Development of aerosol optical properties for improving the MESSy photolysis module in the GEM-MACH v2.4 air quality model and application for calculating photolysis rates in a biomass burning plume

The photolysis module in Environment and Climate Change Canada's online chemical transport model GEM-MACH (GEM: Global Environmental Multi-scale – MACH: Modelling Air quality and Chemistry) was improved to make use of the online size and composition-resolved representation of atmospheric aerosols and relative humidity in GEM-MACH, to account for aerosol attenuation of radiation in the photolysis calculation. We coupled both the GEM-MACH aerosol module and the MESSy-JVAL (Modular Earth Submodel System) photolysis module, through the use of the online aerosol modeled data and a new Mie lookup table for the model-generated extinction efficiency, absorption and scattering cross sections of each aerosol type. The new algorithm applies a lensing correction factor to the black carbon absorption efficiency (core-shell parameterization) and calculates the scattering and absorption optical depth and asymmetry factor of black carbon, sea salt, dust and other internally mixed components. We carried out a series of simulations with the improved version of MESSy-JVAL and wildfire emission inputs from the Canadian Forest Fire Emissions Prediction System (CFFEPS) for 2 months, compared the model aerosol optical depth (AOD) output to the previous version of MESSy-JVAL, satellite data, ground-based measurements and reanalysis products, and evaluated the effects of AOD calculations and the interactive aerosol feedback on the performance of the GEM-MACH model. The comparison of the improved version of MESSy-JVAL with the previous version showed significant improvements in the model performance with the implementation of the new photolysis module and with adopting the online interactive aerosol concentrations in GEM-MACH. Incorporating these changes to the model resulted in an increase in the correlation coefficient from 0.17 to 0.37 between the GEM-MACH model AOD 1-month hourly output and AERONET (Aerosol Robotic Network) measurements across all the North American sites. Comparisons of the updated model AOD with AERONET measurements for selected Canadian urban and industrial sites, specifically, showed better correlation coefficients for urban AERONET sites and for stations located further south in the domain for both simulation periods (June and January 2018). The predicted monthly averaged AOD using the improved photolysis module followed the spatial patterns of MERRA-2 reanalysis (Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications – version 2), with an overall underprediction of AOD over the common domain for both seasons. Our study also suggests that the domain-wide impacts of direct and indirect effect aerosol feedbacks on the photolysis rates from meteorological changes are considerably greater (3 to 4 times) than the direct aerosol optical effect on the photolysis rate calculations.

Towards More Realistic Models

This chapter is devoted to the presentation of a more realistic version of the model, Risk and Rumours, which extends the previous, theoretical version (Routes and Rumours) by including additional empirical and experimental information following the process described in Part II of this book. We begin by offering a reflection on the integration of the five elements of the modelling process, followed by a more detailed description of the Risk and Rumours model, and how it differs from the previous version. Subsequently, we present selected results of the uncertainty and sensitivity analysis, enabling us to make further inference on the information gaps and areas for potential data collection. We also present model calibration for an empirically grounded version of the model, Risk and Rumours with Reality. In that way, we can evaluate to what extent the iterative modelling process has enabled a reduction in the uncertainty of the migrant route formation. In the final part of the chapter, we reflect on the model-building process and its implementation.

Can Canadians afford the new Canada’s Food Guide? Assessing Barriers and Challenges

The objective of this study was to investigate Canadian’s awareness and use of Canada’s Food Guide and to explore barriers to adopting the recommendations. We also conducted a cost analysis to measure the affordability of the 2019 Food Guide compared to the previous version. Although 74% of Canadians were aware of the new Food Guide, it ranked low as a preferred source of information; as well, affordability is a top concern when implementing the recommendations. However, eating based on the 2019 Food Guide is more affordable than the 2007 version at food prices in either year. These results bring into question the influence Food Guides have on population’s health behaviour.

Lessons learned from quality management system ISO 9001:2015 certification: practices and barrier identification from Brazilian industrial companies

PurposeThis study used a qualitative approach on five case studies in Brazilian industrial companies. The research used interviews, document analysis and on-site visits to collect and analyze data. The companies were selected based on the following criteria: operating in the industrial sector, updating their quality management system (QMS) process to ISO 9001: 2015 and agreeing to participate in this study.Design/methodology/approachThis article aims to investigate the strategies of industrial companies adopted for ISO-9001:2015 certification in light of the six major advances concerning the previous version. Thus, QMS of other organizations can incorporate identified lessons learned, whether certified or not.FindingsThe main finding of the research is the systematization of a set of lessons learned in the experiences of implementing the six significant advances of ISO 9001 concerning the previous version by industrial companies in the State of São Paulo in Brazil. These lessons can and should be used by other organizations to improve their QMSs.Practical implicationsThe practices identified in this empirical research can serve as benchmarking to assist quality managers from other companies in QMS certification based on ISO 9001: 2015 or even those not certified but interested in updating their QMSs. Therefore, lessons learned can significantly minimize efforts to improve your projects, processes, products and services. These findings can also help industrial companies improve their production efficiency and effectiveness through quality improvement.Originality/valueThe main novelty of the research is the consolidation of theoretical and practical analysis of the main changes in the latest version of the ISO 9001 standards. The efforts to fulfill those changes result in lessons learned. The “lessons learned” will form a new block of knowledge that will subsidize theoretical (new research) and practical (formulation of a new ISO 9001 standard and helps quality managers improve their systems).

Culture and Differentiation of Primary Human Tracheobronchial Epithelial Cells Using STEMCELL Technologies Pneumacult Media

NOTE: A PDF methods document is attached in the supplementary materials.SCOPE OF APPLICATION (LIMITATIONS)This method describes the culture and differentiation of primary human tracheobronchial epithelial cells (pHBEC). Cells used for this method can be obtained by brush biopsy during clinical bronchoscopy or purchased commercially. This method replaces the previous version described in (Dailey and McCullough, 2021a; b). Disclaimer: The contents of this article have been reviewed by the US Environmental Protection Agency and approved for publication and do not necessarily represent Agency policy. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendations for use.

Rescaling Egocentric Vision: Collection, Pipeline and Challenges for EPIC-KITCHENS-100

This paper introduces the pipeline to extend the largest dataset in egocentric vision, EPIC-KITCHENS. The effort culminates in EPIC-KITCHENS-100, a collection of 100 hours, 20M frames, 90K actions in 700 variable-length videos, capturing long-term unscripted activities in 45 environments, using head-mounted cameras. Compared to its previous version (Damen in Scaling egocentric vision: ECCV, 2018), EPIC-KITCHENS-100 has been annotated using a novel pipeline that allows denser (54% more actions per minute) and more complete annotations of fine-grained actions (+128% more action segments). This collection enables new challenges such as action detection and evaluating the “test of time”—i.e. whether models trained on data collected in 2018 can generalise to new footage collected two years later. The dataset is aligned with 6 challenges: action recognition (full and weak supervision), action detection, action anticipation, cross-modal retrieval (from captions), as well as unsupervised domain adaptation for action recognition. For each challenge, we define the task, provide baselines and evaluation metrics.

Uniportal thoracoscopic lateral and posterior (S9+10) segmentectomy using a modified intersegmental tunneling procedure

The lateral and posterior basal (S9+10) segmentectomy is one of the most challenging operations because it requires exposure and recognition of pulmonary vessel branches and bronchi that are located deep in the lung parenchyma. To perform this difficult operation appropriately, even via a uniportal approach, we adopted a modified version of the intersegmental tunneling procedure. Intersegmental tunneling followed by division of the intersegmental plane between S6 and S9-10 was performed before the division of the A9+10 in the modified version. In addition to the clear recognition of the dominant vessels and bronchi permitted by the tunneling procedure, we were able to divide them smoothly using a stapler in the modified version, although the tip of the inserted stapler stuck to the lung parenchyma in the previous version. This method might be universally preferable, even for less experienced surgeons, when they perform this challenging operation.

An improved assembly of the Albugo candida Ac2V genome reveals the expansion of the “CCG” class of effectors

Albugo candida is an obligate oomycete pathogen that infects many plants in the Brassicaceae family. We re-sequenced the genome of isolate Ac2V using PacBio long reads and constructed an assembly augmented by Illumina reads. The Ac2VPB genome assembly is 10% larger and more contiguous compared to a previous version. Our annotation of the new assembly, aided by RNASeq information, revealed a 175% expansion (40 to 110) in the CHxC effector class, which we redefined as “CCG” based on motif analysis. This class of effectors consist of arrays of phylogenetically related paralogs residing in gene sparse regions, and shows signatures of positive selection and presence/absence polymorphism. This work provides a resource that allows the dissection of the genomic components underlying A. candida adaptation and particularly the role of CCG effectors in virulence and avirulence on different hosts.

St. Augustinegrass for Florida Lawns

St. Augustinegrass (Stenotaphrum secundatum [Walt.] Kuntze) is widely adapted to the warm, humid (subtropical) regions of the world. It is believed to be native to the coastal regions of both the Gulf of Mexico and the Mediterranean. St. Augustinegrass is the most commonly used lawn grass in Florida (Figure 1). This publication is intended for homeowners and turfgrass managers that manage St. Augustinegrass in the state of Florida. Previous version: Trenholm, Laurie, Bryan Unruh, and Travis Shaddox. 2017. “St. Augustinegrass for Florida Lawns”. EDIS 2017 (September). https://doi.org/10.32473/edis-lh010-2017.

Interactive Aerosol Feedbacks on Photolysis Rates in the GEM-MACH v2.4 Air Quality Model in Canadian Urban and Industrial Areas

The photolysis module in Environment and Climate Change Canada’s on-line chemical transport model GEM-MACH (GEM: Global Environmental Multi-scale – MACH: Modelling Air quality and Chemistry) was improved, to make use of the on-line size and composition-resolved representation of atmospheric aerosols and relative humidity in GEM-MACH, to account for aerosol attenuation of radiation in the photolysis calculation. We coupled both the GEM-MACH aerosol module and the MESSy-JVAL (Modular Earth Sub-Model System) photolysis module, through the use of the on-line aerosol modeled data and a new Mie lookup table for the model-generated extinction efficiency, absorption and scattering cross sections of each aerosol type. The new algorithm applies a lensing correction factor to the black carbon absorption efficiency (core-shell parameterization) and calculates the scattering and absorption optical depth and asymmetry factor of black carbon, sea-salt, dust, and other internally mixed components. We carried out a series of simulations with the improved version of MESSy-JVAL and wildfire emission inputs from the Canadian Forest Fire Emissions Prediction System (CFFEPS) for two months, compared the model aerosol optical depth (AOD) output to the previous version of MESSy-JVAL, satellite data, ground-based measurements and re-analysis products, and evaluated the effects of AOD calculations and the interactive aerosol feedback on the performance of the GEM-MACH model. The comparison of the improved version of MESSy-JVAL with the previous version showed significant improvements in the model performance with the implementation of the new photolysis module, and with adopting the online interactive aerosol concentrations in GEM-MACH. Incorporating these changes to the model resulted in an increase in the correlation coefficient from 0.17 to 0.37 between the GEM-MACH model AOD one-month hourly output and AERONET (Aerosol Robotic Network) measurements across all the North American sites. Comparisons of the updated model AOD with AERONET measurements for selected Canadian urban and industrial sites specifically, showed better correlation coefficients for urban AERONET sites, and for stations located further south in the domain for both simulation periods (June and January 2018). The predicted monthly averaged AOD using the improved photolysis module followed the spatial patterns of MERRA-2 re-analysis (Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications – Version 2), with an overall under-prediction of AOD over the common domain for both seasons. Our study also suggests that the domain-wide impact of direct and indirect effect aerosol feedbacks on the photolysis rates from meteorological changes, are considerably greater (3 to 4 times) than the direct aerosol optical effect on the photolysis rate calculations.