Residential satisfaction in council housing

Planners' and architects' knowledge of the needs of users as well as their perceptions of the residential environment, has been commented on in many studies dealing with residential satisfaction. In this study—based on primary research in an area of council housing in Madrid—the main goal is the study of objective and subjective factors, on both physical and social levels, which influence council housing residents' satisfaction. A sample of 447 housewives responded to a questionaire, a multiple regression analysis of which showed that attachment to the neighbourhood and relationships with neighbours explained the greatest variance in residential satisfaction. Some methodological issues about the measurement of residential satisfaction are also discussed.     

Historical deforestation as a cause of alluviation in small valleys, subcarpathian loess plateau, Poland

The undulating loess Kanczuga Plateau, 250–270 m a.s.l., is located in the temperate climatic zone of Central Europe, within the northern foreland of the Carpathians. It is dissected by a network of valleys 30–60 m deep, infilled with several metres of complex minerogenic and organic deposits which started to accumulate during the early Holocene. The southern side of one of these valleys is dissected by several dry valleys. The mouth sections of these valleys have buried surface comprising peat and/or organic silts, overlain by sandy–silty alluvium. ¹⁴C dates indicate that the alluviation of these valley floors, which proceeded from the headwaters to the mouth sections, began in the 1100 ad. The gradual intensification of soil erosion in the upper part of the catchment and associated sedimentation probably encompassed only a few centuries, with greatest alluviation during the Little Ice Age. This plateau, which is under the influence of more continental climatic conditions than the low-mountain and upland regions of Western Europe, features more climatic contrasts. Here environmental changes triggered by land use were superimposed on climatic change. The most intensive processes of soil erosion and sediment transfer as well as alluviation, coincided with the first phase of cooling during the Little Ice Age. It was the final stage of the intensification of these processes, probably more intensive than its initial phase in the eleventh century, caused primarily by deforestation resulting from the development of agriculture.     

Photosensitized Oxidation of Cyanide in Aqueous Solutions of Photoactive Modified Hydroxyethylcellulose

Novel water-soluble polymeric photosensitizers based on a natural polymer, naphthalene-modified hydroxyethylcellulose (HENC), were obtained and used for the photooxidation of cyanide. The reaction leads to the formation of cyanate. The process occurs via photoinduced electron transfer from CN⁻ to the naphthalene or naphthoquinone polymeric chromophores. The kinetics of the reaction depend on the degree of substitution of HENC, its concentration, and pH of the solution. The polymers can be easily removed after reaction as prolonged irradiation leads to their photodegradation.     

Detection and enumeration of colonic mucosal cells in amniotic fluid using a colon epithelial-specific monoclonal antibody

Since its introduction, prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal and metabolic disorder by mid-trimester amniocentesis has relied upon the use of a mixture of fetal cells obtained from amniotic fluid. Little knowledge has been gained in the sorting of these cells for diagnosis of tissue-specific disorders. In an attempt to determine the contribution of fetal colonic mucosal cells to the overall amniocyte population, we used the colonic epithelial-specific monoclonal antibody (MC-Ab) 7E₁₂H₁₂, IgM isotype. Specimens of the small intestine, colon, buccal mucosa, kidney, urinary bladder, and umbilical cord were obtained from electively aborted normal fetuses of 12–28 weeks' gestation. All of these specimens were examined with 7E₁₂H₁₂ by the immunoperoxidase technique. The MC-Ab reacted with the colonic epithelial cells but not with any of the other tissues. In addition, 40 amniotic fluid samples obtained from women between 16 and 18 weeks of gestation, who underwent amniocentesis because of advanced maternal age, were tested using a fluorescent activated cell sorter. Among the amniotic fluid specimens examined, 18·4 ± 10·3 percent cells reacted with 7E₁₂H₁₂. Double immunofluorescence studies revealed that all Mc-Ab-stained cells contained secretory component, confirming that they were epithelial in origin. All fetuses whose amniotic fluid was analysed had normal karyotypes and amniotic fluid alpha-fetoprctein levels that were also normal. This study demonstrates that cell-specific Mc-Ab can be used to detect colon cells in the amniotic fluid and that colon cells contribute significant numbers in the mixture of amniotic fluid cells. This technique could be helpful in the prenatal diagnosis of disorders in which the flow of amniotic fluid through the fetal intestine is impaired, such as cystic fibrosis, imperforate anus, Hirschsprung aganglionic megacolon, and intestinal atresia.     

Quantification of Human Adenoviruses in European Recreational Waters

The presence of human adenoviruses (HAdV) in recreational water might cause disease in the population upon exposure. HAdV detected by PCR could also serve as indicators of the virological water quality. In order to assess the applicability of HAdV to the evaluation of the faecal contamination in European bathing waters, a real-time quantitative PCR assay was used for the quantification of HAdV in 132 samples collected from 24 different recreational marine and freshwater sites in nine European countries. Selected samples presenting positive nested PCR results for HAdV were analyzed using quantitative PCR and 80 samples from a total of 132 produced quantitative results with mean values of 3.2 × 10² per 100 ml of water, being human adenovirus 41 the most prevalent serotype between the samples where adenovirus was typified. HAdV were quantified in samples from all 15 surveillance laboratories. Statistical analysis showed no homogeneous linear relation between HAdV and E. coli, intestinal enterococci or somatic coliphages concentrations in the tested samples when considering all the data together. Significant correlations between HAdV and at least one of the other indicators were observed only when data from individual laboratories were considered. The quantification of HAdV may provide complementary information in relation to the use of bacterial standards in the control of water quality in bathing water.     

Influence of atmospheric stability on the mass concentration and chemical composition of atmospheric particles: a case study in Rome, Italy

PM(10) concentration and chemical composition (ions and carbon compounds) at three sampling stations in Rome and in its surroundings was determined daily during a one-month field study, carried out during December 2003. PM concentration at the traffic station was considerably higher than at the urban background and semi-rural stations; elemental carbon was detected as one of the chemical components responsible for this increase. The difference in the concentration of sulphate and ammonium was negligible, as it was expected for secondary pollutants. A negative artefact in the determination of ammonium nitrate by means of heated automatic monitors was highlighted. The dilution properties of the lower atmosphere were traced by means of a natural radioactivity monitor. This parameter has been found to play an essential role in pollution buildup. A considerable increase in PM concentration was observed to coincide with periods of atmospheric stability. The main difference in PM composition between periods of high concentration and periods of "clean" air was found to be in the increase of ammonium nitrate concentration.     

Photocatalytic degradation of paraquat using nano-sized Cu-TiO2/SBA-15 under UV and visible light

Photocatalytic degradation of paraquat using mesoporous-assembled Cu-TiO₂/SBA15 under UV and visible light was investigated. The catalyst was synthesized by impregnation of Cu-TiO₂ colloids onto SBA-15. The colloids of Cu-TiO₂ were prepared via sol-gel method while the mesoporous support was prepared using hydrothermal technique. The catalyst was characterized using X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption-desorption, transmission electron microscopy, UV diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, Zeta potential and X-ray adsorption spectroscopy. Results from characterizations showed that Cu doped TiO₂ had a small crystalline size and was well-dispersed on SBA-15. The inclusion of SBA-15 significantly enhanced the photocatalytic activity of the catalyst. Among the three types of undoped catalyst in this study (P25, TiO₂, TiO₂/SBA-15), TiO₂/SBA-15 yielded the highest degradation of paraquat for all pH under UV illumination. Meanwhile 2 wt.% Cu-TiO₂/SBA-15 yielded the highest activity under visible light.