The science of the total environment

openair is an R package primarily developed for the analysis of air pollution measurement data but which is also of more general use in the atmospheric sciences. The package consists of many tools for importing and manipulating data, and undertaking a wide range of analyses to enhance understanding of air pollution data. In this paper we consider the development of the package with the purpose of showing how air pollution data can be analysed in more insightful ways. Examples are provided of importing data from UK air pollution networks, source identification and characterisation using bivariate polar plots, quantitative trend estimates and the use of functions for model evaluation purposes. We demonstrate how air pollution data can be analysed quickly and efficiently and in an interactive way, freeing time to consider the problem at hand. One of the central themes of openair is the use of conditioning plots and analyses, which greatly enhance inference possibilities. Finally, some consideration is given to future developments.

openair - An R package for air quality data analysis

Evaluation of waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and the conicity index as screening tools for high trunk fat mass, as measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, in children aged 3–19 y

The development of models to assess air pollution exposures within cities for assignment to subjects in health studies has been identified as a priority area for future research. This paper reviews models for assessing intraurban exposure under six classes, including: (i) proximity-based assessments, (ii) statistical interpolation, (iii) land use regression models, (iv) line dispersion models, (v) integrated emission-meteorological models, and (vi) hybrid models combining personal or household exposure monitoring with one of the preceding methods. We enrich this review of the modelling procedures and results with applied examples from Hamilton, Canada. In addition, we qualitatively evaluate the models based on key criteria important to health effects assessment research. Hybrid models appear well suited to overcoming the problem of achieving population representative samples while understanding the role of exposure variation at the individual level. Remote sensing and activity-space analysis will complement refinements in pre-existing methods, and with expected advances, the field of exposure assessment may help to reduce scientific uncertainties that now impede policy intervention aimed at protecting public health.

A review and evaluation of intraurban air pollution exposure models

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are typically highlighted for their potential application in gas storage, separations and catalysis. In contrast, the unique prospects these porous and crystalline materials offer for application in electronic devices, although actively developed, are often underexposed. This review highlights the research aimed at the implementation of MOFs as an integral part of solid-state microelectronics. Manufacturing these devices will critically depend on the compatibility of MOFs with existing fabrication protocols and predominant standards. Therefore, it is important to focus in parallel on a fundamental understanding of the distinguishing properties of MOFs and eliminating fabrication-related obstacles for integration. The latter implies a shift from the microcrystalline powder synthesis in chemistry labs, towards film deposition and processing in a cleanroom environment. Both the fundamental and applied aspects of this two-pronged approach are discussed. Critical directions for future research are proposed in an updated high-level roadmap to stimulate the next steps towards MOF-based microelectronics within the community.

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An updated roadmap for the integration of metal–organic frameworks with electronic devices and chemical sensors

A multipurpose transport database facility, known as the “Instrumented City”, has been developed by the Nottingham University Transport Research Group in collaboration with Leicestershire County Council (LCC), and with the financial support of the Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC). This development has been based on the collection, processing and storage of traffic-related data from the Leicestershire. LCC's urban traffic control (UTC) system currently provides the main source of time-varying data for the Instrumented City database via a dedicated British Telecom telephone line between NUTRG's traffic laboratory and LCC's Traffic Management Computer. Several research projects based on the data obtained are described.

The 'Instrumented City': data provision for traffic management and research

Calibration of SCOOT link flow data

This study focuses on the assessment of the congestion impacts of fatal accidents. The paper addresses the current paucity of research into accident induced congestion levels outside of Motorway/Freeway environments, and using the SCOOT traffic control system, provides an assessment of these impacts in more heterogeneous urban environments. Levels of induced congestion are found to vary significantly according to the temporal and spatial settings in which they occur, with only accidents that occur in either peak periods or constricted network layouts producing significant induced congestion externalities in monetary terms. The detailed spatial and temporal resolutions required for such forecasts are subsequently discussed, as these raise a number of issues for SCOOT and ITS data more generally, if such analyses are to become more detailed, sophisticated, and ultimately automated, across a range of complex temporal and spatial settings.

Margaret Bell

Papers

The 'Instrumented City': data provision for traffic management and research

Calibration of SCOOT link flow data

Assessment of the Congestion Impacts of Fatal Accidents Using SCOOT Data

The influence of air flow regimes on the concentration of a traffic related pollutant in the vicinity of a complex urban junction

The Use of Automatic Control Algorithms to Define Urban Traffic Routes.