Air pollutant levels have been widely associated with increased hospitalizations and mortality from cardiovascular disease. In this study, the authors focused on pollutant levels and triggering of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Data on AMI hospitalizations, air quality, and meteorologic conditions were collected in 6 urban areas of Tuscany (central Italy) during 2002-2005. Levels of particu...

Air pollutant levels have been widely associated with increased hospitalizations and mortality from cardiovascular disease. In this study, the authors focused on pollutant levels and triggering of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Data on AMI hospitalizations, air quality, and meteorologic conditions were collected in 6 urban areas of Tuscany (central Italy) during 2002–2005. Levels of particu...

In this study the performance and emissions characteristics of a heavy-duty, direct injection, Compression ignition (CI) engine which is specialized in agriculture, have been investigated experimentally. For this aim, the influence of injection timing, load, engine speed on power, brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC), peak pressure (PP), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon dioxide (CO2), Carbon mon...

Three chaotic indicators, namely the correlation dimension, the Lyapunov exponent, and the Kolmogorov entropy, are estimated for one-year long hourly average NO (nitrogen monoxide), CO (carbon monoxide), SO2 (sulfur dioxide), PM10 (particles with an aerodynamic diameter of approximately 10 m or less), and NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) concentration to examine the possible chaotic characteristics in th...

BACKGROUND Studies in Asia, Europe, and the Americas have provided evidence that ambient air pollution may have an adverse effect on birth weight, although results are not consistent. METHODS Average exposure during pregnancy to five common air pollutants was estimated for births in metropolitan Sydney between 1998 and 2000. The effects of pollutant exposure in the first, second, and third tr...

Many governments subsidize regional rail service as an alternative to road traffic. This paper assesses whether increases in service frequency reduce road traffic externalities. We exploit differences in service frequency growth by procurement mode following a railway reform in Germany to address endogeneity of service growth. Increases in service frequency reduce the number of severe road traf...

Advances in vehicle design and fuel quality mean cars can be made cleaner and more efficient. Lower emissions of carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur dioxide (SO2), particles (including the fine dust and soot PM10) and hydrocarbons (HCs) also known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) will lead to better urban air quality and less summertime smog. Lower emissions of carbon dioxi...

The main object of the present trials was to ascertain whether ill effects attributable to cordite could be reproduced experimentally. Additional aims were to obtain information on (1) the mode of absorption. of cordite, (2) the influence of cordite fumes on the efficiency of operatives at ambient and at high wet-bulb temperatures, (3) the occurrence of any acquired immunity, (4) the extent, if...

AIMS To investigate whether infants who died of SIDS were more likely to have higher acute and lifetime average exposures to outdoor carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) than comparison healthy infants. METHODS A total of 169 case and 169 matched control infants born between 1988 and 1992, were studied. CO and NO2 concentrations, averaged for all days within the infant's lifespan, ...

Activation of carbon dioxide is the most important step in its conversion into valuable chemicals. Surfaces of stable oxide with a low work function may be promising for this purpose. Here we report that the surfaces of the inorganic electride [Ca24Al28O64](4+)(e(-))4 activate and split carbon dioxide at room temperature. This behaviour is attributed to a high concentration of localized electro...