scholarly journals Evaluating the impact of new observational constraints on P-S/IVOC emissions, multi-generation oxidation, and chamber wall losses on SOA modeling for Los Angeles, CA

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prettiny K. Ma ◽  
Yunliang Zhao ◽  
Allen L. Robinson ◽  
David R. Worton ◽  
Allen H. Goldstein ◽  
...  

Abstract. Secondary Organic Aerosols (SOA) are important contributors to fine PM mass in polluted regions, and their modeling remains poorly constrained. A box model is developed that uses recently published literature parameterizations and data sets to better constrain and evaluate the formation pathways and precursors of urban SOA during the CalNex 2010 campaign in Los Angeles. When using the measurements of IVOCs reported in Zhao et al. (2014) and of SVOCs reported in Worton et al. (2014) the model is biased high at longer photochemical ages whereas at shorter photochemical ages it is biased low, if the yields for VOC oxidation are not updated. The parameterizations using an updated version of the yields, which takes into account the effect of gas phase wall-losses in environmental chambers, show model/measurement agreement at longer photochemical ages, even though some low bias at short photochemical ages still remains. Furthermore, the fossil/non-fossil carbon split of urban SOA simulated by the model is consistent with measurements at the Pasadena ground site. Multi-generation oxidation mechanisms are often employed in SOA models to increase the SOA yields derived from environmental chamber experiments in order to obtain better model/measurement agreement. However, there are many uncertainties associated with these "aging" mechanisms. Thus, SOA formation in the model is compared against data from an oxidation flow reactor (OFR) in order to constrain SOA formation at longer photochemical ages than observed in urban air. The model predicts similar SOA mass when the "aging" mechanisms or the updated version of the yields for VOC oxidation are implemented. The latter case though has SOA formation rates that are more consistent with observations from the OFR. All the model cases evaluated in this work have a large majority of the urban SOA (70–86 %) at Pasadena coming from the oxidation of P-SVOCs and P-IVOCs. The importance of these two types of precursors is further supported by analyzing the percentage of SOA formed at long photochemical ages (1.5 days) as a function of the precursor rate constant. The P-SVOCs and P-IVOCs have rate constants that are similar to highly reactive VOCs that have been previously found to strongly correlate with SOA formation potential measured by the OFR. Finally, the volatility distribution of the total organic mass (gas and particle phase) in the model is compared against measurements. The total SVOC mass simulated is similar to the measurements, but there are important differences in the measured and modeled volatility distributions. A likely reason for the difference is the lack of particle-phase reactions in the model that can oligomerize and/or continue to oxidize organic compounds even after they partition to the particle phase.

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (15) ◽  
pp. 9237-9259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prettiny K. Ma ◽  
Yunliang Zhao ◽  
Allen L. Robinson ◽  
David R. Worton ◽  
Allen H. Goldstein ◽  
...  

Abstract. Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) is an important contributor to fine particulate matter (PM) mass in polluted regions, and its modeling remains poorly constrained. A box model is developed that uses recently published literature parameterizations and data sets to better constrain and evaluate the formation pathways and precursors of urban SOA during the CalNex 2010 campaign in Los Angeles. When using the measurements of intermediate-volatility organic compounds (IVOCs) reported in Zhao et al. (2014) and of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) reported in Worton et al. (2014) the model is biased high at longer photochemical ages, whereas at shorter photochemical ages it is biased low, if the yields for VOC oxidation are not updated. The parameterizations using an updated version of the yields, which takes into account the effect of gas-phase wall losses in environmental chambers, show model–measurement agreement at longer photochemical ages, even though some low bias at short photochemical ages still remains. Furthermore, the fossil and non-fossil carbon split of urban SOA simulated by the model is consistent with measurements at the Pasadena ground site. Multi-generation oxidation mechanisms are often employed in SOA models to increase the SOA yields derived from environmental chamber experiments in order to obtain better model–measurement agreement. However, there are many uncertainties associated with these aging mechanisms. Thus, SOA formation in the model is compared to data from an oxidation flow reactor (OFR) in order to constrain SOA formation at longer photochemical ages than observed in urban air. The model predicts similar SOA mass at short to moderate photochemical ages when the aging mechanisms or the updated version of the yields for VOC oxidation are implemented. The latter case has SOA formation rates that are more consistent with observations from the OFR though. Aging mechanisms may still play an important role in SOA chemistry, but the additional mass formed by functionalization reactions during aging would need to be offset by gas-phase fragmentation of SVOCs. All the model cases evaluated in this work show a large majority of the urban SOA (70–83 %) at Pasadena coming from the oxidation of primary SVOCs (P-SVOCs) and primary IVOCs (P-IVOCs). The importance of these two types of precursors is further supported by analyzing the percentage of SOA formed at long photochemical ages (1.5 days) as a function of the precursor rate constant. The P-SVOCs and P-IVOCs have rate constants that are similar to highly reactive VOCs that have been previously found to strongly correlate with SOA formation potential measured by the OFR. Finally, the volatility distribution of the total organic mass (gas and particle phase) in the model is compared against measurements. The total SVOC mass simulated is similar to the measurements, but there are important differences in the measured and modeled volatility distributions. A likely reason for the difference is the lack of particle-phase reactions in the model that can oligomerize and/or continue to oxidize organic compounds even after they partition to the particle phase.


2019 ◽  
pp. 109-123
Author(s):  
I. E. Limonov ◽  
M. V. Nesena

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of public investment programs on the socio-economic development of territories. As a case, the federal target programs for the development of regions and investment programs of the financial development institution — Vnesheconombank, designed to solve the problems of regional development are considered. The impact of the public interventions were evaluated by the “difference in differences” method using Bayesian modeling. The results of the evaluation suggest the positive impact of federal target programs on the total factor productivity of regions and on innovation; and that regional investment programs of Vnesheconombank are improving the export activity. All of the investments considered are likely to have contributed to the reduction of unemployment, but their implementation has been accompanied by an increase in social inequality.


Author(s):  
Adrian Daub

Arnold Schoenberg and Thomas Mann, two towering figures of twentieth-century music and literature, both found refuge in the German-exile community in Los Angeles during the Nazi era. This complete edition of their correspondence provides a glimpse inside their private and public lives and culminates in the famous dispute over Mann's novel Doctor Faustus. In the thick of the controversy was Theodor Adorno, then a budding philosopher, whose contribution to the Faustus affair would make him an enemy of both families. Gathered here for the first time in English, the letters are complemented by diary entries, related articles, and other primary source materials, as well as an introduction that contextualizes the impact that these two great artists had on twentieth-century thought and culture.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 150
Author(s):  
Farzana Sharmin Pamela Islam

As 21st century is the era of modern technologies with different aspects, it offers us to make the best use of them. After tape recorder and overhead projector (OHP), multimedia has become an important part of language classroom facilities for its unique and effective application in delivering and learning lesson. Although in many parts of Bangladesh, a South Asian developing country, where English enjoys the status of a foreign language, the use of multimedia in teaching and learning is viewed as a matter of luxury. However, nowadays the usefulness and the necessity of it are well recognized by the academics as well as the government. The study aims to focus on the difference between a traditional classroom void of multimedia and multimedia equipped classrooms at university level by explaining how multimedia support the students with enhanced opportunity to interact with diverse texts that give them more in-depth comprehension of the subject. It also focuses on audio-visual advantage of multimedia on the students’ English language learning. The study has followed a qualitative method to get an in-depth understanding of the impact of using multimedia in an English language classroom at tertiary level. For this purpose, the data have been collected from two different sources. Firstly, from students’ written response to  an open ended question as to their comparative experience of learning  lessons with and without multimedia facilities; and secondly, through  observation of English language classes at a private university of Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. The discussion of the study is limited to  the use of multimedia in English language classroom using cartoons, images and music with a view to enhance students’ skills in academic writing, critical analysis of image and critical appreciation of music. For this purpose, cartoons in English language, images from Google and music from You Tube have got focused discussion in this paper.


2020 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 303-314
Author(s):  
Yuna Park ◽  
Hyo-In Koh ◽  
University of Science and Technology, Transpo ◽  
University of Science and Technology, Transpo ◽  
University of Science and Technology, Transpo ◽  
...  

Railway noise is calculated to predict the impact of new or reconstructed railway tracks on nearby residential areas. The results are used to prepare adequate counter- measures, and the calculation results are directly related to the cost of the action plans. The calculated values were used to produce noise maps for each area of inter- est. The Schall 03 2012 is one of the most frequently used methods for the production of noise maps. The latest version was released in 2012 and uses various input para- meters associated with the latest rail vehicles and track systems in Germany. This version has not been sufficiently used in South Korea, and there is a lack of standard guidelines and a precise manual for Korean railway systems. Thus, it is not clear what input parameters will match specific local cases. This study investigates the modeling procedure for Korean railway systems and the differences between calcu- lated railway sound levels and measured values obtained using the Schall 03 2012 model. Depending on the location of sound receivers, the difference between the cal- culated and measured values was within approximately 4 dB for various train types. In the case of high-speed trains, the value was approximately 7 dB. A noise-reducing measure was also modeled. The noise reduction effect of a low-height noise barrier system was predicted and evaluated for operating railway sites within the frame- work of a national research project in Korea. The comparison of calculated and measured values showed differences within 2.5 dB.


Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 105
Author(s):  
Argelia E. Rascón-Ramos ◽  
Martín Martínez-Salvador ◽  
Gabriel Sosa-Pérez ◽  
Federico Villarreal-Guerrero ◽  
Alfredo Pinedo-Alvarez ◽  
...  

Understanding soil moisture behavior in semi-dry forests is essential for evaluating the impact of forest management on water availability. The objective of the study was to analyze soil moisture based in storm observations in three micro-catchments (0.19, 0.20, and 0.27 ha) with similar tree densities, and subject to different thinning intensities in a semi-dry forest in Chihuahua, Mexico. Vegetation, soil characteristics, precipitation, and volumetric water content were measured before thinning (2018), and after 0%, 40%, and 80% thinning for each micro-catchment (2019). Soil moisture was low and relatively similar among the three micro-catchments in 2018 (mean = 8.5%), and only large rainfall events (>30 mm) increased soil moisture significantly (29–52%). After thinning, soil moisture was higher and significantly different among the micro-catchments only during small rainfall events (<10 mm), while a difference was not noted during large events. The difference before–after during small rainfall events was not significant for the control (0% thinning); whereas 40% and 80% thinning increased soil moisture significantly by 40% and 53%, respectively. Knowledge of the response of soil moisture as a result of thinning and rainfall characteristics has important implications, especially for evaluating the impact of forest management on water availability.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S110-S110
Author(s):  
Christina Maguire ◽  
Dusten T Rose ◽  
Theresa Jaso

Abstract Background Automatic antimicrobial stop orders (ASOs) are a stewardship initiative used to decrease days of therapy, prevent resistance, and reduce drug costs. Limited evidence outside of the perioperative setting exists on the effects of ASOs on broad spectrum antimicrobial use, discharge prescription duration, and effects of missed doses. This study aims to evaluate the impact of an ASO policy across a health system of adult academic and community hospitals for treatment of intra-abdominal (IAI) and urinary tract infections (UTI). ASO Outcome Definitions ASO Outcomes Methods This multicenter retrospective cohort study compared patients with IAI and UTI treated before and after implementation of an ASO. Patients over the age of 18 with a diagnosis of UTI or IAI and 48 hours of intravenous (IV) antimicrobial administration were included. Patients unable to achieve IAI source control within 48 hours or those with a concomitant infection were excluded. The primary outcome was the difference in sum length of antimicrobial therapy (LOT). Secondary endpoints include length and days of antimicrobial therapy (DOT) at multiple timepoints, all cause in hospital mortality and readmission, and adverse events such as rates of Clostridioides difficile infection. Outcomes were also evaluated by type of infection, hospital site, and presence of infectious diseases (ID) pharmacist on site. Results This study included 119 patients in the pre-ASO group and 121 patients in the post-ASO group. ASO shortened sum length of therapy (LOT) (12 days vs 11 days respectively; p=0.0364) and sum DOT (15 days vs 12 days respectively; p=0.022). This finding appears to be driven by a decrease in outpatient LOT (p=0.0017) and outpatient DOT (p=0.0034). Conversely, ASO extended empiric IV LOT (p=0.005). All other secondary outcomes were not significant. Ten patients missed doses of antimicrobials due to ASO. Subgroup analyses suggested that one hospital may have influenced outcomes and reduction in LOT was observed primarily in sites without an ID pharmacist on site (p=0.018). Conclusion While implementation of ASO decreases sum length of inpatient and outpatient therapy, it may not influence inpatient length of therapy alone. Moreover, ASOs prolong use of empiric intravenous therapy. Hospitals without an ID pharmacist may benefit most from ASO protocols. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures


2021 ◽  
pp. 153857442110232
Author(s):  
Spyridon N. Mylonas ◽  
Konstantinos G. Moulakakis ◽  
Nikolaos Kadoglou ◽  
Constantinos Antonopoulos ◽  
Thomas E. Kotsis ◽  
...  

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to investigate a potential difference on the arterial stiffness among aneurysm patients and non-aneurysm controls, as well as to explore potential changes between patients treated either with endovascular or open repair. Materials and Methods: A 110 patients with an infrarenal AAA were prospectively enrolled in this study. Fifty-six patients received an EVAR, whereas 54 patients received an open surgical repair. Moreover, 103 gender and age-matched subjects without AAA served as controls. The cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) was applied for measurement of the arterial stiffness. Results: CAVI values were statistically higher in the AAA patients when compared with control subjects. Although at 48 hours postoperatively the CAVI values were increased in both groups when compared to baseline values, the difference in CAVI had a tendency to be higher in the open group compared to the endovascular group. At 6 months of follow up the CAVI values returned to the baseline for the patients of the open repair group. However, in the endovascular group CAVI values remained higher when compared with the baseline values. Conclusion: Patients with AAAs demonstrated a higher value of CAVI compared to healthy controls. A significant increase of arterial stiffness in both groups during the immediate postoperative period was documented. The increase in arterial stiffness remained significant at 6 months in EVAR patients. Further studies are needed to elucidate the impact of a decreased aortic compliance after stentgraft implantation on the cardiac function of patients with AAA.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document