2,638 research outputs found

    Triggering of cardiovascular hospital admissions by fine particle concentrations in New York state: Before, during, and after implementation of multiple environmental policies and a recession

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    Background Previous studies reported triggering of acute cardiovascular events by short-term increasedPM2.5 concentrations. From 2007 to 2013, national and New York state air quality policies and economic influences resulted in reduced concentrations of PM2.5 and other pollutants across the state. We estimated the rate of cardiovascular hospital admissions associated with increased PM2.5 concentrations in the previous 1–7 days, and evaluated whether they differed before (2005–2007), during (2008–2013), and after these concentration changes (2014–2016). Methods Using the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) database, we retained all hospital admissions with a primary diagnosis of nine cardiovascular disease (CVD) subtypes, for residents living within 15 miles of PM2.5 monitoring sites in Buffalo, Rochester, Albany, Queens, Bronx, and Manhattan from 2005 to 2016 (N = 1,922,918). We used a case-crossover design and conditional logistic regression to estimate the admission rate for total CVD, and nine specific subtypes, associated with increased PM2.5 concentrations. Results Interquartile range (IQR) increases in PM2.5 on the same and previous 6 days were associated with 0.6%–1.2% increases in CVD admission rate (2005–2016). There were similar patterns for cardiac arrhythmia, ischemic stroke, congestive heart failure, ischemic heart disease (IHD), and myocardial infarction (MI). Ambient PM2.5 concentrations and annual total CVD admission rates decreased across the period. However, the excess rate of IHD admissions associated with each IQR increase in PM2.5 in previous 2 days was larger in the after period (2.8%; 95%CI = 1.5%–4.0%) than in the during (0.6%; 95%CI = 0.0%–1.2%) or before periods (0.8%; 95%CI = 0.2%–1.3%), with similar patterns for total CVD and MI, but not other subtypes. Conclusions While pollutant concentrations and CVD admission rates decreased after emission changes, the same PM2.5 mass was associated with a higher rate of ischemic heart disease events. Future work should confirm these findings in another population, and investigate whether specific PM components and/or sources trigger IHD events

    G2 & G1 plants species of SW Colorado

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    Presented at the 16th symposium held on September 27, 2019 in Grand Junction, Colorado.2019 G2 species of SW Colorado -- 2019 G1 species of SW Colorado

    Dependence of unsaturated chloride diffusion on the pore structure in cementitious materials

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    Conceptual analysis is performed to examine the effects of pore features on the water continuity in unsaturated porous systems. The roles of pore features in relative chloride diffusion coefficient (Drc) of mortar specimens at various degrees of water saturation (Sw) were studied based on mercury intrusion porosimetry and resistivity tests. It is found that the role of pore structure in the Drc-Sw relationship is a result of its effect on the water continuity. Porosity and tortuosity are not relevant to the Drc-Sw relationship. A finer pore size distribution or lower pore connectivity tends to result in a lower Drc. The pore size effect on the Drc is pronounced primarily at high Sw, while the Drc is dominated by the pore connectivity at low Sw. Cement mortar with a higher water-to-binder ratio shows larger chloride diffusion at high relative humidity levels but smaller chloride diffusion at low relative humidity levels.Accepted Author ManuscriptMaterials and Environmen

    Total Cost of Ownership for Application Replatform by Open-source SW

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    AbstractIn intra-company IT environment, the use of open-source software (OSS) should be expanded to reduce IT costs and to establish SW governance. This requires the migration of systems from the existing commercial SW to open-source SW, but the attempt of application replatform is prevented by the expenses for application reprogramming and data migration. This study proposes a methodology for TCO calculation of application replatform using open-source SW. In practice, a five-year TCO shows a cost reduction effect of 78% - 83%. This TCO could be further reduced if the application size is increased due to data accumulation and the company gets open-source SW capabilities internally. In addition, it is possible to directly apply an application developed from open-source SW to a virtualized infrastructure environment, which enables to operate in a hybrid cloud environment. This enables a scalable, efficient and flexible IT operation and a sustainable TCO reduction in the futur

    Changes in triggering of ST-elevation myocardial infarction by particulate air pollution in Monroe County, New York over time: a case-crossover study

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    Background Previous studies have reported that fine particle (PM2.5) concentrations triggered ST elevation myocardial infarctions (STEMI). In Rochester, NY, multiple air quality policies and economic changes/influences from 2008 to 2013 led to decreased concentrations of PM2.5 and its major constituents (SO42−, NO3−, elemental and primary organic carbon). This study examined whether the rate of STEMI associated with increased ambient gaseous and PM component concentrations was different AFTER these air quality policies and economic changes (2014–2016), compared to DURING (2008–2013) and BEFORE these polices and changes (2005–2007). Methods Using 921 STEMIs treated at the University of Rochester Medical Center (2005–2016) and a case-crossover design, we examined whether the rate of STEMI associated with increased PM2.5, ultrafine particles (UFP, < 100 nm), accumulation mode particles (AMP, 100-500 nm), black carbon, SO2, CO, and O3 concentrations in the previous 1–72 h was modified by the time period related to these pollutant source changes (BEFORE, DURING, AFTER). Results Each interquartile range (3702 particles/cm3) increase in UFP concentration in the previous 1 h was associated with a 12% (95% CI = 3%, 22%) increase in the rate of STEMI. The effect size was larger in the AFTER period (26%) than the DURING (5%) or BEFORE periods (9%). There were similar patterns for black carbon and SO2. Conclusions An increased rate of STEMI associated with UFP and other pollutant concentrations was higher in the AFTER period compared to the BEFORE and DURING periods. This may be due to changes in PM composition (e.g. higher secondary organic carbon and particle bound reactive oxygen species) following these air quality policies and economic changes

    The Association between Respiratory Infection and Air Pollution in the Setting of Air Quality Policy and Economic Change

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    Rationale: Fine particulate air pollution (≤2.5μm; PM2.5) has been associated with an increased risk of respiratory disease, but assessments of specific respiratory infections in adults are lacking. Objective: To estimate the rate of respiratory infection healthcare encounters in adults associated with acute increases in PM2.5 concentrations. Methods: Using case-crossover methods, we studied 498,118 adult New York State residents with a primary diagnosis of influenza, bacterial pneumonia, or culture negative pneumonia upon hospitalization or emergency department (ED) visit (2005-2016). We estimated the rate of healthcare encounters associated with increases in PM2.5 in the previous 1-7 days and explored differences Before (2005 to 2007), During (2008-2013), and After (2014-2016) implementation of air quality policies and economic changes. Results: Interquartile range increases in PM2.5 over the previous 7 days were associated with increased excess rates of culture negative pneumonia hospitalizations (2.5%; 95% CI 1.7%, 3.2%) and ED visits (2.5%; 95% CI 1.4%, 3.6%), and increased excess rates of influenza ED visits (3.9%; 95% CI 2.1%, 5.6%). Bacterial pneumonia hospitalizations but not ED visits were associated with increases in PM2.5 and though imprecise, were of a similar magnitude to culture negative pneumonia (Lag day 6 ER 2.3%; 95% CI: 0.3, 4.3). Increased relative rates of influenza ED visits and culture negative pneumonia hospitalizations were generally larger in the After period (p< 0.025 for both outcomes), compared to the During period, despite reductions in overall PM2.5 concentrations. Conclusion: Increased rates of culture negative pneumonia and influenza were associated with increased PM2.5 concentrations during the previous week, which persisted despite reductions in PM2.5 from air quality policies and economic changes. Though unexplained, this temporal variation may reflect altered toxicity of different PM2.5 mixtures or increased pathogen virulence

    Review of previous meetings, Part 3: Montrose, SW Colorado, G2G3 species

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    Symposium held on September 28, 2012 in Canyon City, Colorado.Title from website.2008 Montrose: SW Colorado G2G3 species -- 2009 Loveland: NW & central Colorado G2G3 species

    Changes in the Acute Response of Respiratory Diseases to PM2.5 in New York State from 2005 to 2016

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    Prior studies reported that exposure to increased concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) were associated with increased rates of hospitalization and emergency department (ED) visits for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In this study, rates were examined from 2005 to 2016 using a case-crossover design to ascertain if there have been changes in the rates per unit mass exposure given substantial reductions in PM2.5 concentration and changes in its composition. PM2.5 concentrations were reduced through a combination of policies designed to improve air quality and economic drivers, including the 2008 economic recession and shifts in the relative costs of coal and natural gas. The study period was split into three periods reflecting that much of the emissions changes occurred between 2008 and 2013. Thus, the three periods were defined as: BEFORE (2005 to 2007), DURING (2008–2013), and AFTER (2014–2016). In general, the number of hospitalizations and ED visits declined with the decreased concentration of PM2.5. However, the rate of COPD hospitalizations and asthma ED visits associated with each interquartile range increase in ambient PM2.5 concentration was larger in the AFTER period than the DURING and BEFORE periods. For example, each 6.8 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 on the same day was associated with 0.4% (0.0%, 0.8%), 0.3% (−0.2%, 0.7%), and 2.7% (1.9%, 3.5) increases in the rate of asthma emergency department visits in the BEFORE, DURING, and AFTER periods, respectively, suggesting the same mass concentration of PM2.5 was more toxic in the AFTER period

    Review of previous meetings, Part 3: SW Colorado G2, NW Colorado G2 species

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    Symposium held on September 23, 2016 in Boulder, Colorado.Title page states Golden, Colorado, should be Boulder, Colorado.Title from website.2008/2016 SW Colorado G2G3 species -- 2009/2014 NW & central Colorado G2G3 species
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