A focus of this paper is a pixel level analysis and segmentation of smoke colored pixels for the automated forest fire detection. Variations in the smoke color tones, environmental illumination, atmospheric conditions and low quality of the images of wide outdoor area make smoke detection a complex task. In order to find an efficient combination of a color space and pixel level smoke segmentati...

OBJECTIVE To determine the extent of secondhand smoke exposure in China, and to explore the potential associated factors. METHODS This study was a nationally representative household survey examining secondhand smoke exposure of non-institutionalized men and women aged 15 and older using a global standardized geographically clustered sample design. A total of 13,354 people completed the indiv...

Alcohol use disorders are associated with increased lung infections and exacerbations of chronic lung diseases. Whereas the effects of cigarette smoke are well recognized, the interplay of smoke and alcohol in modulating lung diseases is not clear. Because innate lung defense is mechanically maintained by airway cilia action and protein kinase C (PKC)-activating agents slow ciliary beat frequen...

The mechanism(s) through which smoking influences the progression of atherosclerosis is poorly understood. Recent evidence suggests that oxidants present in the gas phase of cigarette smoke are involved. We exposed human plasma to the filtered gas phase of cigarette smoke to assess its effects on plasma components involved in the antiatherogenic reverse cholesterol transport pathway. In our mod...

This paper presents the initial results of a project initiated by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and AirConditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the National Research Council of Canada to investigate smoke movement resulting from a sprinklered fire in a communicating space into an adjacent large open area such as an atrium or retail mall. Recent research on the interaction of sprinkl...

Abstract Smoke-derived seed germination is an important trait for plants to colonize postfire habitats. The well-characterized smoke-derived chemicals of karrikins germinate seeds species not known occur after fires in nature. Hence, the ecologically relevant cues smoke remain be explored native plants. With fire-chaser, Nicotiana attenuata , we revisit a bioassay-driven fractionation liquid id...

Cigarette smoke is known to cause acute increases in airway resistance, but the mechanisms behind this effect are unknown. Lung explants were utilized to examine the constrictive effects of acute cigarette smoke exposure on bronchioles from rats in vitro that had or had not been previously exposed to cigarette smoke in vivo. It was found that smoke induced a small but consistent degree of contr...

The recent report on secondhand smoke from the U.S. Surgeon General has already been the impetus for several new smoking bans and may be the starting point for a national movement, according to smoke-free advocates. " The scientifi c evidence is now indisputable: Secondhand smoke is not a mere annoyance. It is a serious health hazard that can lead to disease and premature death in children and ...

OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of smoke alarm use among families with children and to identify household factors that predict the absence of a smoke alarm. DESIGN Cross sectional analysis of data collected in the September and November 1995 Omnibus Survey, conducted by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys in the UK. SUBJECTS A random sample of British households. Interviews ...

BACKGROUND Reductions in admissions for myocardial infarction (MI) have been reported in locales where smoke-free workplace laws have been implemented, but no study has assessed sudden cardiac death in that setting. In 2002, a smoke-free restaurant ordinance was implemented in Olmsted County, Minnesota, and in 2007, all workplaces, including bars, became smoke free. METHODS To evaluate the po...