Franco Aloisio, President of the Parada Foundation created in the mid 90s to help children living in the sewers in Bucharest, said the problem still existed in the city particularly in winter when temperatures drop to minus 15C but there had been an improvement.

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"When we compare changes in the black carbon to changes in these other indicators, it is clear that most of the increases in black carbon in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly in winter and spring, resulted from industrial emissions - probably from coal burning, " he added.

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Of course this goes up and down, but the NHS has practice and experience in managing peaks in demand, particularly in the winter.

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Michelin's management said in a conference call that the company would have a strong winter season, particularly in Eastern Europe and Russia, where rising sales would help boost its fourth-quarter results.

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Just under half of the new British aid funding will go towards helping Jordan cope with the growing influx of people, particularly those who are most vulnerable in the winter conditions, Ms Greening said.

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Lindsay Scott, of Help the Aged in Scotland, said predictions of a colder winter and recent increases in the cost of fuel could mean pensioners would face a particularly difficult winter.

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Dr Hoch's team extended this idea, arguing that as a plant starts to disassemble its light-gathering apparatus in preparation for winter, its leaves become particularly sensitive to light damage.

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It really does need highlighting that winter can take its toll in this way, particularly on the elderly.

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When they left, he escaped and spent months alone in the forest and on the run during a particularly cold Polish winter.

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