We examine what types of galaxies the conversion formula from dust infrared (IR) luminosity into the star formation rate (SFR) derived by Kennicutt (1998) is applicable to. The ratio of the observed IR luminosity, LIR, to the intrinsic bolometric luminosity of the newly (. 10 Myr) formed stars, LSF, of a galaxy can be determined by a mean dust opacity in the interstellar medium and the activity...

BACKGROUND Up to 70% of atopic asthmatics have a positive skin test to the dust mite allergen Der p 1. Reduction of dust mite numbers by lowering room humidity control is one suggested technique for reducing dust mite allergen levels to clinically acceptable levels. Trials of this technique in temperate climates have reported mixed results. It has been speculated that one reason for this is tha...

We use Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 2 QSO spectra to constrain the dust-reddening caused by intervening damped Lyα systems (DLAs). Comparing the spectral index distribution of a 79 sight-line DLA sample with that of a large control sample reveals no evidence for dust-reddening at z∼3. Our limit on the shift in spectral index, |∆α|<0.14 (3 σ), corresponds to a limit on the colour excess...

The physical and chemical characteristics and ecological consequences of road dust in arctic regions are reviewed with emphasis on recent information gathered along the Dalton Highway and the Prudhoe Bay Spine Road in northern Alaska. The primary observed ecological effects of dust are (1) early snowmelt in roadside areas due to lower albedos, resulting in a snow-free band of vegetation within ...

To characterize the seasonal variability of endotoxin levels, we measured endotoxin in dust from the bed, bedroom floor, and kitchen floor in 20 homes, and in air from the bedroom in 15 of the homes. All homes were located in the greater Boston, Massachusetts, area and were sampled each month from April 1995 to June 1996. Outdoor air was collected at two locations. We found greater within-home ...

Airway inflammation in asthma may represent a favorable environment for respiratory viral infections, augmenting virus-induced exacerbations in asthma. We postulated that repeated low-dose allergen exposure preceding experimental rhinovirus 16 (RV16) infection increases the severity of RV-induced airway obstruction and inflammation. Thirty-six house dust mite-allergic patients with mild to mode...

Assessment of exposure to occupational dusts is a first step in reducing exposures to harmful dust concentrations. A new type of respirable dust sampler was developed and compared side-by-side to personal gravimetric samplers in the laboratory. The new sampler correlates filter back pressure with mass accumulation to provide mid-shift- and end-of-shift determinations of cumulative exposure. The...