Direct assessment of international consistency of standards for ground-level ozone: strategy and implementation toward metrological traceability network in Asia.

An international exercise to directly assess consistency of standards for ground-level ozone in East Asia was conducted as part of the East Asian Regional Experiment 2005 (EAREX 2005) in the framework of the Atmospheric Brown Clouds (ABC) project. Ten organizations collaboratively participated in the intercomparison. Four groups representing Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan made comparisons at the Gosan super observatory, Jeju Island, Korea, in March 2005, with ozone instruments calibrated to their national standards, and four Japanese groups made off-site comparisons with laboratory-level standards. All comparisons generally indicated good agreement with the standard reference photometer (SRP) 35, built by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (USA) and maintained by the National Institute for Environmental Studies (Japan). The assessment was expanded to measurement networks contributing to the World Meteorological Organization's Global Atmospheric Watch (WMO/GAW) program as part of off-site comparisons, and excellent agreement was achieved. These efforts contribute to propagating traceability of the national metrology standards among the atmospheric science community, to ensuring comparability of the existing ozone measurements, and to establishing an integrated network of air quality monitoring in Asia.

Toxicity assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons using an air-tight algal toxicity test.

The existing toxicity data on the effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata (green alga) are quite insufficient. These data were derived using different test techniques (e.g. conventional batch test, closed-system test, semi-static test). The relative toxicity relationship for various PAHs is thus difficult to interpret. Consequently, the current toxicity database is insufficient and also inadequate for analyses of the effects of PAHs on P. subcapitata. This study evaluated the toxicity of eleven PAHs using an air-tight test technique. The relative toxicity relationship was determined on a uniform basis, and was different from the relationship based on current available data. P. subcapitata. was found to be more susceptible to PAHs than Daphnia magna, fathead minnow, and Scenedesmus subspicatus. Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) was established based on the chemical's hydrophobicity with R(2) equal to 0.88. Photo-induced toxicity for various PAHs was also explored by exposing PAHs under UV-photoactivation. Toxicity of anthracene, benzanthrone, and benzo[a]anthracene was found to increase 3.5 to 25 times after UV exposure. Phototoxicity was observed when the HOMO-LUMO gap varied between 6.8 and 8.0 eV.

Detection and assessment of circle of Willis aneurysms in acute subarachnoid hemorrhage with three-dimensional computed tomographic angiography: correlation with digital substraction angiography findings.

In this retrospective study, we examined the usefulness of computed tomographic angiography (CTA) for the detection and assessment of circle of Willis aneurysms in patients with acute nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), using selective digital substraction angiography (DSA) as the gold standard. Thirty-five patients who presented with acute, nontraumatic SAH, diagnosed on the basis of unenhanced computed tomography or lumbar puncture findings or both, underwent both CTA and DSA. The CTA images were interpreted for the presence, location, size, and shape of the aneurysm, presence of a neck, and relationship of the aneurysm to adjacent arterial branches. The CTA and DSA images were then compared, with the latter images serving as the gold standard. DSA revealed 37 aneurysms in 32 patients and ruled out intracranial aneurysms in the remaining three. The sensitivity and specificity of CTA for aneurysm detection were 97% and 100%, respectively. The size of the smallest aneurysm shown was 4 mm, and the largest aneurysm was 21 mm. The size and lobularity of the aneurysms estimated from CTA images corresponded well with those estimated from DSA images. In addition, CTA provided a three-dimensional representation of the aneurysmal lesion, which was considered useful for surgical planning. Our results confirm the accuracy of CTA in comparison with DSA. Because of its reliability, minimal invasiveness, and rapidity, CTA may become the technique of choice for neuroradiologic work-up of SAH patients. DSA then would be used to diagnose intracranial aneurysms only in selected, questionable cases.