bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
O PROGRAMA MAIS MÉDICOS NA PERSPECTIVA DOS ATORES SOCIAIS RESPONSÁVEIS POR SUA IMPLANTAÇÃO E DOS BENEFICIÁRIOS NO MUNICÍPIO DE BOQUEIRÃO, PB
Authors: Sousa Darcon , Oliveira Silva Rafael Joaquim
Published: December 2015

O governo brasileiro criou em 2013 o Programa Mais Médicos, cujo objetivo central consiste em diminuir a carência de médicos em locais com déficits desses profissionais. O programa prevê responsabilidades compartilhadas entre o governo federal, instituições universitárias e prefeituras municipais. Este trabalho analisou a implantação do Programa Mais Médicos no município de Boqueirão, Paraíba. A pesquisa, realizada entre maio de 2014 e março de 2015, utilizou entrevistas e questionários para coletar as percepções e avaliações dos atores sociais envolvidos com o programa na cidade e dos beneficiários do mesmo. Além disso, foram realizadas observações de campo e consulta documental. A despeito das controvérsias suscitadas durante seu lançamento – motivadas por interesses corporativos, partidários e ideológicos -, o programa assegurou atendimento contínuo às populações de baixa renda no município investigado, sendo responsável pela manutenção constante dos profissionais médicos na atenção básica à saúde, o que se traduziu em considerável aceitação entre os seus beneficiários. Entretanto, as condições precárias de infraestrutura, oferecidas pelo município, evidenciam a distância existente entre a concepção do programa e a realidade local. Tais condições, todavia, não são suficientes para obscurecer a satisfação da população atendida que tem no serviço público a única forma de tratar da saúde.

 

 
CARACTERÍSTICAS DE MOBILIZAÇÃO DE RECURSOS: UM ESTUDO NAS ORGANIZAÇÕES DA SOCIEDADE CIVIL DE INTERESSE PÚBLICO (OSCIP) DO BRASIL
Authors: Pereira Mércia De Lima , Albuquerque Lúcia Silva , De Oliveira Kallyse Priscila Soares , Batista Fabiano Ferreira
Published: December 2015

O aumento no número das entidades do Terceiro Setor tem provocado concorrência entre elas por recursos financeiros e humanos, o que exige cada vez mais a utilização de estratégias por parte dessas organizações que as possibilitem manter ou mesmo assegurar a continuidade de suas atividades, projetos e/ou serviços. Neste panorama, surge o conceito de mobilização de recursos, que é mais amplo do que o de captação de recursos, pois refere-se a um esforço permanente, planejado, complexo e de fortalecimento a instituição. Assim, o objetivo deste estudo foi verificar quais são os aspectos de mobilização de recursos existentes nas OSCIPs do Brasil. A metodologia utilizada na pesquisa se classifica como bibliográfica, exploratória, descritiva e de natureza quanti-qualitativa. Como instrumento de coleta de dados, utilizou-se um questionário elaborado no Google Drive que foi encaminhado a 2.272 entidades e do qual se obteve 243 questionários respondidos. Os principais resultados quanto à mobilização de recursos financeiros evidenciaram carência na utilização de ações de marketing pelas entidades e a não divulgação plena das demonstrações contábeis aos seus financiadores, embora estas entidades relacionem a prestação de contas como uma maneira de ser transparente na realização das atividades. Quanto à mobilização de recursos humanos, observou-se aspectos satisfatórios, pois de regra geral, as entidades permitem a participação de seus colaboradores por meio de sugestões. Notou-se ainda que as OSCIPs enfrentam dificuldades em mobilizar recursos financeiros e humanos, o que pode indicar a necessidade de se aprimorar as estratégias e as informações disseminadas aos parceiros dessas entidades.
POLITICAS PÚBLICAS: UMA ANÁLISE DOS INDICADORES DE DESEMPENHO DOS GASTOS PÚBLICOS EM EDUCAÇÃO BÁSICA NOS MUNICÍPIOS DO CARIRI OCIDENTAL DA PARAÍBA
Authors: Tavares Valquiria Braz , Alves José Fagner Barbosa
Published: December 2015

Este trabalho objetiva analisar a evolução dos indicadores de desempenho dos gastos públicos em educação básica nos municípios do Cariri Ocidental da Paraíba no período de 2007 a 2011. Foi realizada uma pesquisa descritiva, por meio de análise documental e abordagem quantitativa dos dados, com consulta ao banco de dados do IDGPB Web desenvolvido pelo Tribunal de Contas da Paraíba e Universidade Federal da Paraíba. O universo da pesquisa corresponde aos 17 municípios do Cariri Ocidental da Paraíba. Para análise dos dados utilizou-se ferramentas da estatística descritiva. Os resultados apontam que houve crescimento nas taxas de aprovação, das notas do IDEB e diminuição das taxas de reprovação, de abandono escolar e de distorção idade-série. Ficou constatado que o percentual de alunos que dependem do uso de transporte escolar subiu, representando 27,07% do alunado. Verificou-se também uma queda de 19,86% no percentual de docentes com ensino médio/magistério completo e um aumento significativo em relação ao percentual de docentes com formação superior e pós-graduação, representando uma ascensão de 9,34% e 399,71% respectivamente. Concluiu-se que no que concerne aos indicadores de desempenho dos gastos públicos em educação básica que a região estudada tende a possuir resultados acima da média do Estado da Paraíba.
Experiential, Collaborative And Team Projects: Communication Audits In The MBA Communication Course
Authors: Hart Claudia , Vroman Margo , Stulz Karin
Published: December 2015

In this paper the authors discuss the challenges and rewards of building a graduate level Managerial Communication course around an experiential communication audit project. The purpose of the project was to provide MBA (Master of Business Administration) students with exposure to the real world responsibilities and demands of working in a complex organization while simultaneously demonstrating the crucial role that good communication plays in any organization. In this service-learning project, student teams collaborated with non-profit organizations to analyze communication effectiveness and offer suggestions for improvement. Participating students acknowledged their increased skills in the areas of communication, teamwork, interviewing, research and analysis. These students will be very marketable graduates who will become highly valued employees.
An Essay On Interactive Investigations Of The Zeeman Effect In The Interstellar Medium
Authors: Woolsey Lauren
Published: December 2015

The paper presents an interactive module created through the Wolfram Demonstrations Project that visualizes the Zeeman effect for the small magnetic field strengths present in the interstellar medium. The paper provides an overview of spectral lines and a few examples of strong and weak Zeeman splitting before discussing the module in depth. Student discovery is aided with example situations to investigate using the interactive module, which is targeted at the upper undergraduate or early graduate level. This module (http://demonstrations.wolfram.com/TheZeemanEffectInTheInterstellarMedium), which uses free software, can be used in classroom activities or as a means of introducing students to the Wolfram Demonstrations Project as a learning resource.
Elementary Student Knowledge Gains In The Digital Portable Planetarium
Authors: Carsten-Conner Laura D. , Larson Angela M. , Arseneau Jennifer , Herrick Robert R.
Published: December 2015

Immersive environments provide unique and heightened sensory experiences that focus a learner’s attention, and thus may be useful learning platforms.  In particular, portable planetariums may be useful in advancing conceptual knowledge about the night sky, because they afford learners with Earth-based views of celestial motions, and give learners a sense of “being there.”  We demonstrate here that students make gains in knowledge about both apparent celestial motion and general astronomy concepts after viewing a 25-minute planetarium presentation.  However, the planetarium presentation did not appear to increase interest in astronomy and space science.  Our results suggest that the portable planetarium may be a useful strategy in supporting learners as they struggle with reconciling observed patterns with underlying, non-observable motions of the Earth, and with visualizing concepts such as the speed of planetary orbits relative to their position with respect to the sun.
Prior Knowledge Base Of Constellations And Bright Stars Among Non-Science Majoring Undergraduates And 14-15 Year Old Students
Authors: Hintz Eric G. , Hintz Maureen L. , Lawler M. Jeannette
Published: December 2015

As part of an effort to improve students’ knowledge of constellations and bright stars in an introductory level descriptive astronomy survey course, we measured the baseline knowledge that students bring to the class and how their score evolve over the course of the semester.  This baseline is needed by the broader astronomy education research community for future comparisons about which strategies and environments are the best for learning the stars and constellations.  As a comparison group, we also examined the baseline knowledge of 14-15 year old, 9th grade students from the United States. 664 university students averaged 2.04±0.08 on a constellation knowledge survey, while 46 additional students averaged higher at 8.23±0.23. The large, lower scoring group is found to have the same knowledge level as the 14-15 year old 9th grade students which scored 1.79±0.13.  The constellations most often identified correctly were Orion and Ursa Major. For the star portion of the survey, which was only given to the university students, we found essentially no statistically significant prior knowledge for the 17 brightest stars surveyed. The average score for the stars was 1.05±0.05, as expected for guessing, although Polaris and Betelgeuse are labeled correctly more often than any other stars.
Improving cost recovery in urban water supply service: an experience from India
Authors: Jayaramu K. P. , Manoj Kumar B. , Prasanna Rashmi K. K.
Published: December 2015

Poor cost recovery, owing to inherent problems associated with intermittent water service, is common in the majority of towns and cities in India. The water supply in twin cities of Hubli–Dharwad, located in North Karnataka, India, was characterized by several issues such as water losses, poor service delivery, low cost recovery and low investments. Provision of water service to the twin cities was the responsibility of the Hubli–Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) until 2003. The municipal revenues were affected by the large gap between revenue and expenditure on account of poor performance of the water division of the corporation, which further impeded the efforts to improve water service. In 2003, due to deteriorating performance with regard to water supply, the Government of Karnataka transferred the responsibility for maintenance of the water service to the Karnataka Urban Water Supply & Drainage Board (KUWS&DB). The KUWS&DB along with the HDMC adopted a multi-pronged strategy to improve cost recovery. The sustained efforts for over a decade (2003–2013) led to a gradual increase in full cost recovery from about 12% in 2003 to 47% in 2013. This study examines the impact of the multi-pronged approach adopted for improving cost recovery in water supply in the twin cities.
Performance of a high-rate sedimentation process for combined sewerage treatment in wet weather
Authors: Suzuki K. , Fujihashi T. , Kosanda S. , Hinuma H. , Hata R.
Published: December 2015

A novel high-rate sedimentation process has been developed for directly treating combined sewer overflows (CSOs). This was done using a test facility at an actual wastewater treatment plant in Tokyo. Pilot test results, carried out 13 times, from December 2002 to July 2003 in wet weather, suggested that the process was suitable for treatment of CSOs. The performance of the process was favorable at 50 m3/(m2 ·h) up to 880 mg/L influent TSS, removing between 78 % and 91 % of TSS at loading and between 64 % and 85 % of BOD5 also at loading. The pilot testing clarified that a decrease in the influent alkalinity due to rain water caused a drop in the pH after FeCl3 addition and thus improved coagulation, with a significant decrease in the effluent TSS. Mixing, coagulation and flocculation were carried out in a baffling type mixing tank to enable uniform mixing without any short-passes. Coagulation conditions in this mixing method were evaluated and results clarified that rapid mixing was required momentarily after each addition of FeCl3 and polymer, i.e. to diffuse these additives into the influent.
Water Crisis in the Yellow River: Facts, Reasons, Impacts, and Countermeasures
Authors: Fu Guobin , Chen Shulin
Published: December 2015

The Yellow River or “Mother River of China” no longer flows into the sea these days because of extensive use of its limited water resources. This paper will present the remarkable story about water resources and its effect on the Yellow River, focusing on the phenomena of dry-up (zero-runoff) in recent years, its reasons, impacts, and possible counter-measures. The essential reasons for dry ups in the watershed are that the Yellow River basin is located in an arid and semi-arid region, its water resources are limited, and global warming and other vital human activities are adversely impacting the watershed hydrology. The dry up issue has resulted in many serious problems, from agriculture to industry, from domestic to environmental, and from water quantity to water quality. The main countermeasures proposed in this paper include: water savings, water management, increased regulation, water transfer, and rational and practical groundwater use.
First Phase of an Endocrine Research Programme for South African Water Systems
Authors: Burger A.E.B , Moolman A.P.M
Published: December 2015

This project was aimed to develop an integrated research programme for Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals(EDCs) for South African water systems. Although some research was conducted in South Africa, it was done at selected research facilities and was uncoordinated and fractionated. It was deemed in national interest to coordinate these efforts in an integrated research program in order to optimize the limited resources and maximize the information gathered in the integrated programme. This would lead to better knowledge and understanding of the status of contamination in the country and would lead to informed decisions by the governing bodies to manage the possible contamination. No information was available on the occurrence, frequency and magnitude of exposure to EDCs or the effect of EDCs on the human population and wildlife of the country. A research programme has been developed and a surveillance study done to determine the capability of the laboratories identified to participate in the programme and to determine the occurance of EDCs in selected water resources sites. EDC activity was detected at all sites and chemical analysis confirmed the presence of EDCs. In related studies EDC effects have been noticed in animals (Fish, birds and Eland). The need for an extended research programme at the WRC on EDCs was confirmed and recommendations were made for the future phases of the EDC research programme
MBR-RO for high-grade water (NEWater) production from domestic used water
Authors: Tao G.H. , Kekre K. , Qin J.J. , Ting C.L. , Oo M.H. , Viswanath B. , Seah H.
Published: December 2015

Singapore has been developing new technologies to reclaim water to drinking water standards from domestic used water. The water produced with drinking water standards by dual membrane process is called NEWater in Singapore. After the successful pilot study of membrane bioreactor for water reclamation, MBR-RO integrated system was also studied at pilot scale to investigate the new option of producing NEWater at a more reliable and economical way. A MBR-RO pilot plant with capacity of 20m3/d was used for this study. Settled domestic used water was used for the feed. The pilot study demonstrated that the MBR offered better synergy between membrane and activated sludge process. The new MBR-RO process could produce equivalent or better high grade water (NEWater) and have better resistance to shock loading than the conventional AS-MF/UF-RO from the domestic used water. RO membranes in the MBR-RO process could be operated 30% higher flux than in AS-MF/UF-RO process for NEWater production.
Incineration of Faecal Matter for Treatment and Sanitation
Authors: Niwagaba C. , Nalubega M. , Vinnerås B. , Jönsson H.
Published: December 2015

Incineration of faeces offers a treatment method that is useful in reducing the final quantities of faeces and toilet paper. It is also useful as a sanitation method for faeces. The aim of this work was to increase the knowledge about incineration as a treatment and sanitation method for faeces. The faecal matter used in this study contained ash used as additive material during the collection phase. The incinerated faeces/ash mixture had an ash content of 86%. It caught fire when the temperatures reached 800°C and beyond and after this, temperatures in the range of 800 to 1000 °C were recorded. The mass reduction was 15 - 36% and the organic matter was reduced by 78 - 99%. The plant nutrient content was reduced, total nitrogen by 90 - 94% and available phosphorus by 70 - 94%. Incinerating material with a dry matter (DM) of less than 90% resulted in a strong smell. When the DM was higher, the smell lessened. The reduction in mass of excreta and the possibility to re-use ashes as additives in toilets can be advantages of incineration of faeces.
Viability Reduction of Parasites (Ascaris spp.) in Water with Photo-Fenton Reaction via Response Surface Methodology
Authors: Ramírez Zamora R. M. , Galván García M. , Gallardo I. Retama , Rigas F. , Durán-Moreno A.
Published: December 2015

A preliminary study for assessing the reduction of viability of Ascaris spp. eggs (%) by photo-Fenton reaction was performed in this work. Laboratory oxidation trials were carried out with synthetic egg suspensions (initial viability = 60%) in an UV photo-reactor according to an orthogonal central composite design of experiments. The evaluated factors were pH, H2O2 dose, reaction time, and weight ratio Fe3+/H2O2. A mathematical model predicting the residual viability of eggs was developed and found adequate, as a function of these factors. The statistical analysis showed that only pH, H2O2 dose and weight ratio Fe3+/H2O2 had significant effects on the egg viability. The minimal residual viability of eggs, calculated from the mathematical model, was 13.80% at experimental oxidation conditions of pH= 2.3, 48.4 mg H2O2 /L, reaction time= 45.6 min and weight ratio Fe3+/H2O2= 0.07. The inactivation value was better than the results reported in tests of intact single-celled eggs upon exposure to UV light alone and in experiments using chemicals such as strong acids and hydroxyl radicals (•OH) at basic pH medium. Thus, the higher efficiency of photo-Fenton reaction can be attributed to the combined effect of acid pH, UV radiation and •OH produced by the Fenton's reaction over the inner egg membrane.
Financial Challenges to Making Faecal Sludge Management an Integrated Part of the Ecosan Approach: Case Study of Kumasi, Ghana
Authors: Vodounhessi A. , von Münch E.
Published: December 2015

Many sub-Saharan African towns currently face a “faecal sludge crisis”, because large amounts of faecal sludge from unsewered toilets (pit latrines, septic tanks etc.) are dumped into the environment. This causes public health problems and environmental degradation. The objective of this research was to investigate how faecal sludge management (FSM) can be made an integrated part of a sustainable ecological sanitation (ecosan) approach, with an emphasis on financial sustainability. Kumasi, a city in Ghana, West Africa, with 1.48 million inhabitants was chosen as a case study. Our research shows that the FSM of the city can be independent of donors’ financial support and thus financially sustainable if the potential revenue in both households and farmers is realised. This potential revenue was evaluated by (i) analysing the relevant functional groups and their relationships, (ii) a Capacity-to-Pay approach for households whereby they would spend up to 0.5% of their income on the toilet pit/septic tank emptying service (including a cross-subsidy approach), and (iii) on the farmers’ Willingness-To-Pay for compost (treated faecal sludge) based on a price of US$ 1.4 per 50 kg bag of compost. This additional revenue, which should be allocated to the System Manager (Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly) in the proposed financial scheme, was estimated to be US$ 57,000 per month from households and US$ 18,000 per month from farmers (based on 6300 m3/month of faecal sludge collected in Kumasi and a simplified financial analysis of the system).
Different pollutants removal efficiencies and pollutants distribution with particle size of wastewater treated by CEPT process
Authors: Xu G. R. , Zhang Y. P. , Gregory J.
Published: December 2015

The removal efficiency of different pollutants of wastewater treated by Chemically Enhanced Primary Treatment (CEPT) process and pollutants distribution with particle size were studied in this paper. The distributions of contaminants with particle size were studied using synthetic cellulose esters micro-porous filtering membrane of different porous size to separate the wastewater and samples after coagulation in sequence. Turbidity, UV254, COD, total phosphorus and ammonia nitrogen of the samples were measured. The results showed that the removal efficiency of the pollutants and their distributions with particle size were closely related. For contaminants in wastewater associated with particles larger than 1.2µm, the removal efficiency was very high; on the contrary, it was difficult for CEPT to remove particles smaller than 0.2µm. The removal capabilities of CEPT also correlate to the pollutants characteristics. Therefore CEPT had effective removal efficiency for total phosphorus and pollutants associated with particles larger than 1.2µm.
Novel Composite Flocculent Ployferric Chloride- Polydimethyldiallylammonium Chloride (PFC-PDMDAAC): Its Characterization and Flocculation efficiency
Authors: Wang Y. , Gao B.Y. , Yue Q.Y , Wei J.C. , Zhou W.Z.
Published: December 2015

In this study, a new composite flocculent was prepared from polyferric chloride (PFC) and polydimethyldiallylammonium chloride (PDMDAAC). The Fe( ) species and zeta potential of the composite flocculent (PFC-PDMDAAC) and PFC were measured by a timed complexation spectroscopy method and the malvern Zetasizer 3000, respectively. The flocculation efficiency of PFC-PDMDAAC for treating actual surface water or wastewater samples was compared with that of PFC. The results showed that when PDMDAAC fraction (Wp) is 7.0%, PFC-PDMDAAC contains the smallest content of Fec and has the highest zeta potential. PFC-PDMDAAC is more effective than PFC and PDMDAAC in water and wastewater treatment. Therefore, the use of PFC-PDMDAAC is both technically and economically feasible in water and wastewater treatment.
Application of Anaerobic and Ozonation Processes in the Landfill Leachate Treatment
Authors: Vilar A. , Gil S. , Aparicio M. A. , Kennes C. , Veiga M. C.
Published: December 2015

The optimization of leachate treatment was investigated as well as the configuration of a biological-ozonation process. The leachate used for the experiments was diluted to 1/5 with tap water and treated anaerobically. The anaerobic effluent and the raw leachate were treated with ozone in order to increase their biodegradability getting the minimum organic matter removal. Both were submitted to the ozonation process, applying a constant ozone dose and varying the contact time. The ozonation of raw leachate produced a decrease of COD and BOD5 concentrations as well as BOD5/COD ratios, applying an ozone dose of 38.72 mg/L·min and contact times between 15 and 60 minutes. Ozonation as a pre-treatment process to the biological system did not improve the biodegradability of the raw leachate. The anaerobic effluent from the reactor fed with leachate diluted to 1/5, was subjected to an ozone dose of 34.99 mg/L·min and applying different contact times. BODf values increased from 74.75 up to 1220 mg/L and BODf/COD ratios reached values higher than 1. Then, the application of ozone to the anaerobic effluent led to the improvement of the biodegradability of the leachate as well as the BODf/COD ratio for all the contact times used.
Control of refractory pollutants as useful resources by hydrothermal reaction coupled with biological treatment methods
Authors: Kim K. , Fujita M. , Daimon H. , Fujie K.
Published: December 2015

Relationship between structural conversion of refractory pollutants and their biodegradability improvement was clarified under various hydrothermal conditions to know the usability of treated refractory pollutants in biological treatment methods. Hydrothermal reaction was also verified by using real wastewater. High-molecular-weight structured poly vinyl alcohol and hydrocarbon structured chloroacetic acids were partially fractured by hydrolysis and dehydration at the beginning of hydrothermal reaction. Then partially fractured refractory pollutants were rapidly converted to easily degradable substances by thermal decomposition depending on hydrothermal conditions. This significant change occurred within 3 min from the moment reaching the desired conditions at 350 and 400oC. These results were very similar to the results of soybean milk, except dyeing wastewater involving aromatic compounds. Excess sludge treated by hydrothermal reaction was also converted to easily degradable substrate as carbon sources in a bioreactor. Hydrothermal reaction should be adjusted to increase the amount of biodegradable products in reactants, without much reduction of total organic carbon. The content change of refractory pollutants and excess sludge by hydrothermal reaction was the most important factor on the viewpoint of treated reactant reuse, for the following biological treatment methods.
The performance and microbial diversity of a membrane bioreactor treating with the real textile dyeing wastewater
Authors: You S. J. , Tseng D. H. , Liu C. C. , Ou S. H. , Chien H. M.
Published: December 2015

The textile industry, which produces toxic and low biodegradable wastewater, is a major industry of Taiwan. Thus, this study compared the performance of the membrane bioreactor (MBR) and sequencing batch reactor (SBR) process for treating real textile dyeing wastewater. The microbial diversity of the MBR process was also identified by a combined culturing method and molecular biotechnology. The results show that the removal efficiencies for color, COD, BOD, and SS with the MBR process were 54, 79, 99, and 100%, respectively, all higher than the corresponding parameters for the SBR process: 51, 70, 96, and 60%. All the above four parameters for the MBR effluent meet the criteria of the Taiwan EPA, while on the other hand for the SBR process, only color and COD meet the Taiwan EPA effluent criteria. Furthermore, the genus Microbacterium, especially the Microbacterium aurum, was the most predominant population, contributing 70.6% of the total isolates, and might be responsible for the degradation of the dyeing wastewater. Another two textile dyeing degradation bacteria, Paenibacillus azoreducens and Bacillus sp., as predominant bacteria in MBR sludge, were also observed.
Treatment of Pulp and Paper Effluent in China with SBR Technology
Authors: Qiu Z. , McCarthy P.J. , Brown G.J. , Zhang Y. , Wang H.
Published: December 2015

The paper presents two case studies of using sequencing batch reactors (SBR) technology to treat pulp and paper effluent in two large paper mills in China. Both paper mills chose SBR systems to treat their pulping and paper effluent to meet stringent environmental discharge limits. This paper provides a brief description of the SBR process, information on the mills, details on the startup of the systems, and the operating data during the first several months of operation. The operating results show that SBR systems are suitable for pulp and paper effluent treatment. The mills are pleased with the simplicity and flexibility provided by the SBR systems.
Pilot Evaluation Of Floating Media Biological Aerated Filters (BAFs) To Achieve Stringent Effluent Nutrient Discharge Requirements
Authors: Zhao H. , Woods C. , Parker J. , Hong S.-N.
Published: December 2015

This paper presents the results of a two-year pilot evaluation of floating media biological aerated filters (BAFs). The pilot consists of two stages - tertiary nitrification (N) filter followed by post denitrification (DN) filter. The focus of the pilot study was to determine the BAFs’ capacity to meet stringent tertiary treatment requirements in treating the effluent from a conventional activated sludge process. It was demonstrated that the two-stage BAF system, on a 30-day average basis, is capable of achieving 1) a total nitrogen (TN) requirement less than 3 mg/L, 2) a total phosphorus (TP) requirement less than 0.3 mg/L with chemical addition, 3) a zero net COD increase under methanol addition conditions, and 4) a TSS concentration less than 5 mg/L. Biological growth in the DN stage was not limited with an influent ortho-P less than 0.3 mg/L. Complete nitrification was achieved at loading rates up to 2.0 kg/m3/d with an oxygen-to-ammonia mass ratio of 30 g/g or above. High rate denitrification was observed at methanol-to-NOx ratios between 2.8 to 3.0 g/g. Methanol dosages greater than 3.4 g/g resulted in increased effluent NOx concentrations, and the increase probably resulted from unstable methanol dosing control. Water temperature down to 80C was shown to minimally affect both nitrification and denitrification performance.
Modeling and optimization of ceramic membrane microfiltration using neural networks and genetic algorithms
Authors: Strugholtz S. , Panglisch S. , Gebhardt J. , Gimbel R.
Published: December 2015

Membrane plants for drinking water treatment should not only deliver a good water quality but should also operate cost effective. Therefore a two stage procedure was applied for optimization of a ceramic membrane microfiltration processes with coagulation pretreatment. First neural networks were applied for prediction of the course of transmembrane pressure (TMP) over several cycles with high precision. With a sensitivity analysis relationships between influencing parameters could be shown. In a second step these models were applied for operational costs optimization by genetic algorithms. Based on the idea of Darwin’s survival of the fittest, settings for filtration time, flux and aluminum dosage were optimized leading to minimized operational costs with a costs reduction of about 30 %. The selected study proved the effectiveness of genetic algorithms and the applicability for online optimization being planned for further studies.
Fouling analysis of ultrafiltration and nanofiltration membranes
Authors: Mosqueda-Jimenez D. B. , Huck P. M.
Published: December 2015

Chemical and microbiological analyses were performed in an attempt to obtain a better understanding of the reduction of membrane fouling via the use of feed pretreatment. Biofiltration was chosen as pretreatment due to its potential to be a sustainable process coupled with membrane filtration. Biofiltration effectively reduced the concentration of organic and biological matter in the feed solution, decreasing the material deposited on the membrane surface approximately by half. More importantly, it reduced the loss of permeability during the operation of UF and NF membranes. However, it is believed that the performance of biofiltration as membrane pretreatment can be further improved with a greater understanding of the material that causes membrane fouling. This way the biofilter design and operation can be optimized to specifically minimize the concentration of this fouling material.
Report of BAC Replacement in Osaka City
Authors: Ogura Junji , Kajiyama Yoshiharu , Shiode Sadamitsu
Published: December 2015

An advanced water treatment system was introduced at the Osaka Municipal Water Works Bureau in March 2000. This system incorporates ozonation and a granular activated carbon (GAC) process into conventional treatment processes, improving tap water quality.

The GAC process is the last stage of the process, and it can effectively remove trihalomethane precursors and other toxic organic substances. GAC treats water through a physical adsorption effect inherent in the GAC itself, and an effect by the microorganisms in the GAC layer (called the biological activated carbon (BAC) effect). Sparse reports on long-term changes in the BAC effect make it very difficult to determine the replacement period for BAC.

A long-term study of BAC water treatment performance, physical characteristics, and other factors was conducted in Osaka City in order to decide upon BAC replacement standards. 48 water quality items were checked at a demonstration plant and with an experimental device. Three patterns of deterioration in BAC water treatment performance were identified.

Physical properties of BAC (5 items including adsorption capacity and hardness) were also studied, and no significant correlation with water treatment performance was found. An optimal BAC replacement standard was decided upon from this and other factors (costs, environmental influence, etc.).
Contraceptive Counseling for Adolescents
Authors: Potter Julia , Santelli John S
Published: December 2015

The majority of adolescents become sexually active during their teenage years, making contraceptive counseling an important aspect of routine adolescent healthcare. However, many healthcare providers express discomfort when it comes to counseling adolescents about contraceptive options. This Special Report highlights the evidence supporting age-appropriate contraceptive counseling for adolescents and focuses on best practices for addressing adolescents’ questions and concerns about contraceptive methods.
A Marathon, a Series of Sprints, or Both? Tournament Horizon and Dynamic Task Complexity in Multi-Period Settings
Authors: Choi Jongwoon (Willie) , Newman Andrew H. , Tafkov Ivo D.
Published: December 2015

When using a tournament in multi-period settings, firms have discretion in selecting the tournament horizon. For example, firms can use a single tournament (a grand tournament) or a sequence of multiple tournaments, each with a shorter horizon than a grand tournament (a repeated tournament). Firms have also begun to use a combination of both in which a repeated tournament is embedded within a grand tournament (a hybrid tournament). Using an experiment, we investigate whether the effect of tournament horizon on performance depends on the dynamic complexity of the task, which reflects the potential for effort in one period to influence the link between effort and performance in future periods. When dynamic task complexity is low, we find that performance is greatest in the hybrid tournament, followed by the repeated and then the grand tournament. In contrast, when dynamic task complexity is high, we find that performance is greatest in the repeated tournament, followed by the grand and hybrid tournaments, with similar performance in the latter two tournaments. More generally, the results of our experiment suggest that the effect of tournament horizon on performance depends on dynamic task complexity. These results can help firms make better decisions when designing their tournaments by reinforcing the need to align the tournament horizon with the task.
Diamond Foods, Inc.: A Comprehensive Case in Financial Auditing
Authors: Gujarathi Mahendra R.
Published: December 2015

Diamond Foods is a comprehensive case that provides an opportunity for students to apply several financial auditing concepts and professional auditing standards to a real-world context. Diamond overstated its earnings of fiscal 2010 and 2011, by 38 percent and 47 percent, respectively, by delaying recognition of the cost of walnuts acquired to later accounting periods. The case requires students to determine whether Diamond's external auditor—Deloitte & Touche, LLP (Deloitte)—fulfilled its responsibility to obtain reasonable assurance that the financial statements were free of material misstatement. Students need to determine whether Deloitte's issuance of an unqualified opinion on Diamond's financial statements and internal controls violated professional auditing standards. In addition, students are required to evaluate whether Deloitte obtained sufficient understanding of Diamond's business and industry, exercised the needed professional skepticism, and used appropriate analytical procedures to discharge its professional responsibilities. The case presents an opportunity to achieve several learning objectives, including the development of research, critical-thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills. The case is appropriate for use in a graduate or undergraduate course in financial auditing. It can also be used in a fraud examination course, or in a capstone course in the accounting curriculum.
Application Pressure and Carrier Volume Affects the Concentration of Azoxystrobin on Peanut Foliage and in Soil
Authors: Wheeler T.A. , Anderson M.G. , Russell S.A. , Woodward J.E. , Mullinix B.G.
Published: December 2015

Azoxystrobin can be used to manage pod rot of peanuts, and applications are typically made at mid-season or later, when it can be difficult to move the fungicide through the foliage and down into the soil. Spanish peanuts were sprayed with azoxystrobin in 2013 at carrier volumes ranging from 252 to 1038 L ha−1 and pressure ranging from 138 to 552 kPa; and in 2014 virginia peanuts were sprayed with carrier volumes ranging from 131 to 524 L ha−1 and pressure ranging from 138 to 414 kPa. Square root transformed azoxystrobin concentration (√A in ppm) on foliage at carrier volumes < 300 L ha−1 was higher in 2 of 3 experiments (√A averaged 2.4 times higher) with spanish peanuts and 1 of 2 experiments (√A averaged 1.3 times higher) on virginia peanuts, than at volumes ≥ 524 L ha−1. A linear model could be used to describe the negative relationship between carrier volume and (√A) on foliage for all three applications on spanish peanuts. Azoxystrobin concentrations in soil were 3 times higher for carrier volumes < 300 L ha−1 in 2 of 3 experiments on spanish peanuts and were not affected by carrier volume on virginia peanuts, than carrier volumes ≥ 524 L ha−1. However, application pressure of 138 kPa resulted in higher concentrations of azoxystrobin (1.7 times higher) in the soil in 1 of 2 trials than using an application pressure of 515 kPa on virginia peanuts. Foliar concentrations of azoxystrobin on virginia peanuts declined over time and irrigation events. However, soil concentrations of azoxystrobin generally increased between 0 and the first irrigation event for the higher carrier volume (524 L ha−1), but did not change between the first and second irrigation event. Attempts to force azoxystrobin through the peanut canopy with high pressure (414 to 552 kPa), high carrier volume (≥524 L ha−1) or combinations of high pressure and high carrier volumes were unsuccessful at increasing azoxystrobin concentrations in soil compared to more traditional carrier volume and pressure.
Use of Insulated Covers over Product Crates to Reduce Losses in Amaranth during Shipping Delays
Authors: Wheeler Lizanne , Kitinoja Lisa , Barrett Diane
Published: December 2015

Amaranth is a leafy vegetable with high nutrient content which is sensitive to temperature and low relative humidity. Delays in shipment to market may result in significant losses, therefore improved packaging to minimize mechanical damage and reduce moisture loss are desirable. Amaranth was stored in three types of consumer packages, bunches, clamshells and thin plastic bags, within vented plastic crates. Pallet loads were either covered with insulated material or not, while awaiting transportation. Results indicated covering pallets improved the color and overall quality while reducing weight loss and wilting. Covered crates had a “good” (7.6/9.0) overall quality while uncovered averaged 5.5/9.0 or “moderate” quality. There were significant differences in consumer package type, with the bagged amaranth having almost “excellent” quality (8.8/9.0) compared to “good-fair” quality in clamshells (6.2/9.0) and “poor-fair” quality in the control bunches (4.7/9.0). Amaranth stored in thin plastic bags was better in quality and color, with less weight loss and wilting, however, temperatures at the end of six hours of storage were higher and this may lead to microbial growth. Storage of amaranth in thin bags or clamshell packages, within plastic crates covered with insulated pallet covers while awaiting shipping resulted in improved overall quality and color.
Genetic Screen Reveals the Role of Purine Metabolism in Staphylococcus aureus Persistence to Rifampicin
Authors: Yee Rebecca , Cui Peng , Shi Wanliang , Feng Jie , Zhang Ying
Published: December 2015

Chronic infections with Staphylococcus aureus such as septicemia, osteomyelitis, endocarditis, and biofilm infections are difficult to treat because of persisters. Despite many efforts in understanding bacterial persistence, the mechanisms of persister formation in S. aureus remain elusive. Here, we performed a genome-wide screen of a transposon mutant library to study the molecular mechanisms involved in persistence of community-acquired S. aureus. Screening of the library for mutants defective in persistence or tolerance to rifampicin revealed many genes involved in metabolic pathways that are important for antibiotic persistence. In particular, the identified mutants belonged to metabolic pathways involved in carbohydrate, amino acid, lipid, vitamin and purine biosynthesis. Five mutants played a role in purine biosynthesis and two mutants, purB, an adenylosuccinate lyase, and purM, a phosphoribosylaminoimidazole synthetase, were selected for further confirmation. Mutants purB and purM showed defective persistence compared to the parental strain USA300 in multiple stress conditions including various antibiotics, low pH, and heat stress. The defect in persistence was restored by complementation with the wildtype purB and purM gene in the respective mutants. These findings provide new insights into the mechanisms of persistence in S. aureus and provide novel therapeutic targets for developing more effective treatment for persistent infections due to S. aureus.
Lean-Agile Adaptations in Clinical Laboratory Accredited ISO 15189
Authors: Vilaplana Pérez Carlos , Soria Guerrero Gloria , Garriga Garzón Federico , Salas Garcia Angel
Published: December 2015

It’s introduced Lean techniques in a Clinical Laboratory to improve the operability and the efficiency in continuous processes of analysis, failsafe systems, analysis of areas of value pursuit of zero defects and reduction of waste, and it promote continuous improvement in presented difficulties in adapting to the changing needs of the healthcare environment. Whereas it is necessary to incorporate certification and accreditation, note that the adaptability of the clinical laboratory to the changing needs of physicians in obtaining analytical information is reduced. The application of an agile methodology on analytical systems can provide a line of work that allows the incorporation of planning short work cycles on equips quickly with operational autonomy on the basis of demand and respecting the accreditation requirements and flexibility to ensure adequate performance as the intercomparison of results from the different units analytics, analytical quality and turnaround times. Between 2012 and 2014, a process of analysis and improvement was applied to circuits, a 5 s system, transportation of samples, inventory of reactive and samples, motion of personal and samples, reductions of waiting and delays, overproduction, over processing, and defects of results and reports. At last it seems necessary to apply the Agile methodology to adapt to the evolving necessities in time and the different origins of the samples. It’s have used modular systems where the modules of this study are programmed with immunoassay techniques and it has reduced the operative modules depending on the required activity, ensuring the goals of turnaround times, analytic quality, service, health care continuity, and keeping up with the ISO 15189 accreditation requirements. The results of applying the concept of Lean-Agile to a modular system allows us to reduce the associated costs to the seasonal variation of the health care demand and to adapt the system to the changes on the pattern of analytic demand. The savings obtained are two laboratory technicians for a month and those derived from deactivating a complete modular section consisting of three analysts. Average turnaround time (TAT) of 99.5% from the analyzed parameters has been kept equal to the one obtained in common conditions with a p < 0.01. The laboratory has maintained the quality goals measured in analytical variability. Prior to that, it most objectified the inter-comparability of the results among the used channels.
Magnetohydrodynamic Flow and Heat Transfer of Nanofluids in Stretchable Convergent/Divergent Channels
Authors: Mohyud-Din Syed , Khan Umar , Ahmed Naveed , Hassan Saleh
Published: December 2015

This article is dedicated to analyzing the heat transfer in the flow of water-based nanofluids in a channel with non-parallel stretchable walls. The magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) nature of the flow is considered. Equations governing the flow are transformed into a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. The said system is solved by employing two different techniques, the variational iteration method (VIM) and the Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg method (RKF). The influence of the emerging parameters on the velocity and temperature profiles is highlighted with the help of graphs coupled with comprehensive discussions. A comparison with the already existing solutions is also made, which are the special cases of the current problem. It is observed that the temperature profile decreases with an increase in the nanoparticle volume fraction. Furthermore, a magnetic field can be used to control the possible separation caused by the backflows in the case of diverging channels. The effects of parameters on the skin friction coefficient and Nusselt number are also presented using graphical aid. The nanoparticle volume fraction helps to reduce the temperature of the channel and to enhance the rate of heat transfer at the wall.
Feasibility Study of Sensor Aided Impact Acoustic Sorting of Plastic Materials from End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs)
Authors: Huang Jiu , Bian Zhengfu , Lei Shaogang
Published: December 2015

The purpose of this feasibility research was to study a novel sensor based separation method for recycling of plastic materials from end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) by using eigen-frequency response of impact acoustic emission. In this research three kinds of commonly used plastics, polypropylene (PP), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), and styrene-maleic-anhydride (SMA) sampled from end-of-life vehicles, were researched. Almost all the crushed plastic scraps had a flake structure, theoretically their impact response behaviors were determined by their diameters and thicknesses. The equivalent diameters of the scraps were characterized by fine sieving and their thicknesses were measured online by a 3D laser triangulation sensor above the conveying path. Following this the scraps were free dropped one-by-one to impact with an impact passive body on which impact acoustic emission (AE) signals were generated and acquired by an acoustic pickup sensor. Thirdly, the AE signals which carried eigen-frequency response features were processed and characterized. Results demonstrated that the scraps with diameters < 8 mm were too weak for the actual devices to process; the scraps with diameter from 8–13 mm still generated quite a lot of AE signals of inadequate intensity. Finally the general characterization and recognition yields were 64.6%, 61.7%, and 63.9% of PP, ABS, and SMA in mass, respectively of tested materials.
Double-Blind Peer-Review in Buildings
Authors: Rittman Martyn , Anumba Chimay
Published: December 2015

We have taken the decision that all manuscripts submitted to Buildings after 5 December 2015 will be reviewed using a double-blind peer-review process.[...]