bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Risk assessment and environmental crisis: toward an integration of science and participation
Authors: Fischer Frank
Published: March 2007

This essay examines the dominant technocratic approach to risk assessment in the context of the environmental crisis. Focusing on the concept of acceptable risk, the discussion demonstrates the need for a more comprehensive sociolog ical approach to risk perception and communication. The alternative is seen to depend on the inclusion of a wider range of political interests and social con cerns, those of the public as well as the more immediate stakeholders. Toward this end, the paper sketches the outlines of a participatory methodology for risk assessment and concludes with a brief exploration of the political and institu tional implications of such an approach.
Public information about major accident hazards: legal requirements and practical implementation
Authors: De Marchi Bruna
Published: March 2007

Following a number of chemical accidents, in 1982 the Council of the Euro pean Communities issued a directive, commonly known as the "Seveso direc tive", on major accident hazards of certain industrial activities. Among other requirements, the legislator provides for the dissemination of information about safety measures and emergency behaviour to members of the public liable to be affected by a major accident. The paper deals with the multi-faceted prob lems involved in the effective communication of such information. It starts with a brief account of the European Communities' main bodies and opera tions ; then it focuses on the Seveso directive and its implementation in the member states. Subsequently it discusses the directive's requirements for pub lic information within the general scope of risk communication, drawing also on some empirical research studies. Finally, it describes in some detail a pilot study on risk information needs carried out in Italy in 1989.
Nuclear incidents: accidents, violations of the status quo or crimes?
Authors: Manning P.K.
Published: March 2007

This analytic essay situates the nuclear industries of the United States and the United Kingdom in a legal sanctioning system, referred to as cooperative. Knowing the type of sanctioning system applied to a particular industry, it is then possible to identify the working rules that result in the interpretation of events as routine, accidental, criminal and so on. In short, the explanation of the level and quality of societal response lies in the system of sanctioning used to respond to them. The study of the regulation of nuclear power production raises issues about the cooperative system, or a system of governmental auto regulation, the limits of the law and modes of domination.
Identifying ADHD Subtypes using the Parent and Teacher Rating Scales of the Behavior Assessment Scale for Children
Authors: Manning S.C. , Miller D.C.
Published: March 2007

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the diagnostic utility of the Parent and Teacher Rating Scales of the Behavior Assessment Scale for Children (BASC) as a tool for identifying ADHD in children. It was hypothesized that the ADHD children will have elevated scores on those scales and composites that define ADHD (Hyperactivity, Attention Problems, Adaptability, Atypicality, Leadership, and Social Skills scales, and the Behavioral Symptoms Index and Adaptability composites), and these scores will be significantly higher than the control group. In this sample, the ADHD population did have higher t-scores on all predicted scales although not all of those scores fell within the at-risk or clinically significant range. In addition, the ADHD groups had significantly higher scores on all other scales and composites except the Somatization scale. Despite the significant differences between the ADHD and controls on almost all scales and composites, the scores for the ADHD group fell within the average range.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Methylphenidate: A dose-response analysis and parent-child comparison of somatic complaints
Authors: Rapport M.D. , Randall R. , Moffitt C.
Published: March 2007

The authors examined parent and child ratings of somatic complaints in 65 children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) who received four doses (5 mg, 10 mg, 15 mg, 20 mg) of methylphenidate (MPH) in the context of a double-blind, placebo controlled, within-subject (crossover) experimental design.

Results indicated that parent and child ratings of somatic complaints decreased in a linear fashion from baseline levels as a function of increasing MPH dose and showed minimal variation across MPH conditions. Statistical comparisons of specific somatic complaints indicated minimal agreement between parents and children in contrast to the nearly identical parent-child dose-response curves. The paradoxical findings of fewer somatic complaints associated with MPH, importance of obtaining children's perceptions of MPH treatment, and Implications for measuring somatic complaints are discussed.
Decision Making Theory: A Consultant's Guide to Getting Technical Information Used
Authors: Thome Melvyn C.
Published: March 2007

A simple model of the decision making process of a consultee can help clarify his data needs, and thus can guide a consultant in how to present and how to obtain better use of his technical information. Seven characteristics of developing countries which affect decision making are described. An approach to advising, matched to the nine elements of decision making, is suggested.
Evaluating the Impact of Program Consultation in Health Services
Authors: Watkins Elizabeth L. , Holland Thomas P. , Ritvo Roger A.
Published: March 2007

This article describes a methodology developed to be useful to both consultant and consultee in evaluating their mutual efforts to improve agency health service programs. Reporting forms and instruction manuals based upon the concept of mutuality in consultation were used by 19 consultants in 29 consultations. Two- thirds of the respondents reported some increase in problem-solving ability. The implications of evaluating program consultation are discussed, as are certain issues in consultation: definition, implementation, process, utilization, impact delays, interpersonal interactions, hidden agendas, organizational learning, and outcome measurements.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Health Center's Community Management System
Authors: Tichy Noel M. , Taylor June Irmiger
Published: March 2007

This article presents the case of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Health Center's unique community management system in which neighborhood workers have been developed to assume managerial responsibilities and are directing the Center. The Martin Luther King Center experience is instructive because the Center was able to achieve significant community control by focusing primarily on the internal dimension of control, namely, management without experiencing destructive conflicts and the deterioration of health services.
Computer Simulation of Diffusion-Limited Chemical Reactions in Three Dimensions
Authors: Torney David C. , Warnock Tony T. , Kollman Peter
Published: March 2007

Rates of transient diffusion-limited chem ical reactions in three dimensions are de termined by Monte Carlo computer simu lation. Particles are initially placed at random on a cubic periodic Euclidean lat tice and perform independent random walks. Pairs of particles arriving at the same site are reacted according to the rules of particular types of chemical reac tion; annihilation, bimolecular, and cata lytic reactions are simulated. The compu tational method involves searching par tially ordered lists of the particles' coordinates, to find any particles sharing a lattice site. We observe the effects of the diffusion coefficients and the stoichi ometry of the reactive species on the rate of reaction. The results strongly support the contention that the Smoluchowski- Noyes theory does not give a uniformly accurate prediction of diffusion-limited re action rates in three dimensions. The only case of substantial disagreement between the simulation results and the theory is found for nearly equimolar bimolecular reaction.
Comparison of Supercomputers and Mini- Supercomputers for Computational Fluid Dynamics Calcu Lations
Authors: Gentzsch Wolfgang
Published: March 2007

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a powerful tool for the simulation of complex fluid dynamics problems. In the future, the progress in CFD will depend on effi cient algorithms as well as on the power and storage capacity of the computers available. A careful study and comparison of these supercomputers, therefore, is nec essary. The following paper presents a short description of the Engineering and Scientific Model Benchmark, the supercomputers and mini-supercomputers under con sideration, and a discussion of the benchmark results.
Parascope:a Parallel Programming Environment
Authors: Callahan C. David , Cooper Keith D. , Hood Robert T. , Kennedy Ken , Torczon Linda
Published: March 2007

The ParaScope programming environment, under de velopment at Rice University, has been designed to as sist in the formulation, implementation, and debugging of parallel Fortran programs. In its implementation, ParaScope merges the technologies of automatic paral lelism detection and integrated programming environ ments. This paper discusses the issues that underlie the design of ParaScope's editor, compiler, and debugger. The editor includes mechanisms for viewing and manip ulating the program's dependence structure. The compi lation system uses information from the various tools in the programming environment to optimize entire pro grams for specific parallel architectures. The debugging system includes facilities for remote debugging on par allel machines, using information from the editor and compiler to help isolate schedule-dependent errors.
The Perfect Club Benchmarks: Effective Performance Evaluation of Supercomputers
Authors: Berry M. , Chen D. , Koss P. , Kuck D. , Lo S. , Pang Y. , Pointer L. , Roloff R. , Sameh A. , Clementi E. , Chin S. , Schneider D. , Fox G. , Messina P. , Walker D. , Hsiung C. , Schwarzmeier J. , Lue K. , Orszag S. , Seidl F. , Johnson O. , Goodrum R. , Martin J.
Published: March 2007

This report presents a methodology for measuring the performance of supercomputers. It includes 13 Fortran programs that total over 50,000 lines of source code. They represent applications in several areas of engi neering and scientific computing, and in many cases the codes are currently being used by computational re search and development groups. We also present the PERFECT Fortran standard, a set of guidelines that allow portability to several types of machines. Furthermore, we present some performance measures and a method ology for recording and sharing results among diverse users on different machines. The results presented in this paper should not be used to compare machines, except in a preliminary sense. Rather, they are presented to show how the methodology has been applied, and to encourage others to join us in this effort. The results should be regarded as the first step toward our objec tive, which is to develop a publicly accessible data base of performance information of this type.
Supercomputer Applications in Gas Turbine Flowfield Simulation
Authors: Madavan Nateri K. , Kelaita Paul , Gavali Sharad
Published: March 2007

The numerical simulation of the unsteady, three-dimen sional, viscous flow in a gas turbine stage is considered. Results from a three-dimensional, time-accurate Navier- Stokes simulation of rotor-stator interaction in an axial turbine stage are presented. The present study uses a fine grid in the spanwise direction to better resolve the complex three-dimensional flowfield, and complements earlier reported coarse-grid calculations. Several different features of the flowfield are analyzed and compared to earlier calculations and to experimental data wherever possible. Computer animation techniques are used to visualize various unsteady, three-dimensional features of the flow. The results demonstrate the capabilities of cur rent computing hardware in obtaining accurate simula tions of unsteady flows in turbomachines.
Supplier Relations and Selection in the Foodservice Industry
Authors: Dan Reid R. , Riegel Carl D.
Published: March 2007

This paper reports the results of a questionnaire-based study of large-scale foodservice organizations with regard to supplier selection criteria and supplier relationships. It also examines current trends in vendorbases in terms of the number of vendors used, the amount of international buying being done, and the practice of single sourcing.
Attitudes Toward the Employment of Older Foodservice Workers
Authors: DeMicco Fred J.
Published: March 2007

The foodservice industry is currently facing serious labor shortages in many segments and areas of the country. To ease the labor shortage, an increasing numberof older workers are being recruited into the hospitality industry. Hospitality firms will be hiring and managing a greater number of older employees in the future. The overall objective of this study was to determine attitudes of school foodservice employees towards older workers and to determine if age bias and stereotypes exist.
The Continuing Legacy of the 1986 Tax Reform Act: More Surprises in the Hospitality Industry in 1989
Authors: Hamilton Gary A.
Published: March 2007

On January 1, 1989, Section 89 of the Internal Revenue Code took effect detailing the non-discriminatory rules to be applied in the evaluation of employer- sponsored welfare/benefit plans. The legislation has proved to be enormously complex and has generated numerous amendments to simplify existing law.
Employer Rights, Employee Privacy and Aids: Legal Implications To Hospitality Industry Managers
Authors: Murrmann Suzanne K.
Published: March 2007

This study looks at the employment issues of AIDS, employer rights, employee privacy rights and how those views relate to management's opinions on the discharge of and refusal to hire AIDS victims. The results indicate a strong understanding, on the part of one hospitality management group, of the legal constraints affecting their employment rights in the areas of collective bargaining, sex, race and religious discrimination, as well as a strong and positive correlation between such legal constraints and acknowledgement of an employee right to privacy in all areas with the exception of AIDS disclosure. The results suggest a continued misunderstanding of the disease and the inclination to view the AIDS victim as a threat to co-workers and the food operation itself.
The International Study Abroad Experience and Its Effects On Hospitality Students
Authors: Bosselman Robert H. , Fernsten Jeffrey A. , Manning Peter B. , Kisseleff Martin
Published: March 2007

Study abroad programs, long a part of the university educational experience, are increasing in importance as American students develop cross cultural knowl edge which prepares them forcareers in the hospitality and tourism field. This paper will discuss a single study abroad program in hospitality and tourism administration. This program, now in its third year, has proven to be very successful from the perspectives of students, faculty, and administration. An evaluation instrument was designed to measure student characteristics, the educational experience, socio- cultural experiences, and individual development. Data reported in this paper are from the 1988 summer program. Results suggest previous foreign travel and some foreign language skills enable program participants to more fully appreciate their study abroad experience. Nearly all students in the program commented favorably on theirpersonalgrowth, increased interest in learning languages, andan increased receptiveness to different cultures and values. As the hospitality and tourism industry becomes a major participant in our global economy, students with cross- cultural experiences will be better prepared for management positions in the industry. Hospitality and tourism programs which are associated with study abroad programs will likely enhance their position with industry, and with their own educa tional institution.
The Road Less Traveled... Alternative Solutions To the Labor Shortage
Authors: Gregory Susan R. , Laker Dennis R.
Published: March 2007

The shortage of labor has created tremendous problems for the service sector. These problems have been well documented in both the academic literature and in the popular press. Organizations have become extremely aggressive in their recruitment efforts to attractpersonnel. Wages have increaseddramaticallyin some areas; hours have been made more flexible; additional benefits have been provided. Most organizations have tended to focus and concentrate on the attraction and recruitment of personnel, to the exclusion of other approaches to this problem. Continued emphasis solely on the identification of non-traditional sources of recruit ing, although necessary in the short-run, must be supplemented initially and may eventuallybe replaced with other alternatives to the laborshortage. The alternatives must provide a more efficient use of employees, new technological processes of providing service, changes in the nature of the product/service, and better ways to structure and organize the service organization. A review of the literature, interviews with industry executives, and a more integrated approach to the labor problem will be presented.
Effects of Computer Support On Group Decisions
Authors: Davin Katie
Published: March 2007

While the use of teamwork and group decision-making increases in organiza tions, managers find meetings increasingly inconvenient. Group decision support systems (GDSS) are computer programs designed to improve processes, out comes, and speed of group decisions. The purpose of this field experiment, using restaurant managers as subjects, was to determine if GDSS could help managers make decisions more quickly and help them produce more ideas and information. The research involved two face-to-face meetings and two GDSS meetings. Results indicated no significant difference in decision time orparticipation quantity. However, when those two variables were combined into an efficiency index, the face-to-face decision discussions were found to be more efficient than the GDSS discussions. Future research should include more field experiments to reveal which decision types and group types can be assisted by GDSS.
Newcomer Socialization: Critical Incidents in Hospitality Organizations
Authors: Lundberg Craig C. , Young Cheri A.
Published: March 2007

Upon entry into an organization, newcomers are plunged into a "strange new world." Uncertain and anxious, newcomers undergo the process of organizational socialization, seeking information to understand and accept the requirements of their new organizational role in terms of values, beliefs, abilities, and expected behaviors. Much of the research in organizational socialization has focused on investigating the intentional socialization tactics used by organizations to orient newcomers, such as training and orientation programs. Such a focus, however, assumes the information organizations purposefully produce for newcomers is the only information newcom ers use to comprehend their surroundings. By employing the use of critical incidents, evidence is provided that such assumptions may be short-sighted. The organiza tional newcomers surveyed indicated that, of all the types of information they attend to, critical incidents involving training and orientation were not the most important. Such evidence lends support to the notion that newcomers look everywhere forclues - not just in orientation and training programs.
The Effect of Franchisor Brand Name Capital and Competency On the Cost of Fast-Food Franchise
Authors: Roh Yae Sock
Published: March 2007

This study empirically examined whether franchisors' brand name capital and competency significantly differentiate costs associated with fast-food franchise affiliation. The study's purpose was to identify the effect of franchisors' brand name capital and competency on the costs of fast food franchise systems. Proxy variables were developed to measure fran chisor brand name capital and competency followed by a series of hypotheses tests. The empirical results, based on 109 fast-food operations, indicated that the franchisor's visi bility, geographical market representation, contract period, and affiliation in a profes sional trade association were important factors in differentiating fast food franchise costs. The findings also offered recommendations for potential franchisees considering entering into a fast food franchise.
A Rough Set Approach To Hotel Expenditure Decision Rules Induction
Authors: Law Rob , Au Norman
Published: March 2007

Traditional hospitality research on relationship modeling has concentrated on mathemati cal functions. A major restriction of mathematical function-based modeling techniques is their inability to handle non-numeric data. This article presents a new approach that ap plies rough set theory to model the relations within a set of numeric and non-numeric hotel expenditure data. The output of relationship modeling from a rough set approach is a set of decision rules. A hospitality information table was established, using data from the Hong Kong Tourist Association in the period 1983 to 1996. Among the 82 entries in the estab lished information table, 65 were used to induce decision rules to model the data relation ship, and the remainder were used to test accuracy by comparing actual and forecasted ho tel expenditures. Empirical results indicated that 75% of the classified forecasting samples fell into the same categories as their actual counterparts, and there was no significant dif ference between the actual and forecasted data.
Some Laboratory Studies On the Use of Polyurethane Rigid Foam as a Thermal Insulation Material in Low Temperature Service
Authors: Hilado Carlos J.
Published: March 2007

Polyurethane rigid foam is widely used as a thermal insula tion material in low temperature service because of its low thermal conduc tivity. This paper describes the results of laboratory studies on various aspects of this application such as maintenance of insulation efficiency, corrosion protection, and friability.

Comparisons between thermal insulation systems on 3-inch pipe in -320°F service showed that a system employing slightly over one inch thickness of polyurethane rigid foam was more efficient than a system employing six inches of cellular glass. Because of the thickness-area geometry of pipe insulation, low-conductivity polyurethane rigid foam offers greater insulation advantages on small pipes than on essentially flat surfaces.

Studies of unprotected polyurethane rigid foam installed on a vessel maintained at —109°F and exposed to surroundings at 74° F and 50 percent relative humidity for a period of 200 days. The one inch thick specimens had K-factors averaging 0.21 after 200 days; thicker specimens resulted in progressively smaller K-factor increase. These results are attrib uted to an expected decrease in water vapor permeability through polymer films at low temperatures, and the formation of a frost barrier at the 32° F level within the foam.

Some conditions of service can result in corrosion of metal in contact with insulation, and such situations should be identified and handled with protective measures. When the metal was foamed in place or embedded in foam, the effect of foam on stainless steel, aluminum, galvanized iron, and copper appeared protective rather than corrosive; mild steel seemed adversely affected by foam contact. When the metal formed the faces of sandwich panels, foams poured in place tended to protect mild steel for about seven months, but did not appear to protect aluminum. When aluminum foamed in place was exposed to an environment which pro moted condensation of water at the aluminum surface where it could leach corrosive constituents from the foam, significant corrosion was observed within 3 months. A wash primer coating provided complete protection, but coal tar and modified acrylic latex coatings failed to provide any significant protection.

The friability of thermal insulation materials is a factor in their dura bility and their potential for health hazards due to dust inhalation. Fria bility tests of various materials showed that commercially available rigid cellular plastics were less friable than cellular glass.
A Conversation with Michael Hendricks
Authors: Sporn Douglas L.
Published: March 2007

Interviewees should be persons who are important stakeholders for evaluations and those with views of general interest to practicing evaluators. Interviewers and interviewees may be one person or several; for example, one person may interview one individual or a panel of indi viduals. a panel of interviewers may interview one or more interviewees, and so on. Douglas L. Sporn of the Food and Drug Administration coordinates the interview section.
A Panel on Theory-driven Evaluation and Evaluation Theories
Authors: Chen Huey-Tsyh
Published: March 2007

Interviewees should be persons who are important stakeholders for evaluations and those with views of general interest to practicing evaluators. Interviewers and interviewees may be one person or several (i.e., one person may interview one individual or a panel of individuals, a panel of interviewers may interview one or more interviewees, and so on). Paul Johnson, of the U.S. Public health Service, is coordinating this section. Suggestions for interviewees and interviewers should be sent to Paul at 740-G Humphrey Bldg., 200 Independence Ave., S. W., Washington, DC 20201.
China's hotel industry: Assessment and prospects
Authors: Yu Larry
Published: March 2007

The hotel sector in China contributes signifi cantly to the international tourism industry. This paper reviews current hotel development in China by examining and analysing hotel geographic distributions, ownership structures operation revenues and financial performance. The operation performance by star-rated hotels and non star-rated hotels is examined and compared. It discusses China's current development focus on destination resort and identifies the need for midscale and budget hotel development for domestic tourists. Market changes are analysed and potential business opportunities are identified for future hotel development.
The Rise and Fall of Neurasthenia in Japanese Psychiatry
Authors: Kitanishi Kenji , Kondo Kyoichi
Published: March 2007

The history of the theory and treatment of neurosis in modem Japanese psychiatry began with the exploration of the concept of neurasthenia, introduced through German psychiatry and French neurology. An original perspective on the diagnosis and treatment of neuras thenia was developed by Morita who founded Morita Therapy. Neurasthenia gradually came to be discussed in relation to Morita's concept of shinkeishitsu. Since World War II, the term neurosis has replaced neuras thenia. At the present time in Japan, neurasthenia is used with only a limited and narrow meaning. Clinical data in Japan show an increase in neurasthenia during World War II and a decrease after the war. In its place, there has been an increase in obsessive-compulsive and phobic symptoms. This rise and fall of neurasthenia can be related to changes in the theory of neurosis along with changing sociocultural conditions.
Ethiopian Jews Meet Israeli Family Physicians: A Study of Cultural Somatization
Authors: Andermann Lisa Francesca
Published: March 2007

Cultural somatization can be defined as the use of the body as a metaphor for personal distress, and is a common feature of illness behaviour in both Western and non-Western societies. This study explores the prevalence of somatization among Ethiopian Jewish immigrants in Israel, the relationship of these symptoms to their psychosocial environment, and approaches that Israeli doctors can pursue in order to better understand and communicate with somatizing patients. Lebi, a heart- centred symptom complex, and the illnesses of zar and kole, which are thought to be caused by spirits, are described in case studies as examples of traditional beliefs about illness which have persisted among Ethiopian Jews in Israel.
Childbearing and Women's Mental Health
Authors: Zelkowitz Phyllis
Published: March 2007

A considerable number of women experience psychological distress during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Although it has been suggested that such disorders are Western culture-bound syndromes, there is evidence that peripartum disorders are common in many societies. This overview presents transcultural data on the prevalence of psychiatric dis orders in childbearing women, and examines cross-cultural variation in risk factors, including parity, marital relations, and social support. The special circumstances of immigrant and refugee mothers are discussed. There is a need to develop new social structures because traditional customs which provided instrumental support and social recognition to new mothers are less often practiced in modern and modernizing societies.
Violence Against Women in Intimate Relations: Insights from Cross-Cultural Analyses
Authors: Krane Julia Elissa
Published: March 2007

This paper presents a broad overview of the cross-cultural lit erature on the abuse of women by husbands or partners with emphasis on cross-cultural patterns and variations in the extent of violence against women in intimate relations, the effects of such violence, factors that place women at risk for abuse and the routes available to women to address such abuse. Implications for clinical and social responses to violence against women in intimate relations are discussed.
The Case for Including Black History in the National Curriculum
Authors: Ali Linda
Published: March 2007

This article argues that the version of history taught in schools across Britain in the past has been damaging to pupils both black and white. To gather data about the pre sent status of black history in the National Curriculum, questionnaires were sent to 75 participants by mail and there was also some opportunistic distribution. Eighty-one percent of these were teachers, lecturers, academics and members of NGOs; the other 19% were social workers, clergymen, lawyers and senior civil servants. Forty-five percent responded. The research began in May 1998 prior to the Macpherson Report on the Lawrence Enquiry (pub lished in March 1999) and before the July 1999 publication of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority's QCA) consultative document proposing changes to the National Curriculum. The study produced no definitive definition of what is black history but a simple characterisation can be given. 'Black' here refers to peoples from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and their descendants but similarly recognises the needs of people of mixed relationships, those from China, their descendants and other minority groups.
Review : Environmental Tobacco Smoke and Respiratory Health in Children: A Critical Review and Analysis of the Literature from 1969 to 19981
Authors: Witorsch Raphael J. , Witorsch Philip
Published: March 2007

This analysis of parental/household smoking (a surro gate for environmental tobacco smoke, ETS) and respira tory symptoms and disease in children updates an ear lier analysis. Some 94 studies of preschool children and 152 studies of school-age or older children published between 1969 and 1998 were examined. Both analyses have shown an age dependency in the relationship between parental/household smoking and respiratory symptoms and disease in children. A statistically signifi cant, though moderate, relationship between parental/ household smoking and respiratory illness was ob served in most (86%) of the studies in preschool chil dren. While almost two thirds (98 of 152) of the studies of school-age children showed a statistically significant re lationship between parental/household smoking and re spiratory symptoms and disease, there was a general lack of consistency of statistical association for specific respiratory endpoints (e.g., asthma, wheeze, bronchitis,
Measuring Indoor Fungal Contaminants in Rural West Bengal, India, with Reference to Allergy Symptoms
Authors: Bhattacharya Kashinath , Raha Subrato , Manas Ranjan Majumdar
Published: March 2007

An airborne fungal spore survey in five indoor environ ments in Santiniketan, West Bengal, India was carried out for a period of 2 years using the Astir 1-day personal volumetric sampler as well as a Rotorod sampler and sedimentation plates. A total of 24 fungal spore genera in addition to Aspergilli were recorded of which three were Phycomycetes ( Cunninghamella, Rhizopus, Syncepha lastrum), two were Ascomycetes ( Chaetomium, Pleospo ra), one was Basidiomycete ( Ganoderma ) and the re mainder were fungi imperfecti. Aspergillus contributed most to the total aerospora in the environment, followed by Curvularia and Cladosporium. The occurrence of aerospora exhibited a distinct seasonal periodicity in their annual distribution, perhaps due to differences in meteorological conditions. Concentrations were lowest in summer and highest during monsoon and postmon soon periods. High concentration of spores in winter was due to a large number of saprophytic forms, of which Cladosporium was the major component. The predomi nance of Aspergillus, Curvularia, Cladosporium, Alter naria in all the indoor environments contributed to their ability to grow in various substrata. Moreover, indoor aeroflora might have been diluted by the outside aeroflo ra entering through different inlets. The clinical investi gation clearly demonstrated the highly allergenic nature of the ten tested fungal antigens that may be due to a higher prevalence of such fungal forms in the surround ings of those tested.
Indoor Air Quality and Childhood Asthma: Method Development and Preliminary Results
Authors: Stewart Lorraine , Gee Ivan L. , Watson Adrian F.R. , Fletcher Gill , Niven Robert
Published: March 2007

Relatively little is known about the impact of air quality in the home on the health of children suffering from respi ratory illnesses such as asthma. This study examines the effect of indoor chemical and biological pollutants as well as the physical environment on the respiratory health of a carefully defined population of children be tween the ages of 4 and 15 years in a deprived communi ty in the North West of England. The primary objective of this paper will be to present a preliminary review of the results obtained thus far for the chemical pollutants and the physical environment. These findings will be used later in the study to determine whether they are in any way associated with the increased prevalence of child hood asthma in the UK. The study used a database from a previous project, which identified children with proba ble asthma using a questionnaire and clinical evaluation. For each case there is a matched control (matched for age, sex and, where possible, sibling number) from the same community. A number of indoor pollutants, inclu sive of respirable suspended particulate, environmental tobacco smoke specific particulate (UVPM, FPM, SoIPM), volatile organic compounds and nitrogen dioxide have been measured in conjunction with temperature and rel ative humidity in 69 homes of the study population.
Evaluation of the Health Impact of the Radio-Frequency Fields from Mobile Telephones
Authors: De Seze R. , Mausset A.-L. , Ayoub J. , Pina G. , Miro L.
Published: March 2007

Expansion of the use of mobile phones increases con cern about any eventual health risks from the micro waves they emit. ln this work, we have looked at whether these microwaves could disturb the nervous system, the auditory system or the endocrine system. No significant effect was observed in the responses of the auditory brainstem or the endocrine system, but a slight increase in activity was observed on the Q-EEG. The functional significance of this effect remains to be evaluated, as well as any possible health impact.
Evaluation of Doses Related to lonising Radiation Sources: Means and Uncertainties
Authors: Rannou A.
Published: March 2007

People are exposed to several types of ionising radiation from both natural and man-made sources. A set of con cepts and dosimetric quantities, along with approxima tions or models, may be used to evaluate doses from these radiation sources whatever they are and whatever their form or the energy and the intensity of their radia tion. This scheme is considered to provide reliable re sults for the purposes of protection against radiation. However, some limitations are also illustrated which account for the various and complex mechanisms which intervene in the real situation of exposure to radiation.
Source Apportionment of Indoor PM2.5 and PM10 in Homes
Authors: Chao Christopher Y. , Cheng Eddie C.
Published: March 2007

A source apportionment analysis was performed using the elemental species concentrations of the air particu late samples collected in 8 homes from October 1999 to March 2000. It was based on a chemical mass balance approach using the source profiles from five common sources found in Hong Kong homes. These five sources were smoking, cooking, incense burning, human activi ties and outdoor contribution. Seventeen elements were analysed in the particulate samples collected by proton- induced X-ray emission. The results showed that cook ing contributed on average 61.9% of the total indoor PM2.5 in the 8 homes with 31.9% on average contributed from the outdoors. In contrast, the major contributor to the indoor PM10 load was the outdoor contribution, which was 49.3% on average followed by human activi ties, which totalled 29.9% on average.
Effectiveness of Radon Mitigation Measures in 12 Houses 10 Years after Implementation
Authors: Rydock J.P. , Næss-Rolstad A. , Brunsell J.T.
Published: March 2007

Results are presented of radon concentrations in 12 houses 10 years after radon mitigation measures were implemented to reduce elevated radon concentrations in the houses. The houses were part of an earlier radon research project in which the home-owners received remediation advice from radon researchers, and a single contractor carried out the reduction measures. Remedia tion in nine of the houses was principally by installing an internal sump, in another by installing an external sump, in one by ventilating the crawl-space under the house, and one house had had a naturally ventilated sump sys tem built into the house and later had a fan installed to increase the sub-slab depressurization. The measure ments showed that ten years after radon reduction mea sures were implemented, only 3 of 12 houses had radon concentrations under the present-day action level of 200 Bq·m-3 (5.4 pCi.1-1) in Norway. The results suggest that radon levels should be measured at periodic inter vals after remediation, perhaps once every five years, to ensure that concentrations continue to be at acceptable levels.
Airborne Fungi in Non-Problem Buildings in a Southern-Hemisphere Mediterranean Climate: Preliminary Study of Natural and Mechanical Ventilation
Authors: Kemp P.C. , Neumeister-Kemp H.G. , Murray F. , Lysek G.
Published: March 2007

There is a growing body of evidence on fungal contami nation in moisture-damaged and complaint buildings worldwide, but little is known about the occurrence and distribution of fungi in healthy non-complaint buildings in a southern-hemisphere climate. The study tested the hypothesis that fungi in healthy buildings are low in numbers and very similar to the numbers and mixtures of species in both the outdoor air and the indoor air in other parts of the world. Fungi were collected using a 6-stage Andersen sampler, and various indoor air quality (IAQ) indicators and a sick-building syndrome (SBS) questionnaire were used in parallel. The results showed that all IAQ parameters were within USA and Canadian guidelines in all the buildings. There was also a low inci dence of SBS complaints and symptoms. The total colo ny-forming unit (CFU) counts were also low, and the range of fungal species was low compared to buildings in other parts of the world. However, the mixture of fun gal genera in the indoor air was different from the out door air. There were also substantial differences be tween indoor locations. At some locations fungi includ ing Aspergillus niger, Penicillium spp. and Alternaria alternata were much higher indoors than outdoors or, as the pathogen Paecilomyces lilacinus, were absent in the outdoor air indicating indoor sources. Differentiation of fungal species was required to identify indoor fungal sources as the outdoor air was not the major source of indoor fungi. The study also demonstrated that evaluat ing the potential exposure to airborne fungi in indoor air requires differentiation to the species level as simple CFU counts could not differentiate between benign and potentially harmful fungi.
Environmental Tobacco Smoke and Ventilation in 20 Social Venues in Perth, Western Australia
Authors: Dingle P. , Tapsell P. , Tremains I. , Tan R.
Published: March 2007

The indoor air quality and ventilation systems of 20 indoor public venues in the Perth Metropolitan area were investigated. This included 4 licensed restaurants, 2 licensed sporting clubs, 6 coffee shops (including a smoking café in a non-smoking shopping centre), 5 tav erns, 2 night-clubs and a major hotel. Indicators oftobac co smoke and ventilation were monitored, the ventilation system was inspected and the number of people en gaged in smoking and not smoking were counted. Averaged levels of nicotine varied between 1.91 and 22.4 μg.m-3 and were highest in taverns. Significantly higher levels of nicotine were found in the public areas compared to levels behind the bar in taverns and clubs. Particulate levels and levels of carbon monoxide were elevated. With the exception of the major international hotel, all venues were found to have significant deficien cies in the running and maintenance of their air condi tioning systems.
Instrumentation Issue in Indoor Air Quality Measurements: The Case with Respirable Suspended Particulates
Authors: Niu Jianlei , Lu Brian M.K. , Tung Thomas C.W.
Published: March 2007

Two fundamentally different instruments are commonly used to measure the concentration of respirable sus pended particulates in the indoor environment, one is a gravimetric method, and the other is a light-scattering method. The two methods are specified as alternatives in the current indoor air quality certification scheme in Hong Kong. In this paper, we investigated the correlation between the two methods and subsequently recom mended that the gravimetric method should be used as the reference method and the light scattering method for preliminary screening measurements as this can signifi cantly reduce man-hours and also can provide diurnal concentration variation profiles. A similar correlation study should be conducted for instrumentation used for measuring other pollutants, especially regarding total volatile organic compounds.
Air Exchange Efficiency of a Ventilation System - a Case Study
Authors: Sekhar S.C. , Tham K.W. , Lee S.E.
Published: March 2007

The problems associated with poor indoor air quality may in most cases be attributed to poorly designed and poorly performing ventilation systems. The problems in a mechanically air-conditioned building are compounded if the building is fairly air tight and depends on fresh air provision at the central fresh air intake in the air handling unit (AHU). The performance of such a ventilation system not only depends on the quantity of fresh air provided at the fresh air intake but the manner in which this air is distributed around the various zones in the building. The ventilation performance, characterised by the space air distribution, may be dictated by either the initial design and commissioning of the different components of the air-conditioning system, such as the AHU, ducts, diffusers, etc. or subsequent changes in the office space layout and furnishing. This paper deals with the determination of some key ventilation parameters such as the air change rate, the age of air and the air exchange efficiency, all of which lead to an insight into the performance of the ventilation system. The approach is case-study-based and the methodology involves tracer gas analysis employing the concentration decay method as a means of determining the key parameters.
Airway Responsiveness and Chest Symptoms after Inhalation of Endotoxin or (1 →3)-β-D-Glucan
Authors: Rylander Ragnar
Published: March 2007

To evaluate the role of airborne endotoxin and (1→ 3)-β- D-glucan in the pro duction of symptoms observed in indoor air environments, subjects were exposed for 4 h to aerosols of saline, Escherichia coli endotoxin or (1 → 3)- β- D-glucan in saline or a (1 → 3)-β-D-glucan dust particle aerosol, at concentra tions similar to those sometimes found in indoor air. Exposure effects were evaluated using spirometry, methacholine challenge for airway responsiveness and questionnaires for symptoms. People with a history of reactivity to inhaled agents (atopics) showed increased airway responsiveness after endo toxin exposure. (1 → 3-β- D-Glucan exposure caused an increase in the severity of symptoms of nose and throat irritation, while after glucan exposure, a rela tionship was observed between the intensity of subjective throat irritation and increase in airway responsiveness. The results suggest that (1 → 3)-β-D-glucan and/or moulds could be important agents for the symptoms observed.
Sources and Concentrations of Formaldehyde and Other Volatile Organic Compounds in the Indoor Air of Four Newly Built Unoccupied Test Houses
Authors: Crump Derrick R. , Squire Richard W. , Yu Chuck W.F.
Published: March 2007

Concentrations of formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were monitored over a 2-year period in the main rooms of four unoc cupied test houses and in the outdoor air. During the construction and furnish ing of the buildings 30 samples of materials were collected and subsequently tested using environmental test chambers to determine amounts of formalde hyde and other VOCs emitted. Concentrations of VOCs in the building were initially high and declined quickly during the first 6 months after construction. Formaldehyde concentrations showed a slower rate of decline with strong sea sonal effects resulting in highest concentrations during summer months. The most important source of benzene and toluene was the outdoor air whereas almost all materials were potential sources of the wide range of VOCs found in the indoor air. Some materials such as paints and flooring are identified as the most important sources of the major VOCs occurring in the indoor air.
Volatile Organic Compounds: Distribution in Offices and Restaurants in the Cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo (Brazil)
Authors: Santos C.Y.M. , Neto F.R. Aquino , Cardoso J.N.
Published: March 2007

Indoor and outdoor air containing volatile organic compounds were sampled in 6 restaurants and 6 offices in the cities of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Campinas, south-eastern Brazil. Sites were selected to include different venti lation conditions in offices (sealed/unsealed) and cooking fuels in restaurants (LPG/electricity, charcoal/wood). Samples were collected on activated char coal cartridges, and recovery was by solvent extraction with diethyl ether. Analyses were performed by both high-resolution gas chromatography (HRGC) using 3 columns with different stationary phases and computerized HRGC mass spectrometry.