scholarly journals Changes in speciated PM2.5 concentrations in Fresno, California, due to NOx reductions and variations in diurnal emission profiles by day of week

Elem Sci Anth ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin de Foy ◽  
James J. Schauer
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Ammonium Nitrate ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Multiple Linear Regression Model ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Multiple Time Scales ◽  
Multiple Time ◽  
Wood Combustion ◽  
Carbon Concentrations

The San Joaquin Valley in California suffers from poor air quality due to a combination of local emissions and weak ventilation. Over the course of decades, there has been a concerted effort to control emissions from vehicles as well as from residential wood burning. A multiple linear regression model was used to evaluate the trends in air pollution over multiple time scales: by year, by season, by day of the week and by time of day. The model was applied to 18 years of measurements in Fresno including hourly mole fractions of NOx and concentrations of PM2.5; and daily measurements of speciated components of PM2.5. The analysis shows that there have been reductions in NOx, elemental carbon and ammonium nitrate of 4 to 6%/year. On weekends, NOx mole fractions are reduced by 15 to 30% due to fewer vehicle miles traveled and a smaller fraction of diesel traffic. These weekend reductions in NOx have not been accompanied by weekend reductions in PM2.5 however. In particular, elemental and organic carbon concentrations are higher on winter weekends. Analysis of diurnal profiles suggests that this is because of increased PM2.5 on Saturday and holiday evenings which are likely due to residential wood combustion. Furthermore, while organic carbon concentrations have decreased in the winter months, they have been variable but without a net decline in the summer, most likely as a result of forest fires offsetting other improvements in air quality. Fog was found to greatly enhance ammonium nitrate formation and was therefore associated with higher PM2.5 in the winter months. Overall the analysis shows that air quality controls have been effective at reducing NOx all year and PM2.5 in the winter, that continued reductions in emissions will further reduce pollutant concentrations, but that winter residential wood combustion and summer forest fires could offset some of the gains obtained.

scholarly journals The Role of Daylight for Humans: Gaps in Current Knowledge

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirjam Münch ◽  
Anna Wirz-Justice ◽  
Steven A. Brown ◽  
Thomas Kantermann ◽  
Klaus Martiny ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Functioning ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Spectral Power ◽  
Light Exposure ◽  
Knowledge Bases ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Multiple Time Scales ◽  
Multiple Time ◽  
Electric Light

Daylight stems solely from direct, scattered and reflected sunlight, and undergoes dynamic changes in irradiance and spectral power composition due to latitude, time of day, time of year and the nature of the physical environment (reflections, buildings and vegetation). Humans and their ancestors evolved under these natural day/night cycles over millions of years. Electric light, a relatively recent invention, interacts and competes with the natural light–dark cycle to impact human biology. What are the consequences of living in industrialised urban areas with much less daylight and more use of electric light, throughout the day (and at night), on general health and quality of life? In this workshop report, we have classified key gaps of knowledge in daylight research into three main groups: (I) uncertainty as to daylight quantity and quality needed for “optimal” physiological and psychological functioning, (II) lack of consensus on practical measurement and assessment methods and tools for monitoring real (day) light exposure across multiple time scales, and (III) insufficient integration and exchange of daylight knowledge bases from different disciplines. Crucial short and long-term objectives to fill these gaps are proposed.

scholarly journals Spatio-Temporal Correlation Analysis of Air Quality in China: Evidence from Provincial Capitals Data

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 2486
Author(s):  
Qingchen Liu ◽  
Xinyi Li ◽  
Tao Liu ◽  
Xiaojun Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Temporal Correlation ◽  
Temporal Analysis ◽  
Multiple Time Scales ◽  
Multiple Time ◽  
Capital Cities ◽  
Temporal Correlations ◽  
Agglomeration Effects ◽  
Provincial Capital ◽  
Spatio Temporal

In China, public health awareness is growing as people get more concerned about the air quality. Based on the air quality index (AQI) of 31 provincial capital cities (2015–2018) in China, we studied the spatio-temporal correlations of air quality between cities. With spatial, temporal and spatio-temporal analysis, we systematically obtained many interesting results where the traditional analyses may be lacking. Firstly, the air quality of cities has spatial spillover and agglomeration effects and further the spatial correlation becomes higher with time. Secondly, there exists temporal correlation between the current AQI and its past values on multiple time scales, which shows certain periodicity. Thirdly, due to the changing characteristics of time, social activities and other factors affect the air quality positively. However, with the panel data model, the coefficients of spatio-temporal correlation vary for different cities.

SOME REMARKS ON THE MULTIPLE TIME SCALES OF DIFFUSION IN MINERALS AND MELTS

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Liang ◽  
◽  
Daniele J. Cherniak ◽  
Chenguang Sun
Keyword(s):  
Time Scales ◽  
Multiple Time Scales ◽  
Multiple Time

scholarly journals Odor response adaptation in Drosophila—a continuous individualization process

2021 ◽  
Vol 383 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-148
Author(s):  
Shadi Jafari ◽  
Mattias Alenius
Keyword(s):  
Sensory Neurons ◽  
Olfactory System ◽  
Multiple Time Scales ◽  
Multiple Time ◽  
Olfactory Perception ◽  
Adaptation Mechanisms ◽  
Metabolic States ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Olfactory Adaptation ◽  
Central Adaptation

AbstractOlfactory perception is very individualized in humans and also in Drosophila. The process that individualize olfaction is adaptation that across multiple time scales and mechanisms shape perception and olfactory-guided behaviors. Olfactory adaptation occurs both in the central nervous system and in the periphery. Central adaptation occurs at the level of the circuits that process olfactory inputs from the periphery where it can integrate inputs from other senses, metabolic states, and stress. We will here focus on the periphery and how the fast, slow, and persistent (lifelong) adaptation mechanisms in the olfactory sensory neurons individualize the Drosophila olfactory system.

scholarly journals Are We Doing ‘Systems’ Research? An Assessment of Methods for Climate Change Adaptation to Hydrohazards in a Complex World

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Bedinger ◽  
Lindsay Beevers ◽  
Lila Collet ◽  
Annie Visser
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Human Nature ◽  
Climate Change Adaptation ◽  
Time Scales ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Multiple Time Scales ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Multiple Time ◽  
Systems Research

Climate change is a product of the Anthropocene, and the human–nature system in which we live. Effective climate change adaptation requires that we acknowledge this complexity. Theoretical literature on sustainability transitions has highlighted this and called for deeper acknowledgment of systems complexity in our research practices. Are we heeding these calls for ‘systems’ research? We used hydrohazards (floods and droughts) as an example research area to explore this question. We first distilled existing challenges for complex human–nature systems into six central concepts: Uncertainty, multiple spatial scales, multiple time scales, multimethod approaches, human–nature dimensions, and interactions. We then performed a systematic assessment of 737 articles to examine patterns in what methods are used and how these cover the complexity concepts. In general, results showed that many papers do not reference any of the complexity concepts, and no existing approach addresses all six. We used the detailed results to guide advancement from theoretical calls for action to specific next steps. Future research priorities include the development of methods for consideration of multiple hazards; for the study of interactions, particularly in linking the short- to medium-term time scales; to reduce data-intensivity; and to better integrate bottom–up and top–down approaches in a way that connects local context with higher-level decision-making. Overall this paper serves to build a shared conceptualisation of human–nature system complexity, map current practice, and navigate a complexity-smart trajectory for future research.

scholarly journals A multistate model incorporating estimation of excess hazards and multiple time scales

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (9) ◽  
pp. 2139-2154
Author(s):  
Caroline E. Weibull ◽  
Paul C. Lambert ◽  
Sandra Eloranta ◽  
Therese M. L. Andersson ◽  
Paul W. Dickman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Scales ◽  
Multiple Time Scales ◽  
Multiple Time ◽  
Multistate Model

scholarly journals Structural Disorder and Collective Behavior of Two-Dimensional Magnetic Nanostructures

Nanomaterials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1392
Author(s):  
David Gallina ◽  
G. M. Pastor
Keyword(s):  
Interaction Energy ◽  
Time Evolution ◽  
Magnetic Nanostructures ◽  
Thermal Quenching ◽  
Structural Disorder ◽  
Square Lattice ◽  
Multiple Time Scales ◽  
Multiple Time ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Energy Landscapes

Structural disorder has been shown to be responsible for profound changes of the interaction-energy landscapes and collective dynamics of two-dimensional (2D) magnetic nanostructures. Weakly-disordered 2D ensembles have a few particularly stable magnetic configurations with large basins of attraction from which the higher-energy metastable configurations are separated by only small downward barriers. In contrast, strongly-disordered ensembles have rough energy landscapes with a large number of low-energy local minima separated by relatively large energy barriers. Consequently, the former show good-structure-seeker behavior with an unhindered relaxation dynamics that is funnelled towards the global minimum, whereas the latter show a time evolution involving multiple time scales and trapping which is reminiscent of glasses. Although these general trends have been clearly established, a detailed assessment of the extent of these effects in specific nanostructure realizations remains elusive. The present study quantifies the disorder-induced changes in the interaction-energy landscape of two-dimensional dipole-coupled magnetic nanoparticles as a function of the magnetic configuration of the ensembles. Representative examples of weakly-disordered square-lattice arrangements, showing good structure-seeker behavior, and of strongly-disordered arrangements, showing spin-glass-like behavior, are considered. The topology of the kinetic networks of metastable magnetic configurations is analyzed. The consequences of disorder on the morphology of the interaction-energy landscapes are revealed by contrasting the corresponding disconnectivity graphs. The correlations between the characteristics of the energy landscapes and the Markovian dynamics of the various magnetic nanostructures are quantified by calculating the field-free relaxation time evolution after either magnetic saturation or thermal quenching and by comparing them with the corresponding averages over a large number of structural arrangements. Common trends and system-specific features are identified and discussed.

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