Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Review On Production Processes Of Decabromodiphenyl Ether (DECABDE) Used In Polymeric Applications In Electrical And Electronic Equipment, And Assessment Of The Availability Of Potential Alternatives To DECABDE

In this study commissioned by DG ENV, the JRC-IHCP-ECB has reviewed the production processes of DecaBDE, in particular its NonaBDE content, and explored the availability of potential DecaBDE alternatives used in polymeric applications for EEE (cost of substitution and recyclability of alternatives was outside the scope of the study). The mission of the JRC is to provide customer-driven scientific and technical support for the conception, development, implementation and monitoring of EU policies. As a service of the European Commission, the JRC functions as a reference centre of science and technology for the Union. Close to the policy-making process, it serves the common interest of the Member States, while being independent of special interests, private or national.
The study of the theoretical approaches to the event management in order to form the brand of a higher education institution

Aim. To study the features of the events held by the institution of higher education and their impact on the formation of a positive image of the institution. Materials and methods. The following research methods were applied: theoretical (analysis and synthesis of scientific literature and normative sources, generalization, classification, analytical, comparative and logical), empirical (description, comparison). The scientific data and normative documents concerning events and the system of branding formation of a higher education institution were used. Results. The study of scientific papers on the event management and event marketing has been conducted. The meaning of the concept of “event” has been defined. The goals and objectives of events held in the educational space have been formulated. The types of events have been studied. The main types, content and examples of events that are advisable to hold in a higher education institution are given: informational, scientific, festive, socio-cultural, image-making. Such criteria for classification of events as openness of events, the number of the audience involved, types of the tasks performed, goals of the event, the audience involved and directions of work of a higher education institution have been proposed. The principles of a “successful event” of a higher education institution have been defined. The stages of organizing events of a higher education institution have been proposed. The expediency of conducting a survey after the event has been determined in order to identify the advantages and disadvantages of the event, form the purpose of attending the event by different participants, improve the quality of events and determine the impact on the image of the institution. Conclusions. The stages of the event management in higher education institutions have been suggested. The meaning of events has been defined; their objectives, tasks and classification, have been determined. The principles of the event organization, factors that determine the effectiveness of events and the advantages of events as marketing communication tools have been formed.
Effects of the Incorporation of Sawdust Waste Incineration Fly Ash in Cement Pastes and Mortars

Abstract This paper presents the result of a study on the use of sawdust waste incineration fly ash (SWIFA) as supplementary cementing materials. Tests on the setting times and strength development of cement paste and mortar with up to 30 percent SWIFA were carried out. Results of the setting times and compressive strengths show that with increasing amounts of SWIFA, the setting times of the paste were extended and the compressive strengths decreased. Pozzolanic activity index of the material was also confirmed to be approximately 76 percent and that the material performed better in a nitric acid solution environment than in sulphuric acid solution.
Potential of adjuvants to reduce drift in agricultural spraying

The reduction of pesticide spraying drift is still one of the major challenges in Brazilian agriculture. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of different adjuvant products, such as surfactants, drift retardants, mineral oil and vegetable oil for reducing drift in agricultural spraying. The experiment consisted of quantifying drift of sprayings of 18 adjuvants dissolved in water under controlled conditions in a wind tunnel. Tests were performed in triplicates with spraying nozzles type Teejet XR8003 VK, pressure of 200kPa and medium drops. Solutions sprayed were marked with Brilliant Blue dye at 0.6% (m v-1). The drift was collected using polyethylene strips transversally fixed along the tunnel at different distances from the nozzle and different heights from the bottom part of the tunnel. Drift deposits were evaluated by spectrophotometry in order to quantify deposits. The adjuvants from chemical groups of mineral oil and drift retardant resulted in lower values of drift in comparison with surfactants and water. The results obtained in laboratory show that the selection of appropriate class and concentration of adjuvants can significantly decrease the risk of drift in agricultural spraying. However, the best results obtained in laboratory should be validated with pesticide under field conditions in the future.
Effects of SPENT FILTER BACKWASH recycle ON CRYPTOSPORIDIUM REMOVAL

Pilot studies were conducted to investigate the effect of recycling spent filter backwash water (SFBW) on Cryptosporidium and particle removal during conventional sedimentation and dual‐media filtration. When SFBW recycle configurations (3,000–19,000 oocysts/100 L) were used, Cryptosporidium concentrations in settled water were as low as or lower than when no recycle was used (6,000–22,000 oocysts/100 L). Filtered water oocyst concentrations were typically below the detection limit of 1 oocyst/120 gal (~0.25/100 L). Overall process removal was about 5 log without recycle and about 5.7 log for each recycle scenario based on calculations using raw Cryptosporidium concentrations and filtered water detection levels. As with Cryptosporidium removal, removal of turbidity and particles > 2 μm for the entire process (sedimentation + filtration) was similar for operations with and without recycle. Typical median filtered water concentrations for particles > 2 μm were < 0.5 particles/mL for all recycle scenarios, including no recycle. Similarly, settled and filtered water turbidity levels for all studies were typically < 2 and < 0.03 ntu, respectively.
EIA-Learning from Experience: Changes in the Quality of Environmental Impact Statements for UK Planning Projects

This paper draws on a research report recently produced (1996) by the authors for the UK Department of the Environment. The principal aim of the research was to establish clearly what changes, if any, there have been in the quality of Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) since the inception of mandatory EIA in 1988, and to explain reasons for the changes. The paper provides a critique of the meaning of 'quality' in an area such as this. Quality relates both to the EIS and to the EIA process. EIS quality can be assessed against various review frameworks in a structured and systematic way; quality can also be assessed according to the perspective of the individual participant in the EIA process. The findings of both macro and micro studies of quality are discussed. The macro study uses a range of review frameworks (minimum regulatory requirements, an EU framework, and comprehensive frameworks developed by EIA academics at UK universities, including Oxford Brookes University) for a large sample of EISs. The micro study uses a structured questionnaire of the participants (local planning officers, developers, consultants and others) involved in a smaller set of detailed case studies. The findings reveal that there has been a learning from experience and an improvementin quality, but they also highlight a number of problems in the EIA process. The paper outlines some of the determinants of the changes in quality, and concludes with recommendations for developments in EIA in response to particular issues raised. These recommendations are set in the context of European Commission amendments to the EC EIA Directive.
Determination of the Level of Contamination of Underground Water (hand- dug well) by Organic Waste: A case Study of Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria.

The recent increase in urbanization has lead to increase in city population, spatial size, and generation of waste. This is a common phenomenon in Nigeria Cities, where Ado-Ekiti is a typical example. With the ever increasing population coupled with increasing waste (contaminant) generation and high demand for potable water, there have been reported cases of water associated health problems in the state specialist hospital. The aim of this study is to determine the level of contamination of hand-dug well which is one of the major source of water supply for the population. Water samples were taken from a total of fifteen wells at the vicinity of three major refuse dumpsite taking measurement of depth of the well, diameter, volume of water, distance to toilet and dumpsite and the physical condition of the wells. The determination of bacteria level was done using, Experimental scientific set standard. The total coliform bacteria count shows that the water is exposed to serious and complex contaminations, which indicates source pollutant of sewage and faecal materials from man and animal. With the findings, location, design and construction of wells should not be determined by only hydro geological facts, but a set standard that will put distance from toilet/dumpsite into consideration should be strictly followed. Also health workers should carry out regular monitoring of the well for contaminations. Ethiopian Journal of Education and Sciences Vol. 3 (1) 2007: pp. 43-50
A Clinicopathological Study of Immunobullous Diseases

Background: Vesiculobullous disorders are a group of disorders involving the formation of a fluid filled cavity within or beneath the epidermis, due to the presence of autoantibodies against adhesion molecules in epidermis and dermis. The clinical presentation and the microscopic features of different diseases belonging to this group vary greatly. This study was undertaken to describe the clinical features and the histopathological patterns of immunobullous diseases. Method: 30 cases of immunobullous disorders who attended Dermatology Outpatient Department were included in the study. Relevant clinical details of these cases were collected and punch biopsies were taken from the site of lesion which were used for routine histopathology. Results: Among the 30 cases included in our study, males were found to be more commonly affected than females. The most common immunobullous lesions encountered were Pemphigus Vulgaris(13/30) and Bullous Pemphigoid (10/30). In pemphigus group of diseases, patients presented with small cutaneous and oral vesicles. Pemphigus foliaceous patients showed cutaneous lesions only. Intraepidermal vesicles containing acantholytic cells and inflammatory cells were characteristic histological features of the Pemphigus group. Bullous pemphigoid lesions were large bullae on the limbs and within the oral cavity. Most of the cases of Bullous Pemphigoid showed the formation of subepidermal bullae predominantly containing eosinophils. Conclusion: Both the clinical findings and the histological features are invaluable in arriving at a definite diagnosis in immunobullous
The impact of management practices on mechanical construction productivity

Over recent decades, sporadic advancements in machinery and construction materials have to some extent increased construction productivity in the United States. However, there is evidence that additional productivity improvement opportunities exist. One way to improve direct work rates and likewise the potential to increase construction craft productivity is through better planning and management. Utilizing a dataset from the Construction Industry Institute Benchmarking and Metrics programme with 41 sampled projects, the relationship between the level of implementation of different management programmes and mechanical craft productivity is examined. The implementation of several management programmes, including pre‐project planning, team building, automation and integration of information systems and safety had a positive correlation with improved mechanical productivity. In fact, the statistical results show that projects with advanced implementation of the selected management programmes experienced significant mechanical productivity advantages over projects with weak implementation.
Comparison of methods for estimating REF-ET

The Penman-Monteith, Makkink, Priestley-Taylor, Turc, Hargreaves-Samani, and Thornthwaite methods were used to estimate reference evapotranspiration (REF-ET) at three sites in eastern North Carolina. The Penman-Monteith method with grass as the reference crop was selected as the standard of comparison for evaluating the other five methods. Good correlation was found between the REF-ET values estimated by each of the five radiation- and temperature-based methods and the Penman-Monteith method, although there were some differences. Based on the statistical analyses, the methods that performed the best in estimating daily and seasonal Penman-Monteith REF-ET at each location were recommended. Reliability of the radiation methods was also evaluated when data from another site were used. Penman-Monteith estimates were used to develop correction factors for their potential use in the temperature-based Thornthwaite and Hargreaves methods at each location and in the study areas in general.
Effect of NaCl on hydraulic properties of bentonite and bentonite–palygorskite mixture

ABSTRACT: Sodium bentonite (Na-bentonite) is used as a sealing component in geosynthetic clay liners (GCL). Na-bentonite is very sensitive to chlorides, and flocculation occurs when it is exposed to saline environments. The purpose of this work is to investigate the properties of Na-bentonite and bentonite–palygorskite filler material for GCL in saline solutions in the range between 0.5% and 10% (0.09 and 1.8 M) NaCl concentration. The investigation has been carried out to evaluate and study the chemical and geotechnical properties of Na-bentonite and bentonite–palygorskite mixture. The observations suggest that the resistance of Na-bentonite to chlorides is increased by adding 40% palygorskite. The bentonite–palygorskite mixture is characterised by high liquid and plastic limits, and also by high water adsorption and free swell in water, crude oil and petrol. Hydraulic conductivity was determined for water and for 10% NaCl (1.80 M) solution. The results show that Na-bentonite palygorskite mixture serves .
Practical issues related to the application of the electromechanical impedance technique in the structural health monitoring of civil structures: I. Experiment

The advent of smart materials such as the piezo-impedance transducer (lead zirconate titanate, PZT) and optical fiber (FBG) has ushered in a new era in the field of structural health monitoring (SHM) based on non-destructive evaluation (NDE). So far, successful research and investigations conducted on the electromechanical impedance (EMI) technique employing a piezo-impedance transducer are often laboratory based and mainly theoretical. Real-life application of the technique, especially under harsh environments, has frequently been questioned. In this research project, investigative studies were conducted to evaluate the problems involved in real-life applications of the EMI technique, attempting to reduce the gap between theory and application. This two-part paper presents a series of experimentation (part I) and numerical verification (part II) on various issues related to real-life application, including the durability of PZT transducers, and the effects of bonding and temperature under conceivable nominal construction site conditions. The repeatability of electrical admittance signatures acquired from the PZT patches surface bonded on aluminum structures was found to be excellent up to a period of one and a half years. Experimental investigations revealed that the bonding thickness should preferably be thinner than one-third of the patch to avoid any adverse effect caused by the PZT patch’s resonance on the admittance signatures which reflect the host structural behavior. On the other hand, the effect of temperature on the admittance signatures was found to be closely related to the thickness of bonding, as an increase in temperature would reduce the stiffness of the bonding layer, thus affecting strain transfer. It was concluded that PZT patches with thick bonding thickness and high frequency of excitation are undesirable, especially at elevated temperatures.
Economic Impacts of Climate Change on the Canadian Great Lakes HydroElectric Power Producers: A Supply Analysis

Current climate change research indicates that the Great Lakes hydrological system will be affected by future climate. Changes in the lake levels and flows will, in turn, impact the ability of Great Lakes hydroelectric power producers to generate electricity. Using technical specifications of turbine capacity, turbine loading orders and climate change projections, the electricity generating capacity is estimated under several climate change scenarios. These estimations are evaluated using a selection of pricing options according to economic assumptions concerning adaptation and time frame for impacts and adaptation. This work is intended to promote interest in further studies on the economic impacts of climate change.
Modelling of the Concrete Compressive Failure Mechanism

Abstract There has been an extensive amount of research into determining the compressive stress-strain properties of concrete for design. Difficulty has arisen in quantifying the softening or descending stress-strain relationship as it has been found to depend on the size and shape of the specimen being tested as well as on the confinement and eccentricity of compressive load applied to the specimen. This difficulty has restricted the development of design rules for reinforced concrete members not only for strength but also for ductility particularly for confined members. In this paper, a meso-scale model, which divides concrete into a three phase composite material consisting of the mortar matrix, aggregate and interfacial transition zone, is used to explain and quantify the softening mechanism of concrete specimens. It is shown that this meso-scale model can both simulate the cracking patterns and deformations which are seen to occur in concrete while softening and also quantify and explain the effects of size, shape, confinement and eccentricity of load. This realistic simulation of the softening mechanism should allow a better understanding and quantification of the compressive failure mechanism of concrete which should lead to the development of better design rules particularly for confined concrete
Experimental evaluation of accuracy of current practices in analysis and design of railway track sleepers

This research investigates the accuracy of the assumptions made in the current method of analysis and design of railway track sleepers. This study consists of a comprehensive field investigation into the response of sleepers in a railway track system to static and dynamic loads. In the experiments, several load cells (load gauges) are installed under a rail seat and beneath a B70 concrete sleeper for the purpose of monitoring the response of the sleeper to vertical loads. The dynamic coefficients factor, the ratio of the rail seat load to the wheel load and the pressures between the sleeper and the ballast are measured. The results are used to evaluate the current approaches for the analysis and design of concrete sleepers, in particular those proposed by the Americans (AREMA) and Europeans (UIC). New models are proposed for the calculation of dynamic load factors, correlations between wheel loads and rail seat loads, and load distribution patterns beneath sleepers.
Outside - Looking In: evaluating a community capacity building project

Abstract The Alberton Project was a three-year community capacity building project that ran from 1999 until 2002. It aimed to revitalise the local community surrounding the small Victorian town of Yarram. Evaluation of the project involved participant observation, monitoring of media reports, surveys and interviews. Outcomes are reported with reference to four capacity building domains of vision and leadership, structure and partnerships, community engagement, and resources. The Project demonstrated a high level of administrative competence and an ability to build a strong profile. While members showed themselves to be well motivated and ethical, they battled to engage a wide range of community members. Limitations were identified with the project’s bureaucratic structure compared to alternate social models of organisation that reflect how people interact in a community. Other rural community capacity building projects should consider the value of open organisational structures that invite a more diverse membership from the community.
Seismic Considerations for the Art Deco Interwar Reinforced-Concrete Buildings of Napier, New Zealand

AbstractFollowing the devastating 1931 Hawke’s Bay earthquake, buildings in Napier and surrounding areas in the Hawke’s Bay region were rebuilt in a comparatively homogenous structural and architectural style comprising the region’s famous Art Deco stock. These interwar buildings are most often composed of reinforced concrete two-way space frames, and although they have comparatively ductile detailing for their date of construction, are often expected to be brittle, earthquake-prone buildings in preliminary seismic assessments. Furthermore, the likelihood of global collapse of an RC building during a design-level earthquake became an issue warranting particular attention following the collapse of multiple RC buildings in the February 22, 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Those who value the architectural heritage and future use of these iconic Art Deco buildings—including building owners, tenants, and city officials, among others—must consider how they can be best preserved and utilized functionally given the.
Introducing With Microbes: From witnessing to withnessing

With Microbes shows the diversity of human-microbe relationships and their dynamism, through detailed ethnographies of the relationships between humans, animals, plants, and microbes. The objective is to look at situated practices: categories mobilized by people to talk about their relationships with microbes, their practices and actions, stories people tell about microbes and materialities that are specific to them. Therefore, the volume is just as much on scientific practices of living-with-microbes as it about other ways of engaging with them. The introduction develops the notion of 'withnessing' to understand these relations. Ethnographic contributions of the book present diverse forms of microbial encounters that open up new perspectives, showing how humans and microbes compose common worlds together. Crucially, the authors and editors of this project put forward new vocabulary for describing the human-more-than-human nexus without dichotomizing between nature and culture, subject and object, human and other, etc. This is a move away from an approach that stresses on terms, entities, and individual organisms, to attend to the relationships between human-microbe entanglements, how they develop and by which they exist.