that she can take... prevailing circumstances and conditions. In determining a safe speed the following factors shall be among...

33 CFR 83.06 - Safe speed (Rule 6).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Safe speed (Rule 6). 83.06... Safe speed (Rule 6). Every vessel shall at all times proceed at a safe speed so that she can take... prevailing circumstances and conditions. In determining a safe speed the following factors shall be among...

Urban compaction or dispersion? An air quality modelling study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martins, Helena

2012-07-01

Urban sprawl is altering the landscape, with current trends pointing to further changes in land use that will, in turn, lead to changes in population, energy consumption, atmospheric emissions and air quality. Urban planners have debated on the most sustainable urban structure, with arguments in favour and against urban compaction and dispersion. However, it is clear that other areas of expertise have to be involved. Urban air quality and human exposure to atmospheric pollutants as indicators of urban sustainability can contribute to the discussion, namely through the study of the relation between urban structure and air quality. This paper addresses the issue by analysing the impacts of alternative urban growth patterns on the air quality of Porto urban region in Portugal, through a 1-year simulation with the MM5-CAMx modelling system. This region has been experiencing one of the highest European rates of urban sprawl, and at the same time presents a poor air quality. As part of the modelling system setup, a sensitivity study was conducted regarding different land use datasets and spatial distribution of emissions. Two urban development scenarios were defined, SPRAWL and COMPACT, together with their new land use and emission datasets; then meteorological and air quality simulations were performed. Results reveal that SPRAWL land use changes resulted in an average temperature increase of 0.4 °C, with local increases reaching as high as 1.5 °C. SPRAWL results also show an aggravation of PM10 annual average values and an increase in the exceedances to the daily limit value. For ozone, differences between scenarios were smaller, with SPRAWL presenting larger concentration differences than COMPACT. Finally, despite the higher concentrations found in SPRAWL, population exposure to the pollutants is higher for COMPACT because more inhabitants are found in areas of highest concentration levels.

The law (and politics) of safe injection facilities in the United States.

PubMed

Beletsky, Leo; Davis, Corey S; Anderson, Evan; Burris, Scott

2008-02-01

Safe injection facilities (SIFs) have shown promise in reducing harms and social costs associated with injection drug use. Favorable evaluations elsewhere have raised the issue of their implementation in the United States. Recognizing that laws shape health interventions targeting drug users, we analyzed the legal environment for publicly authorized SIFs in the United States. Although states and some municipalities have the power to authorize SIFs under state law, federal authorities could still interfere with these facilities under the Controlled Substances Act. A state- or locally-authorized SIF could proceed free of legal uncertainty only if federal authorities explicitly authorized it or decided not to interfere. Given legal uncertainty, and the similar experience with syringe exchange programs, we recommend a process of sustained health research, strategic advocacy, and political deliberation.

Roadmap to a Sustainable Structured Trusted Employee Program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Coates, Cameron W; Eisele, Gerhard R

2013-08-01

Organizations (facility, regulatory agency, or country) have a compelling interest in ensuring that individuals who occupy sensitive positions affording access to chemical biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) materials facilities and programs are functioning at their highest level of reliability. Human reliability and human performance relate not only to security but also focus on safety. Reliability has a logical and direct relationship to trustworthiness for the organization is placing trust in their employees to conduct themselves in a secure, safe, and dependable manner. This document focuses on providing an organization with a roadmap to implementing a successful and sustainable Structured Trustedmore » Employee Program (STEP).« less

Realistic Testing of the Safe Affordable Fission Engine (SAFE-100) Thermal Simulator Using Fiber Bragg Gratings

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stinson-Bagby, Kelly L.; Fielder, Robert S.; Van Dyke, Melissa K.

2004-02-04

The motivation for the reported research was to support NASA space nuclear power initiatives through the development of advanced fiber optic sensors for space-based nuclear power applications. Distributed high temperature measurements were made with 20 FBG temperature sensors installed in the SAFE-100 thermal simulator at the NASA Marshal Space Flight Center. Experiments were performed at temperatures approaching 800 deg. C and 1150 deg. C for characterization studies of the SAFE-100 core. Temperature profiles were successfully generated for the core during temperature increases and decreases. Related tests in the SAFE-100 successfully provided strain measurement data.

Proactive sustainability strategy and corporate sustainability performance: The mediating effect of sustainability control systems.

PubMed

Wijethilake, Chaminda

2017-07-01

This study examines to what extent corporations use sustainability control systems (SCS) to translate proactive sustainability strategy into corporate sustainability performance. The study investigates the mediating effect of SCS on the relationship between proactive sustainability strategy and corporate sustainability performance. Survey data were collected from top managers in 175 multinational and local corporations operating in Sri Lanka and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). SCS were observed to only partially mediate the relationship between proactive sustainability strategy and corporate sustainability performance. The mediating effect of SCS is further examined under three sustainability strategies; environmental and social strategies reveal a partial mediation, while the economic strategy exhibits no mediation. The study also finds that (i) a proactive sustainability strategy is positively associated with SCS and corporate sustainability performance and (ii) SCS are positively associated with corporate sustainability performance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing sustainable remediation frameworks using sustainability principles.

PubMed

Ridsdale, D Reanne; Noble, Bram F

2016-12-15

The remediation industry has grown exponentially in recent decades. International organizations of practitioners and remediation experts have developed several frameworks for integrating sustainability into remediation projects; however, there has been limited attention to how sustainability is approached and operationalized in sustainable remediation frameworks and practices - or whether sustainability plays any meaningful role at all in sustainable remediation. This paper examines how sustainability is represented in remediation frameworks and the guidance provided for practical application. Seven broad sustainability principles and review criteria are proposed and applied to a sample of six international remediation frameworks. Not all review criteria were equally satisfied and none of the frameworks fully met all criteria; however, the best performing frameworks were those identified as sustainability remediation frameworks. Intra-generational equity was addressed by all frameworks. Integrating social, economic and biophysical components beyond triple-bottom-line indicators was explicitly addressed only by the sustainable remediation frameworks. No frameworks provided principle- or rule-based guidance for dealing with trade-offs in sustainability decisions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

33 CFR 62.27 - Safe water marks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Safe water marks. 62.27 Section 62.27 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AIDS TO NAVIGATION UNITED STATES AIDS TO NAVIGATION SYSTEM The U.S. Aids to Navigation System § 62.27 Safe water marks. Safe...

75 FR 1734 - Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule Safe Harbor Proposed Self-Regulatory Guidelines; i-SAFE...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-13

...The Federal Trade Commission publishes this notice and request for public comment concerning proposed self-regulatory guidelines submitted by i-SAFE, Inc. under the safe harbor provision of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule.

Sustainable carbon uptake - important ecosystem service within sustainable forest management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zorana Ostrogović Sever, Maša; Anić, Mislav; Paladinić, Elvis; Alberti, Giorgio; Marjanović, Hrvoje

2016-04-01

Even-aged forest management with natural regeneration under continuous cover (i.e. close to nature management) is considered to be sustainable regarding the yield, biodiversity and stability of forest ecosystems. Recently, in the context of climate change, there is a raising question of sustainable forest management regarding carbon uptake. Aim of this research was to explore whether current close to nature forest management approach in Croatia can be considered sustainable in terms of carbon uptake throughout the life-time of Pedunculate oak forest. In state-owned managed forest a chronosequence experiment was set up and carbon stocks in main ecosystem pools (live biomass, dead wood, litter and mineral soil layer), main carbon fluxes (net primary production, soil respiration (SR), decomposition) and net ecosystem productivity were estimated in eight stands of different age (5, 13, 38, 53, 68, 108, 138 and 168 years) based on field measurements and published data. Air and soil temperature and soil moisture were recorded on 7 automatic mini-meteorological stations and weekly SR measurements were used to parameterize SR model. Carbon balance was estimated at weekly scale for the growing season 2011 (there was no harvesting), as well as throughout the normal rotation period of 140 years (harvesting was included). Carbon stocks in different ecosystem pools change during a stand development. Carbon stocks in forest floor increase with stand age, while carbon stocks in dead wood are highest in young and older stands, and lowest in middle-aged, mature stands. Carbon stocks in mineral soil layer were found to be stable across chronosequence with no statistically significant age-dependent trend. Pedunculate Oak stand, assuming successful regeneration, becomes carbon sink very early in a development phase, between the age of 5 and 13 years, and remains carbon sink even after the age of 160 years. Greatest carbon sink was reached in the stand aged 53 years. Obtained results

The Chicago Consensus on Sustainable Food Systems Science.

PubMed

Drewnowski, Adam

2017-01-01

As participants at the Ecosystem Inception Meeting convened by the Global Dairy Platform and held in Chicago in June 2016, we have identified some concepts as central to the study of food systems science. Following the definition developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization for sustainable diets, the food supply needs to provide foods that are healthy and safe, affordable, culturally acceptable, and with low impact on the environment. Therefore, the four main domains of sustainable food systems science can be described as health, economics, society, and the environment. Food systems science needs to embrace and engage with all relevant allied disciplines that may include environmental health sciences, epidemiology, geography, history, sociology, anthropology, business, and political science. Research and training in food systems science, both domestic and international, would benefit from a set of competencies, from more extensive research networks, and from more public-private engagement. This document builds on major advances in the area of food system research, training, and practice, already achieved by individuals, institutions, foundations, and local and national governments.

The Chicago Consensus on Sustainable Food Systems Science

PubMed Central

Drewnowski, Adam; Drewnowski, Adam

2018-01-01

As participants at the Ecosystem Inception Meeting convened by the Global Dairy Platform and held in Chicago in June 2016, we have identified some concepts as central to the study of food systems science. Following the definition developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization for sustainable diets, the food supply needs to provide foods that are healthy and safe, affordable, culturally acceptable, and with low impact on the environment. Therefore, the four main domains of sustainable food systems science can be described as health, economics, society, and the environment. Food systems science needs to embrace and engage with all relevant allied disciplines that may include environmental health sciences, epidemiology, geography, history, sociology, anthropology, business, and political science. Research and training in food systems science, both domestic and international, would benefit from a set of competencies, from more extensive research networks, and from more public–private engagement. This document builds on major advances in the area of food system research, training, and practice, already achieved by individuals, institutions, foundations, and local and national governments. PMID:29744333

Massive Ischemic Stroke Due to Pulmonary Barotrauma and Cerebral Artery Air Embolism During Commercial Air Travel

PubMed Central

Zarabi, Sara Farshchi; Parotto, Matteo; Katznelson, Rita; Downar, James

2017-01-01

Patient: Male, 65 Final Diagnosis: Air emboli Symptoms: Short of breath Medication: — Clinical Procedure: — Specialty: Anesthesiology Objective: Unusual setting of medical care Background: Air embolism into the systemic arterial circulation secondary to pulmonary barotrauma has rarely been reported. Herein, we report the clinical course of an extremely rare presentation of cerebral air embolism likely due to ruptured pulmonary bullae during commercial air travel. Case Report: A 65-year-old man suddenly became unconscious during an airplane descent. Upon landing, he was immediately transferred to the nearest emergency department where he was intubated for airway protection. His head CT angiogram showed multiple air pockets in the right parietal lobe suspicious for multiple air emboli. His chest CT scan showed multiple large bullae in the left upper and lower lobes as well as diffusely emphysematous lung tissue. After initial stabilization, he underwent emergent hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) in the multiplace chamber at 2.8 atmospheres. The patient tolerated HBOT well with no complications. However, his neurologic status deteriorated in the following 24 hours due to progression of his cerebral edema and mass effects. The patient’s clinical status was discussed with his family and the decision was made to withdraw life-sustaining measures. He died shortly after withdrawal of life support. Post-mortem examination confirmed the presence of very large bullae in the lungs bilaterally. Conclusions: Spontaneous cerebral air embolism is a possible complication of ruptured pulmonary bullae during air travel. HBOT is well-tolerated and may be used with caution even in the presence of emphysematous bullae. PMID:28607332

Environmental Education and Education for Sustainability Projects: Inspiring and Facilitating Implementation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Ashley

2010-01-01

Our world is faced with a vast array of environmental catastrophes ranging everywhere from climate change, to air and water pollution, to mass extinction of species which all threaten the environment and human existence. As of now, students are not being informed on the sustainability issues, or engaged in the change process at school. Rote…

Curiosity's Autonomous Surface Safing Behavior Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neilson, Tracy A.; Manning, Robert M.

2013-01-01

The safing routines on all robotic deep-space vehicles are designed to put the vehicle in a power and thermally safe configuration, enabling communication with the mission operators on Earth. Achieving this goal is made a little more difficult on Curiosity because the power requirements for the core avionics and the telecommunication equipment exceed the capability of the single power source, the Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator. This drove the system design to create an operational mode, called "sleep mode", where the vehicle turns off most of the loads in order to charge the two Li-ion batteries. The system must keep the vehicle safe from over-heat and under-heat conditions, battery cell failures, under-voltage conditions, and clock failures, both while the computer is running and while the system is sleeping. The other goal of a safing routine is to communicate. On most spacecraft, this simply involves turning on the receiver and transmitter continuously. For Curiosity, Earth is above the horizon only a part of the day for direct communication to the Earth, and the orbiter overpass opportunities only occur a few times a day. The design must robustly place the Rover in a communicable condition at the correct time. This paper discusses Curiosity's autonomous safing behavior and describes how the vehicle remains power and thermally safe while sleeping, as well as a description of how the Rover communicates with the orbiters and Earth at specific times.

33 CFR 62.27 - Safe water marks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Safe water marks. 62.27 Section... UNITED STATES AIDS TO NAVIGATION SYSTEM The U.S. Aids to Navigation System § 62.27 Safe water marks. Safe water marks indicate that there is navigable water all around the mark. They are often used to indicate...

33 CFR 62.27 - Safe water marks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Safe water marks. 62.27 Section... UNITED STATES AIDS TO NAVIGATION SYSTEM The U.S. Aids to Navigation System § 62.27 Safe water marks. Safe water marks indicate that there is navigable water all around the mark. They are often used to indicate...

33 CFR 62.27 - Safe water marks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Safe water marks. 62.27 Section... UNITED STATES AIDS TO NAVIGATION SYSTEM The U.S. Aids to Navigation System § 62.27 Safe water marks. Safe water marks indicate that there is navigable water all around the mark. They are often used to indicate...

Producing microbial polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biopolyesters in a sustainable manner.

PubMed

Koller, Martin; Maršálek, Lukáš; de Sousa Dias, Miguel Miranda; Braunegg, Gerhart

2017-07-25

Sustainable production of microbial polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biopolyesters on a larger scale has to consider the "four magic e": economic, ethical, environmental, and engineering aspects. Moreover, sustainability of PHA production can be quantified by modern tools of Life Cycle Assessment. Economic issues are to a large extent affected by the applied production mode, downstream processing, and, most of all, by the selection of carbon-rich raw materials as feedstocks for PHA production by safe and naturally occurring wild type microorganisms. In order to comply with ethics, such raw materials should be used which do not interfere with human nutrition and animal feed supply chains, and shall be convertible towards accessible carbon feedstocks by simple methods of upstream processing. Examples were identified in carbon-rich waste materials from various industrial braches closely connected to food production. Therefore, the article shines a light on hetero-, mixo-, and autotrophic PHA production based on various industrial residues from different branches. Emphasis is devoted to the integration of PHA-production based on selected raw materials into the holistic patterns of sustainability; this encompasses the choice of new, powerful microbial production strains, non-hazardous, environmentally benign methods for PHA recovery, and reutilization of waste streams from the PHA production process itself. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

2013 R&D 100 Award: DNATrax could revolutionize air quality detection and tracking

ScienceCinema

Farquar, George

2018-01-16

A team of LLNL scientists and engineers has developed a safe and versatile material, known as DNA Tagged Reagents for Aerosol Experiments (DNATrax), that can be used to reliably and rapidly diagnose airflow patterns and problems in both indoor and outdoor venues. Until DNATrax particles were developed, no rapid or safe way existed to validate air transport models with realistic particles in the range of 1-10 microns. Successful DNATrax testing was conducted at the Pentagon in November 2012 in conjunction with the Pentagon Force Protection Agency. This study enhanced the team's understanding of indoor ventilation environments created by heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. DNATrax are particles comprised of sugar and synthetic DNA that serve as a bar code for the particle. The potential for creating unique bar-coded particles is virtually unlimited, thus allowing for simultaneous and repeated releases, which dramatically reduces the costs associated with conducting tests for contaminants. Among the applications for the new material are indoor air quality detection, for homes, offices, ships and airplanes; urban particulate tracking, for subway stations, train stations, and convention centers; environmental release tracking; and oil and gas uses, including fracking, to better track fluid flow.

Annular Air Leaks in a liquid hydrogen storage tank

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krenn, AG; Youngquist, RC; Starr, SO

2017-12-01

Large liquid hydrogen (LH2) storage tanks are vital infrastructure for NASA, the DOD, and industrial users. Over time, air may leak into the evacuated, perlite filled annular region of these tanks. Once inside, the extremely low temperatures will cause most of the air to freeze. If a significant mass of air is allowed to accumulate, severe damage can result from nominal draining operations. Collection of liquid air on the outer shell may chill it below its ductility range, resulting in fracture. Testing and analysis to quantify the thermal conductivity of perlite that has nitrogen frozen into its interstitial spaces and to determine the void fraction of frozen nitrogen within a perlite/frozen nitrogen mixture is presented. General equations to evaluate methods for removing frozen air, while avoiding fracture, are developed. A hypothetical leak is imposed on an existing tank geometry and a full analysis of that leak is detailed. This analysis includes a thermal model of the tank and a time-to-failure calculation. Approaches to safely remove the frozen air are analyzed, leading to the conclusion that the most feasible approach is to allow the frozen air to melt and to use a water stream to prevent the outer shell from chilling.

Removing Hair Safely

MedlinePlus

... For Consumers Home For Consumers Consumer Updates Removing Hair Safely Share Tweet Linkedin Pin it More sharing ... related to common methods of hair removal. Laser Hair Removal In this method, a laser destroys hair ...

Non-aqueous aluminium-air battery based on ionic liquid electrolyte

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Revel, Renaud; Audichon, Thomas; Gonzalez, Serge

2014-12-01

A promising metal-air secondary battery based on aluminium-oxygen couple is described. In this paper, we observed that an aluminium-air battery employing EMImCl, AlCl3 room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) as electrolyte and aluminium as negative electrode, has an exceptional reduced self-discharged rate. Due to its new and innovative type of electrolyte, this aluminium-air battery can support relatively high current densities (up to 0.6 mA cm-2) and an average voltage of 0.6-0.8 V. Such batteries may find immediate applications, as they can provide an internal, built-in autonomous and self-sustained energy source.

A fail-safe CMOS logic gate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bobin, V.; Whitaker, S.

1990-01-01

This paper reports a design technique to make Complex CMOS Gates fail-safe for a class of faults. Two classes of faults are defined. The fail-safe design presented has limited fault-tolerance capability. Multiple faults are also covered.

Safe mobility for older people notebook

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-04-01

The Safe Mobility for Older People Notebook is a research product of the "Model Driver Screening and Evaluation Program" project sponsored by NHTSA, and is intended as a resource to support program initiatives promoting the safe mobility of older per...

The Development and Calculation of an Energy-saving Plant for Obtaining Water from Atmospheric Air

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uglanov, D. A.; Zheleznyak, K. E.; Chertykovsev, P. A.

2018-01-01

The article shows the calculation of characteristics of energy-efficient water generator from atmospheric air. This installation or the atmospheric water generator is the unique mechanism which produces safe drinking water by extraction it from air. The existing atmospheric generators allow to receive safe drinking water by means of process of condensation at air humidity at least equal to 35% and are capable to give to 25 liters of water in per day, and work from electricity. Authors offer to use instead of the condenser in the scheme of installation for increase volume of produced water by generator in per day, the following refrigerating machines: the vapor compression refrigerating machines (VCRM), the thermoelectric refrigerating machines (TRM) and the Stirling-cycle refrigerating machines (SRM). The paper describes calculation methods for each of refrigerating systems. Calculation of technical-and-economic indexes for the atmospheric water generator was carried out and the optimum system with the maximum volume of received water in per day was picked up. The atmospheric water generator which is considered in article will work from autonomous solar power station.

Clean air matters: an overview of traffic-related air pollution and pregnancy

PubMed Central

Slovic, Anne Dorothée; Diniz, Carmen Simone; Ribeiro, Helena

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT The right to a healthy pregnancy and to giving birth in a safe environment is source of comprehensive research. Decent birth facilities, respect, and no discrimination are already recognized as fundamental rights, but an accurate look at the outdoor environment is required. Air pollution is a dangerous factor to pregnant women and newborns, many of whom highly exposed to traffic-related atmospheric pollutants in urban areas. Such exposure can lead to low birth weight and long-lasting effects, such as respiratory diseases and premature death. Thus, this commentary, based on the analysis of literature, presents the importance of the exposome concept and of epigenetics in identifying the role of the environment for better health conditions of pregnant women and newborns. In the final considerations, this study proposes the deepening of the subject and the mobilization in this regard, with a human rights-based approach to environmental health and to the increased awareness of pregnant women on the risks of air pollution and its effects on health. PMID:28225911

Design of a safe facility for the metalorganic chemical vapor deposition of high-purity GaAs and AlGaAs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Messham, R. L.; Tucker, W. K.

1986-09-01

A metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) facility designed to safely handle highly toxic and pyrophoric growth materials is described. The system concept is based on remote operation, passive flow restriction, and forced air dilution to maintain safe gas concentrations under normal running and catastrophic system failure conditions. MOCVD is a key materials technology for advanced high-frequency optical and microwave devices. At this time, the use of highly toxic arsine as an arsenic source is dictated by critical device purity, reproducibility, and doping control requirements. The handling and use of this gas is a primary feature in the design of any safe facility for MOCVD growth of high-quality GaAs/AlGaAs. After a critical review of presently available effluent treatment techniques, it was concluded that a combination of flow restriction and dilution presented the most reliable treatment. Measured flow rates through orifices from 0.002 to 0.005 inch in diameter were compared to calculated values. A 0.002 inch orifice located in the cylinder valve or CGA fitting, combined with a cylinder of pure liquid arsine (205 psi), limits the maximum gas flow to ≪1 lpm. Such a flow can then be vented through a dedicated exhaust system where an additional forced injection of diluting air reduces the gas concentration to acceptable levels. In the final Westinghouse R&D Center design, the use of low-pressure pure arsine, flow restriction, and stack air injection has reduced the maximum stack exist gas concentration to below 25% of the IDLH level for arsine under total and catastrophic MOCVD facility equipment failure conditions. The elimination of potential problems with purging behind such orifices using carefully designed purging procedures and a microprocessor-controlled purging system are described. The IDLH level is defined by the OSHA and NIOSH standards completion program and represents the maximum level from which one could escape within 30 min without any

33 CFR 62.27 - Safe water marks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Safe water marks. 62.27 Section 62.27 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AIDS TO NAVIGATION UNITED STATES AIDS TO NAVIGATION SYSTEM The U.S. Aids to Navigation System § 62.27 Safe water marks. Safe water marks indicate that there is...

Developing Safe Schools Partnerships with Law Enforcement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosiak, John

2009-01-01

Safe schools are the concern of communities throughout the world. If a school is safe, and if children feel safe, students "are better able to learn. But what are the steps to make" this happen? First, it is important to understand the problem: What are the threats to school safety? These include crime-related behaviors that find their way to…

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Employees file around table displays under a tent near the Operations and Checkout Building. Many vendors and organizations displayed their products during the Spaceport Super Safety and Health Day at KSC and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, an annual event dedicated to reinforcing safe and healthful behaviors in the workforce.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-10-15

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Employees file around table displays under a tent near the Operations and Checkout Building. Many vendors and organizations displayed their products during the Spaceport Super Safety and Health Day at KSC and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, an annual event dedicated to reinforcing safe and healthful behaviors in the workforce.

Safe haven laws as crime control theater.

PubMed

Hammond, Michelle; Miller, Monica K; Griffin, Timothy

2010-07-01

This article examines safe haven laws, which allow parents to legally abandon their infants. The main objective is to determine whether safe haven laws fit the criteria of crime control theater, a term used to describe public policies that produce the appearance, but not the effect, of crime control, and as such are essentially socially constructed "solutions" to socially constructed crime "problems." The analysis will apply the principles of crime control theater to safe haven laws. Specifically, the term crime control theater applies to laws that are reactionary responses to perceived criminal threats and are often widely supported as a way to address the crime in question. Such laws are attractive because they appeal to mythic narratives (i.e., saving an innocent child from a predator); however they are likely ineffective due to the complexity of the crime. These laws can have deleterious effects when policymakers make false claims of success and stunt public discourse (e.g., drawing attention away from more frequent and preventable crimes). This analysis applies these criteria to safe haven laws to determine whether such laws can be classified as crime control theater. Many qualities inherent to crime control theater are present in safe haven laws. For example, the laws are highly publicized, their intentions lack moral ambiguity, rare cases of success legitimize law enforcement and other agencies, and they appeal to the public sense of responsibility in preventing crime. Yet the goal of saving infant lives may be unattainable. These qualities make the effectiveness of the laws questionable and suggest they may be counterproductive. This analysis determined that safe haven laws are socially constructed solutions to the socially constructed problem of child abandonment. Safe haven laws are appropriately classified as crime control theater. It is imperative that further research be conducted to examine the effectiveness and collateral effects of safe haven laws

Safe Sleep Practices of Kansas Birthing Hospitals

PubMed Central

Ahlers-Schmidt, Carolyn R.; Schunn, Christy; Sage, Cherie; Engel, Matthew; Benton, Mary

2018-01-01

Background Sleep-related death is tied with congenital anomalies as the leading cause of infant mortality in Kansas, and external risk factors are present in 83% of these deaths. Hospitals can impact caregiver intentions to follow risk-reduction strategies. This project assessed the current practices and policies of Kansas hospitals with regard to safe sleep. Methods A cross-sectional survey of existing safe sleep practices and policies in Kansas hospitals was performed. Hospitals were categorized based on reported delivery volume and data were compared across hospital sizes. Results Thirty-one of 73 (42%) contacted hospitals responded. Individual survey respondents represented various hospital departments including newborn/well-baby (68%), neonatal intensive care unit (3%) and other non-nursery departments or administration (29%). Fifty-eight percent of respondents reported staff were trained on infant safe sleep; 44% of these held trainings annually. High volume hospitals tended to have more annual training than low or mid volume birth hospitals. Thirty-nine percent reported a safe sleep policy, though most of these (67%) reported never auditing compliance. The top barrier to safe sleep education, regardless of delivery volume, was conflicting patient and family member beliefs. Conclusions Hospital promotion of infant safe sleep is being conducted in Kansas to varying degrees. High and mid volume birth hospitals may need to work more on formal auditing of safe sleep practices, while low volume hospitals may need more staff training. Low volume hospitals also may benefit from access to additional caregiver education materials. Finally, it is important to note hospitals should not be solely responsible for safe sleep education. PMID:29844848

Automobile air bags: friend or foe? A case of air bag-associated ocular trauma and a related literature review.

PubMed

Kenney, Kristin S; Fanciullo, Lisa M

2005-07-01

Although air bags are placed in automobiles to act as safety devices, they have been shown to carry a risk of injury themselves. Ocular injury, in particular, can often be a direct consequence of air bag deployment. A case of ocular air bag injury is presented. A discussion and review of the current literature on this issue follows. A 63-year-old man was transferred to our clinic after sustaining injuries related to a motor vehicle accident, during which the automobile's air bag was deployed. Initial examination revealed many signs of blunt ocular trauma of the O.D., including iridodialysis, dislocated lens with traumatic cataract, and traumatic/inflammatory glaucoma. Initial B-scan showed an attached retina O.D. One month later, the patient underwent an attempted pars plana vitrectomy with lensectomy, iris repair, and insertion of an anterior chamber intraocular lens. Complications arose during the procedure, and a total retinal detachment developed. Resultant acuity is no light perception O.D. Although ocular morbidity can be a direct consequence of air bag deployment, most eye injuries are minimal, and seem to be outweighed by the benefits of air bags. Drivers, as well as passengers, can minimize associated injuries by adhering to specific safety guidelines. This, as well as continual modification and improvement in air bag design, will maximize the safety of air bags and decrease the incidence of vision-threatening ocular injury caused by air bag deployment.

AIR PASSIVATION OF METAL HYDRIDE BEDS FOR WASTE DISPOSAL

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Klein, J; R. H. Hsu, R

2007-07-02

Metal hydride beds offer compact, safe storage of tritium. After metal hydride beds have reached the end of their useful life, the beds will replaced with new beds and the old beds prepared for disposal. One acceptance criteria for hydride bed waste disposal is that the material inside the bed not be pyrophoric. To determine the pyrophoric nature of spent metal hydride beds, controlled air ingress tests were performed. A simple gas handling manifold fitted with pressure transducers and a calibrated volume were used to introduce controlled quantities of air into a metal hydride bed and the bed temperature risemore » monitored for reactivity with the air. A desorbed, 4.4 kg titanium prototype hydride storage vessel (HSV) produced a 4.4 C internal temperature rise upon the first air exposure cycle and a 0.1 C temperature rise upon a second air exposure. A total of 346 scc air was consumed by the bed (0.08 scc per gram Ti). A desorbed, 9.66 kg LaNi{sub 4.25}Al{sub 0.75} prototype storage bed experienced larger temperature rises over successive cycles of air ingress and evacuation. The cycles were performed over a period of days with the bed effectively passivated after the 12th cycle. Nine to ten STP-L of air reacted with the bed producing both oxidized metal and water.« less

Barriers to the implementation of the SAFE strategy to combat hyperendemic trachoma in Australia.

PubMed

Wright, Heathcote R; Keeffe, Jill E; Taylor, Hugh R

2010-12-01

Australia is the only developed country in the world that still has endemic levels of blinding trachoma. The SAFE (Surgery, Antibiotics, Facial cleanliness, Environmental improvement) strategy is an effective public health intervention that has been successfully used to eliminate blinding trachoma in some of the poorest countries of the world. Yet the SAFE strategy has not been systematically implemented in Australia. We undertook semi-structured interviews to identify some of barriers to the implementation of the SAFE strategy within remote indigenous communities of Australia. Health care professionals who were responsible for delivering trachoma control programs throughout the Northern Territory were asked to participate in a semi-structured interview. Quantitative analysis was performed using an existing strategic management framework. Fourteen individuals were interviewed. Responses were grouped into 19 categories; 12 from the existing strategic management framework and 7 additional categories that were created for ideas unique to the trachoma control program in Australia. A number of key themes emerged from the interview and are presented in a literary style. From these key themes critical success factors for the implementation of a sustainable trachoma control program were identified. With the election of the Rudd government there has been a renewed interest in "closing the gap" between the health of indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. A federal government funding package of $58 million over four years has just been announced to tackle trachoma. It is hoped that the findings of this research can assist in making sure that money achieves its goal.

Using Medications Safely

MedlinePlus

... health systems play an important role in preventing medication errors. To make sure you use medicines safely and effectively, ASHP recommends that you: Keep a list of all medications that you take (prescribed drugs, nonprescription medicines, herbal ...

Policy Implications of Air Quality Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheinbaum, C.

2004-12-01

While an integrated assessment approach will be required to achieve and sustain improvements in the air quality of Mexico City Metropolitan Area's (MCMA), policy strategies must be based on a solid understanding of the pollutant emissions and atmospheric processes that lead to unacceptable levels of air pollution. The required level of understanding can only be achieved by comprehensive atmospheric measurements followed by a coordinated atmospheric modeling program. The innovative, two-phase atmospheric measurement program, which was a collaborative effort between Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Mexican Metropolitan Environmental Commission, with exploratory measurements in February 2002 and extensive measurements from late March through early May of 2003, was an important step towards meeting these requirements. Although the extensive data sets from the two measurement programs are still being analyzed by the investigators, their preliminary analysis efforts have yielded important insights into the nature and extent of air pollution problem in the MCMA, which in turn will have important policy implications.

Code of Sustainable Practice in Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety for Corporations.

PubMed

Castleman, Barry; Allen, Barbara; Barca, Stefania; Bohme, Susanna Rankin; Henry, Emmanuel; Kaur, Amarjit; Massard-Guilbaud, Genvieve; Melling, Joseph; Menendez-Navarro, Alfredo; Renfrew, Daniel; Santiago, Myrna; Sellers, Christopher; Tweedale, Geoffrey; Zalik, Anna; Zavestoski, Stephen

2008-01-01

At a conference held at Stony Brook University in December 2007, "Dangerous Trade: Histories of Industrial Hazard across a Globalizing World," participants endorsed a Code of Sustainable Practice in Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety for Corporations. The Code outlines practices that would ensure corporations enact the highest health and environmentally protective measures in all the locations in which they operate. Corporations should observe international guidelines on occupational exposure to air contaminants, plant safety, air and water pollutant releases, hazardous waste disposal practices, remediation of polluted sites, public disclosure of toxic releases, product hazard labeling, sale of products for specific uses, storage and transport of toxic intermediates and products, corporate safety and health auditing, and corporate environmental auditing. Protective measures in all locations should be consonant with the most protective measures applied anywhere in the world, and should apply to the corporations' subsidiaries, contractors, suppliers, distributors, and licensees of technology. Key words: corporations, sustainability, environmental protection, occupational health, code of practice.

Managing drugs safely.

PubMed

van den Anker, John N

2005-02-01

There is hard data to show that newborn infants are more likely than adults to experience adverse reactions to drugs. Paradoxically, drug-related legislation to ensure safe and effective drug use in humans neglected neonates until 2002, when the Best Pharmaceuticals Act for Children was signed into law in the USA. The situation for neonates should now catch up with that for adults and neonates will be prescribed more licensed drugs in the near future. If we are to be able to analyze the underlying system errors to improve the safe use of drugs in the studied patient population, reporting of adverse drug events and reactions needs to happen in a blame free environment. In addition, computerized physician order entry will certainly further improve the current situation by preventing errors in ordering, transcribing, verifying, and transmitting medication orders.

X-45A Air Vehicle #1 during flight #13, with weapons bay door open

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-02-21

The DARPA/U.S. Air Force X-45A Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) system demonstration program completed the first phase of demonstrations, known as Block I, on Feb. 28, 2003. The final Block I activities included two flights at Dryden, during which safe operation of the weapons bay door was verified at 35,000 feet and speeds of Mach 0.75, the maximum planned altitude and speed for the two X-45A demonstrator vehicles.

Toward coordinated space-based air quality, carbon cycle, and ecosystem measurements to quantify air quality-ecosystem interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neu, J. L.; Schimel, D.; Lerdau, M.; Drewry, D.; Fu, D.; Payne, V.; Bowman, K. W.; Worden, J. R.

2016-12-01

Tropospheric ozone concentrations are increasing in many regions of the world, and this ozone can severely damage vegetation. Ozone enters plants through their stomata and oxidizes tissues, inhibiting physiology and decreasing ecosystem productivity. Ozone has been experimentally shown to reduce crop production, with important implications for global food security as concentrations rise. Ozone damage to forests also alters productivity and carbon storage and may drive changes in species distributions and biodiversity. Process-based quantitative estimates of these ozone impacts on terrestrial ecosystems at continental to global scales as well as of feedbacks to air quality via production of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are thus crucial to sustainable development planning. We demonstrate that leveraging planned and proposed missions to measure ozone, formaldehyde, and isoprene along with solar-induced fluorescence (SiF), evapotranspiration, and plant nitrogen content can meet the requirements of an integrated observing system for air quality-ecosystem interactions while also meeting the needs of the individual Air Quality, Carbon Cycle, and Ecosystems communities.

Evacuated FM08 Fuses Carry a Sustained Arc in a Bus over 75 VDC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leidecker, Henning; Slonaker, J.

1999-01-01

The FM08 style fuse is specified to interrupt an overcurrent of up to 300 A in a bus of up to 125 VDC, but this applies only when its barrel is filled with air. When placed into a space-grade vacuum, the FM08 style fuse exhausts its air within a year. Then, the probability of an enduring arc is high for all ratings when the bus is above 75 VDC, and the overcurrent is large. The arc endures until something else interrupts the current. The fuse can violently eject metal vapor or other material during the sustained arcing. The evacuated FM08 does not develop a sustained arc when interrupted in a bus of 38 VDC or less, at least when there is little inductance in the circuit. This is consistent with its successful use in many spacecraft having buses in the range 24 to 36 volts.

An Automated Safe-to-Mate (ASTM) Tester

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nguyen, Phuc; Scott, Michelle; Leung, Alan; Lin, Michael; Johnson, Thomas

2013-01-01

Safe-to-mate testing is a common hardware safety practice where impedance measurements are made on unpowered hardware to verify isolation, continuity, or impedance between pins of an interface connector. A computer-based instrumentation solution has been developed to resolve issues. The ASTM is connected to the circuit under test, and can then quickly, safely, and reliably safe-to-mate the entire connector, or even multiple connectors, at the same time.

Beyond climate-smart agriculture: toward safe operating spaces for global food systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gulledge, Jay; Neufeldt, Heinrich; Jahn, Margaret M

Agriculture is considered to be climate-smart when it contributes to increasing food security, adaptation and mitigation in a sustainable way. This new concept now dominates current discussions in agricultural development because of its capacity to unite the agendas of the agriculture, development and climate change communities under one brand. In this opinion piece authored by scientists from a variety of international agricultural and climate research communities, we argue that the concept needs to be evaluated critically because the relationship between the three dimensions is poorly understood, such that practically any improved agricultural practice can be considered climate-smart. This lack ofmore » clarity may have contributed to the broad appeal of the concept. From the understanding that we must hold ourselves accountable to demonstrably better meet human needs in the short and long term within foreseeable local and planetary limits, we develop a conceptualization of climate-smart agriculture as agriculture that can be shown to bring us closer to safe operating spaces for agricultural and food systems across spatial and temporal scales. Improvements in the management of agricultural systems that bring us significantly closer to safe operating spaces will require transformations in governance and use of our natural resources, underpinned by enabling political, social and economic conditions beyond incremental changes. Establishing scientifically credible indicators and metrics of long-term safe operating spaces in the context of a changing climate and growing social-ecological challenges is critical to creating the societal demand and political will required to motivate deep transformations. Answering questions on how the needed transformational change can be achieved will require actively setting and testing hypotheses to refine and characterize our concepts of safer spaces for social-ecological systems across scales. This effort will demand prioritizing

The Knowledge Base for Achieving the Sustainable Development Goal Targets on Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene.

PubMed

Hutton, Guy; Chase, Claire

2016-05-27

Safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) are fundamental to an improved standard of living. Globally, 91% of households used improved drinking water sources in 2015, while for improved sanitation it is 68%. Wealth disparities are stark, with rural populations, slum dwellers and marginalized groups lagging significantly behind. Service coverage is significantly lower when considering the new water and sanitation targets under the sustainable development goals (SDGs) which aspire to a higher standard of 'safely managed' water and sanitation. Lack of access to WASH can have an economic impact as much as 7% of Gross Domestic Product, not including the social and environmental consequences. Research points to significant health and socio-economic consequences of poor nutritional status, child growth and school performance caused by inadequate WASH. Groundwater over-extraction and pollution of surface water bodies have serious impacts on water resource availability and biodiversity, while climate change exacerbates the health risks of water insecurity. A significant literature documents the beneficial impacts of WASH interventions, and a growing number of impact evaluation studies assess how interventions are optimally financed, implemented and sustained. Many innovations in behavior change and service delivery offer potential for scaling up services to meet the SDGs.

Implementing sustainable development programs in Chicago

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Henderson, H.

1994-12-31

Achieving sustainable development requires a revision of the present view of the nature of the city as an environment, and its relation to a larger ecosystem of which it is an essential part. The environmental health of a wilderness area is inextricably related to the environmental, and economic, health of the great urban centers. The vitality of dense metropolitan areas, where population and economic activities are concentrated, is key to the preservation of productive farm lands, wildlife habitat, and open spaces. The social and economic crisis which grips many metropolitan centers, with attendant flight of industry and development to themore » so-called {open_quotes}greenfields,{close_quotes} fundamentally spreads a broader crisis to our common ecosystem. This crisis is marked by the obliteration of habitat necessary for biodiversity, loss of fertile farm land, and the contamination of air, water and land, as an unescapable effect of the sprawl created by flight from the urban centers. The removal of false conceptual distinctions between the city and nature, distinctions that are unfortunately at the heart of so much of American environmental philosophy, is key to the concept of `sustainable development.` This article sets forth how the City of Chicago is implementing this understanding of the nature of the urban environment, in pursuit of sustainable development within the city.« less

The time-course of cortico-limbic neural responses to air hunger.

PubMed

Binks, Andrew P; Evans, Karleyton C; Reed, Jeffrey D; Moosavi, Shakeeb H; Banzett, Robert B

2014-12-01

Several studies have mapped brain regions associated with acute dyspnea perception. However, the time-course of brain activity during sustained dyspnea is unknown. Our objective was to determine the time-course of neural activity when dyspnea is sustained. Eight healthy subjects underwent brain blood oxygen level dependent functional magnetic imaging (BOLD-fMRI) during mechanical ventilation with constant mild hypercapnia (∼ 45 mm Hg). Subjects rated dyspnea (air hunger) via visual analog scale (VAS). Tidal volume (V(T)) was alternated every 90 s between high VT (0.96 ± 0.23 L) that provided respiratory comfort (12 ± 6% full scale) and low V(T) (0.48 ± 0.08 L) which evoked air hunger (56 ± 11% full scale). BOLD signal was extracted from a priori brain regions and combined with VAS data to determine air hunger related neural time-course. Air hunger onset was associated with BOLD signal increases that followed two distinct temporal profiles within sub-regions of the anterior insula, anterior cingulate and prefrontal cortices (cortico-limbic circuitry): (1) fast, BOLD signal peak <30s and (2) slow, BOLD signal peak >40s. BOLD signal during air hunger offset followed fast and slow temporal profiles symmetrical, but inverse (signal decreases) to the time-courses of air hunger onset. We conclude that differential cortico-limbic circuit elements have unique contributions to dyspnea sensation over time. We suggest that previously unidentified sub-regions are responsible for either the acute awareness or maintenance of dyspnea. These data enhance interpretation of previous studies and inform hypotheses for future dyspnea research. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Strategies for safe injections.

PubMed Central

Battersby, A.; Feilden, R.; Stoeckel, P.; Da Silva, A.; Nelson, C.; Bass, A.

1999-01-01

In 1998, faced with growing international concern, WHO set out an approach for achieving injection safety that encompassed all elements from patients' expectations and doctors' prescribing habits to waste disposal. This article follows that lead and describes the implications of the approach for two injection technologies: sterilizable and disposable. It argues that focusing on any single technology diverts attention from the more fundamental need for health services to develop their own comprehensive strategies for safe injections. National health authorities will only be able to ensure that injections are administered safely if they take an approach that encompasses the whole system, and choose injection technologies that fit their circumstances. PMID:10680247

Energy and sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Suding, P.H.

1995-12-31

There is a marked difference between the perception of the sustainable development problem in the industrialized countries and that prevailing in the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean (LA&C). Whereas the industrialized countries seem concerned about the sustainability of their development in view of global climate change, developing countries in LA&C are looking for a sustainable development course that will lead them out of poverty and away from the destruction of the local environment. The industrialized countries perspective is apparent in the titles of the papers being presented at the IAEE Conference under the topic: Harmonizing Energy Policy, Environment,more » and Sustainable Economic Growth. A great number of titles and sessions focus on the apparent antagonism between economic growth and the environment. By environment one seems to primarily mean emissions into the air, especially greenhouse gas emissions. Probably the majority of the energy community of the industrial countries regards Latin America, on the one hand, as a holder of a large CO{sub 2} sink in danger of extinction and, on the other hand, as a potential new large contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.« less

Feeling safe during an inpatient hospitalization: a concept analysis.

PubMed

Mollon, Deene

2014-08-01

This paper aims to explore the critical attributes of the concept feeling safe. The safe delivery of care is a high priority; however; it is not really known what it means to the patient to 'feel safe' during an inpatient hospitalization. This analysis explores the topic of safety from the patient's perspective. Concept analysis. The data bases of CINAHL, Medline, PsychInfo and Google Scholar for the years 1995-2012 were searched using the terms safe and feeling safe. The eight-step concept analysis method of Walker and Avant was used to analyse the concept of feeling safe. Uses and defining attributes, as well as identified antecedents, consequences and empirical referents, are presented. Case examples are provided to assist in the understanding of defining attributes. Feeling safe is defined as an emotional state where perceptions of care contribute to a sense of security and freedom from harm. Four attributes were identified: trust, cared for, presence and knowledge. Relationship, environment and suffering are the antecedents of feeling safe, while control, hope and relaxed or calm are the consequences. Empirical referents and early development of a theory of feeling safe are explored. This analysis begins the work of synthesizing qualitative research already completed around the concept of feeling safe by defining the key attributes of the concept. Support for the importance of developing patient-centred models of care and creating positive environments where patients receive high-quality care and feel safe is provided. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Nondestructive natural gas hydrate recovery driven by air and carbon dioxide.

PubMed

Kang, Hyery; Koh, Dong-Yeun; Lee, Huen

2014-10-14

Current technologies for production of natural gas hydrates (NGH), which include thermal stimulation, depressurization and inhibitor injection, have raised concerns over unintended consequences. The possibility of catastrophic slope failure and marine ecosystem damage remain serious challenges to safe NGH production. As a potential approach, this paper presents air-driven NGH recovery from permeable marine sediments induced by simultaneous mechanisms for methane liberation (NGH decomposition) and CH₄-air or CH₄-CO₂/air replacement. Air is diffused into and penetrates NGH and, on its surface, forms a boundary between the gas and solid phases. Then spontaneous melting proceeds until the chemical potentials become equal in both phases as NGH depletion continues and self-regulated CH4-air replacement occurs over an arbitrary point. We observed the existence of critical methane concentration forming the boundary between decomposition and replacement mechanisms in the NGH reservoirs. Furthermore, when CO₂ was added, we observed a very strong, stable, self-regulating process of exchange (CH₄ replaced by CO₂/air; hereafter CH₄-CO₂/air) occurring in the NGH. The proposed process will work well for most global gas hydrate reservoirs, regardless of the injection conditions or geothermal gradient.

Tangential gunshot wound with MagSafe ammunition.

PubMed

Rapkiewicz, Amy V; Tamburri, Robert; Basoa, Mark E; Catanese, Charles A

2005-09-01

MagSafe ammunition is a type of unconventional prefragmented ammunition. A fatal tangential gunshot wound involving MagSafe ammunition is presented. The ammunition and wound characteristics are discussed.

Sustainability assessment for the transportation environment of Darjeeling, India.

PubMed

Nag, Dipanjan; Paul, Subrata Kr; Saha, Swati; Goswami, Arkopal K

2018-05-01

Darjeeling is an important tourist hill town of West Bengal, India. It suffers from an acute problem of transportation, particularly during its peak tourist seasons due to limited road space, inadequate public transport facilities and indiscriminate use of automobiles. This hill town was originally designed for a population of 10,000, but over the years, it has come face-to-face with rapid urbanization, a rising population of both tourists and residents and intensifying motor vehicle usage. These factors together are posing a threat to its transport environment. This study identifies the Sustainable Transport Indicators (STIs) available in the existing literature to identify the critical stretches using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) based on experts' consensus. It was found that the experts placed emphasis on the mobility of the town, talking about vehicular impact on air pollution and encroachment of roads as the main issues affecting the sustainability of the transport environment. Thereafter, policy-level interventions have been suggested in accordance with the identified sustainability issues. We trust that other tourist hill towns with issues similar to Darjeeling could easily emulate the study methodology to assess their transport environment sustainability, or replicate on the lines of the recommended policy interventions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Engineering crop nutrient efficiency for sustainable agriculture.

PubMed

Chen, Liyu; Liao, Hong

2017-10-01

Increasing crop yields can provide food, animal feed, bioenergy feedstocks and biomaterials to meet increasing global demand; however, the methods used to increase yield can negatively affect sustainability. For example, application of excess fertilizer can generate and maintain high yields but also increases input costs and contributes to environmental damage through eutrophication, soil acidification and air pollution. Improving crop nutrient efficiency can improve agricultural sustainability by increasing yield while decreasing input costs and harmful environmental effects. Here, we review the mechanisms of nutrient efficiency (primarily for nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and iron) and breeding strategies for improving this trait, along with the role of regulation of gene expression in enhancing crop nutrient efficiency to increase yields. We focus on the importance of root system architecture to improve nutrient acquisition efficiency, as well as the contributions of mineral translocation, remobilization and metabolic efficiency to nutrient utilization efficiency. © 2017 Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

A SUSTAINABLE METHOD OF WATER EXTRACTION FOR SCHOOL-COMMUNITY GARDENS IN NIGER, WEST AFRICA

EPA Science Inventory

The challenge of this project is significant in the developing world, specifically in the Air Massif region of Niger, the poorest country in the world. A sustainable water extraction system is needed to irrigate community gardens. These gardens produce a basic need, food, for ...

Ambient Air Pollution and Morbidity in Chinese.

PubMed

Hu, Li-Wen; Lawrence, Wayne R; Liu, Yimin; Yang, Bo-Yi; Zeng, Xiao-Wen; Chen, Wen; Dong, Guang-Hui

2017-01-01

The rapid economic growth in China is coupled with a severe ambient air pollution, which poses a huge threat to human health and the sustainable development of social economy. The rapid urbanization and industrialization over the last three decades have placed China as one of countries with the greatest disease burden in world. Notably, the prevalence rate of chronic noncommunicable diseases (CND), including respiratory diseases, CVD, and stroke, in 2010 reaches 16.9%. The continuous growth of the incidence of CND urgent needs for effective regulatory action for health protection. This study aims to evaluate the impact of rapid urbanization on status of ambient air pollution and associated adverse health effects on the incidence and the burden of CND and risk assessment. Our findings would be greatly significant in the prediction of the risk of ambient air pollution on CND and for evidence-based policy making and risk management in China.

Creating Safe Spaces for Music Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hendricks, Karin S.; Smith, Tawnya D.; Stanuch, Jennifer

2014-01-01

This article offers a practical model for fostering emotionally safe learning environments that instill in music students a positive sense of self-belief, freedom, and purpose. The authors examine the implications for music educators of creating effective learning environments and present recommendations for creating a safe space for learning,…

An Overview of Public Domain Tools for Measuring the Sustainability of Environmental Remediation - 12060

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Claypool, John E.; Rogers, Scott

. When it comes to the public domain, Federal government agencies are spearheading the development of software tools to measure and report emissions of air pollutants (e.g., carbon dioxide, other greenhouse gases, criteria air pollutants); consumption of energy, water and natural resources; accident and safety risks; project costs and other economic metrics. Most of the tools developed for the Government are available to environmental practitioners without charge, so they are growing in usage and popularity. The key features and metrics calculated by the available public-domain tools for measuring the sustainability of environmental remediation projects share some commonalities but there are differences amongst the tools. The SiteWise{sup TM} sustainability tool developed for the Navy and US Army will be compared with the Sustainable Remediation Tool (SRT{sup TM}) developed for the US Air Force (USAF). In addition, the USAF's Clean Solar and Wind Energy in Environmental Programs (CleanSWEEP), a soon-to-be-released tool for evaluating the economic feasibility of utilizing renewal energy for powering remediation systems will be described in the paper. (authors)« less

Asymptotically safe standard model extensions?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pelaggi, Giulio Maria; Plascencia, Alexis D.; Salvio, Alberto; Sannino, Francesco; Smirnov, Juri; Strumia, Alessandro

2018-05-01

We consider theories with a large number NF of charged fermions and compute the renormalization group equations for the gauge, Yukawa and quartic couplings resummed at leading order in 1 /NF. We construct extensions of the standard model where SU(2) and/or SU(3) are asymptotically safe. When the same procedure is applied to the Abelian U(1) factor, we find that the Higgs quartic can not be made asymptotically safe and stay perturbative at the same time.

Recent advances in the treatment of air leaks.

PubMed

Cerfolio, Robert James

2005-07-01

Alveolar-pleural fistulas (air leaks) are an extremely common clinical problem and remain the most common complication after elective pulmonary resection and video-assisted procedures. The decision making process used to manage air leaks and chest tubes that control them has been, until very recently, based on opinions and training preferences as opposed to facts derived from randomized clinical trials. Recently, several prospective randomized trials have studied air leaks. An objective, reproducible classification system has also been designed and clinically validated to help study air leaks. This system and these studies have shown that water seal is superior to wall suction to help stop most leaks. Even in patients with a pneumothorax and an air leak, water seal is safe and best; however, if a patient has a large leak (greater than an expiratory 3 on the classification system) or experiences subcutaneous emphysema or an expanding pneumothorax that causes hypoxia, then some suction (-10 cm of water) should be applied to the chest tubes. Air leaks were a poorly understood yet extremely common clinical problem that had never been scientifically studied. Over the past 5 years, prospective randomized studies have shown that water seal is the best setting for chest tubes and that a pneumothorax is not a contraindication to leaving tubes on seal. Further studies are needed to investigate the ideal management of alveolar-pleural fistulas (air leaks) in different clinical scenarios besides those that occur postoperatively.

Air Quality and Heart Health: Managing an Emerging ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Dr. Cascio will share with a broad range of federal agencies current understanding of the links between air quality and cardiovascular health. The key facts include that air pollution contributes a high attributable health burden. That certain well-defined vulnerable subpopulations are at higher risk. At-risk populations include those with heart disease, lung disease and diabetes, older adults, children and individuals living in low socioeconomic neighborhoods. There is no established threshold level for safe long-term exposure to air particle pollution, and some of the basic biological mechanisms that account for adverse health effects are now known. This knowledge is giving us insight into how we might mitigate the effects apart from the regulatory efforts to improve overall air quality. Moreover, the work that each State has done to improve air quality has resulted in improved health outcomes including cardiovascular outcomes, and longer lives. The presentation will address: 1) What do we know? 2) Who are the at-risk populations? 3) What can communities do to reduce risk? 4) What can healthcare professionals do to reduce risk of the at-risk population? And 5) What tools are available to help healthcare professionals and their patients reduce exposure and risk from air pollutants? The talk will feature a description of the Air Quality Index and associated EPA tools and health information that can be used by health care providers to educate their at-ris

Improving the safety of room air pneumoperitoneum for diagnostic laparoscopy.

PubMed

Ikechebelu, J I; Okeke, C A F

2008-06-01

Laparoscopic examination is a useful investigation in the evaluation of infertile women. To perform this test, pneumoperitoneum is required to distend the abdomen, improve visibility and displace the intestines out of the pelvis. Several gases have been used to achieve this purpose including Nitrous Oxide (N2O), Carbondioxide (CO2), Helium, Xenon andAir. This was a prospective study in a private fertility centre in Nnewi, Nigeria aimed at reducing the morbidities inherent in the use Room Air pneumoperitoneum for diagnostic laparoscopy. This was sequel to an earlier study, which revealed that women who had Room Air pneumoperitoneum had a higher port wound infection rate, abdominal discomfort (feeling of retained gas in the abdomen) and shoulder pain with resultant delayed return to normal activity than women who had Co2 pneumoperitoneum. This study demonstrated that the use of soda lime to purify the Room Air and a low pressure suction pump to evacuate the air after the procedure significantly reduced the wound infection rate and virtually eliminated the abdominal discomfort and shoulder pain associated with Room Air pneumoperitoneum. This was followed by early return to normal activity. Therefore, use of Room Air for pneumoperitoneum is safe and affordable. It is recommended for low resource settings.

Nursing service innovation: A case study examining emergency nurse practitioner service sustainability.

PubMed

Fox, Amanda; Gardner, Glenn; Osborne, Sonya

2018-02-01

This research aimed to explore factors that influence sustainability of health service innovation, specifically emergency nurse practitioner service. Planning for cost effective provision of healthcare services is a concern globally. Reform initiatives are implemented often incorporating expanding scope of practice for health professionals and innovative service delivery models. Introducing new models is costly in both human and financial resources and therefore understanding factors influencing sustainability is imperative to viable service provision. This research used case study methodology (Yin, ). Data were collected during 2014 from emergency nurse practitioners, emergency department multidisciplinary team members and documents related to nurse practitioner services. Collection methods included telephone and semi-structured interviews, survey and document analysis. Pattern matching techniques were used to compare findings with study propositions. In this study, emergency nurse practitioner services did not meet factors that support health service sustainability. Multidisciplinary team members were confident that emergency nurse practitioner services were safe and helped to meet population health needs. Organizational support for integration of nurse practitioner services was marginal and led to poor understanding of service capability and underuse. This research provides evidence informing sustainability of nursing service models but more importantly raises questions about this little explored field. The findings highlight poor organizational support, excessive restrictions and underuse of the service. This is in direct contrast to contemporary expanding practice reform initiatives. Organizational support for integration is imperative to future service sustainability. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Sickness pattern among air travellers: review of 735 cases at the Oman airport.

PubMed

Singh, Bhupi

2002-07-01

The medical records of air travellers (passengers and crew) seeking emergency medical assistance at the Airport Emergency Clinic, Seeb International Airport, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, during a 1-yr period were analyzed to determine the sickness pattern among them. The study revealed that 67% of the passengers seeking medical assistance were aged between 21 and 45 yr, and the majority (63.8%) was male. Upper respiratory tract infections (URTI), gastrointestinal (GI) conditions, injuries (sustained during journey), and otitic barotrauma/baro-otalgia accounted for more than half (51.9%) of the cases. The most common type of injury among passengers was cuts and bruises in the scalp area, but most injuries (34.7%) occurred on airport premises, not as the result of baggage falling in-flight. Lack of aerobridges is responsible for significant number of lower limb injuries to passengers. Such data highlight the need for an injury-free environment in the airports. Barotrauma was the most common cause of aircrew unfitness to continue the flight, and usually resulted in a forced layover for the concerned aircrew. The data may be useful for planning and developing medical facilities at commercial airports. Need for a safe, non-injurious environment at the airports is highlighted.

76 FR 30495 - National Safe Boating Week, 2011

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-25

... Safe Boating Week, 2011 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation As Americans... to watergoers. National Safe Boating Week is an opportunity to highlight the importance of safety... can save lives. Each year for National Safe Boating Week, the United States Coast Guard partners with...

Strategic guidelines for street canyon geometry to achieve sustainable street air quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, Andy T.; So, Ellen S. P.; Samad, Subash C.

This paper is concerned with the motion of air within the urban street canyon and is directed towards a deeper understanding of pollutant dispersion with respect to various simple canyon geometries and source positions. Taking into account the present days typical urban configurations, three principal flow regimes "isolated roughness flow", "skimming flow" and "wake interference flow" (Boundary Layer Climates, 2nd edition, Methuen, London) and their corresponding pollutant dispersion characteristics are studied for various canopies aspect ratios, namely relative height ( h2/ h1), canyon height to width ratio ( h/ w) and canyon length to height ratio ( l/ h). A field-size canyon has been analyzed through numerical simulations using the standard k- ɛ turbulence closure model. It is found that the pollutant transport and diffusion is strongly dependent upon the type of flow regime inside the canyon and exchange between canyon and the above roof air. Some rules of thumbs have been established to get urban canyon geometries for efficient dispersion of pollutants.

On ripple-load, stress-corrosion, and sustained-load cracking behavior in a high strength beta titanium alloy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pao, P.S.; Meyn, D.A.; Bayles, R.A.

1997-06-01

Both overaged and peakaged TIMETAL 21S beta titanium alloys exhibit significant ripple-load cracking susceptibility in salt water and in ambient air environments. At R = 0.90, the ripple-load cracking thresholds of the overaged alloy are 67% and 72% lower than the stress-corrosion cracking and sustained-load cracking thresholds. For the peakaged alloy, the reductions are 55% and 61%. The stress-corrosion cracking threshold in salt water and the sustained-load cracking threshold in air of peakaged TIMETAL 21S are significantly lower while the ripple-load cracking threshold is slightly lower than those of the overaged alloy. The stress-corrosion cracking, sustained-load cracking, and ripple-load crackingmore » resistance of peakaged TIMETAL 21S are significantly inferior to those of both beta-annealed Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-15V-3Cr-3Al-3Sn. The ripple-load cracking resistance of overaged TIMETAL 21S, though better than Ti-15V-3Cr-3Al-3Sn, is still inferior than that of beta-annealed Ti-6Al-4V.« less

Some early perspectives on ground requirements of liquid hydrogen air transports

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Korycinski, P. F.

1976-01-01

The paper examines the problem of liquid-hydrogen (LH2) subsonic long-range air transport from the perspectives of airplane manufacturers, the airline operator, the air terminal authority and the LH2 supplier. Emphasis is placed on identifying common problems and interfaces that are likely to occur in preparing for commercial airline operations of LH2 subsonic air transport in the 1990-1995 period. General considerations are discussed relative to sources and cost of gaseous hydrogen, hydrogen liquefaction, and LH2 availability. The fact that hydrogen sustains combustion at altitudes substantially higher than hydrocarbon fuels suggests that air transport can be designed to operate at higher enroute air traffic flight levels. This can be an advantage if only to relieve traffic congestion on heavily traveled routes. Pertinent interfaces in planning for the use of LH2 in air transportation are identified, including productivity and profitability, passenger-fuel compatibility, and lightning and electrical discharges.

Safe injection practice among health care workers, Gharbiya, Egypt.

PubMed

Ismail, Nanees A; Aboul Ftouh, Aisha M; El Shoubary, Waleed H

2005-01-01

A cross-sectional study was conducted in 25 health care facilities in Gharbiya governorate to assess safe injection practices among health care workers (HCWs). Two questionnaires, one to collect information about administrative issues related to safe injection and the other to collect data about giving injections, exposure to needle stick injuries, hepatitis B vaccination status and safe injection training. Practices of injections were observed using a standardized checklist. The study revealed that there was lack of both national and local infection control policies and lack of most of the supplies needed for safe injection practices. Many safe practices were infrequent as proper needle manipulation before disposal (41%), safe needle disposal (47.5%), reuse of used syringe & needle (13.2%) and safe syringe disposal (0%). Exposure to needle stick injuries were common among the interviewed HCWs (66.2%) and hand washing was the common post exposure prophylaxis measure (63.4%). Only 11.3% of HCWs had full course hepatitis B vaccination. Infection control -including safe injections- training programs should be afforded to all HCWs.

Safe handling of antineoplastic drugs.

PubMed

Harrison, B R

1994-07-01

Managers should be aware of the hazardous properties of antineoplastic drugs and of the procedures and equipment commonly recommended to provide a safe working environment for employees, patients, and visitors. Compliance with the many published guidelines should help ensure passage of the inevitable Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) or Joint Commission inspection. Acute and chronic toxicities of the antineoplastic drugs, the potential for exposure in the workplace, and the basic guidelines for safe handling of these agents are reviewed.

The United Nations development programme initiative for sustainable energy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hurry, S.

1997-12-01

Energy is central to current concerns about sustainable human development, affecting economic and social development; economic growth, the local, national, regional, and global environment; the global climate; a host of social concerns, including poverty, population, and health, the balance of payments, and the prospects for peace. Energy is not an end in itself, but rather the means to achieve the goals of sustainable human development. The energy systems of most developing countries are in serious crisis involving insufficient levels of energy services, environmental degradation, inequity, poor technical and financial performance, and capital scarcity. Approximately 2.5 billion people in the developingmore » countries have little access to commercial energy supplies. Yet the global demand for energy continues to grow: total primary energy is projected to grow from 378 exajoules (EJ) per year in 1990 to 571 EJ in 2020, and 832 EJ in 2050. If this increase occurs using conventional approaches and energy sources, already serious local (e.g., indoor and urban air pollution), regional (eg., acidification and land degradation), and global (e.g., climate change) environmental problems will be critically aggravated. There is likely to be inadequate capital available for the needed investments in conventional energy sources. Current approaches to energy are thus not sustainable and will, in fact, make energy a barrier to socio-economic development. What is needed now is a new approach in which energy becomes an instrument for sustainable development. The two major components of a sustainable energy strategy are (1) more efficient energy use, especially at the point of end-use, and (2) increased use of renewable sources of energy. The UNDP Initiative for Sustainable Energy (UNISE) is designed to harness opportunities in these areas to build upon UNDP`s existing energy activities to help move the world toward a more sustainable energy strategy by helping program countries.« less

2013 R&D 100 Award: DNATrax could revolutionize air quality detection and tracking

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Farquar, George

A team of LLNL scientists and engineers has developed a safe and versatile material, known as DNA Tagged Reagents for Aerosol Experiments (DNATrax), that can be used to reliably and rapidly diagnose airflow patterns and problems in both indoor and outdoor venues. Until DNATrax particles were developed, no rapid or safe way existed to validate air transport models with realistic particles in the range of 1-10 microns. Successful DNATrax testing was conducted at the Pentagon in November 2012 in conjunction with the Pentagon Force Protection Agency. This study enhanced the team's understanding of indoor ventilation environments created by heating, ventilationmore » and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. DNATrax are particles comprised of sugar and synthetic DNA that serve as a bar code for the particle. The potential for creating unique bar-coded particles is virtually unlimited, thus allowing for simultaneous and repeated releases, which dramatically reduces the costs associated with conducting tests for contaminants. Among the applications for the new material are indoor air quality detection, for homes, offices, ships and airplanes; urban particulate tracking, for subway stations, train stations, and convention centers; environmental release tracking; and oil and gas uses, including fracking, to better track fluid flow.« less

Dynamics of sustained use and abandonment of clean cooking systems: study protocol for community-based system dynamics modeling.

PubMed

Kumar, Praveen; Chalise, Nishesh; Yadama, Gautam N

2016-04-26

More than 3 billion of the world's population are affected by household air pollution from relying on unprocessed solid fuels for heating and cooking. Household air pollution is harmful to human health, climate, and environment. Sustained uptake and use of cleaner cooking technologies and fuels are proposed as solutions to this problem. In this paper, we present our study protocol aimed at understanding multiple interacting feedback mechanisms involved in the dynamic behavior between social, ecological, and technological systems driving sustained use or abandonment of cleaner cooking technologies among the rural poor in India. This study uses a comparative case study design to understand the dynamics of sustained use or abandonment of cleaner cooking technologies and fuels in four rural communities of Rajasthan, India. The study adopts a community based system dynamics modeling approach. We describe our approach of using community based system dynamics with rural communities to delineate the feedback mechanisms involved in the uptake and sustainment of clean cooking technologies. We develop a reference mode with communities showing the trend over time of use or abandonment of cleaner cooking technologies and fuels in these communities. Subsequently, the study develops a system dynamics model with communities to understand the complex sub-systems driving the behavior in these communities as reflected in the reference mode. We use group model building techniques to facilitate participation of relevant stakeholders in the four communities and elicit a narrative describing the feedback mechanisms underlying sustained adoption or abandonment of cleaner cooking technologies. In understanding the dynamics of feedback mechanisms in the uptake and exclusive use of cleaner cooking systems, we increase the likelihood of dissemination and implementation of efficacious interventions into everyday settings to improve the health and wellbeing of women and children most affected

77 FR 31147 - National Safe Boating Week, 2012

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-24

... Safe Boating Week, 2012 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation For generations... friends and family a well- loved tradition. During National Safe Boating Week, we renew our commitment to... mark National Safe Boating Week, let us reflect on that important mission and resolve to do our part to...

Start-up and Self-sustain Test of 500 W Ultra-Micro Gas Turbine Generator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seo, Jeong Min; Park, Jun Young; Seog Choi, Bum

2013-12-01

This paper provides the performance test for start-up and self-sustaining of 500W ultra-micro gas turbine (UMGT) generator. Each component of UMGT, a centrifugal compressor, a radial turbine, an annular combustor and a shaft is already designed, manufactured and tested to meet design requirements in previous researches. However, they are not tested to work in an integrate system. Currently, integrated test unit with a compressor, a combustor and a turbine, is developed to find the proper condition of start-up and self-sustain. Ignition sequence depending on rotating speed is designed. Performance test for start-up and self-sustain is designed based on the ignition possible condition. An air impingement starter and a hot bulb inginer are applied. LPG is used as main fuel.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - An employee gets a blood pressure check from one of the participating organizations in Spaceport Super Safety and Health Day at KSC and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Many vendors and Center organizations displayed and demonstrated their products during the annual event dedicated to reinforcing safe and healthful behaviors in the workforce.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-10-15

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - An employee gets a blood pressure check from one of the participating organizations in Spaceport Super Safety and Health Day at KSC and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Many vendors and Center organizations displayed and demonstrated their products during the annual event dedicated to reinforcing safe and healthful behaviors in the workforce.

Petroleum Jelly: Safe for a Dry Nose?

MedlinePlus

... dryness. Is this safe? Answers from Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D. Petroleum jelly is generally safe to ... several hours of lying down. With Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D. Marchiori E, et al. Exogenous lipoid ...

Taking Medicines Safely: At Your Doctor's Office

MedlinePlus

... on. Feature: Taking Medicines Safely At Your Doctor's Office Past Issues / Summer 2013 Table of Contents Download ... Articles Medicines: Use Them Safely / At Your Doctor's Office / Ask Your Pharmacist / Now, It's Your Turn: How ...

Development of a balance, safe mobility and falls management programme for people with multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

Gunn, Hilary; Endacott, Ruth; Haas, Bernhard; Marsden, Jonathan; Freeman, Jennifer

2017-08-07

To utilise stakeholder input to inform the structure, format and approach of a multiple sclerosis (MS) balance, safe mobility and falls management programme. Using a three-round nominal group technique, participants individually rated their agreement with 20 trigger statements, followed by a facilitated group discussion and re-rating. Three mixed groups included service users (n = 15) and providers (n = 19). Quantitative analysis determined agreement, whilst qualitative responses were analysed thematically. Median scores for each of the 20 trigger statements did not change significantly over sequential rounds, however, deviations around the medians indicated more agreement amongst participants over time. Key recommendations were: Aims and approach: The programme should be tailored to the needs of people with MS. Falls and participation-based outcomes are equally important. Structure and format: The programme should balance expected burden and anticipated benefit, moving away from models requiring weekly attendance and promoting and supporting self-efficacy. Optimising engagement: Support to maintain engagement and intensity of practice over the long term is essential. Sustainability: Adequate funding is necessary. Staff should have MS specific knowledge and experience. Participants collaboratively identified critical components of a MS balance, safe mobility and falls management programme. They also highlighted the importance of a collaborative, user-centred, MS-specific approach. Implications for Rehabilitation People with multiple sclerosis need condition-specific interventions focussed on maximising balance and safe mobility and reducing falls. Programme design should support self-efficacy and flexible engagement. Adequate support and funding are seen as essential by both service users and providers.

Grassland Sustainability

Treesearch

Deborah U. Potter; Paulette L. Ford

2004-01-01

In this chapter we discuss grassland sustainability in the Southwest, grassland management for sustainability, national and local criteria and indicators of sustainable grassland ecosystems, and monitoring for sustainability at various scales. Ecological sustainability is defined as: [T]he maintenance or restoration of the composition, structure, and processes of...

A micro-sized bio-solar cell for self-sustaining power generation.

PubMed

Lee, Hankeun; Choi, Seokheun

2015-01-21

Self-sustainable energy sources are essential for a wide array of wireless applications deployed in remote field locations. Due to their self-assembling and self-repairing properties, "biological solar (bio-solar) cells" are recently gaining attention for those applications. The bio-solar cell can continuously generate electricity from microbial photosynthetic and respiratory activities under day-night cycles. Despite the vast potential and promise of bio-solar cells, they, however, have not yet successfully been translated into commercial applications, as they possess persistent performance limitations and scale-up bottlenecks. Here, we report an entirely self-sustainable and scalable microliter-sized bio-solar cell with significant power enhancement by maximizing solar energy capture, bacterial attachment, and air bubble volume in well-controlled microchambers. The bio-solar cell has a ~300 μL single chamber defined by laser-machined poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) substrates and it uses an air cathode to allow freely available oxygen to act as an electron acceptor. We generated a maximum power density of 0.9 mW m(-2) through photosynthetic reactions of cyanobacteria, Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, which is the highest power density among all micro-sized bio-solar cells.

Evaluating waterpoint sustainability and access implications of revenue collection approaches in rural Kenya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foster, T.; Hope, R.

2017-02-01

Water policies in many sub-Saharan African countries stipulate that rural communities are responsible for self-financing their waterpoint's operation and maintenance. In the absence of policy consensus or evidence on optimal payment models, rural communities adopt a diversity of approaches to revenue collection. This study empirically assesses waterpoint sustainability and access outcomes associated with different revenue collection approaches on the south coast of Kenya. The analysis draws on a unique data set comprising financial records spanning 27 years and 100 communities, operational performance indicators for 200 waterpoints, and water source choices for more than 2000 households. Results suggest communities collecting pay-as-you-fetch fees on a volumetric basis generate higher levels of revenue and experience better operational performance than communities charging flat fees. In both cases, financial flows mirror seasonal rainfall peaks and troughs. These outcomes are tempered by evidence that households are more likely to opt for an unimproved drinking water source when a pay-as-you-fetch system is in place. The findings illuminate a possible tension between financial sustainability and universal access. If the Sustainable Development Goal of "safe water for all" is to become a reality, policymakers and practitioners will need to address this issue and ensure rural water services are both sustainable and inclusive.

Sustainable-energy managment practices in an energy economy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darkwa, K.

2001-10-01

The economic survival of any nation depends upon its ability to produce and manage sufficient supplies of low-cost safe energy. The world's consumption of fossil fuel resources currently increasing at 3% per annum is found to be unsustainable. Projections of this trend show that mankind will exhaust all known reserves in the second half of the coming century. Governments, industrialists, commercial organizations, public sector departments and the general public have now become aware of the urgent requirements for the efficient management of resources and energy-consuming activities. Most organizations in the materials, manufacturing and retail sectors and in the service industries have also created energy management departments, or have employed consultants, to monitor energy consumption and to reduce wastage. Conversely, any sustained attempt to reduce rates of energy consumption even by as little as 0.1% per annum ensures relatively an eternal future supply as well as reduction on environmental and ecological effect. Thus, there is no long- term solution to energy flow problem other than systematic and effective energy management and the continuous application of the techniques of energy management. Essential energy management strategies in support of a sustainable energy- economy are discussed.

Improved inhalation technology for setting safe exposure levels for workplace chemicals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stuart, Bruce O.

1993-01-01

Threshold Limit Values recommended as allowable air concentrations of a chemical in the workplace are often based upon a no-observable-effect-level (NOEL) determined by experimental inhalation studies using rodents. A 'safe level' for human exposure must then be estimated by the use of generalized safety factors in attempts to extrapolate from experimental rodents to man. The recent development of chemical-specific physiologically-based toxicokinetics makes use of measured physiological, biochemical, and metabolic parameters to construct a validated model that is able to 'scale-up' rodent response data to predict the behavior of the chemical in man. This procedure is made possible by recent advances in personal computer software and the emergence of appropriate biological data, and provides an analytical tool for much more reliable risk evaluation and airborne chemical exposure level setting for humans.

Towards a Fail-Safe Air Force Culture: Creating a Resilient Future While Avoiding Past Mistakes

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-02-16

for either preventing catastrophic failures or in the event they occur. The Air Force Safety process often uses the ― Swiss Cheese ‖ model to...evaluate accidents. The image of holes in the protective cheese layers (proactive and reactive measures) lining up in such a way as to allow an accident is... cheese . More importantly, however, a HRO‘s focus is on ―the process of the slices lining up as each moment where one hole aligns with another

Pilot of an Elementary School Cough Etiquette Intervention: Acceptability, Feasibility, and Potential for Sustainability.

PubMed

Sultana, Farhana; Nizame, Fosiul A; Southern, Dorothy L; Unicomb, Leanne; Winch, Peter J; Luby, Stephen P

2017-12-01

Schools convene many people together for a prolonged time, facilitating spread of respiratory pathogens and amplifying epidemics. Crowded Bangladeshi schools lack the infrastructure to support optimal cough etiquette behaviors. We collected formative data on current practices from four elementary schools, and developed and piloted a low-cost cough etiquette intervention, promoting coughing and sneezing into upper sleeves at four additional schools. We trained teachers to lead behavior change sessions during regular hygiene classes for 4 weeks. We evaluated intervention acceptability, feasibility, and potential for sustainability at 1 month and at 14 months after the intervention commenced. At baseline, among 63 observed students, 58 (92%) coughed/sneezed into open air, five (8%) covered coughs/sneezes with their hands, which were not subsequently washed with soap and water as they judged this infeasible. After 4 weeks, among 70 observed students, 27 (39%) coughed/sneezed into upper sleeves, 33 (47%) into open air, and 10 (12%) covered with hands. After 14 months, among 230 observed students, 13 (6%) used upper sleeves, 154 (67%) coughed/sneezed into open air, and 59 (26%) covered with hands. Students reported that coughing/sneezing into upper sleeves was simple and protected them and their classmates from germs. This school-based intervention was acceptable and feasible, and resulted in short-term reductions in coughing/sneezing into open air, but these habits of comparatively new behavior were not sustained as teachers ceased behavior change session delivery. Strategies to support longer-term adoption of habits should be considered.

Leading for the long haul: a mixed-method evaluation of the Sustainment Leadership Scale (SLS).

PubMed

Ehrhart, Mark G; Torres, Elisa M; Green, Amy E; Trott, Elise M; Willging, Cathleen E; Moullin, Joanna C; Aarons, Gregory A

2018-01-19

Despite our progress in understanding the organizational context for implementation and specifically the role of leadership in implementation, its role in sustainment has received little attention. This paper took a mixed-method approach to examine leadership during the sustainment phase of the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment (EPIS) framework. Utilizing the Implementation Leadership Scale as a foundation, we sought to develop a short, practical measure of sustainment leadership that can be used for both applied and research purposes. Data for this study were collected as a part of a larger mixed-method study of evidence-based intervention, SafeCare®, sustainment. Quantitative data were collected from 157 providers using web-based surveys. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine the factor structure of the Sustainment Leadership Scale (SLS). Qualitative data were collected from 95 providers who participated in one of 15 focus groups. A framework approach guided qualitative data analysis. Mixed-method integration was also utilized to examine convergence of quantitative and qualitative findings. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the a priori higher order factor structure of the SLS with subscales indicating a single higher order sustainment leadership factor. The SLS demonstrated excellent internal consistency reliability. Qualitative analyses offered support for the dimensions of sustainment leadership captured by the quantitative measure, in addition to uncovering a fifth possible factor, available leadership. This study found qualitative and quantitative support for the pragmatic SLS measure. The SLS can be used for assessing leadership of first-level leaders to understand how staff perceive leadership during sustainment and to suggest areas where leaders could direct more attention in order to increase the likelihood that EBIs are institutionalized into the normal functioning of the organization.

Selection of Sustainable Processes using Sustainability ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Chemical products can be obtained by process pathways involving varying amounts and types of resources, utilities, and byproduct formation. When such competing process options such as six processes for making methanol as are considered in this study, it is necessary to identify the most sustainable option. Sustainability of a chemical process is generally evaluated with indicators that require process and chemical property data. These indicators individually reflect the impacts of the process on areas of sustainability, such as the environment or society. In order to choose among several alternative processes an overall comparative analysis is essential. Generally net profit will show the most economic process. A mixed integer optimization problem can also be solved to identify the most economic among competing processes. This method uses economic optimization and leaves aside the environmental and societal impacts. To make a decision on the most sustainable process, the method presented here rationally aggregates the sustainability indicators into a single index called sustainability footprint (De). Process flow and economic data were used to compute the indicator values. Results from sustainability footprint (De) are compared with those from solving a mixed integer optimization problem. In order to identify the rank order of importance of the indicators, a multivariate analysis is performed using partial least square variable importance in projection (PLS-VIP)

Electricity and generator availability in LMIC hospitals: improving access to safe surgery.

PubMed

Chawla, Sagar; Kurani, Shaheen; Wren, Sherry M; Stewart, Barclay; Burnham, Gilbert; Kushner, Adam; McIntyre, Thomas

2018-03-01

Access to reliable energy has been identified as a global priority and codified within United Nations Sustainable Goal 7 and the Electrify Africa Act of 2015. Reliable hospital access to electricity is necessary to provide safe surgical care. The current state of electrical availability in hospitals in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) throughout the world is not well known. This study aimed to review the surgical capacity literature and document the availability of electricity and generators. Using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, a systematic search for surgical capacity assessments in LMICs in MEDLINE, PubMed, and World Health Organization Global Health Library was performed. Data regarding electricity and generator availability were extracted. Estimated percentages for individual countries were calculated. Of 76 articles identified, 21 reported electricity availability, totaling 528 hospitals. Continuous electricity availability at hospitals providing surgical care was 312/528 (59.1%). Generator availability was 309/427 (72.4%). Estimated continuous electricity availability ranged from 0% (Sierra Leone and Malawi) to 100% (Iran); estimated generator availability was 14% (Somalia) to 97.6% (Iran). Less than two-thirds of hospitals providing surgical care in 21 LMICs have a continuous electricity source or have an available generator. Efforts are needed to improve electricity infrastructure at hospitals to assure safe surgical care. Future research should look at the effect of energy availability on surgical care and patient outcomes and novel methods of powering surgical equipment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Adapting Certified Safe Farm to North Carolina Agriculture: An Implementation Study.

PubMed

Storm, Julia F; LePrevost, Catherine E; Tutor-Marcom, Robin; Cope, W Gregory

2016-01-01

Certified Safe Farm (CSF) is a multimodal safety and health program developed and assessed through multiple controlled intervention studies in Iowa. Although developed with the intent to be broadly applicable to agriculture, CSF has not been widely implemented outside the midwestern United States. This article describes the CSF implementation process in North Carolina (NC), as piloted on a large-scale in three agriculturally diverse and productive counties of NC, and reports its effectiveness using the Reach Effectiveness Adoption Implementation Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework. Implementation involved (1) capacity building through safety and health training, (2) adaptation of components of Iowa's CSF model to NC agriculture, (3) marketing and recruitment, and (4) formative evaluation, including an online survey and focus group discussion. From 2009 to 2012, 113 farms participated in at least one component of the CSF intervention, representing a NC farm participation rate of 3.1% in the study area. A major adaptation of NC implementation was the utilization of NC Cooperative Extension as the local driver of implementation in contrast to local AgriSafe clinics in Iowa. The most innovative adaptation to CSF components was the development of a defined economic incentive in the form of a cost-share program. The RE-AIM framework was found to be useful and relevant to the field of agricultural health and safety translational research. This study provides effectiveness measures and implementation alternatives useful for those considering implementing CSF. It informs current efforts to move CSF from research to practice through the National Sustainable Model CSF Program initiative.

Government Accountability Office Bid Protests in Air Force Source Selections: Evidence and Options

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

chapter, we focus on the sustained protests and lessons that can be learned from them. Th is chapter does not off er complete case histories of these...resulting research project, “Air Force Source Selections: Lessons Learned and Best Practices,” which was conducted within the Resource Management...Program of PAF in fiscal year (FY) 2009. This project studied the Air Force’s recent experience with bid protests before GAO and documented lessons that

Strategies for Countering Terrorist Safe Havens

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-01

tactical containment, pseudo operations, and surrogate security forces. The thesis draws from four historical case studies to examine these strategies...safe havens, tactical containment, pseudo operations, and surrogate security forces. The thesis draws from four historical case studies to examine...pseudo operations—provide viable potential options for USSOF to counter the complex problem of safe havens. Overall, the case studies will demonstrate

Implementation of Safe-by-Design for Nanomaterial Development and Safe Innovation: Why We Need a Comprehensive Approach

PubMed Central

Kraegeloh, Annette; Suarez-Merino, Blanca; Sluijters, Teun; Micheletti, Christian

2018-01-01

Manufactured nanomaterials (MNMs) are regarded as key components of innovations in various fields with high potential impact (e.g., energy generation and storage, electronics, photonics, diagnostics, theranostics, or drug delivery agents). Widespread use of MNMs raises concerns about their safety for humans and the environment, possibly limiting the impact of the nanotechnology-based innovation. The development of safe MNMs and nanoproducts has to result in a safe as well as functional material or product. Its safe use, and disposal at the end of its life cycle must be taken into account too. However, not all MNMs are similarly useful for all applications, some might bear a higher hazard potential than others, and use scenarios could lead to different exposure probabilities. To improve both safety and efficacy of nanotechnology, we think that a new proactive approach is necessary, based on pre-regulatory safety assessment and dialogue between stakeholders. On the basis of the work carried out in different European Union (EU) initiatives, developing and integrating MNMs Safe-by-Design and Trusted Environments (NANoREG, ProSafe, and NanoReg2), we present our point of view here. This concept, when fully developed, will allow for cost effective industrial innovation, and an exchange of key information between regulators and innovators. Regulators are thus informed about incoming innovations in good time, supporting a proactive regulatory action. The final goal is to contribute to the nanotechnology governance, having faster, cheaper, effective, and safer nano-products on the market. PMID:29661997

Implementation of Safe-by-Design for Nanomaterial Development and Safe Innovation: Why We Need a Comprehensive Approach.

PubMed

Kraegeloh, Annette; Suarez-Merino, Blanca; Sluijters, Teun; Micheletti, Christian

2018-04-14

Manufactured nanomaterials (MNMs) are regarded as key components of innovations in various fields with high potential impact (e.g., energy generation and storage, electronics, photonics, diagnostics, theranostics, or drug delivery agents). Widespread use of MNMs raises concerns about their safety for humans and the environment, possibly limiting the impact of the nanotechnology-based innovation. The development of safe MNMs and nanoproducts has to result in a safe as well as functional material or product. Its safe use, and disposal at the end of its life cycle must be taken into account too. However, not all MNMs are similarly useful for all applications, some might bear a higher hazard potential than others, and use scenarios could lead to different exposure probabilities. To improve both safety and efficacy of nanotechnology, we think that a new proactive approach is necessary, based on pre-regulatory safety assessment and dialogue between stakeholders. On the basis of the work carried out in different European Union (EU) initiatives, developing and integrating MNMs Safe-by-Design and Trusted Environments (NANoREG, ProSafe, and NanoReg2), we present our point of view here. This concept, when fully developed, will allow for cost effective industrial innovation, and an exchange of key information between regulators and innovators. Regulators are thus informed about incoming innovations in good time, supporting a proactive regulatory action. The final goal is to contribute to the nanotechnology governance, having faster, cheaper, effective, and safer nano-products on the market.

Environmentally safe fluid extractor

DOEpatents

Sungaila, Zenon F.

1993-01-01

An environmentally safe fluid extraction device for use in mobile laboratory and industrial settings comprising a pump, compressor, valving system, waste recovery tank, fluid tank, and a exhaust filtering system.

Environmentally safe fluid extractor

DOEpatents

Sungaila, Zenon F.

1993-07-06

An environmentally safe fluid extraction device for use in mobile laboratory and industrial settings comprising a pump, compressor, valving system, waste recovery tank, fluid tank, and a exhaust filtering system.

End-to-End Demonstrator of the Safe Affordable Fission Engine (SAFE) 30: Power Conversion and Ion Engine Operation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hrbud, Ivana; VanDyke, Melissa; Houts, Mike; Goodfellow, Keith; Schafer, Charles (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The Safe Affordable Fission Engine (SAFE) test series addresses Phase 1 Space Fission Systems issues in particular non-nuclear testing and system integration issues leading to the testing and non-nuclear demonstration of a 400-kW fully integrated flight unit. The first part of the SAFE 30 test series demonstrated operation of the simulated nuclear core and heat pipe system. Experimental data acquired in a number of different test scenarios will validate existing computational models, demonstrated system flexibility (fast start-ups, multiple start-ups/shut downs), simulate predictable failure modes and operating environments. The objective of the second part is to demonstrate an integrated propulsion system consisting of a core, conversion system and a thruster where the system converts thermal heat into jet power. This end-to-end system demonstration sets a precedent for ground testing of nuclear electric propulsion systems. The paper describes the SAFE 30 end-to-end system demonstration and its subsystems.

Air bags and ocular injuries.

PubMed

Stein, J D; Jaeger, E A; Jeffers, J B

1999-01-01

This investigation retrospectively examined ocular injuries associated with air bag deployment to gain a better appreciation of potential risk factors in motor vehicle accidents. National statistics regarding the efficacy of air bags were reviewed. Review of the literature from 1991 to 1998 identified 44 articles describing 97 patients with air-bag-induced ocular injuries. Variables extracted from each case were age, sex, height, position in the car, eye wear, vehicle impact speed, visual acuity, and specific ocular injuries. Corneal abrasions occurred in 49% of occupants, hyphemas in 43%, vitreous or retinal hemorrhages in 25%, and retinal tears or detachments in 15%. The globe was ruptured in 10 patients. Patients involved in higher-speed accidents (over 30 mph) sustained a greater percentage of vitreous or retinal hemorrhages and traumatic cataracts, while those at slower speeds were more prone to retinal tears or detachments. In a subset of 14 patients with serious ocular injuries, the impact speed of 11 patients was recorded at 30 mph or less. Slower speed may be a risk factor for some ocular injuries. Occupant height was not a significant factor. National statistics confirm that air bags reduce fatalities in motor vehicle accidents. However, children sitting in the front seat without a seat belt and infants in passenger-side rear-facing car seats are at risk for fatal injury. Air bags combined with seat belts are an effective means of reducing injury and death in adults during motor vehicle accidents. However, this study has documented a wide variety of ocular injuries associated with air bag deployment. It is hoped that researchers can develop modifications that continue to save lives while minimizing additional harm.

Results of 30 kWt Safe Affordable Fission Engine (SAFE-30) primary heat transport testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pedersen, Kevin; van Dyke, Melissa; Houts, Mike; Godfroy, Tom; Martin, James; Dickens, Ricky; Williams, Eric; Harper, Roger; Salvil, Pat; Reid, Bob

2001-02-01

The use of resistance heaters to simulate heat from fission allows extensive development of fission systems to be performed in non-nuclear test facilities, saving time and money. Resistance heated tests on the Safe Affordable Fission Engine-30 kilowatt (SAFE30) test article are being performed at the Marshall Space Flight Center. This paper discusses the results of these experiments to date, and describes the additional testing that will be performed. Recommendations related to the design of testable space fission power and propulsion systems are made. .

Keeping Campuses Safe.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kennedy, Mike

1999-01-01

Describes how colleges and universities are using technology, as well as traditional methods, to keep campuses safe and reduce crime. Topics include using free pizza in a successful contest to teach students about campus safety, installing security cameras, using access-control cards, providing adequate lighting, and creating a bicycle patrol…

Drying and decontamination of pistachios with sequential infrared drying, tempering and hot air drying

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The pistachio industry is in need of improved drying technology as the current hot air drying has low energy efficiency and drying rate and high labor cost and also does not produce safe products against microbial contamination. In the current study, dehulled and water- sorted pistachios with a mois...

Safe Hazmat Storage Tips.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neville, Angela

1996-01-01

Provides a list of recommendations for safely managing hazardous waste containers. Encourages training of employees on the hazards of the wastes they handle and the correct procedures for managing containers. (DDR)

What Safe Zone? The Vast Majority of Dislocated THAs Are Within the Lewinnek Safe Zone for Acetabular Component Position.

PubMed

Abdel, Matthew P; von Roth, Philipp; Jennings, Matthew T; Hanssen, Arlen D; Pagnano, Mark W

2016-02-01

Numerous factors influence total hip arthroplasty (THA) stability including surgical approach and soft tissue tension, patient compliance, and component position. One long-held tenet regarding component position is that cup inclination and anteversion of 40° ± 10° and 15° ± 10°, respectively, represent a "safe zone" as defined by Lewinnek that minimizes dislocation after primary THA; however, it is clear that components positioned in this zone can and do dislocate. We sought to determine if these classic radiographic targets for cup inclination and anteversion accurately predicted a safe zone limiting dislocation in a contemporary THA practice. From a cohort of 9784 primary THAs performed between 2003 and 2012 at one institution, we retrospectively identified 206 THAs (2%) that subsequently dislocated. Radiographic parameters including inclination, anteversion, center of rotation, and limb length discrepancy were analyzed. Mean followup was 27 months (range, 0-133 months). The majority (58% [120 of 206]) of dislocated THAs had a socket within the Lewinnek safe zone. Mean cup inclination was 44° ± 8° with 84% within the safe zone for inclination. Mean anteversion was 15° ± 9° with 69% within the safe zone for anteversion. Sixty-five percent of dislocated THAs that were performed through a posterior approach had an acetabular component within the combined acetabular safe zones, whereas this was true for only 33% performed through an anterolateral approach. An acetabular component performed through a posterior approach was three times as likely to be within the combined acetabular safe zones (odds ratio [OR], 1.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-1.6) than after an anterolateral approach (OR, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2-0.7; p < 0.0001). In contrast, acetabular components performed through a posterior approach (OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.2-1.9) had an increased risk of dislocation compared with those performed through an anterolateral approach (OR, 0.8; 95% CI, 0.7-0.9; p

LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT (LCA) AS A FRAMEWORK FOR ADDRESSING THE SUSTAINABILITY OF CONCENTRATED ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATIONS (CAFOS)

EPA Science Inventory

The challenges Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) directly pose to sustainability include their impact on human health, receiving water bodies, groundwater, and air quality. These challenges result from the large quantities of macronutrients (carbon, nitrogen, and pho...

Teaching and sustainably implementing awake craniotomy in resource-poor settings.

PubMed

Howe, Kathryn L; Zhou, Guosheng; July, Julius; Totimeh, Teddy; Dakurah, Thomas; Malomo, Adefolarin O; Mahmud, Muhammad R; Ismail, Nasiru J; Bernstein, Mark A

2013-12-01

Awake craniotomy for brain tumor resection has the benefit of avoiding a general anesthetic and decreasing associated costs (e.g., intensive care unit beds and intravenous line insertion). In low- and middle-income countries, significant resource limitations for the system and individual make awake craniotomy an ideal tool, yet it is infrequently used. We sought to determine if awake craniotomy could be effectively taught and implemented safely and sustainably in low- and middle-income countries. A neurosurgeon experienced in the procedure taught awake craniotomy to colleagues in China, Indonesia, Ghana, and Nigeria during the period 2007-2012. Patients were selected on the basis of suspected intraaxial tumor, absence of major dysphasia or confusion, and ability to tolerate the positioning. Data were recorded by the local surgeons and included preoperative imaging, length of hospital admission, final pathology, postoperative morbidity, and mortality. Awake craniotomy was performed for 38 cases of suspected brain tumor; most procedures were completed independently. All patients underwent preoperative computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. In 64% of cases, patients remained in the hospital <10 days. The most common pathology was high-grade glioma, followed by meningioma, low-grade glioma, and metastasis. No deaths occurred, and no case required urgent intubation. The most common perioperative and postoperative issue was seizure, with 1 case of permanent postoperative deficit. Awake craniotomy was successfully taught and implemented in 6 neurosurgical centers in China, Indonesia, Ghana, and Nigeria. Awake craniotomy is safe, resource-sparing, and sustainable. The data suggest awake craniotomy has the potential to significantly improve access to neurosurgical care in resource-challenged settings. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fatigue Management for Aerospace Expeditionary Forces Deployment and Sustained Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-04-01

Aerospace Expeditionary Forces Deployment and Sustained Operations Contract Number Grant Number Program Element Number Author(s) LeClair, Michael A...3. F. Whitten Peters and Michael E. Ryan , US Air Force Posture State­ ment 2000, 30–31. 4. M. R. Rosekind et al., “From Laboratory to Flightdeck...Corporate Aviation Safety Semi­ nar, Flight Safety Foundation, St. Louis, Mo., 1994. 4. Philippa H. Gander, Mark R. Rosekind, and Kevin B. Gregory

Laser-Induced Plasmas in Ambient Air for Incoherent Broadband Cavity-Enhanced Absorption Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruth, Albert A.; Dixneuf, Sophie; Orphal, Johannes

2015-06-01

The emission from a laser-induced plasma in ambient air, generated by a high power femtosecond laser, was utilized as pulsed incoherent broadband light source in the center of a quasi-confocal high finesse cavity. The time dependent spectra of the light leaking from the cavity was compared with those of the laser-induced plasma emission without the cavity. It was found that the light emission was sustained by the cavity despite the initially large optical losses of the laser-induced plasma in the cavity. The light sustained by the cavity was used to measure part of the S_1←S_0 absorption spectrum of gaseous azulene at its vapour pressure at room temperature in ambient air as well as the strongly forbidden γ--band in molecular oxygen: b^1σ^+_g (ν'=2)← X^3σ^-_g (ν''=0)

A hierarchical framework for air traffic control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roy, Kaushik

Air travel in recent years has been plagued by record delays, with over $8 billion in direct operating costs being attributed to 100 million flight delay minutes in 2007. Major contributing factors to delay include weather, congestion, and aging infrastructure; the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) aims to alleviate these delays through an upgrade of the air traffic control system. Changes to large-scale networked systems such as air traffic control are complicated by the need for coordinated solutions over disparate temporal and spatial scales. Individual air traffic controllers must ensure aircraft maintain safe separation locally with a time horizon of seconds to minutes, whereas regional plans are formulated to efficiently route flows of aircraft around weather and congestion on the order of every hour. More efficient control algorithms that provide a coordinated solution are required to safely handle a larger number of aircraft in a fixed amount of airspace. Improved estimation algorithms are also needed to provide accurate aircraft state information and situational awareness for human controllers. A hierarchical framework is developed to simultaneously solve the sometimes conflicting goals of regional efficiency and local safety. Careful attention is given in defining the interactions between the layers of this hierarchy. In this way, solutions to individual air traffic problems can be targeted and implemented as needed. First, the regional traffic flow management problem is posed as an optimization problem and shown to be NP-Hard. Approximation methods based on aggregate flow models are developed to enable real-time implementation of algorithms that reduce the impact of congestion and adverse weather. Second, the local trajectory design problem is solved using a novel slot-based sector model. This model is used to analyze sector capacity under varying traffic patterns, providing a more comprehensive understanding of how increased automation

Nondestructive natural gas hydrate recovery driven by air and carbon dioxide

PubMed Central

Kang, Hyery; Koh, Dong-Yeun; Lee, Huen

2014-01-01

Current technologies for production of natural gas hydrates (NGH), which include thermal stimulation, depressurization and inhibitor injection, have raised concerns over unintended consequences. The possibility of catastrophic slope failure and marine ecosystem damage remain serious challenges to safe NGH production. As a potential approach, this paper presents air-driven NGH recovery from permeable marine sediments induced by simultaneous mechanisms for methane liberation (NGH decomposition) and CH4-air or CH4-CO2/air replacement. Air is diffused into and penetrates NGH and, on its surface, forms a boundary between the gas and solid phases. Then spontaneous melting proceeds until the chemical potentials become equal in both phases as NGH depletion continues and self-regulated CH4-air replacement occurs over an arbitrary point. We observed the existence of critical methane concentration forming the boundary between decomposition and replacement mechanisms in the NGH reservoirs. Furthermore, when CO2 was added, we observed a very strong, stable, self-regulating process of exchange (CH4 replaced by CO2/air; hereafter CH4-CO2/air) occurring in the NGH. The proposed process will work well for most global gas hydrate reservoirs, regardless of the injection conditions or geothermal gradient. PMID:25311102

Design of an air traffic computer simulation system to support investigation of civil tiltrotor aircraft operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rogers, Ralph V.

1992-01-01

This research project addresses the need to provide an efficient and safe mechanism to investigate the effects and requirements of the tiltrotor aircraft's commercial operations on air transportation infrastructures, particularly air traffic control. The mechanism of choice is computer simulation. Unfortunately, the fundamental paradigms of the current air traffic control simulation models do not directly support the broad range of operational options and environments necessary to study tiltrotor operations. Modification of current air traffic simulation models to meet these requirements does not appear viable given the range and complexity of issues needing resolution. As a result, the investigation of systemic, infrastructure issues surrounding the effects of tiltrotor commercial operations requires new approaches to simulation modeling. These models should be based on perspectives and ideas closer to those associated with tiltrotor air traffic operations.

HiCAT Software Infrastructure: Safe hardware control with object oriented Python

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moriarty, Christopher; Brooks, Keira; Soummer, Remi

2018-01-01

High contrast imaging for Complex Aperture Telescopes (HiCAT) is a testbed designed to demonstrate coronagraphy and wavefront control for segmented on-axis space telescopes such as envisioned for LUVOIR. To limit the air movements in the testbed room, software interfaces for several different hardware components were developed to completely automate operations. When developing software interfaces for many different pieces of hardware, unhandled errors are commonplace and can prevent the software from properly closing a hardware resource. Some fragile components (e.g. deformable mirrors) can be permanently damaged because of this. We present an object oriented Python-based infrastructure to safely automate hardware control and optical experiments. Specifically, conducting high-contrast imaging experiments while monitoring humidity and power status along with graceful shutdown processes even for unexpected errors. Python contains a construct called a “context manager” that allows you define code to run when a resource is opened or closed. Context managers ensure that a resource is properly closed, even when unhandled errors occur. Harnessing the context manager design, we also use Python’s multiprocessing library to monitor humidity and power status without interrupting the experiment. Upon detecting a safety problem, the master process sends an event to the child process that triggers the context managers to gracefully close any open resources. This infrastructure allows us to queue up several experiments and safely operate the testbed without a human in the loop.

Improved but unsustainable: accounting for sachet water in post-2015 goals for global safe water.

PubMed

Stoler, Justin

2012-12-01

The advent and rapid spread of sachet drinking water in West Africa presents a new challenge for providing sustainable access to global safe water. Sachet water has expanded drinking water access and is often of sufficient quality to serve as an improved water source for Millennium Development Goals (MDG) monitoring purposes, yet sachets are an unsustainable water delivery vehicle due to their overwhelming plastic waste burden. Monitoring of primary drinking water sources in West Africa generally ignores sachet water, despite its growing ubiquity. Sub-Saharan Africa as a region is unlikely to meet the MDG Target for drinking water provision, and post-2015 monitoring activities may depend upon rapid adaptability to local drinking water trends. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Collecting various sustainability metrics of observatory operations on Maunakea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuo Tiong, Blaise C.; Bauman, Steven E.; Benedict, Romilly; Draughn, John Wesley; Probasco, Quinn

2016-07-01

By collecting metrics in fleet operations, data center usage, employee air travel and facilities consumption at the Canada France Hawaii Telescope, the collective impact of CFHT and other observatories on the Maunakea Astronomy Precinct can be estimated. An audit of carbon emissions in these aspects as well as specific efficiency metrics such as data center Power Use Efficiency gives a general scale of environmental and social alterations. Applications of the audit would be for such things as crafting sustainability strategies.

Inertial sensing microelectromechanical (MEM) safe-arm device

DOEpatents

Roesler, Alexander W [Tijeras, NM; Wooden, Susan M [Sandia Park, NM

2009-05-12

Microelectromechanical (MEM) safe-arm devices comprise a substrate upon which a sense mass, that can contain an energetic material, is constrained to move along a pathway defined by a track disposed on the surface of the substrate. The pathway has a first end comprising a "safe" position and a second end comprising an "armed" position, whereat the second end the sense mass can be aligned proximal to energetic materials comprising the explosive train, within an explosive component. The sense mass can be confined in the safe position by a first latch, operable to release the sense mass by an acceleration acting in a direction substantially normal to the surface of the substrate. A second acceleration, acting in a direction substantially parallel to the surface of the substrate, can cause the sense mass to traverse the pathway from the safe position to the armed position.

OXIDATION OF CYCLOHEXANE WITH AIR CATALYZED BY A STERICALLY HINDERED IRON (II) COMPLEX

EPA Science Inventory

Oxidation of Cyclohexane with Air Catalyzed by a Sterically Hindered Iron(II) Complex.


Thomas M. Becker, Michael A. Gonzalez*

United States Environmental Protection Agency; National Risk Management Research Laboratory; Sustainable Technology Division; Clean Pr...

THE ONCE AND FUTURE AIR SUPPORT OPERATIONS CENTER: A CRITICAL REFLECTION ON DEVELOPMENTS IN AIR-TO-GROUND COMMAND AND CONTROL

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-02-01

call for an examination of ASOC history to provide clear guidance for leaders designing the contemporary ASOC. Research Question What does the...be combined in the design of the future ASOC and what is required to enhance and sustain its capability. 4 Finally, the research concludes by...DEVELOPMENTS IN AIR-TO- GROUND COMMAND AND CONTROL by Seth D. Spidahl, Capt, USAF A Research Report Submitted to the Faculty In Partial Fulfillment

Intracameral air injection for acute hydrops in keratoconus.

PubMed

Miyata, Kazunori; Tsuji, Hideki; Tanabe, Tatsuro; Mimura, Yoshiko; Amano, Shiro; Oshika, Tetsuro

2002-06-01

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of intracameral air injection in treating acute hydrops in keratoconus. Retrospective, nonrandomized, comparative trial. Thirty eyes (30 patients) with acute hydrops secondary to keratoconus. Nine eyes (nine patients) with acute hydrops in keratoconus were treated with intracameral injection of 0.1 ml filtered air. Additional 0.1 ml filtered air was injected if corneal edema persisted when air disappeared from the anterior chamber. Twenty-one eyes (21 patients) with acute hydrops that received no therapy or conventional therapy not likely to shorten the duration of hydrops served as controls. The period of persistence of corneal edema, the interval between the onset of acute hydrops, and the time when the eye could begin to wear a hard-contact lens, and best spectacle-corrected and hard-contact lens-corrected visual acuity after corneal edema subsided were used as criteria to evaluate any differences between the two groups. The average period of persistence of corneal edema was 20.1 +/- 9.0 days (+/- SD) in the intracameral air injection group and 64.7 +/- 34.6 days in the control (P =.0008). The average interval between the onset of acute hydrops and the time when the eye could begin to wear a hard-contact lens, was 33.4 +/- 5.6 days in the air injection group and 128.9 +/- 85.8 days in the control group (P =.0058). The best-corrected visual acuity after corneal edema subsided was similar between the two groups. Intracameral air injection induced no complications. The results suggest that the intracameral air injection is a safe and useful therapy to shorten the period of corneal edema in acute hydrops secondary to keratoconus.

Karate: Keep It Safe.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jordan, David

1981-01-01

Safety guidelines for each phase of a karate practice session are presented to provide an accident-free and safe environment for teaching karate in a physical education or traditional karate training program. (JMF)

Experiences of air travel in patients with chronic heart failure