The results of surveillance for immature stages of mosquitoes in samples of wet tires in 5 consignments imported into Durban from Japan is reported. Three of these consignments contained tires with immatures of Aedes aegypti, Ae. albopictus and Uranotaenia n. novobscura. The proportions of all the wet tires calculated to contain mosquitoes were 189/1,488 (13%), 20/813 (2.5%) and 13/1,032 (1.3%)...

Alternating magnetic fields have been measured in a variety of different cars, the dominant contribution being from magnetized tires. Magnetic field strengths have been measured as a function of frequency directly at the tires and at different positions in rolling cars. Measurements at the tires showed field strengths up to 100 microTesla. In the interior of rolling cars, close to the wheels at...

The performance characteristics of four 24-inch wheelchair tires are considered; one pneumatic and three airless. Specifically, two new airless polyurethane foam tires (circular and tapered cross-section) were compared to both a molded polyisoprene tire and a rubber pneumatic tire. Rolling resistance, coefficient of static friction, spring rate, tire roll-off, impact absorption, wear resistance...

This study set out to examine the effects of studded tires on fatal crashes on roads covered with ice or snow in Sweden and also to investigate the extra benefits of electronic stability control (ESC) during the winter months. Two different studies are presented in this paper. Both studies used an induced exposure approach. In the main study, 369 in-depth studies of fatal crashes with passenger...

Trucking fleets and owners of commercial vehicles utilize both new and retread tires on their vehicles in the United States. Retread tires are used primarily for the cost advantage they provide over a similar new tire. Despite the advantages that retreaded tires may bring, public perception is that retread tires are less safe than new tires as evidenced by the amount of tire debris frequently f...

Tires that were either crudely chopped or more finely processed into shreds contained viable eggs. Field-collected remnants of 2-3 chopped tires contained viable Aedes albopictus eggs. After shredding tires seeded with mosquito eggs, 34 (4.6%) of an estimated 746 Ae. albopictus eggs and 21 (2.7%) of an estimated 774 Aedes triseriatus eggs survived. Chopped and shredded tire remnants may serve a...

Used vehicle tires are a source of mosquito vectors and a means of their introduction and expansion. With the aim of assessing the effects of urbanisation on the main mosquito vectors in temperate Argentina, the infestation levels of Aedes aegypti (L.) and Culex pipiens L. were studied in used tires from highly urbanised cities to low-urbanised small towns in Buenos Aires. Immatures of both spe...

We conducted surveys to identify the species of spore-forming bacteria present in natural and artificial containers. Most of our samples came from Illinois. Identification was based on the cellular fatty acid composition of the bacterial cell wall. In addition, we utilized a custom database for commercially produced strains of Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti) and B. sphaericus, to ...

This paper provides a case study of the effect of labor relations on product quality. We consider whether a long, contentious strike and the hiring of replacement workers at Bridgestone/Firestone’s Decatur plant in the mid-1990s contributed to the production of defective tires. Using several independent data sources, and looking before and after the strike and across plants, we find that labor ...

Solid waste management is one of the major environmental concerns in the United States. Over 5 billion tons of non-hazardous solid waste materials are generated in USA each year. Of these, more than 270 million scrap-tires (approximately 3.6 million tons) are generated each year. In addition to this, about 300 million scrap-tires have been stockpiled. Several studies have been carried out to re...