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Creators/Authors contains: "Conway, Meghan"

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  1. null (Ed.)
    Environmental stresses borne of population growth, consumerism and industrialization have subjected many populations worldwide to elevated air pollution. Philadelphia, a historically industrial city in Northeastern United States, is ranked in the top 25 cities in the country for harmful air pollutants (PM2.5, ozone). Philadelphia also experiences 􀁋􀁖􀁉􀁅􀁘􀀄 􀆼􀁒􀁅􀁒􀁇􀁍􀁅􀁐􀀄 􀁗􀁘􀁖􀁅􀁘􀁍􀆼􀁇􀁅􀁘􀁍􀁓􀁒􀀄 􀁅􀁒􀁈􀀄 􀁉􀁒􀁚􀁍􀁖􀁓􀁒􀁑􀁉􀁒􀁘􀁅􀁐􀀄 􀁖􀁅􀁇􀁍􀁗􀁑􀀐􀀄 􀁛􀁌􀁍􀁇􀁌􀀄 􀁓􀁊􀁘􀁉􀁒􀀄 􀁙􀁒􀁊􀁅􀁍􀁖􀁐􀁝􀀄 􀁅􀁗􀁗􀁉􀁖􀁘􀁗􀀄 􀁘􀁌􀁉􀀄 􀁔􀁅􀁍􀁒􀁗􀀄 􀁓􀁊􀀄 􀁉􀁒􀁚􀁍􀁖􀁓􀁒􀁑􀁉􀁒􀁘􀁅􀁐􀀄 pollution & associated health effects on socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. This study seeks to succinctly 􀁕􀁙􀁅􀁒􀁘􀁍􀁊􀁝􀀄􀁛􀁌􀁍􀁇􀁌􀀄􀁔􀁓􀁔􀁙􀁐􀁅􀁘􀁍􀁓􀁒􀁗􀀄􀁑􀁅􀁝􀀄􀁆􀁉􀀄􀁅􀁘􀀄􀁖􀁍􀁗􀁏􀀄􀁊􀁓􀁖􀀄􀁌􀁉􀁅􀁐􀁘􀁌􀀄􀁉􀁊􀁊􀁉􀁇􀁘􀁗􀀄􀁅􀁗􀁗􀁓􀁇􀁍􀁅􀁘􀁉􀁈􀀄􀁛􀁍􀁘􀁌􀀄􀁅􀁍􀁖􀀄􀁔􀁓􀁐􀁐􀁙􀁘􀁍􀁓􀁒􀀄􀀌􀁗􀁔􀁉􀁇􀁍􀆼􀁇􀁅􀁐􀁐􀁝􀀄􀁅􀁗􀁘􀁌􀁑􀁅􀀐􀀄􀁇􀁌􀁖􀁓􀁒􀁍􀁇􀀄 obstructive pulmonary disease) through a suite of census-derived attributes. Using ArcMap Geographical Information System software (ESRI), attributes, categorized as promoting vulnerability or adaptability, are combined with air pollution data collected in summer 2019 to form a non-weighted ‘Social Vulnerability Index’ (SVI) at a census-tract level for Philadelphia. SVI demonstrated several clusters of neighborhoods with great disparities in socioeconomic factors. The census tracts with higher SVI tended to have higher levels of asthma and COPD (and vice versa). With improvements and acknowledgement of Philadelphia’s uniqueness, SVI of this kind may be used to inform policymakers on city planning (e.g. placement of future highways, industrial centers, etc.) to alleviate compounded respiratory/ pulmonary-related stresses on disadvantaged communities. Future analysis including green space coverage, other 􀁊􀁓􀁖􀁑􀁗􀀄􀁓􀁊􀀄􀁅􀁍􀁖􀀄􀁔􀁓􀁐􀁐􀁙􀁘􀁍􀁓􀁒􀀐􀀄􀁅􀁒􀁈􀀓􀁓􀁖􀀄􀁅􀀄􀁕􀁙􀁅􀁒􀁘􀁍􀆼􀁇􀁅􀁘􀁍􀁓􀁒􀀄􀁓􀁊􀀄􀁗􀁓􀁇􀁍􀁅􀁐􀀄􀁇􀁓􀁒􀁒􀁉􀁇􀁘􀁍􀁚􀁍􀁘􀁝􀀄􀁑􀁅􀁝􀀄􀁌􀁉􀁐􀁔􀀄􀁘􀁓􀀄􀁍􀁑􀁔􀁖􀁓􀁚􀁉􀀄􀁊􀁙􀁖􀁘􀁌􀁉􀁖􀀄􀁙􀁒􀁈􀁉􀁖􀁗􀁘􀁅􀁒􀁈􀁍􀁒􀁋􀀄􀁓􀁊􀀄􀁘􀁌􀁉􀀄 intersection between socioeconomic factors, air pollution, and health in Philadelphia, PA. 
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  2. null (Ed.)
    Microbes are abundant inhabitants of the near-surface atmosphere in urban areas. The distribution of microbial communities may benefit or hinder human wellbeing and ecosystem function. Surveys of airborne microbial diversity are uncommon in both natural and built environments and those that investigate diversity are stationary in the city, thus missing continuous exposure to microbes that covary with three-dimensional urban structure. Individuals in cities are generally mobile and would be exposed to diverse urban structures outdoors and within indoor-transit systems in a day. We used mobile monitoring of microbial diversity and geographic information system spatial analysis, across Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA in outdoor and indoor-transit (subways and train cars) environments. This study identifies to the role of the three-dimensional urban landscape in structuring atmospheric microbiomes and employs mobile monitoring over ~1,920 kilometers to measure continuous biodiversity. We found more diverse communities outdoors that significantly differ from indoor-transit air in microbial community structure, function, likely source environment, and potentially pathogenic fraction of the community. Variation in the structure of the urban landscape was associated with diversity and function of the near-surface atmospheric microbiome in outdoor samples. 
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