Cigarette smoke is the most important environmental risk factor for developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Damage to the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) caused by cigarette smoke may underlie the etiology of AMD. This study investigated the molecular and cellular effects of cigarette smoke exposure on human RPE cells. ARPE-19 or primary human RPE cells were exposed to cigarette smoke extract (CSE) or hydroquinone (HQ), a component of cigarette smoke. The effect of this exposure on key aspects of RPE vitality including viability, cell size, mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaPsi(m)), superoxide production, 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression was determined. Exposure of RPE cells to CSE or HQ caused oxidative damage and apoptosis, characterized by a reduction in cell size and nuclear condensation. Evidence of oxidative damage also included increased lipid peroxidation (4-HNE) and mitochondrial superoxide production, as well as a decrease in intracellular glutathione (GSH). Exogenous administration of antioxidants (GSH and N-acetyl-cysteine) prevented oxidative damage to the RPE cells caused by CSE. Cigarette smoke also induced expression of VEGF, HO-1, and the transcription factor nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2, like 2 (NRF2). However, NRF2 was only modestly involved in CSE-induced HO-1 expression, as shown by the NRF2 small interfering RNA studies. These new findings demonstrate that cigarette smoke is a potent inducer of oxidative damage and cell death in human RPE cells. These data support the hypothesis that cigarette smoke contributes to AMD pathogenesis by causing oxidative damage and cell death to RPE cells.

This report focuses on various major long-range (1977-2002) and intermediate-range (1982-2002) U.S. commercial trucking trends. The primary sources of data for this period were the U.S. Bureau of the Census Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey and Truck Inventory and Use Survey. In addition, selected 1977-2002 data from the U.S. Department of Energy/Energy Information Administration and from the U.S. Department of Transportation/Federal Highway Administration's Highway Statistics were used. The report analyzes (1) overall gasoline and diesel fuel consumption patterns by passenger vehicles and trucks and (2) the population changes and fuels used by all commercial truck classes by selected truck type (single unit or combination), during specified time periods, with cargo-hauling commercial trucks given special emphasis. It also assesses trends in selected vehicle miles traveled, gallons per vehicle miles traveled, and gallons per cargo ton-mile traveled, as well as the effect of cargo tons per truck on fuel consumption. In addition, the report examines long-range trends for related factors (e.g., long-haul mileages driven by heavy trucks) and their impacts on reducing fuel consumption per cargo-ton-mile and the relative shares of total commercial fuel use among truck classes. It identifies the effects of these trends on U.S. petroleum consumption. The report also discusses basic engineering design and performance, national legislation on interstate highway construction, national demographic trends (e.g., suburbanization), and changes in U.S. corporate operations requirements, and it highlights their impacts on both the long-distance hauling and shorter-distance urban and suburban delivery markets of the commercial trucking industry.

This paper focuses on various major long-range (1977-2002, 1982-2002) U.S. commercial trucking trends by using U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census Vehicle/Truck Inventory and Use Survey (VIUS/TIUS) data from this period, as well as selected 1977-2002 data from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Energy Information Administration (EIA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA's) Highway Statistics. Analyses are made of (1) overall passenger vehicle versus truck consumption patterns of gasoline and diesel fuel and (2) the population growth and fuels used by all commercial truck classes and selected truck types (single unit and combination). Selected vehicle miles traveled, gallons per vehicle miles traveled, and gallons per cargo ton-miles traveled trends, as well as the effect of cargo tons per truck on fuel consumption, are also assessed. In addition, long-range trends of related factors (such as long-haul mileages driven by heavy trucks) and their impacts on both reducing fuel consumption per cargo-ton-mile and the relative shares of total commercial fuel use among truck classes were examined. Results of these trends on U.S. petroleum consumption are identified. The effects of basic engineering design and performance, national Interstate highway construction legislation, national demographic trends (such as suburbanization),more » and changes in U.S. corporate operational requirements are discussed. Their impacts on both the long-distance hauling and shorter-distance urban and suburban delivery markets of the commercial trucking industry are highlighted.« less

Past and potential future uses of the Internet in emergency preparedness and emergency response are examined. Discussion of past experience in use of the Internet in crises includes some examples from the Kobe earthquake in 1995, the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, and the ice storm in the northeastern United States in 1998. Various advantages and drawbacks of use of the Internet in emergency response are examined. Both some promising applications and issues that may arise in use of the Internet for emergency response are discussed.

For more than 45 years, Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) has been a leading center for research and development related to energy issues and technologies. This focus has grown in importance as the nation has responded to worldwide events affecting energy supplies, national security, and international competitiveness. The mission of ANL's Environmental Assessment and Information Sciences Division (EID) is to develop and apply innovative approaches to issues concerning energy, the environment and information management. The approaches developed exploit such techniques as modeling, analysis, planning, experimental design, data management, and decision support. Appropriate analytical tools are designed, tested, implemented and transferred to sponsoring agencies and end users. The Division develops first-of-a-kind methods and applications and produces integrated, multidisciplinary assessments and sophisticated information systems. The Division has considerable expertise in emergency preparedness and planning for technology-related accidents and other emergencies. It plans and develops guidance for responding to emergencies at nuclear and hazardous materials facilities and to accidents involving related transportation operations.

While government, industry, and individual rail carriers have sponsored extensive research on fuel wastage, potential alternative fuels, and energy-conserving operating techniques for the railroad industry, much of the information generated from these efforts has not been assembled into a ready-reference format covering both operational strategies and capital investment opportunities. Representatives of the railroad industry have identified a need for such a concise summary of information relating to fuel conservation in railroad freight operations. To meet this need, a matrix was developed by Argonne National Laboratory to summarize a wide variety of fuel-saving measures and their associated costs and benefits. Information was derived primarily from technical sources and manufacturers literature. This matrix was reviewed by a panel of experts from the rail industry at an industry coordination meeting in 1982 and was revised in response to their critique. In its final form, the matrix lists 38 fuel-saving measures under seven principal headings. Special emphasis is placed on well-conceived education and training programs, empty freight car miles, and elimination of unnecessary engine idling. These measures were cited by participants in the industry coordination meeting as crucial to any railroad energy-cost reduction program. The matrix has been distributed free of charge to moremore » than 120 rail carriers in the United States.« less

This paper documents the results of a project undertaken by the Center for Transportation Research of Argonne National Laboratory to accomplish the following objectives: (1) assemble reliable and current information available in published or unpublished form on measures to conserve petroleum fuel in the United States rail carrier industry; (2) update and, as necessary, revise this information based on direct interaction with experts in the rail industry, government, and academia; and (3) prepare and distribute throughout the US rail industry a concise, comprehensive summary of this information in the format of a chart, or matrix of fuel saving measures. The final product of this project, a Rail Energy Efficiency Measures Matrix (hereafter, the matrix), was distributed to over 120 United States domestic rail carriers late in 1982. Central to the effort expended in developing this matrix, and indispensable to its content, was a meeting held in Chicago, Illinois, in February 1982 to coordinate the views and findings of railway operations supervisors, fuel conservation officers, and researchers from both the rail industry and US universities. The discussions which follow present the organizational format of the matrix, its component elements (fuel savings measures and strategies), and important contrasts regarding these elements between information found in the literature the collective viewpoint of the experts who attended the February 1982 meeting. A final section presents the measures found to be most important by consensus of these experts.

This report describes the third project undertaken by the Center for Transportation Research, Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), in a US Department of Energy program designed to develop and distribute compendiums of measures for saving transportation fuel. A matrix, or chart, of more than 60 fuel-saving measures was developed by ANL and refined with the assistance of trucking industry operators and researchers at an industry coordination meeting held in August 1982. The first two projects used similar meetings to refine matrices developed for the international maritime and US railroad industries. The consensus reached by those at the meeting was that the single most important element in a truck fuel-efficiency improvement program is the human element -- namely the development of strong motivation among truck drivers to save fuel. The role of the driver is crucial to the successful use of fuel-saving equipment and operating procedures. Identical conclusions were reached in the earlier maritime and rail meetings, thus providing a strong indication of the pervasive importance of the human element in energy-efficient transportation systems. The number and variety of changes made to the matrix are also delineated, including addition and deletion of various options and revisions of fuel-saving estimates, payback period estimates, and remarks concerning items such as the advantages, disadvantages, and cautions associated with various measures. The quality and quantity of the suggested changes demonstrate the considerable value of using a forum of industry operators and researchers to refine research data that are intended for practical application.

This article identifies a set of fuel saving strategies designed to meet the needs of vessel owners and operators, and describes how the strategies can be combined into a comprehensive programme. The strategies are developed from over sixty potential fuel saving measures grouped on the basis of commonness of purpose and interdependency. These criteria reflect the finding that implementing certain strategies is a prerequisite to the success of other strategies, and the success of some strategies generates a need to implement other strategies. Operational strategies identified include: developing crew motivation for active participation in energy efficiency improvement programmes; altering ship speeds; reducing auxiliary load on main propulsion plant; improved matching of ship capacities and cargo volume; reducing miles traveled; and maximizing use of electronic navigation and communications aids. Physical plant modification strategies identified include: optimizing for reduced ship speeds; fuel switching, blending and modifying; hydrodynamic improvements to the hull and propeller; and improving thrust.

In order to meet the need for a concise compendium of information relating to fuel conservation in railroad freight operations, a matrix was developed which summarized a wide variety of fuel-saving measures and their associated costs and benefits. Organizational approach and technique were consistent with that applied to the earlier formulation by Argonne of a matrix for use by the maritime shipping industry. Information was derived primarily from technical sources and manufacturers' literature. This matrix was reviewed by a panel of experts from the rail industry and was revised based upon their critique. In its final form, it lists 38 fuel savings measures under seven principal headings. Special emphasis is placed on well-conceived education and training programs, improved fuel inventory control and handling, reduction of empty freight car miles, and elimination of unnecessary idling, all identified as crucial to any railroad energy cost reduction program.

A project undertaken by the Center for Transportation Research, Argonne National Laboratory, for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to develop a compendium of measures for improving shipboard energy efficiency in the maritime industry is documented. A matrix, or chart, of more than 60 fuel-savings options was developed and then refined with the assistance of representatives of the shipping industry, the academic community, and relevant federal agencies convened at a DOE-sponsored workshop on maritime energy conservation in New York City in April 1981. In addition, 10 measures were judged by workshop consensus to have the greatest fuel-savings potential. Among them were the development of crew motivation for active participation in energy efficiency improvement programs; the revision of operating practices to emphasize and maximize the benefits of slow steaming; the application of self-polishing hull coatings; optimization of ship trim; propeller maintenance and replacement; and dieselization. Later, a list of the 10 most effective measures, the final matrix with an explanatory sheet, and a roster of workshop participants were mailed to more than 1000 ship owners and operators in U.S. foreign trade. An important desired effect of the project is a reduction in the demand for marine fuel at U.S. ports. (Author)

This report summarizes coal energy tranportation alternatives and their environmental effects. The data presented allow comparison of the alternatives and are easily scaled to give the environmental effects for specific cases. Environmental effects that are difficult to quantify are presented in descriptive form. Regional data and regulatory information on air quality, water quality, and land use allow the generic environmental effects to be applied to site-specific analyses. An example of such an analysis is included.

The 14 papers in this report deal with the following areas: projected potential piggyback energy savings through the year 2000; use of density function and Monte Carlo simulation techniques to evaluate policy impacts on travel demand; direct energy consumption for personal travel in the Chicago metropolitan area; short-term forecasting of gasoline demand; issues for developing state energy emergency conservation plans; analysis of long-term transportation energy use; state-level stock system model of gasoline demand; fuel consumption on congested freeways; measures of the impacts of changes in motor-fuel supply in Massachusetts; dual price system for management of gasoline lines; projections of changes in vehicle technology and characteristics to improve fuel economy; framework for analyzing the 1979 summer fuel crisis: the New York state experience; simulating the impact of transportation-related energy policies on travel behavior and transportation demand; and an assessment of games as methods of providing information on gasoline conservation.