Assessment of the influence of a carbon fiber tabletop on portal imaging

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Misiarz, Agnieszka, E-mail: agnieszka.misiarz@ncbj.gov.pl [National Centre for Nuclear Research, 05-400 Swierk, Otwock (Poland); Krawczyk, Paweł; Swat, Kaja; Andrasiak, Michał [National Centre for Nuclear Research, 05-400 Swierk, Otwock (Poland)

2013-06-21

The purpose of this paper was to investigate beam attenuation caused by a carbon-fiber tabletop and its influence on portal image quality. The dose was measured by a Farmer type jonization chamber. The measurements of the portal image quality were performed with an EPID QC phantom for 6 MV beam for a specified field size (covering all test elements of the phantom completely −26×26 cm{sup 2} in the isocenter, SSD 96.2 cm) and various portal—isocenter distances. The beam attenuation factor was measured for Polkam 16 treatment table with a carbon fiber tabletop. Carbon fiber tabletop induces beam attenuation in vertical direction by a factor of 3.39%. The lowest maximum deviation to the regression line for linearity was measured for 40 cm portal—phantom distance. The lowest signal to noise ratio was observed for the portal—phantom distance of 30 cm. This factor dropped by 9% for images with a tabletop. The difference in high contrast: horizontal is 3.64; 0.32; 3.25 for 50 cm, 40 cm and 30 cm respectively and vertical—3.64%; 0.32%; 4.01% for 50 cm, 40 cm and 30 cm respectively. The visibility of the holes with the smallest diameters (1 mm) is the same for 50 and 40 cm while it is better for 30 cm, as can be expected due to the lower SNR. Carbon-fiber inserts, tabletops play a vital role in modern radiotherapy. One of the most important advantages of carbon-fiber tabletops is the lack of the gantry direction limitations. In this paper the attenuation of a carbon-fiber tabletop and its influence on a portal image quality were investigated. Dose attenuation effects, comparable to other measurements, were found. That effect influences dose distribution delivered to the target volume and can increase the time of irradiation needed to take a portal image. It has been found that the best conditions for taking portal image occur when the distance from the phantom (patient) to the portal is 40 cm and the portal is parallel to the tabletop. In such conditions one

Uncovering the Driving Factors of Carbon Emissions in an Investment Allocation Model of China’s High-Carbon and Low-Carbon Energy

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Shumin Jiang

2017-06-01

Full Text Available In the view of long-term comprehensive development, the concept of low-carbon economy has long been a concern. In this paper, we build a pure energy-economic system and explore the exact influencing factors in the investment allocation of high-carbon and low-carbon energy with the purpose of mitigating carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The dynamic analysis shows that the model that we built is applicable for the current market situation and the way we adjust the investments of high-carbon and low-carbon energy are conductive to carbon abatement in the atmosphere. On the basis of the stability analysis and numerical simulation, some strategies are given to decrease the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The results show that the social consumption and public consumption behavior are the most important factors responsible for the variation in the atmospheric carbon dioxide. The cleanliness of high carbon presents an obvious mitigating effect on carbon in the atmosphere and the effect of marginal profit of high-carbon energy is the weakest. In addition, enhancing marginal profit, return on investment and investment share of low-carbon energy are beneficial to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, while a return on investment of high-carbon energy increasing is the detriment of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Finally, we provide carbon mitigation effort by considering both economic development and carbon abatement for policymakers to achieve a desirable emission-reduction effect.

[Study on influence between activated carbon property and immobilized biological activated carbon purification effect].

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Wang, Guang-zhi; Li, Wei-guang; He, Wen-jie; Han, Hong-da; Ding, Chi; Ma, Xiao-na; Qu, Yan-ming

2006-10-01

By means of immobilizing five kinds of activated carbon, we studied the influence between the chief activated carbon property items and immobilized bioactivated carbon (IBAC) purification effect with the correlation analysis. The result shows that the activated carbon property items which the correlation coefficient is up 0.7 include molasses, abrasion number, hardness, tannin, uniform coefficient, mean particle diameter and effective particle diameter; the activated carbon property items which the correlation coefficient is up 0.5 include pH, iodine, butane and tetrachloride. In succession, the partial correlation analysis shows that activated carbon property items mostly influencing on IBAC purification effect include molasses, hardness, abrasion number, uniform coefficient, mean particle diameter and effective particle diameter. The causation of these property items bringing influence on IBAC purification is that the activated carbon holes distribution (representative activated carbon property item is molasses) provides inhabitable location and adjust food for the dominance bacteria; the mechanical resist-crash property of activated carbon (representative activated carbon property items: abrasion number and hardness) have influence on the stability of biofilm; and the particle diameter size and distribution of activated carbon (representative activated carbon property items: uniform coefficient, mean particle diameter and effective particle diameter) can directly affect the force of water in IBAC filter bed, which brings influence on the dominance bacteria immobilizing on activated carbon.

Spatial econometric analysis of China’s province-level industrial carbon productivity and its influencing factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Long, Ruyin; Shao, Tianxiang; Chen, Hong

2016-01-01

Highlights: • We evaluate the industrial carbon productivity of China’s provinces. • The regional disparity and clustering features exist simultaneously. • There is evident spatial dependence in regional industrial carbon productivity. • We employ spatial panel data models to examine the impact factors. • Spatial effects are found to be important in understanding industrial CO_2 emissions. - Abstract: This study measured the industrial carbon productivity of 30 provinces in China from 2005 to 2012 and examined the space–time characteristics and the main factors of China’s industrial carbon productivity using Moran’s I index and spatial panel data models. The empirical results indicate that there is significant positive spatial dependence and clustering characteristics in China’s province-level industrial carbon productivity. The spatial dependence may create biased estimated parameters in an ordinary least squares framework; according to the analysis of our spatial panel models, industrial energy efficiency, the opening degree, technological progress, and the industrial scale structure have significantly positive effects on industrial carbon productivity whereas per-capita GDP, the industrial energy consumption structure, and the industrial ownership structure exert a negative effect on industrial carbon productivity.

Analysis of influence mechanism of energy-related carbon emissions in Guangdong: evidence from regional China based on the input-output and structural decomposition analysis.

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Wang, Changjian; Wang, Fei; Zhang, Xinlin; Deng, Haijun

2017-11-01

It is important to analyze the influence mechanism of energy-related carbon emissions from a regional perspective to effectively achieve reductions in energy consumption and carbon emissions in China. Based on the "energy-economy-carbon emissions" hybrid input-output analysis framework, this study conducted structural decomposition analysis (SDA) on carbon emissions influencing factors in Guangdong Province. Systems-based examination of direct and indirect drivers for regional emission is presented. (1) Direct effects analysis of influencing factors indicated that the main driving factors of increasing carbon emissions were economic and population growth. Carbon emission intensity was the main contributing factor restraining carbon emissions growth. (2) Indirect effects analysis of influencing factors showed that international and interprovincial trades significantly affected the total carbon emissions. (3) Analysis of the effects of different final demands on the carbon emissions of industrial sector indicated that the increase in carbon emission arising from international and interprovincial trades is mainly concentrated in energy- and carbon-intensive industries. (4) Guangdong had to compromise a certain amount of carbon emissions during the development of its export-oriented economy because of industry transfer arising from the economic globalization, thereby pointing to the existence of the "carbon leakage" problem. At the same time, interprovincial export and import resulted in Guangdong transferring a part of its carbon emissions to other provinces, thereby leading to the occurrence of "carbon transfer."

The influence of nominal stress on wear factors of carbon fibre-reinforced polyetheretherketone (PEEK-OPTIMA® Wear Performance) against zirconia toughened alumina (Biolox® delta ceramic).

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Andrew; Horton, Henrietta; Unsworth, Anthony; Briscoe, Adam

2014-06-01

Carbon fibre-reinforced polyetheretherketone is an attractive alternative to ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene in artificial joints, but little has been published on the influence of stress on the wear factor. We know that in ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene, the wear factor reduces as the normal stress increases, which is counter-intuitive but very helpful in the case of non-conforming contacts. In this study, carbon fibre-reinforced polyetheretherketone (PEEK-OPTIMA ® Wear Performance) has been investigated in a pin-on-plate machine under steady loads and under stresses typical of hip and knee joints. At stresses below about 6 MPa, wear factors are between 10 and a 100 times lower than for ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene but at higher stresses the wear factors increase substantially. © IMechE 2014.

Factors influencing buyers' willingness to offer price premiums for carbon credits sourced from urban forests

Science.gov (United States)

N.C. Poudyal; J.M. Bowker; J.P. Siry

2015-01-01

Marketing carbon offset credits generated by urban forest projects could help cities and local governments achieve their financial self-sufficiency and environmental sustainability goals. Understanding the value of carbon credits sourced from urban forests, and the factors that determine buyers’ willingness to pay a premium for such credits could benefit cities in...

Empirical Research on China’s Carbon Productivity Decomposition Model Based on Multi-Dimensional Factors

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Jianchang Lu

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Based on the international community’s analysis of the present CO2 emissions situation, a Log Mean Divisia Index (LMDI decomposition model is proposed in this paper, aiming to reflect the decomposition of carbon productivity. The model is designed by analyzing the factors that affect carbon productivity. China’s contribution to carbon productivity is analyzed from the dimensions of influencing factors, regional structure and industrial structure. It comes to the conclusions that: (a economic output, the provincial carbon productivity and energy structure are the most influential factors, which are consistent with China’s current actual policy; (b the distribution patterns of economic output, carbon productivity and energy structure in different regions have nothing to do with the Chinese traditional sense of the regional economic development patterns; (c considering the regional protectionism, regional actual situation need to be considered at the same time; (d in the study of the industrial structure, the contribution value of industry is the most prominent factor for China’s carbon productivity, while the industrial restructuring has not been done well enough.

Distribution of Soil Organic Carbon and the Influencing Factors in An Oasis Farmland Area

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WANG Ze

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The soil organic carbon(SOC of a typical oasis farmland in middle part of Manasi county of Xinjiang was used as the research ob原 ject. Using remote sensing and lab analysis techniques, influences of soil texture, terrain, land uses, and crop types on SOC content of farmland were studied. Results showed that the SOC distribution in farmland of Manasi was mainly determined by comprehensive natural environmental factors. The SOC content decreased along with the increasing soil depth. For soil textures, the SOC content from high to low was clay loam>powder loam>silty loam. Slope direction had significantly positive correlations with SOC contents at 0～30 cm and 30～60 cm, while altitude and SOC content at 60～100 cm were significantly positive correlation. The SOC content of orchard was the highest, and the uncultivated land was the lowest under different land-use patterns. For different crop planting systems, the order of SOC content was corn field >wine grapes field>cotton field, and the difference was significant.

Phylogeny, plant species, and plant diversity influence carbon use phenotypes among Fusarium populations in the rhizosphere microbiome

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Carbon use by microorganisms in the rhizosphere microbiome has been linked to plant pathogen suppression and increased mineralization of soil nutrients for plant uptake, however factors that influence carbon use traits are poorly understood for most microbial groups. This work characterized the rela...

Factors Influencing Renewable Energy Production & Supply - A Global Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Anika; Saqlawi, Juman Al

2016-04-01

Renewable energy is one of the key technologies through which the energy needs of the future can be met in a sustainable and carbon-neutral manner. Increasing the share of renewable energy in the total energy mix of each country is therefore a critical need. While different countries have approached this in different ways, there are some common aspects which influence the pace and effectiveness of renewable energy incorporation. This presentation looks at data and information from 34 selected countries, analyses the patterns, compares the different parameters and identifies the common factors which positively influence renewable energy incorporation. The most successful countries are analysed for their renewable energy performance against their GDP, policy/regulatory initiatives in the field of renewables, landmass, climatic conditions and population to identify the most influencing factors to bring about positive change in renewable energy share.

THE Eucalyptus sp. AGE PLANTATIONS INFLUENCING THE CARBON STOCKS

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Charlote Wink

2013-06-01

Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5902/198050989279The tree growth and biomass accumulation, as well as the maintenance of forest residue at the soil surface can act in the removal of carbon from the atmosphere through the cycling process of plant material. The objective was to study the influence of Eucalyptus sp. Plantations with 20, 44 and 240 months of age on the variation of carbon in soil and biomass. The carbon in the soil depth was determined by CHNS auto-analyzer and carbon in the vegetation was determined by the biomass in each forest, considering a factor of 0.45 of the dry mass. We determined the density and particle size distribution of soil. For the comparison between plantations, there was analysis of variance and comparison of means of carbon in vegetation and soil, considering the 5% level of probability. The carbon content and stock in the soil were low, indicating that a natural feature of the category of Paleuldt, or the growth of eucalyptus forests, replacing the field native vegetation did not aggregate a significant increase in the carbon. Although, there was a significant increase carbon in aboveground biomass. It includes forest biomass and litter. So, despite the values ​​of carbon stocks are low, it identified a greater average total in the soil compared to the stock aboveground. Furthermore, this increase aboveground (tree and litter compartments can be considered significant between the eucalyptus plantations of different ages.

Dome effect of black carbon and its key influencing factors: a one-dimensional modelling study

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Wang, Zilin; Huang, Xin; Ding, Aijun

2018-02-01

Black carbon (BC) has been identified to play a critical role in aerosol-planetary boundary layer (PBL) interaction and further deterioration of near-surface air pollution in megacities, which has been referred to as the dome effect. However, the impacts of key factors that influence this effect, such as the vertical distribution and aging processes of BC, as well as the underlying land surface, have not been quantitatively explored yet. Here, based on available in situ measurements of meteorology and atmospheric aerosols together with the meteorology-chemistry online coupled model WRF-Chem, we conduct a set of parallel simulations to quantify the roles of these factors in influencing the BC dome effect and surface haze pollution. Furthermore, we discuss the main implications of the results to air pollution mitigation in China. We found that the impact of BC on the PBL is very sensitive to the altitude of aerosol layer. The upper-level BC, especially that near the capping inversion, is more essential in suppressing the PBL height and weakening the turbulent mixing. The dome effect of BC tends to be significantly intensified as BC mixed with scattering aerosols during winter haze events, resulting in a decrease in PBL height by more than 15 %. In addition, the dome effect is more substantial (up to 15 %) in rural areas than that in the urban areas with the same BC loading, indicating an unexpected regional impact of such an effect to air quality in countryside. This study indicates that China's regional air pollution would greatly benefit from BC emission reductions, especially those from elevated sources from chimneys and also domestic combustion in rural areas, through weakening the aerosol-boundary layer interactions that are triggered by BC.

Influence of Wind Pressure on the Carbonation of Concrete

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Dujian Zou

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Carbonation is one of the major deteriorations that accelerate steel corrosion in reinforced concrete structures. Many mathematical/numerical models of the carbonation process, primarily diffusion-reaction models, have been established to predict the carbonation depth. However, the mass transfer of carbon dioxide in porous concrete includes molecular diffusion and convection mass transfer. In particular, the convection mass transfer induced by pressure difference is called penetration mass transfer. This paper presents the influence of penetration mass transfer on the carbonation. A penetration-reaction carbonation model was constructed and validated by accelerated test results under high pressure. Then the characteristics of wind pressure on the carbonation were investigated through finite element analysis considering steady and fluctuating wind flows. The results indicate that the wind pressure on the surface of concrete buildings results in deeper carbonation depth than that just considering the diffusion of carbon dioxide. In addition, the influence of wind pressure on carbonation tends to increase significantly with carbonation depth.

Influence of Wind Pressure on the Carbonation of Concrete.

Science.gov (United States)

Zou, Dujian; Liu, Tiejun; Du, Chengcheng; Teng, Jun

2015-07-24

Carbonation is one of the major deteriorations that accelerate steel corrosion in reinforced concrete structures. Many mathematical/numerical models of the carbonation process, primarily diffusion-reaction models, have been established to predict the carbonation depth. However, the mass transfer of carbon dioxide in porous concrete includes molecular diffusion and convection mass transfer. In particular, the convection mass transfer induced by pressure difference is called penetration mass transfer. This paper presents the influence of penetration mass transfer on the carbonation. A penetration-reaction carbonation model was constructed and validated by accelerated test results under high pressure. Then the characteristics of wind pressure on the carbonation were investigated through finite element analysis considering steady and fluctuating wind flows. The results indicate that the wind pressure on the surface of concrete buildings results in deeper carbonation depth than that just considering the diffusion of carbon dioxide. In addition, the influence of wind pressure on carbonation tends to increase significantly with carbonation depth.

Influencing Factors of Companies’ Behavior for Mitigation: A Discussion within the Context of Emission Trading Scheme

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Yidan Chen

2018-02-01

Full Text Available China built pilot carbon emission trading schemes in seven regions and established a national carbon trading market in electricity sector in December 2017. This study conducted a questionnaire survey of 570 companies in 29 regions nationwide and found that companies still need to improve mitigation measures regarding fossil fuel combustion, production technology, output adjustment and environmental management. By establishing regression models, influencing factors of carbon emission reduction are identified. Pilot emission trading policy has a significant impact on company emission reduction behaviors. Companies inside or outside the pilot region respond differently to the influencing factors. Companies inside emphasize more on energy price and mitigation potential, while enterprises outside pay more attention to investment and familiarity with technology and policy.

Factors Influencing NO2 Adsorption/Reduction on Microporous Activated Carbon: Porosity vs. Surface Chemistry

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Imen Ghouma

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The textural properties and surface chemistry of different activated carbons, prepared by the chemical activation of olive stones, have been investigated in order to gain insight on the NO2 adsorption mechanism. The parent chemical activated carbon was prepared by the impregnation of olive stones in phosphoric acid followed by thermal carbonization. Then, the textural properties and surface chemistry were modified by chemical treatments including nitric acid, sodium hydroxide and/or a thermal treatment at 900 °C. The main properties of the parent and modified activated carbons were analyzed by N2-adsorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR techniques, in order to enlighten the modifications issued from the chemical and thermal treatments. The NO2 adsorption capacities of the different activated carbons were measured in fixed bed experiments under 500 ppmv NO2 concentrations at room temperature. Temperature programmed desorption (TPD was applied after adsorption tests in order to quantify the amount of the physisorbed and chemisorbed NO2. The obtained results showed that the development of microporosity, the presence of oxygen-free sites, and the presence of basic surface groups are key factors for the efficient adsorption of NO2.

Statistical testing of input factors in the carbonation of brine impacted fly ash.

Science.gov (United States)

Grace, Muriithi N; Wilson, Gitari M; Leslie, Petrik F

2012-01-01

A D-optimal design was applied in the study of input factors: temperature, pressure, solid/liquid (S/L) ratio and particle size and their influence on the carbonation of brine impacted fly ash (FA) determined. Both temperature and pressure were at two levels (30°C and 90°C; 1 Mpa and 4 Mpa), S/L ratio was at three levels (0.1, 0.5 and 1) while particle size was at 4 levels (bulk ash, 150 μm). Pressure was observed to have a slight influence on the % CaCO(3) yield while higher temperatures led to higher percentage CaCO(3) yield. The particle size range of 20 μm - 150 μm enhanced the degree of carbonation of the fly ash/brine slurries. This was closely followed by the bulk ash while the >150 μm particle fraction had the least influence on the % CaCO(3). The effect of S/L ratio was temperature dependent. At low temperature, the S/L ratio of 1 resulted in the highest % CaCO(3) formation while at high temperature, the ratio of 0.5 resulted in the highest percentage CaCO(3) formation. Overall the two most important factors in the carbonation of FA and brine were found to be particle size and temperature.

Urban Household Carbon Emission and Contributing Factors in the Yangtze River Delta, China

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Xibao; Tan, Yan; Chen, Shuang; Yang, Guishan; Su, Weizhong

2015-01-01

Carbon reduction at the household level is an integral part of carbon mitigation. This study analyses the characteristics, effects, contributing factors and policies for urban household carbon emissions in the Yangtze River Delta of China. Primary data was collected through structured questionnaire surveys in three cities in the region – Nanjing, Ningbo, and Changzhou in 2011. The survey data was first used to estimate the magnitude of household carbon emissions in different urban contexts. It then examined how, and to what extent, each set of demographic, economic, behavioral/cognitive and spatial factors influence carbon emissions at the household level. The average of urban household carbon emissions in the region was estimated to be 5.96 tonnes CO2 in 2010. Energy consumption, daily commuting, garbage disposal and long-distance travel accounted for 51.2%, 21.3%, 16.0% and 11.5% of the total emission, respectively. Regulating rapidly growing car-holdings of urban households, stabilizing population growth, and transiting residents’ low-carbon awareness to household behavior in energy saving and other spheres of consumption in the context of rapid population aging and the growing middle income class are suggested as critical measures for carbon mitigation among urban households in the Yangtze River Delta. PMID:25884853

Market influence on the low carbon energy refurbishment of existing multi-residential buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atkinson, Jonathan G.B.; Jackson, Tim; Mullings-Smith, Elizabeth

2009-01-01

This paper explores the relationship between the energy market; the political and regulatory context; and energy design decisions for existing multi-residential buildings, to determine what form the energy market landscape would take if tailored to encourage low carbon solutions. The links between market dynamics, Government strategies, and building designs are mapped to understand the steps that achieve carbon reduction from building operation. This is achieved using a model that takes financial and energy components with market and design variables to provide net present cost and annual carbon outputs. The financial component applies discounted cash flow analysis over the building lifespan, with discount rates reflecting contractual characteristics; the carbon component uses Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) 2005. A scenario approach is adopted to test alternative strategies selected to encourage low carbon solutions in two residential and two office designs. The results show that the forward assumption of energy price escalation is the most influential factor on energy investment, together with the expected differentiation between the escalation of gas and electricity prices. Using this, and other influencing factors, the research reveals trends and strategies that will achieve mainstream application of energy efficiency and microgeneration technologies, and reduce carbon emissions in the existing multi-residential sector.

Research on impacts of population-related factors on carbon emissions in Beijing from 1984 to 2012

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Yayun; Zhao, Tao; Wang, Yanan; Shi, Zhaohui

2015-01-01

Carbon emissions related to population factors have aroused great attention around the world. A multitude of literature mainly focused on single demographic impacts on environmental issues at the national level, and comprehensive studies concerning population-related factors at a city level are rare. This paper employed STIRPAT (Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence and Technology) model incorporating PLS (Partial least squares) regression method to examine the influence of population-related factors on carbon emissions in Beijing from 1984 to 2012. Empirically results manifest that urbanization is the paramount driver. Changes in population age structure have significantly positive impacts on carbon emissions, and shrinking young population, continuous expansion of working age population and aging population will keep on increasing environmental pressures. Meanwhile, shrinking household size and expanding floating population boost the discharge of carbon emissions. Besides, per capita consumption is an important contributor of carbon emissions, while industry energy intensity is the main inhibitory factor. Based upon these findings and the specific circumstances of Beijing, policies such as promoting clean and renewable energy, improving population quality and advocating low carbon lifestyles should be enhanced to achieve targeted emissions reductions. - Highlights: • We employed the STIRPAT model to identify population-related factors of carbon emissions in Beijing. • Urbanization is the paramount driver of carbon emissions. • Changes in population age structure exert significantly positive impacts on carbon emissions. • Shrinking household size, expanding floating population and improving consumption level increase carbon emissions. • Industry energy intensity decreases carbon emissions

Research on impacts of population-related factors on carbon emissions in Beijing from 1984 to 2012

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Yayun; Zhao, Tao; Wang, Yanan, E-mail: wyn3615@126.com; Shi, Zhaohui

2015-11-15

Carbon emissions related to population factors have aroused great attention around the world. A multitude of literature mainly focused on single demographic impacts on environmental issues at the national level, and comprehensive studies concerning population-related factors at a city level are rare. This paper employed STIRPAT (Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence and Technology) model incorporating PLS (Partial least squares) regression method to examine the influence of population-related factors on carbon emissions in Beijing from 1984 to 2012. Empirically results manifest that urbanization is the paramount driver. Changes in population age structure have significantly positive impacts on carbon emissions, and shrinking young population, continuous expansion of working age population and aging population will keep on increasing environmental pressures. Meanwhile, shrinking household size and expanding floating population boost the discharge of carbon emissions. Besides, per capita consumption is an important contributor of carbon emissions, while industry energy intensity is the main inhibitory factor. Based upon these findings and the specific circumstances of Beijing, policies such as promoting clean and renewable energy, improving population quality and advocating low carbon lifestyles should be enhanced to achieve targeted emissions reductions. - Highlights: • We employed the STIRPAT model to identify population-related factors of carbon emissions in Beijing. • Urbanization is the paramount driver of carbon emissions. • Changes in population age structure exert significantly positive impacts on carbon emissions. • Shrinking household size, expanding floating population and improving consumption level increase carbon emissions. • Industry energy intensity decreases carbon emissions.

Factors influencing organic-horizon carbon pools in mixed-species stands of central Maine, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Joshua J. Puhlick; Shawn Fraver; Ivan J. Fernandez; Aaron R. Weiskittel; Laura S. Kenefic; Randy Kolka; Marie-Cecile Gruselle

2016-01-01

The overall goal of this study was to evaluate the correlation of multiple abiotic and biotic factors with organic-horizon (O-horizon) carbon (C) content on the Penobscot Experimental Forest in central Maine, USA. O-horizon samples were collected and their associated depths were recorded from stands managed with a range of silvicultural and harvesting treatments (i.e...

Influence of the particle size of activated mineral carbon on the phenol and chlorophenol adsorption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia M, A.

2001-01-01

Water pollution by phenolic compounds is a problem that requires a solution since these phenolic compounds are not completely biodegradable, they accumulate through the food chains and they are quite toxic when enter in contact with living organisms. In human beings, ingestion or contact of the skin with this type of compounds produces irritation and damages mainly to the liver and kidneys. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States (EPA assigned nine phenolic compounds among the 275 most toxic substances in 1991. Phenols are found in wastewater from agriculture and industry, because phenolic compounds are used as pesticides and in diverse industrial activities. The treatment of this type of water is not simple because they are generally composed of a mixture of residuals with different chemical nature A useful method for the removal of phenols is the adsorption by activated carbon, since this material has a great surface area and it can be regenerated. The adsorption process depends, among other factors, on the activated carbon characteristics. When they are modified, their capacity to remove pollutants from the water changes. The effect of activated carbon particle size on the removal of phenolic compounds has not been completely studied. Therefore, the aim of this work was to determine the influence of the mineral activated carbon particle size on the phenol and 4-chloro phenol adsorption in aqueous solution, on adsorption column system. The results of the present work indicate that the mineral activated carbon particle size has a very important influence on the adsorption of phenol and 4-chloro phenol. When the particles were smaller, the retention quantities of phenol and 4-chloro phenol increased. This behavior was related to the particle characteristics of the mineral activated carbon such as surface area and pore volume, while other factors such as elementary composition of the activated carbon did not influence the adsorption process

The influence of conductive additives and inter-particle voids in carbon EDLC electrodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pandolfo, A.G.; Wilson, G.J.; Huynh, T.D.; Hollenkamp, A.F. [CSIRO - Energy Technology, Bayview Avenue, Clayton, Vic 3168 (Australia)

2010-10-15

Through the interpretation of porosity and intrusion data, and correlation to the electrochemical response, this study has confirmed that are not only carbon blacks (CBs) very effective in improving the electrical connectivity of a carbon electrode coating, but they also significantly modify the porosity of the electrode coating and thereby also influence ionic diffusion. CBs are more effective conductive fillers than graphites in EDLC electrodes. The highly branched structure of CBs allows multiple electrical contact points and results in a lower electrode electronic resistance. CBs can decrease inter-particle porosity (both volume and size) and introduce additional porosity that is characteristic of the type of carbon employed. It is observed that electrode coatings prepared from a carbon slurry have a highly macroporous structure and that electrolyte accessibility to individual activated carbon particles is unlikely to be the limiting factor to accessing capacitance. Electrochemical testing has confirmed the strong relationship between bulk electrode resistance and the accessibility of capacitance at different rates. (Abstract Copyright [2010], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

The influence of non-CO2 forcings on cumulative carbon emissions budgets

Science.gov (United States)

Tokarska, Katarzyna B.; Gillett, Nathan P.; Arora, Vivek K.; Lee, Warren G.; Zickfeld, Kirsten

2018-03-01

Carbon budgets provide a useful tool for policymakers to help meet the global climate targets, as they specify total allowable carbon emissions consistent with limiting warming to a given temperature threshold. Non-CO2 forcings have a net warming effect in the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) scenarios, leading to reductions in remaining carbon budgets based on CO2 forcing alone. Carbon budgets consistent with limiting warming to below 2.0 °C, with and without accounting for the effects of non-CO2 forcings, were assessed in inconsistent ways by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), making the effects of non-CO2 forcings hard to identify. Here we use a consistent approach to compare 1.5 °C and 2.0 °C carbon budgets with and without accounting for the effects of non-CO2 forcings, using CO2-only and RCP8.5 simulations. The median allowable carbon budgets for 1.5 °C and 2.0 °C warming are reduced by 257 PgC and 418 PgC, respectively, and the uncertainty ranges on the budgets are reduced by more than a factor of two when accounting for the net warming effects of non-CO2 forcings. While our overall results are consistent with IPCC, we use a more robust methodology, and explain the narrower uncertainty ranges of carbon budgets when non-CO2 forcings are included. We demonstrate that most of the reduction in carbon budgets is a result of the direct warming effect of the non-CO2 forcings, with a secondary contribution from the influence of the non-CO2 forcings on the carbon cycle. Such carbon budgets are expected to play an increasingly important role in climate change mitigation, thus understanding the influence of non-CO2 forcings on these budgets and their uncertainties is critical.

Influence of porous texture and surface chemistry on the CO₂ adsorption capacity of porous carbons: acidic and basic site interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Sánchez-Sánchez, Angela; Suárez-García, Fabián; Martínez-Alonso, Amelia; Tascón, Juan M D

2014-12-10

Doped porous carbons exhibiting highly developed porosity and rich surface chemistry have been prepared and subsequently applied to clarify the influence of both factors on carbon dioxide capture. Nanocasting was selected as synthetic route, in which a polyaramide precursor (3-aminobenzoic acid) was thermally polymerized inside the porosity of an SBA-15 template in the presence of different H3PO4 concentrations. The surface chemistry and the porous texture of the carbons could be easily modulated by varying the H3PO4 concentration and carbonization temperature. Porous texture was found to be the determinant factor on carbon dioxide adsorption at 0 °C, while surface chemistry played an important role at higher adsorption temperatures. We proved that nitrogen functionalities acted as basic sites and oxygen and phosphorus groups as acidic ones toward adsorption of CO2 molecules. Among the nitrogen functional groups, pyrrolic groups exhibited the highest influence, while the positive effect of pyridinic and quaternary functionalities was smaller. Finally, some of these N-doped carbons exhibit CO2 heats of adsorption higher than 42 kJ/mol, which make them excellent candidates for CO2 capture.

An empirical research on the influencing factors of regional CO2 emissions: Evidence from Beijing city, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Zhaohua; Yin, Fangchao; Zhang, Yixiang; Zhang, Xian

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► We adapt STIRPAT model to regional context and conduct PLS regress analysis. ► Energy technology related patent is innovatively used to measure technical factors. ► Urbanization level has the greatest interpretative ability for CO 2 emissions. ► We do not find evidence of Environmental Kuznets Curve in Beijing. ► Beijing should focus more on tertiary industry and residential energy consumption. -- Abstract: In order to further study the realization of carbon intensity target, find the key influencing factors of CO 2 emissions, and explore the path of developing low-carbon economy, this paper empirically studied the influences of urbanization level, economic level, industry proportion, tertiary industry proportion, energy intensity and R and D output on CO 2 emissions in Beijing using improved STIRPAT (stochastic impacts by regression on population, affluence and technology) model. The model is examined using partial least square regression. Results show that urbanization level, economic level and industry proportion positively influence the CO 2 emissions, while tertiary industry proportion, energy intensity and R and D output negatively do. Urbanization level is the main driving factor of CO 2 emissions, and tertiary industry proportion is the main inhibiting factor. In addition, along with the growth of per capita GDP, the increase of CO 2 emissions does not follow the Environmental Kuznets Curve model. Based on these empirical findings and the specific circumstances of Beijing, we provide some policy recommendations on how to reduce carbon intensity. Beijing should pay more attention to tertiary industry and residential energy consumption for carbon emission reduction. It is necessary to establish a comprehensive evaluation index of social development. Investing more capital on carbon emission reduction science and technology, and promoting R and D output is also an efficient way to reduce CO 2 emissions.

Influence of potentially confounding factors on sea urchin porewater toxicity tests

Science.gov (United States)

Carr, R.S.; Biedenbach, J.M.; Nipper, M.

2006-01-01

The influence of potentially confounding factors has been identified as a concern for interpreting sea urchin porewater toxicity test data. The results from >40 sediment-quality assessment surveys using early-life stages of the sea urchin Arbacia punctulata were compiled and examined to determine acceptable ranges of natural variables such as pH, ammonia, and dissolved organic carbon on the fertilization and embryological development endpoints. In addition, laboratory experiments were also conducted with A. punctulata and compared with information from the literature. Pore water with pH as low as 6.9 is an unlikely contributor to toxicity for the fertilization and embryological development tests with A. punctulata. Other species of sea urchin have narrower pH tolerance ranges. Ammonia is rarely a contributing factor in pore water toxicity tests using the fertilization endpoint, but the embryological development endpoint may be influenced by ammonia concentrations commonly found in porewater samples. Therefore, ammonia needs to be considered when interpreting results for the embryological development test. Humic acid does not affect sea urchin fertilization at saturation concentrations, but it could have an effect on the embryological development endpoint at near-saturation concentrations. There was no correlation between sediment total organic carbon concentrations and porewater dissolved organic carbon concentrations. Because of the potential for many varying substances to activate parthenogenesis in sea urchin eggs, it is recommended that a no-sperm control be included with every fertilization test treatment. ?? 2006 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.

Factors affecting the carbon allowance market in the US

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Hyun Seok; Koo, Won W. [Center for Agricultural Policy and Trade Studies, Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics, North Dakota State University, Dept 7610, P.O. Box 6050, Fargo, ND 58103-6050 (United States)

2010-04-15

The US carbon allowance market has different characteristic and price determination process from the EU ETS market, since emitting installations voluntarily participate in emission trading scheme. This paper examines factors affecting the US carbon allowance market. An autoregressive distributed lag model is used to examine the short- and long-run relationships between the US carbon allowance market and its determinant factors. In the long-run, the price of coal is a main factor in the determination of carbon allowance trading. In the short-run, on the other hand, the changes in crude oil and natural gas prices as well as coal price have significant effects on carbon allowance market. (author)

Factors affecting the carbon allowance market in the US

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Hyun Seok; Koo, Won W.

2010-01-01

The US carbon allowance market has different characteristic and price determination process from the EU ETS market, since emitting installations voluntarily participate in emission trading scheme. This paper examines factors affecting the US carbon allowance market. An autoregressive distributed lag model is used to examine the short- and long-run relationships between the US carbon allowance market and its determinant factors. In the long-run, the price of coal is a main factor in the determination of carbon allowance trading. In the short-run, on the other hand, the changes in crude oil and natural gas prices as well as coal price have significant effects on carbon allowance market.

Factors Influencing of Social Conflict

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suwandi Sumartias

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Social conflicts that occur in several areas in Indonesia lately, one of them is caused by the weakness of law certainty. This is feared to threaten the integration of the Republic of Indonesia. This study aims to determine the factors that affect social conflict in Manis Lor village in Kuningan district. The method used the explanatory quantitative methods, the statistical test Path Analysis. The study population was a formal and informal community leaders (village chief, clergy, and youth, and the people who involved in a conflict in Manis Lor village Kuningan regency. The result shows a There is no significant influence between social identity factors with social conflict anarchist. b There is significant influence between socio-economic factors with social conflict anarchists. c There is no significant influence between the credibility factor anarchist leaders with social conflict. d There is no significant influence between the motive factor with anarchist social conflict. e There is significant influence between personality factors/beliefs with anarchist social conflict. f There is significant influence of behavioral factors anarchist communication with social conflict.

Multi-factor controls on terrestrial carbon dynamics in urbanized areas

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, C.; Tian, H.; Pan, S.; Lockaby, G.; Chappelka, A.

2014-12-01

As urban land expands rapidly across the globe, much concern has been raised that urbanization may alter the terrestrial carbon cycle. Urbanization involves complex changes in land structure and multiple environmental factors. Little is known about the relative contribution of these individual factors and their interactions to the terrestrial carbon dynamics, however, which is essential for assessing the effectiveness of carbon sequestration policies focusing on urban development. This study developed a comprehensive analysis framework for quantifying relative contribution of individual factors (and their interactions) to terrestrial carbon dynamics in urbanized areas. We identified 15 factors belonging to five categories, and we applied a newly developed factorial analysis scheme to the southern United States (SUS), a rapidly urbanizing region. In all, 24 numeric experiments were designed to systematically isolate and quantify the relative contribution of individual factors. We found that the impact of land conversion was far larger than other factors. Urban managements and the overall interactive effects among major factors, however, created a carbon sink that compensated for 42% of the carbon loss in land conversion. Our findings provide valuable information for regional carbon management in the SUS: (1) it is preferable to preserve pre-urban carbon pools than to rely on the carbon sinks in urban ecosystems to compensate for the carbon loss in land conversion. (2) In forested areas, it is recommendable to improve landscape design (e.g., by arranging green spaces close to the city center) to maximize the urbanization-induced environmental change effect on carbon sequestration. Urbanization-induced environmental change will be less effective in shrubland regions. (3) Urban carbon sequestration can be significantly improved through changes in management practices, such as increased irrigation and fertilizer and targeted use of vehicles and machinery with least

Beyond temperature: Clumped isotope signatures in dissolved inorganic carbon species and the influence of solution chemistry on carbonate mineral composition

Science.gov (United States)

Tripati, Aradhna K.; Hill, Pamela S.; Eagle, Robert A.; Mosenfelder, Jed L.; Tang, Jianwu; Schauble, Edwin A.; Eiler, John M.; Zeebe, Richard E.; Uchikawa, Joji; Coplen, Tyler B.; Ries, Justin B.; Henry, Drew

2015-01-01

“Clumped-isotope” thermometry is an emerging tool to probe the temperature history of surface and subsurface environments based on measurements of the proportion of 13C and 18O isotopes bound to each other within carbonate minerals in 13C18O16O22- groups (heavy isotope “clumps”). Although most clumped isotope geothermometry implicitly presumes carbonate crystals have attained lattice equilibrium (i.e., thermodynamic equilibrium for a mineral, which is independent of solution chemistry), several factors other than temperature, including dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) speciation may influence mineral isotopic signatures. Therefore we used a combination of approaches to understand the potential influence of different variables on the clumped isotope (and oxygen isotope) composition of minerals.We conducted witherite precipitation experiments at a single temperature and at varied pH to empirically determine 13C-18O bond ordering (Δ47) and δ18O of CO32- and HCO3- molecules at a 25 °C equilibrium. Ab initio cluster models based on density functional theory were used to predict equilibrium 13C-18O bond abundances and δ18O of different DIC species and minerals as a function of temperature. Experiments and theory indicate Δ47 and δ18O compositions of CO32- and HCO3- ions are significantly different from each other. Experiments constrain the Δ47-δ18O slope for a pH effect (0.011 ± 0.001; 12 ⩾ pH ⩾ 7). Rapidly-growing temperate corals exhibit disequilibrium mineral isotopic signatures with a Δ47-δ18O slope of 0.011 ± 0.003, consistent with a pH effect.Our theoretical calculations for carbonate minerals indicate equilibrium lattice calcite values for Δ47 and δ18O are intermediate between HCO3− and CO32−. We analyzed synthetic calcites grown at temperatures ranging from 0.5 to 50 °C with and without the enzyme carbonic anhydrase present. This enzyme catalyzes oxygen isotopic exchange between DIC species and is present in many

Beyond temperature: Clumped isotope signatures in dissolved inorganic carbon species and the influence of solution chemistry on carbonate mineral composition

Science.gov (United States)

Tripati, Aradhna K.; Hill, Pamela S.; Eagle, Robert A.; Mosenfelder, Jed L.; Tang, Jianwu; Schauble, Edwin A.; Eiler, John M.; Zeebe, Richard E.; Uchikawa, Joji; Coplen, Tyler B.; Ries, Justin B.; Henry, Drew

2015-10-01

;Clumped-isotope; thermometry is an emerging tool to probe the temperature history of surface and subsurface environments based on measurements of the proportion of 13C and 18O isotopes bound to each other within carbonate minerals in 13C18O16O22- groups (heavy isotope ;clumps;). Although most clumped isotope geothermometry implicitly presumes carbonate crystals have attained lattice equilibrium (i.e., thermodynamic equilibrium for a mineral, which is independent of solution chemistry), several factors other than temperature, including dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) speciation may influence mineral isotopic signatures. Therefore we used a combination of approaches to understand the potential influence of different variables on the clumped isotope (and oxygen isotope) composition of minerals. We conducted witherite precipitation experiments at a single temperature and at varied pH to empirically determine 13C-18O bond ordering (Δ47) and δ18O of CO32- and HCO3- molecules at a 25 °C equilibrium. Ab initio cluster models based on density functional theory were used to predict equilibrium 13C-18O bond abundances and δ18O of different DIC species and minerals as a function of temperature. Experiments and theory indicate Δ47 and δ18O compositions of CO32- and HCO3- ions are significantly different from each other. Experiments constrain the Δ47-δ18O slope for a pH effect (0.011 ± 0.001; 12 ⩾ pH ⩾ 7). Rapidly-growing temperate corals exhibit disequilibrium mineral isotopic signatures with a Δ47-δ18O slope of 0.011 ± 0.003, consistent with a pH effect. Our theoretical calculations for carbonate minerals indicate equilibrium lattice calcite values for Δ47 and δ18O are intermediate between HCO3- and CO32-. We analyzed synthetic calcites grown at temperatures ranging from 0.5 to 50 °C with and without the enzyme carbonic anhydrase present. This enzyme catalyzes oxygen isotopic exchange between DIC species and is present in many natural systems. The two

A review on the performance of glycerol carbonate production via catalytic transesterification: Effects of influencing parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teng, Wai Keng; Ngoh, Gek Cheng; Yusoff, Rozita; Aroua, Mohamed Kheireddine

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Utilization of glycerol to synthesize glycerol carbonate through various routes. • Different types of carbonates and catalysts used for glycerol carbonate production via transesterification are elucidated. • Important factors influencing glycerol carbonate production performances are detailed. • Future research needs of glycerol carbonate production are proposed. - Abstract: Driven by high energy demand and environmental concerns, biodiesel as a substitute for fossil fuels is recognized to be promising renewable and clean energy. The increase in the biodiesel plant dramatically leads to the oversupply of its by-product glycerol in the biodiesel industries. Developing new industrial uses for glycerol is essential to increase the net energy and sustainability of biodiesel. Moreover, glycerol has great potential to be converted into marketable and valuable chemicals. The conversion of glycerol to glycerol carbonate (GC) has been extensively studied and transesterification of glycerol to GC has been proven to be the most promising route. Aimed to reveal the underlying mechanism of this successful conversion path, this paper reviews the chemo- and biocatalytic transesterification of glycerol with different carbonates sources. Also, a detail elucidation of the influence of the catalysts and operating conditions on the GC yield is included to provide an insight into the process. In addition, the future direction of glycerol carbonate production via catalytic transesterification is provided in this review

Analysis on influence factors of China's CO2 emissions based on Path-STIRPAT model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Huanan; Mu Hailin; Zhang Ming; Li Nan

2011-01-01

With the intensification of global warming and continued growth in energy consumption, China is facing increasing pressure to cut its CO 2 (carbon dioxide) emissions down. This paper discusses the driving forces influencing China's CO 2 emissions based on Path-STIRPAT model-a method combining Path analysis with STIRPAT (stochastic impacts by regression on population, affluence and technology) model. The analysis shows that GDP per capita (A), industrial structure (IS), population (P), urbanization level (R) and technology level (T) are the main factors influencing China's CO 2 emissions, which exert an influence interactively and collaboratively. The sequence of the size of factors' direct influence on China's CO 2 emission is A>T>P>R>IS, while that of factors' total influence is A>R>P>T>IS. One percent increase in A, IS, P, R and T leads to 0.44, 1.58, 1.31, 1.12 and -1.09 percentage change in CO 2 emission totally, where their direct contribution is 0.45, 0.07, 0.63, 0.08, 0.92, respectively. Improving T is the most important way for CO 2 reduction in China. - Highlights: → We analyze the driving forces influencing China's CO 2 emissions. → Five macro factors like per capita GDP are the main influencing factors. → These factors exert an influence interactively and collaboratively. → Different factors' direct and total influence on China's CO 2 emission is different. → Improving technology level is the most important way for CO 2 reduction in China.

Influence of carbonization conditions on the development of different types of optical anisotropy in cokes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patrick, J W; Reynolds, M J; Shaw, F H

1975-01-01

The vitrain components of a series of coal samples were carbonized at temperatures from 400 to 1000/sup 0/C at different rates of heating ranging from 0.5 to 10/sup 0/K/min and utilizing soaking times up to 24 hr. Polished specimens prepared from the carbonized products were examined microscopically under polarized light in order to determine the proportions of the various types of optical anisotropy present in them. The variations in heating rate and soaking time were found to exert little significant influence on the anisotropy developed in high-temperature cokes. But in semicokes produced at carbonization temperatures within the plastic range the influence of the carbonization conditions was much more pronounced with the effects being interrelated. Decreasing the heating rate or increasing the soaking time led to the optical anisotropy generally becoming detectable at lower carbonization temperatures. Fast heating rates caused an increase in the rate of transformation of the fine-grain mosaic anisotropy into coarser-grained types of anisotropy and increased soaking time led to enhanced anisotropic development in the semicokes produced at temperatures within the plastic range. The type of anisotropy developed in cokes is closely related to the release of volatile matter and the plasticity developed during carbonization and the conclusion is drawn that the balance between these factors controls the extent of the anisotropic development.

Interaction between carbon fibers and polymer sizing: Influence of fiber surface chemistry and sizing reactivity

Science.gov (United States)

Moosburger-Will, Judith; Bauer, Matthias; Laukmanis, Eva; Horny, Robert; Wetjen, Denise; Manske, Tamara; Schmidt-Stein, Felix; Töpker, Jochen; Horn, Siegfried

2018-05-01

Different aspects of the interaction of carbon fibers and epoxy-based polymer sizings are investigated, e.g. the wetting behavior, the strength of adhesion between fiber and sizing, and the thermal stability of the sizing layer. The influence of carbon fiber surface chemistry and sizing reactivity is investigated using fibers of different degree of anodic oxidation and sizings with different number of reactive epoxy groups per molecule. Wetting of the carbon fibers by the sizing dispersion is found to be specified by both, the degree of fiber activation and the sizing reactivity. In contrast, adhesion strength between fibers and sizing is dominated by the surface chemistry of the carbon fibers. Here, the number of surface oxygen groups seems to be the limiting factor. We also find that the sizing and the additional functionalities induced by anodic oxidation are removed by thermal treatment at 600 °C, leaving the carbon fiber in its original state after carbonization.

Convective heat transfer enhancement using Carbon nanofibers (CNFs): influence of amorphous carbon layer on heat transfer performance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Taha, T.J.; Lefferts, Leonardus; van der Meer, Theodorus H.

2013-01-01

In this work, an experimental heat transfer investigation was carried out to investigate the combined influence of both amorphous carbon (a-C) layer thickness and carbon nanofibers (CNFs) on the convective heat transfer behavior. Synthesis of these carbon nano structures was achieved using catalytic

Some factors influencing the creep behaviour of alloy 800

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asbury, F.E.; Willoughby, G.

1975-01-01

Studies have been made of the stability of the creep behaviour of two commercial casts of Incoloy 800, one high carbon and the other low carbon. The effects of pre-ageing, of prolonged creep up to 10 4 hours duration, and of grain size were investigated. Three factors were found to excercise a major influence on creep behaviour. Firstly, when the high carbon alloy was heat treated at 1150degC super-saturation effects, ascribed principally to carbon, gave some initial strengthening which would not, however, persist for the duration of service life in nuclear power plant applications above 600degC. Secondly, a gamma-dash type phase precipitated readily at 550 to 600degC, giving a marked increase in creep strength. Nucleation was sluggish at higher temperatures but once established, this form of strengthening could persist up to at least 650degC. Creep under non-isothermal conditions at 600 to 700degC would be complex on account of the behaviour of this phase. The hardening associated with its precipitation was greater in the low carbon alloy. Finally it was demonstrated that, in spite of gamma-dash precipitation, fine grained low carbon material was weak in creep at low stresses and temperatures. This was ascribed to the occurrence of grain boundary diffusion creep. It appears that this source of weakening would persist in service, and severely restrict the maximum temperature of usage for fined grained high tensile material. (author)

Factors Influencing the Behavioural Intention towards Full Electric Vehicles: An Empirical Study in Macau

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivan K. W. Lai

2015-09-01

Full Text Available This study examines the factors that influence individual intentions towards the adoption of full electric vehicles. A sample including 308 respondents was collected on the streets of Macau. The collected data were analysed by confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. The results demonstrate that environmental concerns and the perception of environmental policy are antecedent factors of the perception of full electric vehicles, which influences the behavioural intention to purchase full electric vehicles. This study also finds that the perception of economic benefit is one of the key factors influencing the adoption of full electric vehicles. Vehicle operators seek economic benefits from future long-term fuel savings, high energy efficiency, and cheap electricity. Thus, a government striving to promote low-carbon transportation needs to scale up its efforts to enhance citizens’ environmental concerns and to establish proper environmental policy as well as to provide long-term financial and strategic support for electric vehicles.

Monitoring Techniques for Microbially Influenced Corrosion of Carbon Steel

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hilbert, Lisbeth Rischel

2000-01-01

corrosion rates, when biofilm and corrosion products cover the steel surface. However, EIS might be used for detection of MIC. EN is a suitable technique to characterise the type of corrosion attack, but is unsuitable for corrosion rate estimation. The concentric electrodes galvanic probe arrangement......Abstract Monitoring Techniques for Microbially Influenced Corrosion of Carbon Steel Microbially influenced corrosion (MIC) of carbon steel may occur in media with microbiological activity of especially sulphate-reducing bacteria, e.g. on pipelines buried in soil and on marine structures. MIC...... of carbon steel must be monitored on-line in order to provide an efficient protection and control the corrosion. A number of monitoring techniques is industrially used today, and the applicability and reliability of these for monitoring MIC is evaluated. Coupons and ER are recommended as necessary basic...

Environmental science. Rethinking the marine carbon cycle: factoring in the multifarious lifestyles of microbes.

Science.gov (United States)

Worden, Alexandra Z; Follows, Michael J; Giovannoni, Stephen J; Wilken, Susanne; Zimmerman, Amy E; Keeling, Patrick J

2015-02-13

The profound influence of marine plankton on the global carbon cycle has been recognized for decades, particularly for photosynthetic microbes that form the base of ocean food chains. However, a comprehensive model of the carbon cycle is challenged by unicellular eukaryotes (protists) having evolved complex behavioral strategies and organismal interactions that extend far beyond photosynthetic lifestyles. As is also true for multicellular eukaryotes, these strategies and their associated physiological changes are difficult to deduce from genome sequences or gene repertoires—a problem compounded by numerous unknown function proteins. Here, we explore protistan trophic modes in marine food webs and broader biogeochemical influences. We also evaluate approaches that could resolve their activities, link them to biotic and abiotic factors, and integrate them into an ecosystems biology framework. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Study on Influencing Factors of Carbon Emissions from Energy Consumption of Shandong Province of China from 1995 to 2012

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Jiekun; Song, Qing; Zhang, Dong; Lu, Youyou; Luan, Long

2014-01-01

Carbon emissions from energy consumption of Shandong province from 1995 to 2012 are calculated. Three zero-residual decomposition models (LMDI, MRCI and Shapley value models) are introduced for decomposing carbon emissions. Based on the results, Kendall coordination coefficient method is employed for testing their compatibility, and an optimal weighted combination decomposition model is constructed for improving the objectivity of decomposition. STIRPAT model is applied to evaluate the impact of each factor on carbon emissions. The results show that, using 1995 as the base year, the cumulative effects of population, per capita GDP, energy consumption intensity, and energy consumption structure of Shandong province in 2012 are positive, while the cumulative effect of industrial structure is negative. Per capita GDP is the largest driver of the increasing carbon emissions and has a great impact on carbon emissions; energy consumption intensity is a weak driver and has certain impact on carbon emissions; population plays a weak driving role, but it has the most significant impact on carbon emissions; energy consumption structure is a weak driver of the increasing carbon emissions and has a weak impact on carbon emissions; industrial structure has played a weak inhibitory role, and its impact on carbon emissions is great. PMID:24977216

Study on Influencing Factors of Carbon Emissions from Energy Consumption of Shandong Province of China from 1995 to 2012

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiekun Song

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Carbon emissions from energy consumption of Shandong province from 1995 to 2012 are calculated. Three zero-residual decomposition models (LMDI, MRCI and Shapley value models are introduced for decomposing carbon emissions. Based on the results, Kendall coordination coefficient method is employed for testing their compatibility, and an optimal weighted combination decomposition model is constructed for improving the objectivity of decomposition. STIRPAT model is applied to evaluate the impact of each factor on carbon emissions. The results show that, using 1995 as the base year, the cumulative effects of population, per capita GDP, energy consumption intensity, and energy consumption structure of Shandong province in 2012 are positive, while the cumulative effect of industrial structure is negative. Per capita GDP is the largest driver of the increasing carbon emissions and has a great impact on carbon emissions; energy consumption intensity is a weak driver and has certain impact on carbon emissions; population plays a weak driving role, but it has the most significant impact on carbon emissions; energy consumption structure is a weak driver of the increasing carbon emissions and has a weak impact on carbon emissions; industrial structure has played a weak inhibitory role, and its impact on carbon emissions is great.

Measurements and Factors That Influence the Carbon Capability of Urban Residents in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qianwen Li

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Due to the rapid growth in residential energy consumption, there is an urgent need to reduce carbon emissions from the consumer side, which requires improvements in the carbon capability of urban residents. In this study, previous investigations of carbon capability were analyzed and classified into four dimensions: carbon knowledge capability, carbon motivation capability, carbon behavior capability, and carbon management capability. According to grounded theory, a quantitative research model was constructed of the carbon capability of urban residents in Jiangsu, which was used to conduct a questionnaire survey. SPSS 19.0 and LatentGOLD were employed to process the questionnaire data and the carbon capability of the residents was evaluated. The results showed that the residents of Jiangsu Province could be divided into six groups based on their different carbon capabilities, where these six major groups accounted for 28.19%, 21.21%, 18.33%, 15.84%, 9.88%, and 6.55% of the total sample. Gender, age, occupation, and educational level had significant effects on the carbon capabilities of residents, whereas the annual household income and household population had no significant effects. According to the characteristics of each cluster based on the four carbon capability dimensions, the six clusters were designated as “balanced steady cluster”, “self-restraint cluster”, “fully backward cluster”, “comprehensive leading cluster”, “slightly cognitive cluster”, and “restrain others cluster”. Quantitative analysis showed that 61.93% of the residents of Jiangsu reached the qualified rate for the carbon capability but the excellent rate was only 15.84%. Relevant policy implications are suggested based on these conclusions.

Hydrothermal carbonization - 1. Influence of lignin in lignocelluloses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dinjus, E.; Kruse, A.; Troeger, N. [Institute of Catalysis Research and Technology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany)

2011-12-15

Hydrothermal carbonization is an attractive process for converting biomass with high water content into different products. The requirements on the products, which may be soil improvement or substitution of lignite or carbon black, are opposed to biomass as a feedstock that has a very complex and variable composition. The goal of this work was to study the influence of an ingredient, here lignin, on carbonization, with the focus being not only on the composition but also on the structure of the product formed. (Copyright copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Factors in low-carbon energy transformations: Comparing nuclear and bioenergy in Brazil, Sweden, and the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hultman, Nathan E.; Malone, Elizabeth L.; Runci, Paul; Carlock, Gregory; Anderson, Kate L.

2012-01-01

Policies to address climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions might be made more effective if we can better understand the pathways by which transformative technologies become significant components of energy systems. Indeed, the central question of mitigation revolves around the scope of policy to influence or accelerate the diffusion of low-carbon technology. While market forces clearly influence technology deployment, understanding the longer-term and large-scale changes in the energy system requires a broader understanding of the relative influence of institutional, behavioral, and social factors. This paper presents the results of an interview-based, comparative case approach to investigating systematically the relative importance of these non-economic factors influencing technological change across technology and country contexts. We identified two low-carbon energy sectors (bioenergy and nuclear power) that underwent significant changes over the past 50 years in the energy portfolio of three countries: Brazil, Sweden, and the United States. We identified nine categories of factors that might contribute to these large technological transformations, and then evaluated, via interviews with sector participants in each country, which factors were viewed as being determinative or highly influential in the trajectory of that technology in their country context. We also draw out policy implications and directions for future research. - Highlights: ► Study of energy transformations in bioenergy and nuclear energy in Brazil, Sweden, and the US. ► Data include survey and 78 interviews across 3 countries and 2 sectors. ► Across all countries and sectors, domestic policy was seen as the major factor in transitions. ► Other key factors with more variance were technological characteristics and industry structure. ► Study adds empirical detail to understanding of relative weights of factors in energy transitions.

The skeletal organic matrix from Mediterranean coral Balanophyllia europaea influences calcium carbonate precipitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Goffredo, Stefano; Vergni, Patrizia; Reggi, Michela; Caroselli, Erik; Sparla, Francesca; Levy, Oren; Dubinsky, Zvy; Falini, Giuseppe

2011-01-01

Scleractinian coral skeletons are made mainly of calcium carbonate in the form of aragonite. The mineral deposition occurs in a biological confined environment, but it is still a theme of discussion to what extent the calcification occurs under biological or environmental control. Hence, the shape, size and organization of skeletal crystals from the cellular level through the colony architecture, were attributed to factors as diverse as mineral supersaturation levels and organic mediation of crystal growth. The skeleton contains an intra-skeletal organic matrix (OM) of which only the water soluble component was chemically and physically characterized. In this work that OM from the skeleton of the Balanophyllia europaea, a solitary scleractinian coral endemic to the Mediterranean Sea, is studied in vitro with the aim of understanding its role in the mineralization of calcium carbonate. Mineralization of calcium carbonate was conducted by overgrowth experiments on coral skeleton and in calcium chloride solutions containing different ratios of water soluble and/or insoluble OM and of magnesium ions. The precipitates were characterized by diffractometric, spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. The results showed that both soluble and insoluble OM components influence calcium carbonate precipitation and that the effect is enhanced by their co-presence. The role of magnesium ions is also affected by the presence of the OM components. Thus, in vitro, OM influences calcium carbonate crystal morphology, aggregation and polymorphism as a function of its composition and of the content of magnesium ions in the precipitation media. This research, although does not resolve the controversy between environmental or biological control on the deposition of calcium carbonate in corals, sheds a light on the role of OM, which appears mediated by the presence of magnesium ions.

The Skeletal Organic Matrix from Mediterranean Coral Balanophyllia europaea Influences Calcium Carbonate Precipitation

Science.gov (United States)

Goffredo, Stefano; Vergni, Patrizia; Reggi, Michela; Caroselli, Erik; Sparla, Francesca; Levy, Oren; Dubinsky, Zvy; Falini, Giuseppe

2011-01-01

Scleractinian coral skeletons are made mainly of calcium carbonate in the form of aragonite. The mineral deposition occurs in a biological confined environment, but it is still a theme of discussion to what extent the calcification occurs under biological or environmental control. Hence, the shape, size and organization of skeletal crystals from the cellular level through the colony architecture, were attributed to factors as diverse as mineral supersaturation levels and organic mediation of crystal growth. The skeleton contains an intra-skeletal organic matrix (OM) of which only the water soluble component was chemically and physically characterized. In this work that OM from the skeleton of the Balanophyllia europaea, a solitary scleractinian coral endemic to the Mediterranean Sea, is studied in vitro with the aim of understanding its role in the mineralization of calcium carbonate. Mineralization of calcium carbonate was conducted by overgrowth experiments on coral skeleton and in calcium chloride solutions containing different ratios of water soluble and/or insoluble OM and of magnesium ions. The precipitates were characterized by diffractometric, spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. The results showed that both soluble and insoluble OM components influence calcium carbonate precipitation and that the effect is enhanced by their co-presence. The role of magnesium ions is also affected by the presence of the OM components. Thus, in vitro, OM influences calcium carbonate crystal morphology, aggregation and polymorphism as a function of its composition and of the content of magnesium ions in the precipitation media. This research, although does not resolve the controversy between environmental or biological control on the deposition of calcium carbonate in corals, sheds a light on the role of OM, which appears mediated by the presence of magnesium ions. PMID:21799830

The influence of travel decisions on the carbon dioxide emissions of transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norava, M.

2001-01-01

During the recent years the reduction of the energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions of transport have been essential objectives in transport policy. At the moment, technical means to reduce carbon dioxide emissions have been emphasized and the research has focused on the technical innovations. However, there are also substantial possibilities to reduce energy consumption by influencing the individual travel decisions and behaviour. This study is focused on the individual travel behaviour and how it can be influenced. Travel behaviour is studied by dividing the individual travel decisions into separate categories and assessing the possibilities of influence within each category. The study concentrates on daily travel choices, because the daily mobility is the most important factor in the total emissions. The travel decisions have divided into trip production, destination choice, mode choice, choice of the starting point of the trip, route choice and the choice of the driving style and car use habits. The trip production and mode choice are the most significant decisions, when energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions are concerned. For example, the amount of shopping trip and leisure trip mileage can be reduced by approximately 10 % by extending the trip chains. This reduction would decrease the carbon dioxide emissions of passenger car traffic by 6 %. Extending of the trip chains demands to some extent more detailed planning of the daily mobility, but does not limit the travel need. The attitudes towards mobility, car use habits and the travel behaviour were studied in an influence assessment study of 42 respondents from Helsinki Region and Tampere Region. The influence assessment study consisted of attitude survey and travel diary survey. After the first inquiries the respondents received information about motoring, car use habits, public transport, environment, walking and cycling. In addition, the respondents were offered a possibility to

Spatial pattern of heavy metals accumulation risk in urban soils of Beijing and its influencing factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Rui; Wang, Meie; Chen, Weiping; Peng, Chi

2016-01-01

Accumulations of heavy metals in urban soils are highly spatial heterogeneity and affected by multiple factors including soil properties, land use and pattern, population and climatic conditions. We studied accumulation risks of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn in unban soils of Beijing and their influencing based on the regression tree analysis and a GIS-based overlay model. Result shows that Zinc causes the most extensive soil pollution and Cu result in the most acute soil pollution. The soil's organic carbon content and CEC and population growth are the most significant factors affecting heavy metal accumulation. Other influence factors in land use pattern, urban landscape, and wind speed also contributed, but less pronounced. The soils in areas with higher degree of urbanization and surrounded by intense vehicular traffics have higher accumulation risk of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn. - Highlights: • Zn accumulations were the most extensive and Cu accumulations were the most acute. • Accumulations of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn in urban soils were caused by different sets of influence factors. • Soil's organic carbon content and CEC and population growth were the most significant factors. • Accumulation risks were highly related with urbanization level and human activities. - A combined approach of employing geographical information systems and regression tree analyses identify the potential risks of accumulation Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn in urban soils according to soil properties, urban land use patterns, urban landscape, demographics, and microclimatic conditions.

Influence of chemisorption products of carbon dioxide and water vapour on radiolysis of tritium breeder

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zarins, Arturs, E-mail: arturs.zarins@lu.lv [University of Latvia, Institute of Chemical Physics, Kronvalda Boulevard 4, LV-1010 Riga (Latvia); Kizane, Gunta; Supe, Arnis [University of Latvia, Institute of Chemical Physics, Kronvalda Boulevard 4, LV-1010 Riga (Latvia); Knitter, Regina; Kolb, Matthias H.H. [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Applied Materials (IAM-WPT), 76021 Karlsruhe (Germany); Tiliks, Juris; Baumane, Larisa [University of Latvia, Institute of Chemical Physics, Kronvalda Boulevard 4, LV-1010 Riga (Latvia)

2014-10-15

Highlights: • Chemisorption products affect formation proceses of radiation-induced defects. • Radiolysis of chemisorption products increase amount of radiation-induced defects. • Irradiation atmosphere influence radiolysis of lithium orthosilicate pebbles. - Abstract: Lithium orthosilicate pebbles with 2.5 wt% excess of silica are the reference tritium breeding material for the European solid breeder test blanket modules. On the surface of the pebbles chemisorption products of carbon dioxide and water vapour (lithium carbonate and hydroxide) may accumulate during the fabrication process. In this study the influence of the chemisorption products on radiolysis of the pebbles was investigated. Using nanosized lithium orthosilicate powders, factors, which can influence the formation and radiolysis of the chemisorption products, were determined and described as well. The formation of radiation-induced defects and radiolysis products was studied with electron spin resonance and the method of chemical scavengers. It was found that the radiolysis of the chemisorption products on the surface of the pebbles can increase the concentration of radiation-induced defects and so could affect the tritium diffusion, retention and the released species.

Human factors influencing decision making

OpenAIRE

Jacobs, Patricia A.

1998-01-01

This report supplies references and comments on literature that identifies human factors influencing decision making, particularly military decision making. The literature has been classified as follows (the classes are not mutually exclusive): features of human information processing; decision making models which are not mathematical models but rather are descriptive; non- personality factors influencing decision making; national characteristics influencing decision makin...

[Soil organic carbon sequestration rate and its influencing factors in farmland of Guanzhong Plain: a case study in Wugong County, Shannxi Province].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiao-Wei; Xu, Ming-Xiang

2013-07-01

Take Wugong County as an example, soil carbon storage and soil carbon sequestration rate were calculated, the change law of farmland soil organic carbon was explored, and the relationship of farmland soil organic carbon and natural factors, human factors was further revealed. The results of the study showed that: (1) The soil organic carbon contents in 80% of the sampling sites were in the range of 8.0-12.0 g x kg(-1), and the organic carbon contents in 0-20 cm soils showed a normal distribution. (2) In 2011, the organic carbon density of the 0-20 cm farmland soil was 26.3 t x hm(-2), below the national average soil organic carbon density (33.45 t x hm(-2)) of the arable layer. In the last 30 years, the soil carbon sequestration rate in the 0-20 cm layer was 71.3 kg x (hm2 x a)(-1), and in the past five years, the carbon sequestration rate was 480 kg x (hm x a)(-1). The recent carbon sequestration rate was higher than the national average soil carbon sequestration rate of the arable layer [380.78 kg x (hm2 x a)(-1)]. (3) In the semi-humid plain region, soil organic carbon was mainly affected by soil types, landform types, organic fertilizer. Soil types accounted for 30.2% of the organic carbon variability; the landform types and the organic fertilizer could explain 37.7% and 32.1%, respectively. The results of the comprehensive analysis showed that the farmland soil organic carbon density of Wugong County in the past 30 years is increasing, and this probably relies on the utilization of chemical fertilizer and the returning straw. Further study should be conducted on the impact of the chemical fertilizer and returning straw.

Influence of changing carbonate chemistry on morphology and weight of coccoliths formed by Emiliania huxleyi

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. G. Schulz

2012-08-01

Full Text Available The coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi is a marine phytoplankton species capable of forming small calcium carbonate scales (coccoliths which cover the organic part of the cell. Calcification rates of E. huxleyi are known to be sensitive to changes in seawater carbonate chemistry. It has, however, not yet been clearly determined how these changes are reflected in size and weight of individual coccoliths and which specific parameter(s of the carbonate system drive morphological modifications. Here, we compare data on coccolith size, weight, and malformation from a set of five experiments with a large diversity of carbonate chemistry conditions. This diversity allows distinguishing the influence of individual carbonate chemistry parameters such as carbon dioxide (CO2, bicarbonate (HCO3−, carbonate ion (CO32−, and protons (H+ on the measured parameters. Measurements of fine-scale morphological structures reveal an increase of coccolith malformation with decreasing pH suggesting that H+ is the major factor causing malformations. Coccolith distal shield area varies from about 5 to 11 μm2. Changes in size seem to be mainly induced by varying [HCO3−] and [H+] although influence of [CO32−] cannot be entirely ruled out. Changes in coccolith weight were proportional to changes in size. Increasing CaCO3 production rates are reflected in an increase in coccolith weight and an increase of the number of coccoliths formed per unit time. The combined investigation of morphological features and coccolith production rates presented in this study may help to interpret data derived from sediment cores, where coccolith morphology is used to reconstruct calcification rates in the water column.

Factors influencing the outdoor concentration of carbonaceous aerosols at urban schools in Brisbane, Australia: Implications for children's exposure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crilley, L.R.; Ayoko, G.A.; Mazaheri, M.; Morawska, L.

2016-01-01

This comprehensive study aimed to determine the sources and driving factors of organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) concentrations in ambient PM 2.5 in urban schools. Sampling was conducted outdoors at 25 schools in the Brisbane Metropolitan Area, Australia. Concentrations of primary and secondary OC were quantified using the EC tracer method, with secondary OC accounting for an average of 60%. Principal component analysis distinguished the contributing sources above the background and identified groups of schools with differing levels of primary and secondary carbonaceous aerosols. Overall, the results showed that vehicle emissions, local weather conditions and secondary organic aerosols (SOA) were the key factors influencing concentrations of carbonaceous component of PM 2.5 at these schools. These results provide insights into children's exposure to vehicle emissions and SOA at such urban schools. - Highlights: • We aimed to find the contributing sources to children's exposure at school. • Measured outdoor organic carbon and elemental carbon at 25 urban schools. • Schools varied in exposure to primary and secondary sources. • Secondary organic carbon the largest component of carbonaceous aerosols. • Vehicle emission levels at schools are primarily dependent on local traffic counts. - Key factors influencing concentrations of carbonaceous component of PM 2.5 at urban schools were found to be vehicle emissions, secondary organic aerosols and local weather conditions.

[Natural factors influencing sleep].

Science.gov (United States)

Jurkowski, Marek K; Bobek-Billewicz, Barbara

2007-01-01

Sleep is a universal phenomenon of human and animal lives, although the importance of sleep for homeo-stasis is still unknown. Sleep disturbances influence many behavioral and physiologic processes, leading to health complications including death. On the other hand, sleep improvement can beneficially influence the course of healing of many disorders and can be a prognostic of health recovery. The factors influencing sleep have different biological and chemical origins. They are classical hormones, hypothalamic releasing and inhibitory hormones, neuropeptides, peptides and others as cytokines, prostaglandins, oleamid, adenosine, nitric oxide. These factors regulate most physiologic processes and are likely elements integrating sleep with physiology and physiology with sleep in health and disorders.

Carbon adaptation influence the antagonistic ability of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Influences of carbon adaptation on antagonistic activities of three Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains V4, V7 and V10 against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis were determined in this study. Results from this study showed that the P. aeruginosa strains and their adapted strains significantly inhibited the growth of mycelium ...

Theoretical difference between impact factor and influence factor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Đilda Pečarić

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Bibliometric constructions of "knowledge maps" and "cognitive structures of science" do not differentiate between impact and influence factors. The difference can be constructedaccording to different meaning and interpretation of the terms reference and citation. Reference is "acknowledgment which one author gives to another", whereas citation is "acknowledgment which one document receives from another". Development of Information Science according to period and subject area is analyzed on the corpus of citation literature retrieved from doctoral dissertations in Information Science from 1978 to 2007 at Croatian universities. The research aim is to indicate the difference between document impact factor and author's influence factor (i.e. reference ability to produce effects on actions, behavior, and opinions of authors of doctoral theses. The influence factor serves to distinguish the key role of cited authors in time and according to the duration of the influence (the average age for cited papers of dominant authors in different periods is between eight and ten years. The difference between linear and interactive communication seems vital for the interpretation of cited half-life, i.e. the attitude of one science community towards used information resources and cognitive heritage. The analyzed corpus of 22,210 citations can be divided into three communication phases according to influence factor criteria: in the phase of dialogue and interactive communication 25% of bibliographic units are cited in the first four years; in the second phase another 25% of units are cited from the fifth to the ninth year; after ten years, in the dominant linear communication phase, approximately 30% of units are cited.

Key biogeochemical factors affecting soil carbon storage in Posidonia meadows

KAUST Repository

Serrano, Oscar

2016-08-15

Biotic and abiotic factors influence the accumulation of organic carbon (C-org) in seagrass ecosystems. We surveyed Posidonia sinuosa meadows growing in different water depths to assess the variability in the sources, stocks and accumulation rates of Corg. We show that over the last 500 years, P. sinuosa meadows closer to the upper limit of distribution (at 2-4 m depth) accumulated 3- to 4-fold higher C-org stocks (averaging 6.3 kg C-org m(-2) at 3- to 4-fold higher rates (12.8 gC(org) m(-2) yr(-1) ) compared to meadows closer to the deep limits of distribution (at 6-8 m depth; 1.8 kg C-org m(-2) and 3.6 g C-org m(-2) yr(-1) . In shallower meadows, C-org stocks were mostly derived from seagrass detritus (88% in average) compared to meadows closer to the deep limit of distribution (45% on average). In addition, soil accumulation rates and fine-grained sediment content (< 0.125 mm) in shallower meadows (2.0 mm yr(-1) and 9 %, respectively) were approximately 2-fold higher than in deeper meadows (1.2 mm yr(-1) and 5 %, respectively). The C-org stocks and accumulation rates accumulated over the last 500 years in bare sediments (0.6 kg C-org m(-2) and 1.2 g C-org m(-2) yr(-1)were 3- to 11-fold lower than in P. sinuosa meadows, while fine-grained sediment content (1 %) and seagrass detritus contribution to the Corg pool (20 %) were 8- and 3-fold lower than in Posidonia meadows, respectively. The patterns found support the hypothesis that Corg storage in seagrass soils is influenced by interactions of biological (e.g., meadow productivity, cover and density), chemical (e.g., recalcitrance of Corg stocks) and physical (e.g., hydrodynamic energy and soil accumulation rates) factors within the meadow. We conclude that there is a need to improve global estimates of seagrass carbon storage accounting for biogeochemical factors driving variability within habitats.

Factors effecting carbonate equilibria in natural waters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Snellman, M.

1987-12-01

This study is related to preliminary stie evaluations to be carried out in 1987-1992 for spent nuclear fuel disposal in Finland. Near surface and shallow groundwaters are characterized by high concentration of calcium and bicarbonate due to dissolution of calcite. The input of carbon dioxide in the upper zone of the bedrock has a strong influence on the pH giving a pH around neutral. In deep groundwaters when the system is no longer open to the input of carbon dioxide the pH rises as the carbonate system is displaced towards the bicarbonate-carbonate site. In still deeper parts of the rock weathering of other minerals such as feldspars affects the chemistry raising the pH and resulting in saturation and precipitation of calcite. The more advanced these reactions become the higher is the pH and the lower is the carbonate content. The equilibrium concentrations of carbonate species are affected both by temperature and ionic strength of the waters, at high ionic strength especially the distribution between bicarbonate and carbonate ions is affected. The total concentration of carbonates in groundwaters is determined through complex interaction between calcite and carbonates in the water. In deep groundwaters which are closed for input of CO 2 the concentration is stated to be regulated by dissolution of calcium carbonate. In deep granitic groundwaters pH is stated to be buffered to 6.5 to 10, where a high pH would correspond to a low total carbonate concentration and often also a low calcium concentration and a low pH would correspond to high carbonae and calcium concentrations

Factors Affecting Regional Per-Capita Carbon Emissions in China Based on an LMDI Factor Decomposition Model

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Feng; Long, Ruyin; Chen, Hong; Li, Xiaohui; Yang, Qingliang

2013-01-01

China is considered to be the main carbon producer in the world. The per-capita carbon emissions indicator is an important measure of the regional carbon emissions situation. This study used the LMDI factor decomposition model–panel co-integration test two-step method to analyze the factors that affect per-capita carbon emissions. The main results are as follows. (1) During 1997, Eastern China, Central China, and Western China ranked first, second, and third in the per-capita carbon emissions, while in 2009 the pecking order changed to Eastern China, Western China, and Central China. (2) According to the LMDI decomposition results, the key driver boosting the per-capita carbon emissions in the three economic regions of China between 1997 and 2009 was economic development, and the energy efficiency was much greater than the energy structure after considering their effect on restraining increased per-capita carbon emissions. (3) Based on the decomposition, the factors that affected per-capita carbon emissions in the panel co-integration test showed that Central China had the best energy structure elasticity in its regional per-capita carbon emissions. Thus, Central China was ranked first for energy efficiency elasticity, while Western China was ranked first for economic development elasticity. PMID:24353753

Influence of temperature on products yield of Eucalyptus microcorys carbonization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renato da Silva Vieira

2013-03-01

Full Text Available During charcoal production different products are formed. These products are influenced primarily by the temperature of carbonization. Given that charcoal is the main input in the production of pig iron in Brazil, this study evaluated the influence of final temperature of carbonization of the products generated and also the influence of the radial and longitudinal sampling on the yield of each product. Samples were taken from internal and external position along the radius and also from three different heights from four Eucalyptus microcorys trees. The samples were carbonized in an electric furnace with an experimental water-cooled condenser and a collecting bottle of condensable volatile materials. The final temperatures of carbonization were 500, 600, 700, 800 and 900°C. The gravimetric yield, tar and non-condensable gases were calculated. The results showed no difference in the gravimetric yield in the longitudinal and radial positions studied, while the tar yield and non-condensable gases showed temperature variations of 700°C and 800°C and the variation of the gravimetric yield temperatures between 500°C to 900°C was 15%, the change of yield of tar from the radial direction of sampling was on average 8%, the variation of the yield of non-condensable gases in a radial sampling was on average 16%.

Driving factors behind carbon dioxide emissions in China: A modified production-theoretical decomposition analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Qunwei; Chiu, Yung-Ho; Chiu, Ching-Ren

2015-01-01

Research on the driving factors behind carbon dioxide emission changes in China can inform better carbon emission reduction policies and help develop a low-carbon economy. As one of important methods, production-theoretical decomposition analysis (PDA) has been widely used to understand these driving factors. To avoid the infeasibility issue in solving the linear programming, this study proposed a modified PDA approach to decompose carbon dioxide emission changes into seven drivers. Using 2005–2010 data, the study found that economic development was the largest factor of increasing carbon dioxide emissions. The second factor was energy structure (reflecting potential carbon), and the third factor was low energy efficiency. Technological advances, energy intensity reductions, and carbon dioxide emission efficiency improvements were the negative driving factors reducing carbon dioxide emission growth rates. Carbon dioxide emissions and driving factors varied significantly across east, central and west China. - Highlights: • A modified PDA used to decompose carbon dioxide emission changes into seven drivers. • Two models were proposed to ameliorate the infeasible occasions. • Economic development was the largest factor of increasing CO_2 emissions in China.

Influence of climate change factors on carbon dynamics in northern forested peatlands

Science.gov (United States)

C.C Trettin; R. Laiho; K. Minkkinen; J. Laine

2005-01-01

Peatlands are carbon-accumulating wetland ecosystems, developed through an imbalance among organic matter production and decomposition processes. Soil saturation is the principal cause of anoxic conditions that constrain organic matter decay. Accordingly, changes in the hydrologic regime will affect the carbon (C) dynamics in forested peatlands. Our objective is to...

Influence of the particle size of activated mineral carbon on the phenol and chlorophenol adsorption; Influencia del tamano de particula de carbon mineral activado sobre la adsorcion de fenol y clorofenol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garcia M, A

2001-07-01

Water pollution by phenolic compounds is a problem that requires a solution since these phenolic compounds are not completely biodegradable, they accumulate through the food chains and they are quite toxic when enter in contact with living organisms. In human beings, ingestion or contact of the skin with this type of compounds produces irritation and damages mainly to the liver and kidneys. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States (EPA assigned nine phenolic compounds among the 275 most toxic substances in 1991. Phenols are found in wastewater from agriculture and industry, because phenolic compounds are used as pesticides and in diverse industrial activities. The treatment of this type of water is not simple because they are generally composed of a mixture of residuals with different chemical nature A useful method for the removal of phenols is the adsorption by activated carbon, since this material has a great surface area and it can be regenerated. The adsorption process depends, among other factors, on the activated carbon characteristics. When they are modified, their capacity to remove pollutants from the water changes. The effect of activated carbon particle size on the removal of phenolic compounds has not been completely studied. Therefore, the aim of this work was to determine the influence of the mineral activated carbon particle size on the phenol and 4-chloro phenol adsorption in aqueous solution, on adsorption column system. The results of the present work indicate that the mineral activated carbon particle size has a very important influence on the adsorption of phenol and 4-chloro phenol. When the particles were smaller, the retention quantities of phenol and 4-chloro phenol increased. This behavior was related to the particle characteristics of the mineral activated carbon such as surface area and pore volume, while other factors such as elementary composition of the activated carbon did not influence the adsorption process

[Adsorption behavior and influence factors of p-nitroaniline on high surface area activated carbons prepared from plant stems].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Kun-quan; Zheng, Zheng; Luo, Xing-zhang

2010-08-01

Low-cost and high surface area microporous activated carbons were prepared from Spartina alternilora and cotton stalk with KOH activation under the conditions of impregnation ratio of 3.0, activation temperature at 800 degrees C and activation time of 1.5 h. The adsorption behavior of p-nitroaniline on the activated carbons was investigated by batch sorption experiments. The influences of solution pH value, adsorbent dose and temperature were investigated. The adsorption isotherm and thermodynamic characteristics were also discussed. The Spartina alterniflora activated carbon (SA-AC) has a high surface area of 2825 m2 x g(-1) and a micropore volume of 1.192 cm3 x g(-1). The BET surface area and micropore volume of the cotton stalk activated carbon (CS-AC) are 2135 m2 x g(-1) and 1.011 cm3 x g(-1), respectively. The sorption experiments show that both the activated carbons have high sorption capacity for p-nitroaniline. The Langmuir maximum sorption amount was found to be 719 mg x g(-1) for SA-AC and 716 mg x g(-1) for CS-AC, respectively. The sorption was found to depend on solution pH, adsorbent dose, and temperature. The optimum pH for the removal of p-nitroaniline was found to be 7.0. The Freundlich model and Redlich-Peterson model can describe the experimental data effectively. The negative changes in free energy (delta G0) and enthalpy (delta H0) indicate that the sorption is a spontaneous and exothermic procedure. The negative values of the adsorption entropy delta S0 indicate that the mobility of p-nitroaniline on the carbon surface becomes more restricted as compared with that of those in solution.

Demotivating factors influencing rubber production workers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Reza Iravani

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Motivation is one of the most important factors influencing workers' productivity. An increase in workers' motivation could add more value to organizations' structure and influence the profitability, significantly. In this paper, we study different factors on demotivating workers using questionnaire consist of various questions. The questionnaire is distributed among some employees who work for rubber production units located in Esfahan, Iran. The results of this survey indicate that discrimination on annual job compensation, entrusting responsibilities and unpleasant relationship with family partner are some of the most important factors influencing employees' motivation. While financial factors play important role on increasing employees' motivation, non-financial factors are considered more important.

Allometric biomass and carbon factors database

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Somogyi, Z. [European Commission Joint Research Centre, Ispra (Italy). Institute for Environment and Sustainability]|[Hungarian Forest Research Institute, Budapest (Hungary); Teobaldelli, M.; Federici, S.; Pagliari, V.; Grassi, G.; Seufert, G. [European Commission Joint Research Centre, Ispra (Italy). Institute for Environment and Sustainability; Matteucci, G. [Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Rende (Italy). Istituto per i Sistemi Agricoli e Forestali del Mediterraneo

2008-09-30

DATA clearinghouse. The 'Allometric, Biomass and Carbon factors' database (ABC factors database) was designed to facilitate the estimation of the biomass carbon stocks of forests in order to support the development and the verification of greenhouse gas inventories in the LULUCF sector. The database contains several types of expansion, conversion and combined factors, by various tree species or species groups that can be used to calculate biomass or carbon of forests of Eurasian region from proxy variables (e.g., tree volume) that may come from forest inventories. In addition to the factors, and depending on the information that was available in the cited source, the database indicates: (1) the biomass compartments involved when the factor was developed; and (2) the possible applicability of the factor, e.g. by country or by ecological regions. The applicability of the factors is either suggested by the source itself, or the type of source (e.g. National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report), or was based on the expert judgement by the compilers of the database. Finally, in order to facilitate the selection of the most appropriate of the data, the web-based interface provides the possibility to compare several factors that may come from different sources.

Factors influencing women's decisions to purchase specific ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

aimed at identifying the factors that influence women's decisions to purchase specific .... influence of all the factors influencing their decision to purchase a selected .... one free” promotions seemed to have had the greatest influence on this ...

Electron beam influence on the carbon contamination of electron irradiated hydroxyapatite thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hristu, Radu; Stanciu, Stefan G.; Tranca, Denis E.; Stanciu, George A.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Carbon contamination mechanisms of electron-beam-irradiated hydroxyapatite. • Atomic force microscopy phase imaging used to detect carbon contamination. • Carbon contamination dependence on electron energy, irradiation time, beam current. • Simulation of backscattered electrons confirms the experimental results. - Abstract: Electron beam irradiation which is considered a reliable method for tailoring the surface charge of hydroxyapatite is hindered by carbon contamination. Separating the effects of the carbon contamination from those of irradiation-induced trapped charge is important for a wide range of biological applications. In this work we focus on the understanding of the electron-beam-induced carbon contamination with special emphasis on the influence of the electron irradiation parameters on this phenomenon. Phase imaging in atomic force microscopy is used to evaluate the influence of electron energy, beam current and irradiation time on the shape and size of the resulted contamination patterns. Different processes involved in the carbon contamination of hydroxyapatite are discussed

Effect of carbon black nanoparticles on methane/air explosions: Influence at low initial turbulence

Science.gov (United States)

Torrado, David; Glaude, Pierre-Alexandre; Dufaud, Olivier

2017-06-01

Nanoparticles are widely used in industrial applications as additives to modify materials properties such as resistance, surface, rheology or UV-radiation. As a consequence, the quantification and characterization of nanoparticles have become almost compulsory, including the understanding of the risks associated to their use. Since a few years ago, several studies of dust explosion properties involving nano-sized powder have been published. During the production and industrial use of nanoparticles, simultaneous presence of gas / vapor / solvents and dispersed nanoparticles mixtures might be obtained, increasing the risk of a hybrid mixture explosion. The aim of this work is to study the severity of the explosion of carbon black nanoparticles/methane mixtures and understand the influence of adding nanopowders on the behavior of the gas explosions. These results are also useful to understand the influence of soot on the efficiency of the gas combustion. Two grades of carbon black nanoparticles (ranging from 20 to 300 nm average diameter) have been mixed with methane. Tests have been performed on these mixtures in a standard 20 L explosion sphere. Regarding the scale precision, the lowest concentration of carbon black nanoparticles was set at 0.5 g.m-3. Tests were also performed at 2.5 g.m-3, which is still far below 60 g.m-3, the minimum explosive concentration of such powders previously determined in our laboratory. The influence of carbon black particles on the severity of the explosions has been compared to that of pure gas. It appears that the use of carbon black nanoparticles increases the explosion overpressure for lean methane mixtures at low initial turbulences by c. 10%. Similar results were obtained for high initial turbulent systems. Therefore, it seems that carbon black nanoparticles have an impact on the severity of the explosion even for quiescent systems, as opposed to systems involving micro-sized powders that require dispersion at high turbulence

Base Carbone. Documentation about the emission factors of the Base CarboneR database

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2014-01-01

The Base Carbone R is a public database of emission factors as required for carrying out carbon accounting exercises. It is administered by ADEME, but its governance involves many stakeholders and it can be added to freely. The articulation and convergence of environmental regulations requires data homogenization. The Base Carbone R proposes to be this centralized data source. Today, it is the reference database for article 75 of the Grenelle II Act. It is also entirely consistent with article L1341-3 of the French Transport Code and the default values of the European emission quotas exchange system. The data of the Base Carbone R can be freely consulted by all. Furthermore, the originality of this tool is that it enables third parties to propose their own data (feature scheduled for February 2015). These data are then assessed for their quality and transparency, then validated or refused for incorporation in the Base Carbone R . Lastly, a forum (planned for February 2015) will enable users to ask questions about the data, or to contest the data. The administration of the Base Carbone R is handled by ADEME. However, its orientation and the data that it contains are validated by a governance committee incorporating various public and private stakeholders. Lastly, transparency is one of the keystones of the Base Carbone R . Documentation details the hypotheses underlying the construction of all the data in the base, and refers to the studies that have enabled their construction. This document brings together the different versions of the Base Carbone R documentation: the most recent version (v11.5) and the previous versions (v11.0) which is shared in 2 parts dealing with the general case and with the specific case of overseas territories

Lithological and hydrological influences on ground-water composition in a heterogeneous carbonate-clay aquifer system

Science.gov (United States)

Kauffman, S.J.; Herman, J.S.; Jones, B.F.

1998-01-01

carbonate aquifer system of Miocene age in southwest Florida. A depth profile of water composition was obtained by sampling ground water from discrete intervals within the permeable carbonate units during coring and by squeezing pore water from a core of the less-permeable clay layers. A normative salt analysis of solute compositions in the water indicated a marine origin for both types of water and an evolutionary pathway for the clay water that involves clay diagenesis. The factors influencing water compositions were determined.

Banking carbon: A review of organic carbon storage and physical factors influencing retention in floodplains and riparian ecosystems

Science.gov (United States)

Nicholas A. Sutfin; Ellen E. Wohl; Kathleen A. Dwire

2016-01-01

Rivers are dynamic components of the terrestrial carbon cycle and provide important functions in ecosystem processes. Although rivers act as conveyers of carbon to the oceans, rivers also retain carbon within riparian ecosystems along floodplains, with potential for long-term (> 102 years) storage. Research in ecosystem processing emphasizes the...

Influence of carbon black distribution on performance of oxide cathodes for Li ion batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dominko, Robert; Gaberscek, Miran; Drofenik, Jernej; Bele, Marjan; Jamnik, Janez

2003-01-01

The influence of carbon black content and carbon black distribution on performance of oxide-based cathodes, such as LiCoO 2 and LiMn 2 O 4 , is investigated. The electronic conductivity of oxide material/carbon black composites is compared with electrochemical characteristics of the same composites. Uniformity of carbon black distribution in cathode composites is achieved using novel coating technology in cathode preparation. In this technology, the active particles are first pretreated in a gelatin solution. The adsorbed gelatin then controls the deposition of carbon black so that carbon black particles are uniformly distributed in the final composite. The influence of various parameters, such as pH of gelatin, amount of gelatin and concentration of carbon black on the uniformity of carbon black distribution is investigated. It is shown that the conventional technology of cathode preparation yields quite non-uniform distribution of carbon black in cathode material. At the end, we demonstrate that uniformity of carbon black distribution has a crucial impact on reversible capacity, especially at high current densities

Factors Influencing Substance Abuse among Undergraduate ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study investigated the factors influencing substance abuse amongundergraduate students in Osun State; Nigeria. A sample of 1, 200undergraduate students were randomly selected from three tertiaryinstitution in Osun State. Factors Influencing Substance Abuse Questionnaire (FISA) was developed by the researcher ...

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE EVOLUTION OF YOUTH TRAVEL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Student Claudia MOISĂ

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Youth travel is an important part of global tourism, consequently, getting to know the evolution of this form of tourism requires an approach of the aspects regarding the permissive and restrictive factors that influence the youth travel dynamic worldwide. In terms of the factors that influence youth travel, we highlighted these two categories of factors (permissive and restrictive and, within each category, we tried to singularize the influence of every factor over youth travel.

Influences of carbon content and coating carbon thickness on properties of amorphous CoSnO3@C composites as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan, Fuqiang; Fang, Guoqing; Zhang, Ruixue; Xu, Yanhui; Zheng, Junwei; Li, Decheng

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The thickness of carbon coating layers can be successfully controlled through varying molar concentration of aqueous glucose solution. • Coating carbon thickness and carbon content are two important factors on the electrochemical performances of CoSnO3@C. • CoSnO 3 @C under optimized conditions exhibits the optimal balance between the volume buffering effect and reversible capacity. • As-prepared CoSnO 3 @C under optimized conditions shows excellent electrochemical performances, whose reversible capacity could reach 491 mA h g −1 after 100 cycles. - Abstract: A series of core–shell carbon coated amorphous CoSnO 3 (CoSnO 3 @C) with different carbon content are synthesized. Effects of carbon content and coating carbon thickness on the physical and electrochemical performances of the samples were studied in detail. The samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), galvanostatic charge–discharge and AC impedance spectroscopy, respectively. The results indicate that controlling the concentration of aqueous glucose solution influences the generation of in-situ carbon layer thickness. The optimal concentration of aqueous glucose solution, carbon content and carbon layer thickness are suggested as 0.25 M, 35.1% and 20 nm, respectively. CoSnO 3 @C composite prepared under the optimal conditions exhibits excellent cycling performance, whose reversible capacity could reach 491 mA h g −1 after 100 cycles

Factors affecting stress assisted corrosion cracking of carbon steel under industrial boiler conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Dong

Failure of carbon steel boiler tubes from waterside has been reported in the utility boilers and industrial boilers for a long time. In industrial boilers, most waterside tube cracks are found near heavy attachment welds on the outer surface and are typically blunt, with multiple bulbous features indicating a discontinuous growth. These types of tube failures are typically referred to as stress assisted corrosion (SAC). For recovery boilers in the pulp and paper industry, these failures are particularly important as any water leak inside the furnace can potentially lead to smelt-water explosion. Metal properties, environmental variables, and stress conditions are the major factors influencing SAC crack initation and propagation in carbon steel boiler tubes. Slow strain rate tests (SSRT) were conducted under boiler water conditions to study the effect of temperature, oxygen level, and stress conditions on crack initation and propagation on SA-210 carbon steel samples machined out of boiler tubes. Heat treatments were also performed to develop various grain size and carbon content on carbon steel samples, and SSRTs were conducted on these samples to examine the effect of microstructure features on SAC cracking. Mechanisms of SAC crack initation and propagation were proposed and validated based on interrupted slow strain tests (ISSRT). Water chemistry guidelines are provided to prevent SAC and fracture mechanics model is developed to predict SAC failure on industrial boiler tubes.

The influence of carbonation process on concrete bridges and durability in Estonian practice

Science.gov (United States)

Liisma, E.; Sein, S.; Järvpõld, M.

2017-10-01

Concrete as one of the most widely used construction material in building industry, has considerable implementing in bridge engineering due to its extensive number of effective technical characteristics. However, according to exploitation environment, there are substantial factors such as aggressive liquids (e.g. deiced salts, sulfates, etc), rapid temperature alterations and the increasing rate of CO2 to take into account predicting actual retained service life of concrete structure and the need of repairmen to increase the lifespan of the bridge. According to several measuring, concentration of atmospheric CO2 is reported linearly increasing and is modeled to appear as exponential increase in the next decade. This environmental influence leads to accelerated carbonation process of concrete and brings up the importance of its potential untimely degradation mechanism. Hence, the main aim of this research is to give an analyzed overview of the carbonation depths of selection of 11 concrete bridges in Estonia built in the period of 1976-2007 and their relation with compressive strength of concrete. In addition to in situ tests, laboratory research was performed to understand natural carbonation rate and compressive strength relations of concrete.

VASOMOTOR ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION AND MICROCIRCULATION IN ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH ISOLATED SYSTOLIC ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION: INFLUENCE OF "DRY" CARBONIC BATHS AND GENERAL LOW-FREQUENCY MAGNETOTHERAPY

OpenAIRE

Alypova, Elena

2013-01-01

Abstract. The comparative estimation of influence of the general low-frequency magnetotherapy (GLMT) and "dry" carbonic baths (DCB) on indicators of vasomotor endothelial function and microcirculation in elderly patients with isolated systolic (ISAH) arterial hypertension has been studied. The efficiency of application the combined use of the GLMT and "dry" carbonic baths DCB for correction of revealed disorders in comparing to the monovariant use of thees medical physical factors is establis...

Carbon Storage of Forest Vegetation in China and its Relationship with Climatic Factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, M.; Zhou, Guang-Sheng

2006-01-01

Estimates of forest vegetation carbon storage in China varied due to different methods used in the assessments. In this paper, we estimated the forest vegetation carbon storage from the Fourth Forest Inventory Data (FFID) in China using a modified volume-derived method. Results showed that total carbon storage and mean carbon density of forest vegetation in China were 3.8 Pg C (about 1.1% of the global vegetation carbon stock) and 41.32 Mg/ha, respectively. In addition, based on linear multiple regression equation and factor analysis method, we analyzed contributions of biotic and abiotic factors (including mean forest age, mean annual temperature, annual precipitation, and altitude) to forest carbon storage. Our results indicated that forest vegetation carbon storage was more sensitive to changes of mean annual temperature than other factors, suggesting that global warming would seriously affect the forest carbon storage

Influence of the concentration of carbon nanotubes on electrical ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Influence of the concentration of carbon nanotubes on electrical conductivity of magnetically aligned MWCNT–polypyrrole composites. KAVEH KAZEMIKIA1,∗, FAHIMEH BONABI2, ALI ASADPOORCHALLO3 and. MAJID SHOKRZADEH4. 1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Islamic Azad University, Bonab ...

The Socio-Ecological Factors that Influence the Adoption of Green Infrastructure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah J. Tayouga

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Green infrastructure is defined as any type of infrastructure that has the purpose of lessening the burden of development on the environment and/or has the aim of providing ecosystem services, such as runoff management, air temperature reduction, carbon sequestration, and habitat provisioning. Despite these potential benefits and a recent increase in popularity, the widespread use of green infrastructure has been limited. To ascertain why this may be the case, we asked: What are the socio-ecological factors that influence the adoption of green infrastructure? To answer this question, we carried out a review of the literature. We found 32 papers addressing our research topic, three quarters of which were published since 2009. Based on the results and conclusions of the articles we reviewed, we identify six factors that influence the adoption of green infrastructure: Education, the Provision of Ecosystem Services, Financial Incentives, Coordination Among Actors, Laws and Policies, and Planning Recommendations. We present a model of the direct and indirect effects of each factor on the adoption of green infrastructure and investigate the geographic variability of factors. Our results indicate that Education, the Provision of Ecosystem Services, and Financial Incentives are the most influential factors affecting the adoption of green infrastructure because they are supported by the greatest number of articles regardless of location of study and have the greatest number of linkages with other factors and adoption in our model. We conclude with evidence-based strategies to promote the use of green infrastructure in order to create more sustainable environments.

Magnesium sulphate’s influence on calcium carbonate minerals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Mia Rohde

The purpose of this PhD thesis was to explore the influence of magnesium sulphate (MgSO4 (aq)) on calcium carbonate (CaCO3) minerals and what role the MgSO40 ion pair had. CaCO3 minerals are abundant and widespread on Earth, particularly in marine environments, and have been so throughout Earth...

Influence of carbon dioxide content in the biogas to nitrogen oxides emissions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Živković Marija A.

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Fuels derived from biomass are an alternative solution for the fossil fuel shortage. Usually this kind of fuels is called low calorific value fuels, due to the large proportion of inert components in their composition. The most common is carbon dioxide, and its proportion in biogas can be different, from 10 up to 40%, or even more. The presence of inert component in the composition of biogas causes the problems that are related with flame blow off limits. One of the possibilities for efficient combustion of biogas is the combustion in swirling flow including a pilot burner, aimed to expand the borders of stable combustion. This paper presents an analysis of the influence of the carbon dioxide content to the nitrogen oxides emissions. Laboratory biogas was used with different content of CO2 (10, 20, 30 and 40%. Investigation was carried out for different nominal powers, coefficients of excess air and carbon dioxide content. With increasing content of carbon dioxide, emission of nitrogen oxides was reduced, and this trend was the same throughout the whole range of excess air, carried out through measurements. Still, the influence of carbon dioxide content is significantly less than the influence of excess air. The coefficient of excess air greatly affects the production of radicals which are essential for the formation of nitrogen oxides, O, OH and CH. Also, the results show that the nominal power has no impact on the emission of nitrogen oxides.

Influences of carbon content and coating carbon thickness on properties of amorphous CoSnO{sub 3}@C composites as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fan, Fuqiang [Key Laboratory of Lithium Battery Materials of Jiangsu Province, Institute of chemical power sources, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006 (China); Fang, Guoqing [Key Laboratory of Lithium Battery Materials of Jiangsu Province, Institute of chemical power sources, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006 (China); Changzhou Institute of Energy Storage Materials and Devices, Changzhou 213000 (China); Zhang, Ruixue [Key Laboratory of Lithium Battery Materials of Jiangsu Province, Institute of chemical power sources, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006 (China); Xu, Yanhui; Zheng, Junwei [Key Laboratory of Lithium Battery Materials of Jiangsu Province, Institute of chemical power sources, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006 (China); College of Physics, Optoelectronics and Energy, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006 (China); Li, Decheng, E-mail: lidecheng@suda.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Lithium Battery Materials of Jiangsu Province, Institute of chemical power sources, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006 (China); College of Physics, Optoelectronics and Energy, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006 (China)

2014-08-30

Highlights: • The thickness of carbon coating layers can be successfully controlled through varying molar concentration of aqueous glucose solution. • Coating carbon thickness and carbon content are two important factors on the electrochemical performances of CoSnO3@C. • CoSnO{sub 3}@C under optimized conditions exhibits the optimal balance between the volume buffering effect and reversible capacity. • As-prepared CoSnO{sub 3}@C under optimized conditions shows excellent electrochemical performances, whose reversible capacity could reach 491 mA h g{sup −1} after 100 cycles. - Abstract: A series of core–shell carbon coated amorphous CoSnO{sub 3} (CoSnO{sub 3}@C) with different carbon content are synthesized. Effects of carbon content and coating carbon thickness on the physical and electrochemical performances of the samples were studied in detail. The samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), galvanostatic charge–discharge and AC impedance spectroscopy, respectively. The results indicate that controlling the concentration of aqueous glucose solution influences the generation of in-situ carbon layer thickness. The optimal concentration of aqueous glucose solution, carbon content and carbon layer thickness are suggested as 0.25 M, 35.1% and 20 nm, respectively. CoSnO{sub 3}@C composite prepared under the optimal conditions exhibits excellent cycling performance, whose reversible capacity could reach 491 mA h g{sup −1} after 100 cycles.

Wear of carbon nanotubes grafted on carbon fibers and this influence on the properties of composites materials

Science.gov (United States)

Guignier, Claire; Bueno, Marie-Ange; Camillieri, Brigitte; Durand, Bernard

2017-10-01

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) grafted on carbon surfaces can be used to reinforce composite materials. During an industrial process of CNTs production and composite processing, friction stresses will be applied on CNTs. This study showed that CNTs formed a transfer film under friction stresses and that the wear of the CNTs has no influence on the wettability of the surface, so we can predict no decrease in the properties of composites.

Sample Dilution and Bacterial Community Composition Influence Empirical Leucine-to-Carbon Conversion Factors in Surface Waters of the World's Oceans

KAUST Repository

Teira, Eva; Hernando-Morales, Ví ctor; Cornejo-Castillo, Francisco M.; Alonso-Sá ez, Laura; Sarmento, Hugo; Valencia-Vila, Joaquí n; Serrano Catalá , Teresa; Herná ndez-Ruiz, Marta; Varela, Marta M.; Ferrera, Isabel; Moran, Xose Anxelu G.; Gasol, Josep M.

2015-01-01

The transformation of leucine incorporation rates to prokaryotic carbon production rates requires the use of either theoretical or empirically determined conversion factors. Empirical leucine-to-carbon conversion factors (eCFs) vary widely across environments, and little is known about their potential controlling factors. We conducted 10 surface seawater manipulation experiments across the world's oceans, where the growth of the natural prokaryotic assemblages was promoted by filtration (i.e., removal of grazers [F treatment]) or filtration combined with dilution (i.e., also relieving resource competition [FD treatment]). The impact of sunlight exposure was also evaluated in the FD treatments, and we did not find a significant effect on the eCFs. The eCFs varied from 0.09 to 1.47 kg C mol Leu−1 and were significantly lower in the FD than in the F samples. Also, changes in bacterial community composition during the incubations, as assessed by automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA), were more pronounced in the FD than in the F treatments, compared to unmanipulated controls. Thus, we discourage the common procedure of diluting samples (in addition to filtration) for eCF determination. The eCFs in the filtered treatment were negatively correlated with the initial chlorophyll a concentration, picocyanobacterial abundance (mostly Prochlorococcus), and the percentage of heterotrophic prokaryotes with high nucleic acid content (%HNA). The latter two variables explained 80% of the eCF variability in the F treatment, supporting the view that both Prochlorococcus and HNA prokaryotes incorporate leucine in substantial amounts, although this results in relatively low carbon production rates in the oligotrophic ocean.

Sample Dilution and Bacterial Community Composition Influence Empirical Leucine-to-Carbon Conversion Factors in Surface Waters of the World's Oceans

KAUST Repository

Teira, Eva

2015-09-25

The transformation of leucine incorporation rates to prokaryotic carbon production rates requires the use of either theoretical or empirically determined conversion factors. Empirical leucine-to-carbon conversion factors (eCFs) vary widely across environments, and little is known about their potential controlling factors. We conducted 10 surface seawater manipulation experiments across the world\\'s oceans, where the growth of the natural prokaryotic assemblages was promoted by filtration (i.e., removal of grazers [F treatment]) or filtration combined with dilution (i.e., also relieving resource competition [FD treatment]). The impact of sunlight exposure was also evaluated in the FD treatments, and we did not find a significant effect on the eCFs. The eCFs varied from 0.09 to 1.47 kg C mol Leu−1 and were significantly lower in the FD than in the F samples. Also, changes in bacterial community composition during the incubations, as assessed by automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA), were more pronounced in the FD than in the F treatments, compared to unmanipulated controls. Thus, we discourage the common procedure of diluting samples (in addition to filtration) for eCF determination. The eCFs in the filtered treatment were negatively correlated with the initial chlorophyll a concentration, picocyanobacterial abundance (mostly Prochlorococcus), and the percentage of heterotrophic prokaryotes with high nucleic acid content (%HNA). The latter two variables explained 80% of the eCF variability in the F treatment, supporting the view that both Prochlorococcus and HNA prokaryotes incorporate leucine in substantial amounts, although this results in relatively low carbon production rates in the oligotrophic ocean.

Factors influencing knowledge and practice of exclusive ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Factors influencing knowledge and practice of exclusive breastfeeding in Nyando ... The overall objective of this study was to determine factors influencing the ... EBF and its benefits), pre lacteal feeds and exclusive breastfeeding consistency.

Giant electrical power factor in single-walled chiral carbon nanotube

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mensah, S.Y.; Allotey, F.K.A.; Mensah, N.G.; Nkrumah, G.

2001-10-01

Using the semiclassical approach we studied the thermoelectrical properties of single-walled chiral carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). We predict a giant electrical power factor and hence proposed the use of carbon nanotubes as thermoelements for refrigeration. (author)

Influence of viscosity of the medium on the disposition of carbon nanotubes anisotropic structures formation induced by electric field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yakovenko, O.S.; Matsuj, L.Yu.; Zhuravkov, O.V.; Vovchenko, L.D.

2014-01-01

To obtain carbon nanotubes (CNT)-polymer composites with anisotropic physical properties an electric field application can be used. This investigation considers factors of CNT anisotropic distribution formation induced by electric field and consideration is supported with experimental results where some factors were varied. In the article an influence of magnitude and type of electric field and time of processing by electric field on CNT anisotropic structures formation in polymer mediums of different viscosities (oil, epoxy resins) is investigated. The aim of this work was to examine the CNT structuration process induced by electric field in viscous mediums and to find out the most optimal conditions of preparation of polymer/carbon composite materials (CM) with specified distribution of carbon filler induced by electric field. Scoping on polymer/carbon CM structuration was conducted by optical microscopy method. It was found that the main factors during CNT network formation are the type and viscosity of polymer binder and applied electric field parameters. It was observed that for high viscous polymer CNT network formation is unfeasible even at high applied electric field strength. But also for low viscous medium at relatively low electric field strength the CNT network formation is complicated too. And it was seen from optical observation that a type of the polymer variation causes different response of network form under the same experimental conditions. These distinctions are considered in the article

Key biogeochemical factors affecting soil carbon storage in Posidonia meadows

KAUST Repository

Serrano, Oscar; Ricart, Aurora M.; Lavery, Paul S.; Mateo, Miguel Angel; Arias-Ortiz, Ariane; Masque, Pere; Rozaimi, Mohammad; Steven, Andy; Duarte, Carlos M.

2016-01-01

Biotic and abiotic factors influence the accumulation of organic carbon (C-org) in seagrass ecosystems. We surveyed Posidonia sinuosa meadows growing in different water depths to assess the variability in the sources, stocks and accumulation rates of Corg. We show that over the last 500 years, P. sinuosa meadows closer to the upper limit of distribution (at 2-4 m depth) accumulated 3- to 4-fold higher C-org stocks (averaging 6.3 kg C-org m(-2) at 3- to 4-fold higher rates (12.8 gC(org) m(-2) yr(-1) ) compared to meadows closer to the deep limits of distribution (at 6-8 m depth; 1.8 kg C-org m(-2) and 3.6 g C-org m(-2) yr(-1) . In shallower meadows, C-org stocks were mostly derived from seagrass detritus (88% in average) compared to meadows closer to the deep limit of distribution (45% on average). In addition, soil accumulation rates and fine-grained sediment content (< 0.125 mm) in shallower meadows (2.0 mm yr(-1) and 9 %, respectively) were approximately 2-fold higher than in deeper meadows (1.2 mm yr(-1) and 5 %, respectively). The C-org stocks and accumulation rates accumulated over the last 500 years in bare sediments (0.6 kg C-org m(-2) and 1.2 g C-org m(-2) yr(-1)were 3- to 11-fold lower than in P. sinuosa meadows, while fine-grained sediment content (1 %) and seagrass detritus contribution to the Corg pool (20 %) were 8- and 3-fold lower than in Posidonia meadows, respectively. The patterns found support the hypothesis that Corg storage in seagrass soils is influenced by interactions of biological (e.g., meadow productivity, cover and density), chemical (e.g., recalcitrance of Corg stocks) and physical (e.g., hydrodynamic energy and soil accumulation rates) factors within the meadow. We conclude that there is a need to improve global estimates of seagrass carbon storage accounting for biogeochemical factors driving variability within habitats.

Research on carbon emission driving factors of China’s provincial construction industry

Science.gov (United States)

Shang, Mei; Dong, Rui; Fu, Yujie; Hao, Wentao

2018-03-01

As a pillar industry of the national economy, the damage to the environment by construction industry can not be ignored. In the context of low carbon development, identifying the main driving factors for the carbon emission of the provincial construction industry are the key for the local government to formulate the development strategy for construction. In the paper, based on the Kaya factor decomposition method, the carbon intensity of the energy structure, energy intensity and the impact of the construction output on the carbon emission of provincial construction industry are studied, and relevant suggestions for low carbon development of provincial construction industry are proposed. The conclusion of this paper provides a theoretical basis for the early realization of low-carbon development in China’s provincial construction industry.

Influence of substrate mineralogy on bacterial mineralization of calcium carbonate: implications for stone conservation.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez-Navarro, Carlos; Jroundi, Fadwa; Schiro, Mara; Ruiz-Agudo, Encarnación; González-Muñoz, María Teresa

2012-06-01

The influence of mineral substrate composition and structure on bacterial calcium carbonate productivity and polymorph selection was studied. Bacterial calcium carbonate precipitation occurred on calcitic (Iceland spar single crystals, marble, and porous limestone) and silicate (glass coverslips, porous sintered glass, and quartz sandstone) substrates following culturing in liquid medium (M-3P) inoculated with different types of bacteria (Myxococcus xanthus, Brevundimonas diminuta, and a carbonatogenic bacterial community isolated from porous calcarenite stone in a historical building) and direct application of sterile M-3P medium to limestone and sandstone with their own bacterial communities. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and 2-dimensional XRD (2D-XRD) analyses revealed that abundant highly oriented calcite crystals formed homoepitaxially on the calcitic substrates, irrespective of the bacterial type. Conversely, scattered spheroidal vaterite entombing bacterial cells formed on the silicate substrates. These results show that carbonate phase selection is not strain specific and that under equal culture conditions, the substrate type is the overruling factor for calcium carbonate polymorph selection. Furthermore, carbonate productivity is strongly dependent on the mineralogy of the substrate. Calcitic substrates offer a higher affinity for bacterial attachment than silicate substrates, thereby fostering bacterial growth and metabolic activity, resulting in higher production of calcium carbonate cement. Bacterial calcite grows coherently over the calcitic substrate and is therefore more chemically and mechanically stable than metastable vaterite, which formed incoherently on the silicate substrates. The implications of these results for technological applications of bacterial carbonatogenesis, including building stone conservation, are discussed.

Factors that influencing veterinary drug’s metabolisation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina, Romeo T.

2007-12-01

Full Text Available The paper wants to make a recall for the vet practitioners, of the main veterinary drug's metabolism rate influencing factors. Among the most important physiological factors (pharmacokinetics, sanguine flow and urinary ones, plasmatic proteins binding, enzymatic induction and inhibition are essential. Between the animal’s bounded factors more important are: species, individuality, age, sex, pregnancy, alimentation, genetic factors, and health status and from exogenous factors, daily rhythm, influences of chemical compounds and of the stress are presented.

Influencing factors on microbubble ozonation treatment of acid red 3R wastewater

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yurong YA

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The microbubble ozonation was used to treat acid red 3R wastewater in order to investigate the influencing factors on its performance. The effects of ozone dose, initial acid red 3R concentration and activated carbon on the performance of microbubble ozonation treatment of acid red 3R wastewater are investigated. The decolorization rate, TOC removal rate, pH variation and ozone utilization efficiency in the microbubble ozonation treatment are compared under different treatment conditions. The results indicate that when increasing ozone dose or decreasing initial acid red 3R concentration, both decolorization rate and TOC removal rate of acid red 3R wastewater increase, but ozone utilization efficiency decreases. The coal-based activated carbon shows strong catalytic activity for microbubble ozonation, which could enhance the decolorization rate and TOC removal rate of acid red 3R wastewater. The better performance of microbubble ozonation treatment is achieved when the ozone dose is 48.3 mg/min and the initial acid red 3R mass concentration is 100 mg/L. Under these conditions, the decolorization efficiency reaches to 100% after treatment for 30 min, the TOC removal efficiency reaches to 78.0% after treatment for 120 min, the reaction rate constant of TOC removal is 0.015 min^-1 and the ozone utilization efficiency is higher than 99%. With addition of the coal-based activated carbon of 5 g/L, the decolorization efficiency reaches to 100% after treatment for 15 min, the TOC removal efficiency reaches to 91.2% after treatment for 120 min and the reaction rate constant of TOC removal increases to 0037 min^-1.The accumulation and following degradation of intermediate products of small molecule organic acid happens during treatment process, and as a result, the solution pH decreases initially and then increases. Therefore, the optimization of influencing factors for microbubble ozonation could increase both contaminant removal

Adsorption of benzene and toluene from aqueous solutions onto activated carbon and its acid and heat treated forms: influence of surface chemistry on adsorption.

Science.gov (United States)

Wibowo, N; Setyadhi, L; Wibowo, D; Setiawan, J; Ismadji, S

2007-07-19

The influence of surface chemistry and solution pH on the adsorption of benzene and toluene on activated carbon and its acid and heat treated forms were studied. A commercial coal-based activated carbon F-400 was chosen as carbon parent. The carbon samples were obtained by modification of F-400 by means of chemical treatment with HNO3 and thermal treatment under nitrogen flow. The treatment with nitric acid caused the introduction of a significant number of oxygenated acidic surface groups onto the carbon surface, while the heat treatment increases the basicity of carbon. The pore characteristics were not significantly changed after these modifications. The dispersive interactions are the most important factor in this adsorption process. Activated carbon with low oxygenated acidic surface groups (F-400Tox) has the best adsorption capacity.

Sample dilution and bacterial community composition influence empirical leucine-to-carbon conversion factors in surface waters of the world's oceans.

Science.gov (United States)

Teira, Eva; Hernando-Morales, Víctor; Cornejo-Castillo, Francisco M; Alonso-Sáez, Laura; Sarmento, Hugo; Valencia-Vila, Joaquín; Serrano Catalá, Teresa; Hernández-Ruiz, Marta; Varela, Marta M; Ferrera, Isabel; Gutiérrez Morán, Xosé Anxelu; Gasol, Josep M

2015-12-01

The transformation of leucine incorporation rates to prokaryotic carbon production rates requires the use of either theoretical or empirically determined conversion factors. Empirical leucine-to-carbon conversion factors (eCFs) vary widely across environments, and little is known about their potential controlling factors. We conducted 10 surface seawater manipulation experiments across the world's oceans, where the growth of the natural prokaryotic assemblages was promoted by filtration (i.e., removal of grazers [F treatment]) or filtration combined with dilution (i.e., also relieving resource competition [FD treatment]). The impact of sunlight exposure was also evaluated in the FD treatments, and we did not find a significant effect on the eCFs. The eCFs varied from 0.09 to 1.47 kg C mol Leu(-1) and were significantly lower in the FD than in the F samples. Also, changes in bacterial community composition during the incubations, as assessed by automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA), were more pronounced in the FD than in the F treatments, compared to unmanipulated controls. Thus, we discourage the common procedure of diluting samples (in addition to filtration) for eCF determination. The eCFs in the filtered treatment were negatively correlated with the initial chlorophyll a concentration, picocyanobacterial abundance (mostly Prochlorococcus), and the percentage of heterotrophic prokaryotes with high nucleic acid content (%HNA). The latter two variables explained 80% of the eCF variability in the F treatment, supporting the view that both Prochlorococcus and HNA prokaryotes incorporate leucine in substantial amounts, although this results in relatively low carbon production rates in the oligotrophic ocean. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Ambient organic carbon to elemental carbon ratios: Influence of the thermal–optical temperature protocol and implications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cheng, Yuan, E-mail: ycheng@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn [State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing (China); He, Ke-bin, E-mail: hekb@tsinghua.edu.cn [State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing (China); State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Sources and Control of Air Pollution Complex, Beijing (China); Duan, Feng-kui; Du, Zhen-yu [State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing (China); Zheng, Mei [College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing (China); Ma, Yong-liang [State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing (China)

2014-01-01

Ambient organic carbon (OC) to elemental carbon (EC) ratios are strongly associated with not only the radiative forcing due to aerosols but also the extent of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation. An inter-comparison study was conducted based on fine particulate matter samples collected during summer in Beijing to investigate the influence of the thermal–optical temperature protocol on the OC to EC ratio. Five temperature protocols were used such that the NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) and EUSAAR (European Supersites for Atmospheric Aerosol Research) protocols were run by the Sunset carbon analyzer while the IMPROVE (the Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments network)-A protocol and two alternative protocols designed based on NIOSH and EUSAAR were run by the DRI analyzer. The optical attenuation measured by the Sunset carbon analyzer was more easily biased by the shadowing effect, whereas total carbon agreed well between the Sunset and DRI analyzers. The EC{sub IMPROVE-A} (EC measured by the IMPROVE-A protocol; similar hereinafter) to EC{sub NIOSH} ratio and the EC{sub IMPROVE-A} to EC{sub EUSAAR} ratio averaged 1.36 ± 0.21 and 0.91 ± 0.10, respectively, both of which exhibited little dependence on the biomass burning contribution. Though the temperature protocol had substantial influence on the OC to EC ratio, the contributions of secondary organic carbon (SOC) to OC, which were predicted by the EC-tracer method, did not differ significantly among the five protocols. Moreover, the SOC contributions obtained in this study were comparable with previous results based on field observation (typically between 45 and 65%), but were substantially higher than the estimation provided by an air quality model (only 18%). The comparison of SOC and WSOC suggests that when using the transmittance charring correction, all of the three common protocols (i.e., IMPROVE-A, NIOSH and EUSAAR) could be reliable for the estimation

Ambient organic carbon to elemental carbon ratios: Influence of the thermal–optical temperature protocol and implications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng, Yuan; He, Ke-bin; Duan, Feng-kui; Du, Zhen-yu; Zheng, Mei; Ma, Yong-liang

2014-01-01

Ambient organic carbon (OC) to elemental carbon (EC) ratios are strongly associated with not only the radiative forcing due to aerosols but also the extent of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation. An inter-comparison study was conducted based on fine particulate matter samples collected during summer in Beijing to investigate the influence of the thermal–optical temperature protocol on the OC to EC ratio. Five temperature protocols were used such that the NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) and EUSAAR (European Supersites for Atmospheric Aerosol Research) protocols were run by the Sunset carbon analyzer while the IMPROVE (the Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments network)-A protocol and two alternative protocols designed based on NIOSH and EUSAAR were run by the DRI analyzer. The optical attenuation measured by the Sunset carbon analyzer was more easily biased by the shadowing effect, whereas total carbon agreed well between the Sunset and DRI analyzers. The EC IMPROVE-A (EC measured by the IMPROVE-A protocol; similar hereinafter) to EC NIOSH ratio and the EC IMPROVE-A to EC EUSAAR ratio averaged 1.36 ± 0.21 and 0.91 ± 0.10, respectively, both of which exhibited little dependence on the biomass burning contribution. Though the temperature protocol had substantial influence on the OC to EC ratio, the contributions of secondary organic carbon (SOC) to OC, which were predicted by the EC-tracer method, did not differ significantly among the five protocols. Moreover, the SOC contributions obtained in this study were comparable with previous results based on field observation (typically between 45 and 65%), but were substantially higher than the estimation provided by an air quality model (only 18%). The comparison of SOC and WSOC suggests that when using the transmittance charring correction, all of the three common protocols (i.e., IMPROVE-A, NIOSH and EUSAAR) could be reliable for the estimation of SOC by the EC

Factors influencing customer satisfaction with reference and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper examines factors influencing customer satisfaction with reference and information services in an academic environment. The paper identifies types of reference services in libraries, factors influencing customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction with reference and information services and suggested the way forward ...

Market Motivations for Voluntary Carbon Disclosure in Real Estate Industry

Science.gov (United States)

Ufere, Kalu Joseph; Alias, Buang; Godwin Uche, Aliagha

2016-07-01

Climate change mitigation in developing economies is a balancing act, between economic development and environmental sustainability. The need for market friendly determinants for low carbon economy, without compromising economic development is of essence. The aim of the study is to determine market friendly factors, which motivates voluntary carbon information disclosure, in the real estate industry. The study modeled economic factor with three variables and financial market factor with three variables against voluntary carbon information disclosure in the real estate industry. Structural equation modeling was used for the modeling and content analysis was used to collect data on the level of voluntary carbon information disclosure, from 2013 annual reports of 126 real estate sector companies listed in the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange (KLSE). The model achieved a good fit, and was acceptable prediction. The results show that financial market factor has a significant predictive influence on voluntary carbon disclosure. The application of the result is that financial market factor is has a significantly positive influence on companies’ willingness to make voluntary carbon disclosure in the real estate industry. The result may be limited to the real estate industry that is highly leveraged on syndicated fund.

Influence of chemical structure on carbon isotope composition of lignite

Science.gov (United States)

Erdenetsogt, Bat-Orshikh; Lee, Insung; Ko, Yoon-Joo; Mungunchimeg, Batsaikhan

2017-04-01

During the last two decades, a number of studies on carbon isotopes in terrestrial organic matter (OM) have been carried out and used to determine changes in paleoatmospheric δ13C value as well as assisting in paleoclimate analysis. Coal is abundant terrestrial OM. However, application of its δ13C value is very limited, because the understanding of changes in isotopic composition during coalification is relatively insufficient. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of the chemical structure on the carbon isotope composition of lignite. Generally, lignite has more complex chemical structures than other higher rank coal because of the existence of various types of oxygen-containing functional groups that are eliminated at higher rank level. A total of sixteen Lower Cretaceous lignite samples from Baganuur mine (Mongolia) were studied by ultimate, stable carbon isotope and solid-state 13C CP/MAS NMR analyses. The carbon contents of the samples increase with increase in depth, whereas oxygen content decreases continuously. This is undoubtedly due to normal coalification process and also consistent with solid state NMR results. The δ13C values of the samples range from -23.54‰ to -21.34‰ and are enriched in 13C towards the lowermost samples. Based on the deconvolution of the NMR spectra, the ratios between carbons bonded to oxygen (60-90 ppm and 135-220 ppm) over carbons bonded to carbon and hydrogen (0-50 ppm and 90-135 ppm) were calculated for the samples. These correlate well with δ13C values (R2 0.88). The results indicate that the δ13C values of lignite are controlled by two mechanisms: (i) depletion in 13C as a result of loss of isotopically heavy oxygen-bounded carbons and (ii) enrichment in 13C caused by a loss of isotopically light methane from aliphatic and aromatic carbons. At the rank of lignite, coal is enriched in 13C because the amount of isotopically heavy CO2 and CO, released from coal as a result of changes in the chemical

Influence of oxygen, nitrogen and carbon on the lattice parameter of uranium mono-carbide; Influence de l'oxygene, de l'azote et du carbone sur le parametre reticulaire du monocarbure d'uranium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Magnier, P [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1966-04-15

The author studies the influence of oxygen and nitrogen contents on the lattice parameter of U(C,O,N) solid solutions around UC composition. The whole data conducts to a determination of the solubility of oxygen in UC: a U(C(1-x)O(x)) solid solution exist if x if smaller than 0.37. The author studies also the influence of carbon content on the lattice parameter of U-UC solid solutions around UC. This study conducts to the determination of the solubility of U in UC at the different temperatures. Consequences upon uranium-carbon diagram are envisaged. (author) [French] L'auteur etudie quantitativement l'influence de l'oxygene et de l'azote sur le parametre reticulaire des solutions solides U(C,O,N) proches de UC. Cette etude permet la determination de la solubilite de l'oxygene dans UC: on montre l'existence d'une solution solide U(C(1-x)O(x)) lorsque x est compris entre 0 et 0,37. Par ailleurs l'auteur etudie l'influence de la teneur en carbone sur le parametre des solutions solides U-UC proches de UC. Cette etude permet la determination de la solubilite de l'uranium dans UC aux differentes temperatures. On envisage enfin les modifications apportees par cette etude au diagramme uranium-carbone. (auteur)

Temperature impact on cementitious materials carbonation - description of water transport influence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drouet, E.

2010-11-01

Carbonation is the major cause of degradation of reinforced concrete structures. It leads to rebar corrosion and cracking of the concrete cover. In the framework of radioactive waste management, cement-based materials used as building material for structures or containers would be simultaneously submitted to heating (due to the waste thermal output), subsequent drying and atmospheric carbon dioxide. Such environmental conditions are expected to modify the carbonation mechanisms (with respect to temperature). In order to describe their long-term evolution of material, a double approach was developed, combining the description of carbonation and drying for temperatures up to 80 C to complement available data at ambient temperature. The present work focuses on the durability study of four hardened cement pastes; two of them are derived from the reference formulations selected by Andra (CEM I and CEM V) and a low-pH mix. The first experimental campaign focuses on moisture transfer. The effect of temperature on drying is investigated through water vapour desorption experiments. The first desorption isotherms of four hardened cement pastes was characterized at 20, 50 and 80 C. The results show a significant influence of the temperature. For a given relative humidity (RH) the water content equilibrium is always reduced temperature is increased and the starting point of capillary condensation is shifted towards higher RHs. The experimental campaign is complemented through modelling activities. The impact of temperature on the first desorption isotherms is effectively described using the Clausius-Clapeyron equation (characterization of the isosteric heat of adsorption). The intrinsic permeability to water is evaluated through inverse analysis by reprocessing the experimental weight loss of initially saturated samples submitted to constant environmental conditions. The intrinsic permeability appears to increase with temperature in relation to the observed microstructure

Factors Influencing Endometrial Thickness in Postmenopausal Women

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Cut‑off values for endometrial thickness (ET) in asymptomatic postmenopausal woman have been standardized. However, there are no comprehensive studies to document how various factors can influence the ET after the age of menopause. Aim: To study the various factors influencing the ET in ...

Factors Influencing Livelihood Diversification among Rural Farmers ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This research study was set out to analyze factors influencing rural farmer's engagement in livelihood diversification in the study area. The specific objectives were; to identify the different levels of farmers' engagement in livelihood diversification, determine the socio-demographic factors or forces that influence farmers' ...

Beyond the learning curve: factors influencing cost reductions in photovoltaics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nemet, Gregory F.

2006-01-01

The extent and timing of cost-reducing improvements in low-carbon energy systems are important sources of uncertainty in future levels of greenhouse-gas emissions. Models that assess the costs of climate change mitigation policy, and energy policy in general, rely heavily on learning curves to include technology dynamics. Historically, no energy technology has changed more dramatically than photovoltaics (PV), the cost of which has declined by a factor of nearly 100 since the 1950s. Which changes were most important in accounting for the cost reductions that have occurred over the past three decades? Are these results consistent with the notion that learning from experience drove technical change? In this paper, empirical data are assembled to populate a simple model identifying the most important factors affecting the cost of PV. The results indicate that learning from experience, the theoretical mechanism used to explain learning curves, only weakly explains change in the most important factors-plant size, module efficiency, and the cost of silicon. Ways in which the consideration of a broader set of influences, such as technical barriers, industry structure, and characteristics of demand, might be used to inform energy technology policy are discussed

Factors controlling soil organic carbon stability along a temperate forest altitudinal gradient

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Qiuxiang; He, Hongbo; Cheng, Weixin; Bai, Zhen; Wang, Yang; Zhang, Xudong

2016-01-01

Changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) stability may alter carbon release from the soil and, consequently, atmospheric CO2 concentration. The mean annual temperature (MAT) can change the soil physico-chemical characteristics and alter the quality and quantity of litter input into the soil that regulate SOC stability. However, the relationship between climate and SOC stability remains unclear. A 500-day incubation experiment was carried out on soils from an 11 °C-gradient mountainous system on Changbai Mountain in northeast China. Soil respiration during the incubation fitted well to a three-pool (labile, intermediate and stable) SOC decomposition model. A correlation analysis revealed that the MAT only influenced the labile carbon pool size and not the SOC stability. The intermediate carbon pool contributed dominantly to cumulative carbon release. The size of the intermediate pool was strongly related to the percentage of sand particle. The decomposition rate of the intermediate pool was negatively related to soil nitrogen availability. Because both soil texture and nitrogen availability are temperature independent, the stability of SOC was not associated with the MAT, but was heavily influenced by the intrinsic processes of SOC formation and the nutrient status. PMID:26733344

The Global Influence of Cloud Optical Thickness on Terrestrial Carbon Uptake

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, P.; Cheng, S. J.; Keppel-Aleks, G.; Butterfield, Z.; Steiner, A. L.

2016-12-01

Clouds play a critical role in regulating Earth's climate. One important way is by changing the type and intensity of solar radiation reaching the Earth's surface, which impacts plant photosynthesis. Specifically, the presence of clouds modifies photosynthesis rates by influencing the amount of diffuse radiation as well as the spectral distribution of solar radiation. Satellite-derived cloud optical thickness (COT) may provide the observational constraint necessary to assess the role of clouds on ecosystems and terrestrial carbon uptake across the globe. Previous studies using ground-based observations at individual sites suggest that below a COT of 7, there is a greater increase in light use efficiency than at higher COT values, providing evidence for higher carbon uptake rates than expected given the reduction in radiation by clouds. However, the strength of the COT-terrestrial carbon uptake correlation across the globe remains unknown. In this study, we investigate the influence of COT on terrestrial carbon uptake on a global scale, which may provide insights into cloud conditions favorable for plant photosynthesis and improve our estimates of the land carbon sink. Global satellite-derived MODIS data show that tropical and subtropical regions tend to have COT values around or below the threshold during growing seasons. We find weak correlations between COT and GPP with Fluxnet MTE global GPP data, which may be due to the uncertainty of upscaling GPP from individual site measurements. Analysis with solar-induced fluorescence (SIF) as a proxy for GPP is also evaluated. Overall, this work constructs a global picture of the role of COT on terrestrial carbon uptake, including its temporal and spatial variations.

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations in UK soils and the influence of soil, vegetation type and seasonality.

Science.gov (United States)

van den Berg, Leon J L; Shotbolt, Laura; Ashmore, Mike R

2012-06-15

Given the lack of studies which measured dissolved organic carbon (DOC) over long periods, especially in non-forest habitat, the aim of this study was to expand the existing datasets with data of mainly non-forest sites that were representative of the major soil and habitat types in the UK. A further aim was to predict DOC concentrations from a number of biotic and abiotic explanatory variables such as rainfall, temperature, vegetation type and soil type in a multivariate way. Pore water was sampled using Rhizon or Prenart samplers at two to three week intervals for 1 year. DOC, pH, organic carbon, carbon/nitrogen (C:N) ratios of soils and slope were measured and data on vegetation, soil type, temperature and precipitation were obtained. The majority of the variation in DOC concentrations between the UK sites could be explained by simple empirical models that included annual precipitation, and soil C:N ratio with precipitation being negatively related to DOC concentrations and C:N ratio being positively related to DOC concentrations. Our study adds significantly to the data reporting DOC concentrations in soils, especially in grasslands, heathlands and moorlands. Broad climatic and site factors have been identified as key factors influencing DOC concentrations. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of Plio-Pleistocene basin hydrology on the Turkana hominin enamel carbonate δ(18)O values.

Science.gov (United States)

Quinn, Rhonda L

2015-09-01

Stable oxygen isotopes of hominin enamel carbonate (δ(18)OEC) provide a window into aspects of past drinking behavior and diet, body size, breastfeeding and weaning, mobility, and paleoclimate. It is tempting to compare all hominins across time and space in order to gauge species-level adaptations to changing environments and niche separation between those living sympatrically. Basinal, sub-basinal, and micro-environmental differences, however, may exert an influence on variation in enamel carbonate isotopic values that must be reconciled before hominin species across Africa can be meaningfully compared. Plio-Pleistocene Turkana hominin δ(18)OEC values show a considerable spread, potentially revealing many intrinsic and extrinsic contributing factors operating on different scales. In this study, I examine Turkana hominin δ(18)OEC values relative to identity (taxon, tooth type and number, body size of taxon), dietary (δ(13)C value, Turkana coeval and modern mammalian δ(18)OEC values), and contextual (time, depositional environment) information of each specimen and collection locality and discuss various potential influences. Turkana hominin δ(18)OEC values may primarily reflect differences in imbibed water sources (lake vs. river) as a function of evolving basin hydrology. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors influencing choice of oral hygiene products by dental ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Several factors, such as cost, branding, packaging and family influence, had been implicated as influencing the choice of toothpastes and toothbrushes by individuals. Media advertisement is also considered a very strong factor influencing consumer's choice. Aim: To assess the extent to which some factors ...

ENERGY EFFICIENCY. TRENDS AND INFLUENCE FACTORS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zizi GOSCHIN

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Energy efficiency is correlated with many factors of influence: Gross National Income per capita, energy imports (% of energy use, renewable combustible and waste (% of total, energy use per capita, services as % of GDP and others. In this paper we are testing a model of piecewise linear regression with breakpoint in order to measure the influence of these factors on the variation of GDP per unit of energy use in Europe in the year 2003.

The impact of environmental factors on carbon dioxide fixation by microalgae.

Science.gov (United States)

Morales, Marcia; Sánchez, León; Revah, Sergio

2018-02-01

Microalgae are among the most productive biological systems for converting sunlight into chemical energy, which is used to capture and transform inorganic carbon into biomass. The efficiency of carbon dioxide capture depends on the cultivation system configuration (photobioreactors or open systems) and can vary according to the state of the algal physiology, the chemical composition of the nutrient medium, and environmental factors such as irradiance, temperature and pH. This mini-review is focused on some of the most important environmental factors determining photosynthetic activity, carbon dioxide biofixation, cell growth rate and biomass productivity by microalgae. These include carbon dioxide and O2 concentrations, light intensity, cultivation temperature and nutrients. Finally, a review of the operation of microalgal cultivation systems outdoors is presented as an example of the impact of environmental conditions on biomass productivity and carbon dioxide fixation. © FEMS 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Influence of carbon nanotubes coatings onto carbon fiber by oxidative treatments combined with electrophoretic deposition on interfacial properties of carbon fiber composite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng, Chao; Jiang, Jianjun; Liu, Fa; Fang, Liangchao; Wang, Junbiao; Li, Dejia; Wu, Jianjun

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: Carbon nanotube/carbon fiber hybrid fiber was proposed by the treatment with hydrogen peroxide and concentrated nitric acid combined with electrophoretic deposition process. - Highlights: • Carbon nanotube coated carbon fiber was prepared by two methods. • Uniform and dense CNTs network formed by oxidative treatments combined with EPD. • Pretreatment of the CF is beneficial to EPD of CNTs on carbon fiber surface. • CNTs enhanced the surface activity and wettability of carbon fibers. • CNTs have contributed to the interfacial properties of composite. - Abstract: To improve the interfacial performance of carbon fiber (CF) and epoxy resin, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) coatings were utilized to achieve this purpose through coating onto CF by the treatment with hydrogen peroxide and concentrated nitric acid combined with electrophoretic deposition (EPD) process. The influence of electrophoretically deposited CNTs coatings on the surface properties of CFs were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and dynamic contact angle analysis. The results indicated that the deposition of carbon nanotubes introduced some polar groups to carbon fiber surfaces, enhanced surface roughness and changed surface morphologies of carbon fibers. Surface wettability of carbon fibers may be significantly improved by increasing surface free energy of the fibers due to the deposition of CNTs. The thickness and density of the coatings increases with the introduction of pretreatment of the CF during the EPD process. Short beam shear test was performed to examine the effect of carbon fiber functionalization on mechanical properties of the carbon fiber/epoxy resin composites. The interfacial adhesion of CNTs/CF reinforced epoxy composites showed obvious enhancement of interlaminar shear strength by 60.2% and scanning electron microscope photographs showed that the failure mode of composites was changed

[Research progress on carbon sink function of agroforestry system under climate change].

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Ting-Ting; Su, Pei-Xi; Zhou, Zi-Juan; Shan, Li-Shan

2014-10-01

As a land comprehensive utilization system, agroforestry system can absorb and fix CO2 effectively to increase carbon storage, and also reduces greenhouse effect convincingly while reaching the aim of harvest. The regulatory role in CO2 makes humans realize that agroforestry systems have significant superiority compared with single cropping systems, therefore, understanding the carbon sinks of different components in an agroforestry system and its influencing factors play an important role in studying global carbon cycle and accurate evaluation of carbon budget. This paper reviewed the concept and classification of agroforestry system, and then the carbon sequestration potentials of different components in agroforestry systems and influencing factors. It was concluded that the carbon sequestration rate of plants from different agroforestry systems in different regions are highly variable, ranging from 0.59 to 11.08 t C · hm(-2) · a(-1), and it is mainly influenced by climatic factors and the characteristics of agroforestry systems (species composition, tree density and stand age). The soil C sequestration of any agroforestry system is influenced by the amount and quality of biomass input provided by tree and nontree components of the system and the soil properties such as soil texture and soil structure. Overall the amount of carbon storage in any agroforestry system depends on the structure and function of its each component. The future studies should focus on the carbon sink functions of structurally optimized agroforestry systems, the temporal variation and spatial distribution pattern of carbon storage in agroforestry system and its carbon sequestration mechanism in a long time.

Review of progress in soil inorganic carbon research

Science.gov (United States)

Bai, S. G.; Jiao, Y.; Yang, W. Z.; Gu, P.; Yang, J.; Liu, L. J.

2017-12-01

Soil inorganic carbon is one of the main carbon banks in the near-surface environment, and is the main form of soil carbon library in arid and semi-arid regions, which plays an important role in the global carbon cycle. This paper mainly focuses on the inorganic dynamic process of soil inorganic carbon in soil environment in arid and semi-arid regions, and summarized the composition and source of soil inorganic carbon, influence factors and soil carbon sequestration.

What factors influence mitigative capacity?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winkler, Harald; Baumert, Kevin; Blanchard, Odile; Burch, Sarah; Robinson, John

2007-01-01

This article builds on Yohe's seminal piece on mitigative capacity, which elaborates 'determinants' of mitigative capacity, also reflected in the IPCC's third assessment report. We propose a revised definition, where mitigative capacity is a country's ability to reduce anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions or enhance natural sinks. By 'ability' we mean skills, competencies, fitness, and proficiencies that a country has attained which can contribute to GHG emissions mitigation. A conceptual framework is proposed, linking mitigative capacity to a country's sustainable development path, and grouping the factors influencing mitigative capacity into three main sets: economic factors, institutional ones, and technology. Both quantitative and qualitative analysis of factors is presented, showing how these factors vary across countries. We suggest that it is the interplay between the three economic factors-income, abatement cost and opportunity cost-that shape mitigative capacity. We find that income is an important economic factor influencing mitigative capacity, while abatement cost is important in turning mitigative capacity into actual mitigation. Technology is a critical mitigative capacity, including the ability to absorb existing climate-friendly technologies or to develop innovative ones. Institutional factors that promote mitigative capacity include the effectiveness of government regulation, clear market rules, a skilled work force and public awareness. We briefly investigate such as high abatement cost or lack of political willingness that prevent mitigative capacity from being translated into mitigation

Removal efficiency of methylene blue using activated carbon from waste banana stem: Study on pH influence

Science.gov (United States)

Misran, E.; Bani, O.; Situmeang, E. M.; Purba, A. S.

2018-02-01

The effort to remove methylene blue in artificial solution had been conducted using adsorption process. The abundant banana stem waste was utilized as activated carbon precursor. This study aimed to analyse the influence of solution pH to removal efficiency of methylene blue using activated carbon from banana stem as adsorbent. Activated carbon from banana stem was obtained by chemical activation using H3PO4 solution. Proximate analysis result showed that the activated carbon has 47.22% of fixed carbon. This value exhibited that banana stem was a potential adsorbent precursor. Methylene blue solutions were prepared at initial concentration of 50 ppm. The influence of solution pH was investigated with the use of 0.2 g adsorbent for 100 mL dye solution. The adsorption was conducted using shaker with at a constant rate of 100 rpm at room temperature for 90 minutes. The results showed that solution pH influenced the adsorption. The activated carbon from banana stem demonstrated satisfying performance since removal efficiencies of methylene blue were higher than 99%.

Hot regions of labile and stable soil organic carbon in Germany - Spatial variability and driving factors

Science.gov (United States)

Vos, Cora; Jaconi, Angélica; Jacobs, Anna; Don, Axel

2018-06-01

Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels can be mitigated by sequestering carbon in the soil. Sequestration can be facilitated by agricultural management, but its influence is not the same on all soil carbon pools, as labile pools with a high turnover may be accumulated much faster but are also more vulnerable to losses. The aims of this study were to (1) assess how soil organic carbon (SOC) is distributed among SOC fractions on a national scale in Germany, (2) identify factors influencing this distribution and (3) identify regions with high vulnerability to SOC losses. The SOC content and proportion of two different SOC fractions were estimated for more than 2500 mineral topsoils (soil texture, bulk soil C / N ratio, total SOC content and pH. For some regions, the drivers were linked to the land-use history of the sites. Arable topsoils in central and southern Germany were found to contain the highest proportions and contents of stable SOC fractions, and therefore have the lowest vulnerability to SOC losses. North-western Germany contains an area of sandy soils with unusually high SOC contents and high proportions of light SOC fractions, which are commonly regarded as representing a labile carbon pool. This is true for the former peat soils in this area, which have already lost and are at high risk of losing high proportions of their SOC stocks. Those black sands can, however, also contain high amounts of stable SOC due to former heathland vegetation and need to be treated and discussed separately from non-black sand agricultural soils. Overall, it was estimated that, in large areas all over Germany, over 30 % of SOC is stored in easily mineralisable forms. Thus, SOC-conserving management of arable soils in these regions is of great importance.

Influence of binder solvent on carbon-layer structure in electrical ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

This has a direct influence on the distribution of resistance and capacitance values within the electrode. As a result, preparation of electrodes remains a vital issue in realising high-performance EDLCs. Generally, carbon materials along with some binders are dispersed into a solvent and coated onto the current collectors.

Influence of carbon source on alpha-amylase production by Aspergillus oryzae

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Carlsen, Morten; Nielsen, Jens

2001-01-01

on sucrose, fructose, glycerol, mannitol and acetate. During growth on acetate there was no production of alpha -amylase, whereas addition of small amounts of glucose resulted in alpha -amylase production. A possible induction by alpha -methyl-D-glucoside during growth on glucose was also investigated......, but this compound was not found to be a better inducer of alpha -amylase production than glucose. The results strongly indicate that besides acting as a repressor via the CreA protein, glucose acts as an inducer.......The influence of the carbon source on a-amylase production by Aspergillus oryzae was quantified in carbon-limited chemostat cultures. The following carbon sources were investigated: maltose, maltodextrin (different chain lengths), glucose, fructose, galactose, sucrose, glycerol, mannitol...

The combined influence of the main European circulation patterns on carbon uptake by ecosystems

Science.gov (United States)

Bastos, Ana; Gouveia, Célia; Trigo, Ricardo

2014-05-01

Understanding how natural climate variability affects carbon uptake by land and ocean pools is particularly relevant to better characterize human impact on the carbon cycle. Recently, we have contributed to assess the major role played by the El-Niño/Southern Oscillation in driving inter-annual variability (IAV) of carbon uptake by land ecosystems and significantly influencing global CO2 air-borne fraction [1]. Despite the prominent role played by ENSO, other important teleconnections on the hemispheric scale have deserved less attention. On the European scale, the main mode of variability is the North-Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), which controls storm tracks position and drives changes in temperature and precipitation over the whole region, affecting vegetation dynamics [2]. Besides NAO, a few additional large scale circulation patterns the Scandinavian (SC) and East-Atlantic (EA) Patterns, are also known to influence significantly the European climate [3]. Different combinations of these teleconnection polarities have been recently shown to modulate the overall role of the NAO impact location and strength, thus affecting winter temperature and precipitation patterns over Europe [4]. This work aims to answer the following questions: (i) how do NAO, EA and SC affect vegetation carbon uptake IAV? (ii) do the interactions between these three modes have a significant impact on land CO2 IAV? (iii) what is the contribution of the different physical variables to ecosystems' response to these modes? (iv) how well do the state-of-the-art Earth System Models (ESMs) from CMIP5 represent these climate variability modes and the corresponding carbon fluxes? We first analyze observational data to assess the relationships between the different combinations of NAO, SC and EA polarities and IAV of gross and net primary production (GPP and NPP, respectively), as well as the most relevant driving factors of ecosystem's response to those variability patterns. Although the winter state

The influence of carbon and oxygen on the magnetic characteristics of press-less sintered NdFeB magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xia, M.; Abrahamsen, A.B.; Bahl, C.R.H.; Veluri, B.; Søegaard, A.I.; Bøjsøe, P.; Millot, S.

2017-01-01

The Pressless Process (PLP) was adopted to manufacture NdFeB sintered magnets, where the investigations on carbon and oxygen residues from heptane milling liquid media and graphite crucibles used for sintering were quantified to evaluate the influence on the magnetic characteristics. The carbon and oxygen content in the magnets produced from wet ball milling of strip cast flakes was found to be of the order 10 4 ppm and 4·10 4 ppm respectively, which resulted in soft magnetic behavior. However using jet milling the carbon and oxygen concentration were decreased by an order of magnitude resulting in coercivity of up to 829 kA/m. Thus the influence of the carbon from the graphite crucibles is small. - Highlights: • It is found that the carbon from graphite crucibles will not influence the NdFeB. • The carbon from heptane mixed with NdFeB powder will react with the NdFeB, which breaks the magnetic properties of NdFeB. • Pressless process works well with graphite crucibles, without worrying that carbon has damage on magnets.

The influence of carbon and oxygen on the magnetic characteristics of press-less sintered NdFeB magnets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xia, M., E-mail: maxi@dtu.dk [Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, DTU Risø Campus, Technical University of Denmark, Roskilde (Denmark); Abrahamsen, A.B. [Department of Wind Energy, DTU Risø campus, Technical University of Denmark, Roskilde (Denmark); Bahl, C.R.H. [Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, DTU Risø Campus, Technical University of Denmark, Roskilde (Denmark); Veluri, B.; Søegaard, A.I. [Grundfos A/S, DK-8850 Bjerringbro (Denmark); Bøjsøe, P. [Holm Magnetics APS, 2800 Kongens Lyngby (Denmark); Millot, S. [FJ Industries A/S, 5863 Ferritslev (Denmark)

2017-01-15

The Pressless Process (PLP) was adopted to manufacture NdFeB sintered magnets, where the investigations on carbon and oxygen residues from heptane milling liquid media and graphite crucibles used for sintering were quantified to evaluate the influence on the magnetic characteristics. The carbon and oxygen content in the magnets produced from wet ball milling of strip cast flakes was found to be of the order 10{sup 4} ppm and 4·10{sup 4} ppm respectively, which resulted in soft magnetic behavior. However using jet milling the carbon and oxygen concentration were decreased by an order of magnitude resulting in coercivity of up to 829 kA/m. Thus the influence of the carbon from the graphite crucibles is small. - Highlights: • It is found that the carbon from graphite crucibles will not influence the NdFeB. • The carbon from heptane mixed with NdFeB powder will react with the NdFeB, which breaks the magnetic properties of NdFeB. • Pressless process works well with graphite crucibles, without worrying that carbon has damage on magnets.

Hydrological and Mineralogical Factors Influencing Paradoxical Groundwater Arsenic Release in the Red River Delta, Vietnam

Science.gov (United States)

Nghiem, A.; Bostick, B. C.

2017-12-01

In South and Southeast Asia, the widespread contamination of groundwater arsenic (As) via microbial reduction of As-bearing iron (Fe) minerals in the subsurface results in toxic levels of arsenic above the World Health Organization (WHO) drinking water standard of 10 ug/L. High groundwater arsenic levels are generally found in gray Holocene aquifers whereas orange-sanded Pleistocene aquifers are typically a safer, lower As alternative. In the Red River Delta of Vietnam and elsewhere, Pleistocene aquifers can also have elevated arsenic levels, often due to increased groundwater pumping from the growing Hanoi area drawing high As water from Holocene aquifers, or from reduction induced by advected groundwater and organic carbon from the Red River. To determine which factors threaten the Pleistocene aquifers, we critically examine the hydrological and geochemical factors that could influence arsenic levels in the area. Exploiting an asymmetry in the region just south of Hanoi, yearlong spatiotemporal measurements of dissolved arsenic levels reveals a paradox between a Pleistocene aquifer site in Yen My (west bank) with higher As concentrations than a Holocene site in Van Duc (east bank). We monitor the influence of local and regional hydrology via water table measurements, stable water isotopes and conservative anion concentrations linked to the release of aqueous As. Preliminary x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) data point to As(V)/arsenic sulfide minerals in Yen My versus As(III) minerals in Van Duc. Coupled to hydrology, downcore Fe Extended X-Ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) and As X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES) stratigraphy and spatiotemporal dissolved organic carbon data serve to narrow down the possible sources of carbon and reductive processes that affect As speciation and transport. Overall, understanding sources that endanger the Pleistocene aquifers may elucidate important As cycling mechanisms at play that threatens water quality for

Carbon futures and macroeconomic risk factors. A view from the EU ETS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chevallier, Julien

2009-01-01

This article examines the empirical relationship between the returns on carbon futures - a new class of commodity assets traded since 2005 on the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) - and changes in macroeconomic conditions. By using variables which possess forecast power for equity and commodity returns, we document that carbon futures returns may be weakly forecast on the basis of two variables from the stock and bond markets, i.e. equity dividend yields and the 'junk bond' premium. Our results also suggest that the forecast abilities of two variables related to interest rates variation and economic trends on global commodity markets, respectively the U.S. Treasury bill yields and the excess return on the Reuters/CRB Index, are not robust on the carbon market. This latter result reinforces the belief that the EU ETS is currently operating as a very specific commodity market, with distinct fundamentals linked to allowance supply and power demand. The sensitivity of carbon futures to macroeconomic influences is carefully identified following a sub-sample decomposition before and after August 2007, which attempts to take into account the potential impact of the 'credit crunch' crisis. Collectively, these results challenge the market observers' viewpoint that carbon futures prices are immediately correlated with changes in the macroeconomic environment, and rather suggest that the carbon market is only remotely connected to macroeconomic variables. The economic logic behind these results may be related to the fuel-switching behavior of power producers in influencing primarily carbon futures price changes. (author)

Factoring out natural and indirect human effects on terrestrial carbon sources and sinks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Canadell, J.G. [Global Carbon Project, CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, GPO Box 3023, Canberra, ACT 2601 (Australia); Kirschbaum, M.U.F. [Environmental Biology Group, RSBS, Australian National University, GPO Box 475, Canberra, ACT 2601 (Australia); Kurz, W.A. [Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, 506 West Burnside Road, Victoria, BC V8Z 1M5 (Canada); Sanz, M.J. [Fundacion CEAM, Parque Tecnologico, Charles H. Darwin 14, 46980 Paterna, Valencia (Spain); Schlamadinger, B. [Joanneum Research, Elisabethstrasse 11, Graz A-8010 (Austria); Yamagata, Y. [Center for Global Environmental Research, National Institute of Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba 305-8506 (Japan)

2007-06-15

The capacity to partition natural, indirect, and direct human-induced effects on terrestrial carbon (C) sources and sinks is necessary to be able to predict future terrestrial C dynamics and thus their influence on atmospheric CO2 growth. However, it will take a number of years before we can better attribute quantitative estimates of the contribution of various C processes to the net C balance. In a policy context, factoring out natural and indirect human-induced effects on C sources and sinks from the direct human-induced influences, is seen as a requirement of a C accounting approach that establishes a clear and unambiguous connection between human activities and the assignment of C credits and debits. We present options for factoring out various groups of influences including climate variability, CO2 and N fertilization, and legacies from forest management. These are: (1) selecting longer accounting or measurement periods to reduce the effects of inter-annual variability; (2) correction of national inventories for inter-annual variability; (3) use of activity-based accounting and C response curves; (4) use of baseline scenarios or benchmarks at the national level; (5) stratification of the landscape into units with distinct average C stocks. Other, more sophisticated modeling approaches (e.g., demographic models in combination with forest inventories; process-based models) are possible options for future C accounting systems but their complexity and data requirements make their present adoption more difficult in an inclusive international C accounting system.

Factoring out natural and indirect human effects on terrestrial carbon sources and sinks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Canadell, J.G.; Kirschbaum, M.U.F.; Kurz, W.A.; Sanz, M.J.; Schlamadinger, B.; Yamagata, Y.

2007-01-01

The capacity to partition natural, indirect, and direct human-induced effects on terrestrial carbon (C) sources and sinks is necessary to be able to predict future terrestrial C dynamics and thus their influence on atmospheric CO2 growth. However, it will take a number of years before we can better attribute quantitative estimates of the contribution of various C processes to the net C balance. In a policy context, factoring out natural and indirect human-induced effects on C sources and sinks from the direct human-induced influences, is seen as a requirement of a C accounting approach that establishes a clear and unambiguous connection between human activities and the assignment of C credits and debits. We present options for factoring out various groups of influences including climate variability, CO2 and N fertilization, and legacies from forest management. These are: (1) selecting longer accounting or measurement periods to reduce the effects of inter-annual variability; (2) correction of national inventories for inter-annual variability; (3) use of activity-based accounting and C response curves; (4) use of baseline scenarios or benchmarks at the national level; (5) stratification of the landscape into units with distinct average C stocks. Other, more sophisticated modeling approaches (e.g., demographic models in combination with forest inventories; process-based models) are possible options for future C accounting systems but their complexity and data requirements make their present adoption more difficult in an inclusive international C accounting system

Factor Affecting Textile Dye Removal Using Adsorbent From Activated Carbon: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Razi Mohd Adib

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Industrial company such as textile, leather, cosmetics, paper and plastic generated wastewater containing large amount of dye colour. The removal of dye materials are importance as the presence of this kind of pollutant influence the quality of water and makes it aesthetically unpleasant. As their chemical structures are complicated, it is difficult to treat dyes with municipal waste treatment operations. Even a small quantity of dye does cause high visibility and undesirability. There have been various treatment technique reviewed for the removal of dye in wastewater. However, these treatment process has made it to another expensive treatment method. This review focus on the application of adsorbent in dye removal from textile wastewater as the most economical and effective method, adsorption has become the most preferred method to remove dye. The review provides literature information about different basis materials used to produce activated carbon like agricultural waste and industrial waste as well as the operational parameters factors in term of contact time, adsorbent dosage, pH solution and initial dye concentration that will affect the process in removing textile dye. This review approach the low cost and environmental friendly adsorbent for replacing conventional activated carbon.

Factors Influencing Colorectal Cancer Screening Participation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio Z. Gimeno García

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Colorectal cancer (CRC is a major health problem worldwide. Although population-based CRC screening is strongly recommended in average-risk population, compliance rates are still far from the desirable rates. High levels of screening uptake are necessary for the success of any screening program. Therefore, the investigation of factors influencing participation is crucial prior to design and launches a population-based organized screening campaign. Several studies have identified screening behaviour factors related to potential participants, providers, or health care system. These influencing factors can also be classified in non-modifiable (i.e., demographic factors, education, health insurance, or income and modifiable factors (i.e., knowledge about CRC and screening, patient and provider attitudes or structural barriers for screening. Modifiable determinants are of great interest as they are plausible targets for interventions. Interventions at different levels (patient, providers or health care system have been tested across the studies with different results. This paper analyzes factors related to CRC screening behaviour and potential interventions designed to improve screening uptake.

Influence of carbon monoxide additions on the sensitivity of the dry hydrogen-air mixtures to detonation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Magzumov, A.E.; Kirillov, I.A.; Fridman, A.A.; Rusanov, V.D.

1995-01-01

Under severe accident conditions of water cooled nuclear reactors the hydrogen-air detonation represents one of the most hazardous events which can result in the reactor containment damage. An important factor related with the measure of gas mixture detonability is the detonation cell size which correlates with the critical tube diameter and detonation initiation energy. A numerical kinetic study is presented of the influence of carbon monoxide admixtures (from 0 vol.% to 40 vol.%) upon the sensitivity (detonation cell size) of the dry hydrogen-air gas mixtures to detonation in post-accident containment atmosphere. (author). 3 refs., 3 figs

The influence of carbon source and calcium on the production of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

use

2011-12-10

Dec 10, 2011 ... The influence of carbon source and calcium on the production of ... Furthermore, since the middle lamella contains high levels of calcium, it was thought that it may play an important ..... Processing of the pectate lyase PelI by ...

Factors influencing the biogeochemistry of sedimentary carbon and phosphorus in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

Science.gov (United States)

Nilsen, E.B.; Delaney, M.L.

2005-01-01

This study characterizes organic carbon (Corganic) and phosphorus (P) geochemistry in surface sediments of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California. Sediment cores were collected from five sites on a sample transect from the edge of the San Francisco Bay eastward to the freshwater Consumnes River. The top 8 cm of each core were analyzed (in 1-cm intervals) for Corganic, four P fractions, and redox-sensitive trace metals (uranium and manganese). Sedimentary Corganic concentrations and Corganic:P ratios decreased, while reactive P concentrations increased moving inland in the Delta. The fraction of total P represented by organic P increased inland, while that of authigenic P was higher bayward than inland reflecting increased diagenetic alteration of organic matter toward the bayward end of the transect. The redox indicator metals are consistent with decreasing sedimentary suboxia inland. The distribution of P fractions and C:P ratios reflect the presence of relatively labile organic matter in upstream surface sediments. Sediment C and P geochemistry is influenced by site-specific particulate organic matter sources, the sorptive power of the sedimentary material present, physical forcing, and early diagenetic transformations presumably driven by Corganic oxidation. ?? 2005 Estuarine Research Federation.

An Investigation into factors influencing the choice of business ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

There was significant difference between male and female career influencing factors. There was no significant difference regarding the influence exercised by parent in the students' choice of Business Education. There is significant difference between male and female in the influence exerted by external factors in their ...

Urban water consumption and its influencing factors in China

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fan, Liangxin; Gai, Lingtong; Tong, Yan; Li, Ruihua

2017-01-01

Factors that affect water consumption should be identified to develop effective public policies. However, factors influencing domestic water consumption in cities in China, particularly on a national scale, are unclear. In this study, urban water consumption and its influencing factors in 286

Factors Influencing Pregnancy Desires among HIV Positive Women ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Factors Influencing Pregnancy Desires among HIV Positive Women in Sibande District in Mpumalanga, South Africa. ... Gender and Behaviour ... The objective of the study is to present findings on factors influencing pregnancy desires amongst HIV positive women that have participated in Prevention of Mother to child ...

Social Factors Influencing Child Health in Ghana.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emmanuel Quansah

Full Text Available Social factors have profound effects on health. Children are especially vulnerable to social influences, particularly in their early years. Adverse social exposures in childhood can lead to chronic disorders later in life. Here, we sought to identify and evaluate the impact of social factors on child health in Ghana. As Ghana is unlikely to achieve the Millennium Development Goals' target of reducing child mortality by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015, we deemed it necessary to identify social determinants that might have contributed to the non-realisation of this goal.ScienceDirect, PubMed, MEDLINE via EBSCO and Google Scholar were searched for published articles reporting on the influence of social factors on child health in Ghana. After screening the 98 articles identified, 34 of them that met our inclusion criteria were selected for qualitative review.Major social factors influencing child health in the country include maternal education, rural-urban disparities (place of residence, family income (wealth/poverty and high dependency (multiparousity. These factors are associated with child mortality, nutritional status of children, completion of immunisation programmes, health-seeking behaviour and hygiene practices.Several social factors influence child health outcomes in Ghana. Developing more effective responses to these social determinants would require sustainable efforts from all stakeholders including the Government, healthcare providers and families. We recommend the development of interventions that would support families through direct social support initiatives aimed at alleviating poverty and inequality, and indirect approaches targeted at eliminating the dependence of poor health outcomes on social factors. Importantly, the expansion of quality free education interventions to improve would-be-mother's health knowledge is emphasised.

INFLUENCE RESEARCH OF COLD PLASTIC DEFORMATION ON DIFFUSION SATURATION PROCESS BY CARBON AND BORON OF THE LOW-CARBON AND BORON-CONTAINING ALLOYS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Yu. Filonenko

2010-06-01

Full Text Available This work is devoted to the study of influence of cold prestrain with degree of deformation within the range 0…40 % on diffusion saturation with boron and carbon for low-carbon and boron steels. It is determined that the plastic prestrain with degree of deformation 20 % at temperature 750 °С for the low-carbon steel promote increasing of boron-cementation layer thickness by 25 % and microhardness of perlite layer by 20 %.

Analysis of Influence Factors of PM2.5 in Chengdu Based on VAR Model

Science.gov (United States)

Mingzhi, Luo

2017-05-01

Air pollution and smog are the serious harms to public health and has attracted public attention. Based on the vector auto-regressive (VAR) model, we analysed the influence factors of PM2.5 in Chengdu, investigated the effect of other kinds of air pollutants and meteorological factors onthe PM2.5 by using the methods of generalized impulse response function, variance decomposition analysis, Granger causality test and therelated daily data from December 1, 2013 to November 14, 2016 in Chengdu city to the empirical study. The resultsshow that the influence factors of PM2.5 were stable;the increase of nitrogen dioxide, ozone,precipitation and temperature difference led to the increase of PM2.5 concentration while the increase ofthe wind speed, PM10, sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide resulted in the decrease of PM2.5 concentration.Climate conditions,nitrogen dioxide and ozone are Granger causes for PM2.5.It is suggestedthat the key for the control of PM2.5 must be based on the cause and formation rules of PM2.5.A further study on nitrogen dioxide and ozone may play an important role in finding out the real source and formation reasons of PM2.5.

Modeling Factors with Influence on Sustainable University Management

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Oana Dumitrascu

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The main objective of this paper is to present the factors with influence on the sustainable university management and the relationships between them. In the scientific approach we begin from a graphical model, according to which the extracurricular activities together with internal environmental factors influence students’ involvement in such activities, the university attractiveness, their academic performance and their integration into the socially-economic and natural environment (components related with sustainable development. The model emphasizes that individual performances, related to students’ participation in extracurricular activities, have a positive influence on the sustainability of university management. The results of the study have shown that the university sustainability may be influenced by a number of factors, such as students’ performance, students’ involvement in extracurricular activities or university’s attractiveness and can in turn influence implicitly also the sustainability of university management. The originality of the paper consists in the relationships study using the modeling method in general and informatics tools of modeling in particular, as well as through graphical visualization of some influences, on the sustainability university management.

Studies on some influential factors of the zinc-activated carbon composite adsorbent on adsorptivity for uranium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyai, Yoshitaka; Kitamura, Takao; Takagi, Norio; Katoh, Shunsaku; Miyazaki, Hidetoshi

1978-01-01

Factors, which influence the uranium adsorption of powdery composite adsorbent of basic zinc carbonate and activated carbon were studied. In the range studied, zinc content of the adsorbent was the most influential factor on the uranium adsorption, and the second influential factor was sea water volume and the third factor was adsorption period. Interactive effects were observed between zinc content and sea water volume, and between zinc content and adsorption period, and it was deduced that there existed the optimum value of sea water volume and adsorption period respectively for the zinc content of the adsorbent. Maximum uranium adsorption of adsorbent with 40% zinc content was observed at sea water volume of 15 liters and adsorption period of 25 hrs. As for temperature in the range of 15 - 35 0 C, the lower the temperature, the larger amount of adsorbed uranium was. The powdery adsorbent was made into granule, and its strength and its uranium adsorptivity were studied in relation to the granulating conditions. By use of PVA with degree of polymerization above 1,700 as binder, the granular adsorbent with the same strength as commercial granular activated carbon was obtained. PVA amount and its degree of polymerization gave only small effect on uranium adsorption of the adsorbent. Effect of granule size on the uranium adsorption rate in the range of 1 - 4 mm was that the uranium adsorption rate changed proportionally to surface area of assumed sphere. As a test for practical use, five times repetitions of adsorption and desorption were carried out on the same granular adsorbent. During the repetition the amount of adsorbed uranium rather increased, and desorption ratio of adsorbed uranium was constant at 91 - 93%. The weight loss of the adsorbent in a cycle of adsorption and desorption was about 3%. (author)

Influence of tungsten on the carbon nanotubes growth by CVD process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Escobar, Mariano [Instituto de Fisicoquimica de Materiales, Ambiente y Energia, CONICET-UBA, Pabellon II, Ciudad Universitaria (1428) Bs As (Argentina); LP and MC, Dep. De Fisica, FCEyN-UBA, Pabellon 1, Ciudad Universitaria (1428) Bs As (Argentina)], E-mail: mescobar@qi.fcen.uba.ar; Rubiolo, Gerardo H. [LP and MC, Dep. De Fisica, FCEyN-UBA, Pabellon 1, Ciudad Universitaria (1428) Bs As (Argentina); Unidad de Actividad Materiales, CNEA, Av. Gral. Paz 1499, San Martin (1650), Bs As (Argentina); Moreno, M. Sergio [Centro Atomico Bariloche, (8400) S.C. de Bariloche, Rio Negro (Argentina); Goyanes, Silvia [LP and MC, Dep. De Fisica, FCEyN-UBA, Pabellon 1, Ciudad Universitaria (1428) Bs As (Argentina); Candal, Roberto [Instituto de Fisicoquimica de Materiales, Ambiente y Energia, CONICET-UBA, Pabellon II, Ciudad Universitaria (1428) Bs As (Argentina)

2009-06-24

The effect of tungsten (W) on the growth of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) using the chemical vapour deposition (CVD) process over a metal Fe-W catalyst incorporated into a silica matrix is reported. A W molar content in Fe/SiO{sub 2} up to 10% was studied. The incorporation of only 2% of W substantially modifies the crystalline phases and the crystalline degree of the catalyst during the MWNTs synthesis. This fact seems to have a strong influence on the type and yield of the carbonaceous species obtained by the CVD of acetylene, at 600 deg. C and 180 Torr, over each catalyst. Tungsten interacts with iron within the matrix, diminishing the catalytic activity of the metal nanoparticles, and both, carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofibers, are obtained when tungsten is present. The results obtained support the hypothesis of a base growth model for carbon nanotubes indicating a strong interaction between silica matrix and Fe/W nanoparticles, independently of the content of W.

Influence of tungsten on the carbon nanotubes growth by CVD process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Escobar, Mariano; Rubiolo, Gerardo H.; Moreno, M. Sergio; Goyanes, Silvia; Candal, Roberto

2009-01-01

The effect of tungsten (W) on the growth of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) using the chemical vapour deposition (CVD) process over a metal Fe-W catalyst incorporated into a silica matrix is reported. A W molar content in Fe/SiO 2 up to 10% was studied. The incorporation of only 2% of W substantially modifies the crystalline phases and the crystalline degree of the catalyst during the MWNTs synthesis. This fact seems to have a strong influence on the type and yield of the carbonaceous species obtained by the CVD of acetylene, at 600 deg. C and 180 Torr, over each catalyst. Tungsten interacts with iron within the matrix, diminishing the catalytic activity of the metal nanoparticles, and both, carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofibers, are obtained when tungsten is present. The results obtained support the hypothesis of a base growth model for carbon nanotubes indicating a strong interaction between silica matrix and Fe/W nanoparticles, independently of the content of W.

FACTORS INFLUENCING SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siti Khasinah

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Motivation, attitude, age, intelligence, aptitude, cognitive style, and personality are considered as factors that greatly influence someone in the process of his or her second language acquisition. Experts state that those factors give a more dominant contribution in SLA to learners variedly, depend on who the learners are, their age, how they behave toward the language, their cognitive ability, and also the way they learn.

Influence of Fiber Orientation on Single-Point Cutting Fracture Behavior of Carbon-Fiber/Epoxy Prepreg Sheets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yingying Wei

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this article is to investigate the influences of carbon fibers on the fracture mechanism of carbon fibers both in macroscopic view and microscopic view by using single-point flying cutting method. Cutting tools with three different materials were used in this research, namely, PCD (polycrystalline diamond tool, CVD (chemical vapor deposition diamond thin film coated carbide tool and uncoated carbide tool. The influence of fiber orientation on the cutting force and fracture topography were analyzed and conclusions were drawn that cutting forces are not affected by cutting speeds but significantly influenced by the fiber orientation. Cutting forces presented smaller values in the fiber orientation of 0/180° and 15/165° but the highest one in 30/150°. The fracture mechanism of carbon fibers was studied in different cutting conditions such as 0° orientation angle, 90° orientation angle, orientation angles along fiber direction, and orientation angles inverse to the fiber direction. In addition, a prediction model on the cutting defects of carbon fiber reinforced plastic was established based on acoustic emission (AE signals.

Influence of Fiber Orientation on Single-Point Cutting Fracture Behavior of Carbon-Fiber/Epoxy Prepreg Sheets.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Yingying; An, Qinglong; Cai, Xiaojiang; Chen, Ming; Ming, Weiwei

2015-10-02

The purpose of this article is to investigate the influences of carbon fibers on the fracture mechanism of carbon fibers both in macroscopic view and microscopic view by using single-point flying cutting method. Cutting tools with three different materials were used in this research, namely, PCD (polycrystalline diamond) tool, CVD (chemical vapor deposition) diamond thin film coated carbide tool and uncoated carbide tool. The influence of fiber orientation on the cutting force and fracture topography were analyzed and conclusions were drawn that cutting forces are not affected by cutting speeds but significantly influenced by the fiber orientation. Cutting forces presented smaller values in the fiber orientation of 0/180° and 15/165° but the highest one in 30/150°. The fracture mechanism of carbon fibers was studied in different cutting conditions such as 0° orientation angle, 90° orientation angle, orientation angles along fiber direction, and orientation angles inverse to the fiber direction. In addition, a prediction model on the cutting defects of carbon fiber reinforced plastic was established based on acoustic emission (AE) signals.

Influence of organizational factors on safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haber, S.B.; Metlay, D.S.; Crouch, D.A.

1990-01-01

There is a need for a better understanding of exactly how organizational management factors at a nuclear power plant (NPP) affect plant safety performance, either directly or indirectly, and how these factors might be observed, measured, and evaluated. The purpose of this research project is to respond to that need by developing a general methodology for characterizing these organizational and management factors, systematically collecting information on their status and integrating that information into various types of evaluative activities. Research to date has included the development of the Nuclear Organization and Management Analysis Concept (NOMAC) of a NPP, the identification of key organizational and management factors, and the identification of the methods for systematically measuring and analyzing the influence of these factors on performance. Most recently, two field studies, one at a fossil fuel plant and the other at a NPP, were conducted using the developed methodology. Results are presented from both studies highlighting the acceptability, practicality, and usefulness of the methods used to assess the influence of various organizational and management factors including culture, communication, decision-making, standardization, and oversight. 6 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab

Influence of contact height on the performance of vertically aligned carbon nanotube field-effect transistors

KAUST Repository

Li, Jingqi; Cheng, Yingchun; Guo, Zaibing; Wang, Zhihong; Zhu, Zhiyong; Zhang, Qing; Chan-Park, Chanpark; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo; Zhang, Xixiang

2013-01-01

Vertically aligned carbon nanotube field-effect transistors (CNTFETs) have been experimentally demonstrated (J. Li et al., Carbon, 2012, 50, 4628-4632). The source and drain contact heights in vertical CNTFETs could be much higher than in flat CNTFETs if the fabrication process is not optimized. To understand the impact of contact height on transistor performance, we use a semi-classical method to calculate the characteristics of CNTFETs with different contact heights. The results show that the drain current decreases with increasing contact height and saturates at a value governed by the thickness of the oxide. The current reduction caused by the increased contact height becomes more significant when the gate oxide is thicker. The higher the drain voltage, the larger the current reduction. It becomes even worse when the band gap of the carbon nanotube is larger. The current can differ by a factor of more than five between the CNTEFTs with low and high contact heights when the oxide thickness is 50 nm. In addition, the influence of the contact height is limited by the channel length. The contact height plays a minor role when the channel length is less than 100 nm. © 2013 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

INFLUENCE FACTORS FOR LEASING MARKET CONTRACTS

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Oana BĂRBULESCU

2016-11-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to investigate the relationship between leasing contracts and some factors that influence the value of these contracts. In order to do this, we have decided on some quantitative marketing research by appealing to statistics for accomplishing the objectives that we have set: to find a correlation between the turnover percentage assigned to leasing expenses and several influence factors. This study indicated that the more contracts are signed by a firm, the more likely is to assign a bigger fraction of the income to each new leasing contract. The study confirmed that bigger companies are relying more on leasing as a way of financing than small companies. This study also discovered that companies with more employees are using larger contracts in order to sustain their activity. The findings are expected to contribute to adjusting the offers by the leasing companies, taking into consideration these factors and to using these factors in order to better predict the market evolution.

Carbon Concentration and Carbon-to-Nitrogen Ratio Influence Submerged-Culture Conidiation by the Potential Bioherbicide Colletotrichum truncatum NRRL 13737

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Mark A.; Bothast, Rodney J.

1990-01-01

We assessed the influence of various carbon concentrations and carbon-to-nitrogen (C:N) ratios on Colletotrichum truncatum NRRL 13737 conidium formation in submerged cultures grown in a basal salts medium containing various amounts of glucose and Casamino Acids. Under the nutritional conditions tested, the highest conidium concentrations were produced in media with carbon concentrations of 4.0 to 15.3 g/liter. High carbon concentrations (20.4 to 40.8 g/liter) inhibited sporulation and enhanced the formation of microsclerotiumlike hyphal masses. At all the carbon concentrations tested, a culture grown in a medium with a C:N ratio of 15:1 produced more conidia than cultures grown in media with C:N ratios of 40:1 or 5:1. While glucose exhaustion was often coincident with conidium formation, cultures containing residual glucose sporulated and those with high carbon concentrations (>25 g/liter) exhausted glucose without sporulation. Nitrogen source studies showed that the levels of C. truncatum NRRL 13737 conidiation were similar for all protein hydrolysates tested. Reduced conidiation occurred when amino acid and inorganic nitrogen sources were used. Of the nine carbon sources evaluated, acetate as the sole carbon source resulted in the lowest level of sporulation. Images PMID:16348348

Factors influencing current interests and motivations of local governments to supply carbon offset credits from urban forestry

Science.gov (United States)

N. Poudyal; J. Siry; M. Bowker

2009-01-01

This study conducted a nationwide survey of municipal governments in the United States to assess their motivations, willingness, and technical as well as managerial capacities of cities to store carbon and sell carbon offsets. The analysis reveals that cities are fairly interested in selling carbon offsets and their interest in carbon trading is driven by the degree of...

Factors that negatively influence consumption of traditionally ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Factors that negatively influence consumption of traditionally fermented milk ... in various countries of sub-Saharan Africa and a number of health benefits to human ... influence consumption of Mursik, a traditionally fermented milk product from ...

Social and cultural influences on management for carbon sequestration on US family forestlands: a literature synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

A. Paige Fischer; Susan. Charnley

2010-01-01

Nonindustrial private—or "family"—forests hold great potential for sequestering carbon and have received much attention in discussions about forestry-based climate change mitigation. However, little is known about social and cultural influences on owners' willingness to manage for carbon and respond to policies designed to encourage carbon-oriented...

Effect of Population Structure Change on Carbon Emission in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wen Guo

2016-03-01

Full Text Available This paper expanded the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI model through the introduction of urbanization, residents’ consumption, and other factors, and decomposed carbon emission changes in China into carbon emission factor effect, energy intensity effect, consumption inhibitory factor effect, urbanization effect, residents’ consumption effect, and population scale effect, and then explored contribution rates and action mechanisms of the above six factors on change in carbon emissions in China. Then, the effect of population structure change on carbon emission was analyzed by taking 2003–2012 as a sample period, and combining this with the panel data of 30 provinces in China. Results showed that in 2003–2012, total carbon emission increased by 4.2117 billion tons in China. The consumption inhibitory factor effect, urbanization effect, residents’ consumption effect, and population scale effect promoted the increase in carbon emissions, and their contribution ratios were 27.44%, 12.700%, 74.96%, and 5.90%, respectively. However, the influence of carbon emission factor effect (−2.54% and energy intensity effect (−18.46% on carbon emissions were negative. Population urbanization has become the main population factor which affects carbon emission in China. The “Eastern aggregation” phenomenon caused the population scale effect in the eastern area to be significantly higher than in the central and western regions, but the contribution rate of its energy intensity effect (−11.10 million tons was significantly smaller than in the central (−21.61 million tons and western regions (−13.29 million tons, and the carbon emission factor effect in the central area (−3.33 million tons was significantly higher than that in the eastern (−2.00 million tons and western regions (−1.08 million tons. During the sample period, the change in population age structure, population education structure, and population occupation structure

Influence of Plasma Jet Temperature Profiles in Arc Discharge Methods of Carbon Nanotubes Synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Raniszewski, Grzegorz; Wiak, Slawomir; Pietrzak, Lukasz; Szymanski, Lukasz; Kolacinski, Zbigniew

2017-02-23

One of the most common methods of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) synthesis is application of an electric-arc plasma. However, the final product in the form of cathode deposit is composed of carbon nanotubes and a variety of carbon impurities. An assay of carbon nanotubes produced in arc discharge systems available on the market shows that commercial cathode deposits contain about 10% CNTs. Given that the quality of the final product depends on carbon-plasma jet parameters, it is possible to increase the yield of the synthesis by plasma jet control. Most of the carbon nanotubes are multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). It was observed that the addition of catalysts significantly changes the plasma composition, effective ionization potential, the arc channel conductance, and in effect temperature of the arc and carbon elements flux. This paper focuses on the influence of metal components on plasma-jet forming containing carbon nanotubes cathode deposit. The plasma jet temperature control system is presented.

Influence of sample composition on aerosol organic and black carbon determinations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Novakov, T.; Corrigan, C.E.

1995-07-01

In this paper we present results on characterization of filter-collected redwood (Sequoia sempevirens)-needle and eucalyptus smoke particles by thermal, optical, and solvent extraction methods. Our results demonstrate that organic and black carbon concentrations determined by thermal and optical methods are not only method dependent, but also critically influenced by the overall chemical composition of the samples. These conclusions are supported by the following: (1) the organic fraction of biomass smoke particles analyzed includes a component, ranging in concentration from about 6-20% of total carbon or from 16-30% of organic carbon, that is relatively non-volatile and has a combustion temperature close to that of black carbon; (2) presence of K or Na in biomass smoke samples lowers the combustion temperatures of this organic component and of black carbon, making their combustion properties indistinguishable; (3) about 20% of total organic material is nonvolatile when heated to 550{degrees}C in an inert atmosphere. Consequently, thermal methods that rely on a specific temperature to separate organic from black carbon may either underestimate or overestimate the black and organic carbon concentrations, depending on the amounts of Na and K and on the composition and concentration of organic material present in a sample. These analytical uncertainties and, under some conditions, absorption by organic material may contribute to the variability of empirically derived proportionality between light transmission through filter deposits and black carbon concentrations.

Influence of sample composition on aerosol organic and black carbon determinations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Novakov, T.; Corrigan, C.E.

1995-07-01

In this paper we present results on characterization of filter-collected redwood (Sequoia sempevirens)-needle and eucalyptus smoke particles by thermal, optical, and solvent extraction methods. Our results demonstrate that organic and black carbon concentrations determined by thermal and optical methods are not only method dependent, but also critically influenced by the overall chemical composition of the samples. These conclusions are supported by the following: (1) the organic fraction of biomass smoke particles analyzed includes a component, ranging in concentration from about 6-20% of total carbon or from 16-30% of organic carbon, that is relatively non-volatile and has a combustion temperature close to that of black carbon; (2) presence of K or Na in biomass smoke samples lowers the combustion temperatures of this organic component and of black carbon, making their combustion properties indistinguishable; (3) about 20% of total organic material is nonvolatile when heated to 550 degrees C in an inert atmosphere. Consequently, thermal methods that rely on a specific temperature to separate organic from black carbon may either underestimate or overestimate the black and organic carbon concentrations, depending on the amounts of Na and K and on the composition and concentration of organic material present in a sample. These analytical uncertainties and, under some conditions, absorption by organic material may contribute to the variability of empirically derived proportionality between light transmission through filter deposits and black carbon concentrations

Carbon Speciation and Anthropogenic Influences in Haitian Rivers and Inland Waters

Science.gov (United States)

Markowitz, M.; Paine, J.; McGillis, W. R.; Hsueh, D. Y.

2014-12-01

Climate, geography, and land use patterns all contribute to the social, economic, and environmental challenges in Haiti. Water quality remains a predominant issue, and the health of freshwater systems has been linked to the cycling and transformation of carbon. A speciation dominated by carbonates and bicarbonates is conducive to higher alkalinity waters, which is part of an environmental signature in which cholera and other bacteria thrive. Numerous human activities such as deforestation, biomass burning, and agricultural practices have radically changed the abundances of carbon on land and rivers in Haiti. In Haitian small mountainous rivers, carbon speciation is also influenced by the weathering of limestone and other carbonate rocks. Additionally, rain events and natural disturbances such as earthquakes have shown to drastically increase the amount of carbon in rivers and coastal waters. Since 2010, a network of both satellite and autonomous hydrometeorological stations has been deployed to monitor the climate in southwestern Haiti. Additionally, various hydrological parameters from river, reservoir, and coastal sites have been measured during field visits. Research will be continued into the wet season, providing temporal analysis needed for quantifying the abundances and transformations of carbon. Together, data from weather stations and field sites can be contextualized with local land use patterns and other human activities to offer unique insights on the carbon system. Findings may offer new perspectives on the relationships between hydrologic cycles, human health, and environmental sustainability in Haiti.

Factors Influencing Organization Adoption Decision On Cloud Computing

OpenAIRE

Ailar Rahimli

2013-01-01

Cloud computing is a developing field, using by organization that require to computing resource to provide the organizational computing needs. The goal of this research is evaluate the factors that influence on organization decision to adopt the cloud computing in Malaysia. Factors that relate to cloud computing adoption that include : need for cloud computing, cost effectiveness, security effectiveness of cloud computing and reliability. This paper evaluated the factors that influence on ado...

Influence of heat-treatment on lithium ion anode properties of mesoporous carbons with nanosheet-like walls

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zeng, Fanyan [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China); Hou, Zhaohui, E-mail: zhqh96@163.com [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Institute of Science and Technology, Yueyang 414006 (China); He, Binhong [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Institute of Science and Technology, Yueyang 414006 (China); Ge, Chongyong; Cao, Jianguo [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China); Kuang, Yafei, E-mail: yafeik@163.com [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China)

2012-08-15

Highlights: ► Mesoporous carbons possess unique nanosheet-like pore walls which can be changed by heat treatment. ► Lithium ion anode properties of mesoporous carbons could be influenced by the nanosheet-like walls. ► Mesoporous carbons with nanosheet-like walls exhibit enhanced electrochemical properties LIBs. -- Abstract: Mesoporous carbons (MCs) with nanosheet-like walls have been prepared as electrodes for lithium-ion batteries by a simple one-step infiltrating method under the action of capillary flow. The influence of heat treatment temperature on the surface topography, pore/phase structure and anode performances of as-prepared materials has been investigated. The results reveal that melted liquid-crystal polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons could be anchored on liquid/silica interfaces by molecule engineering. After carbonization, the nanosheets are formed as the pore walls of MCs and are perpendicular to the long axis of pores. The anode properties demonstrate that C-1200 displays higher reversible capacitance than those treated in higher temperature. The rate performances of C-1200 and C-1800 are similar and more excellent than that of C-2400. These improved lithium ion anode properties could be attributed to the nanosheet-like walls of MCs which can be influenced by the heat treatment temperature.

The influence of saltmarsh restoration on sediment dynamics and the potential impact on carbon sequestration

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Benjamin; Paterson, David

2017-04-01

Coastal wetland ecosystems can act as large-capacity carbon sinks, providing a valuable climate change mitigation function. Globally, saltmarshes are estimated to accumulate an average of 244.7g C m-2 yr-1 (Ouyang & Lee 2014). Saltmarsh areas have experienced rapid loss in the recent past of approximately 1-2% per year (Duarte et al. 2008). Efforts to restore these areas could result in additional carbon storage due to extended vegetation cover and altered burial due to changing sediment dynamics. The influence of restoration through transplantation on sediment dynamics within a small estuary on the east coast of Scotland was assessed. Restoration efforts have been implemented since the early 2000s providing examples of old established sites ("old", >10years), young recently planted sites ("young", percentage organic matter content of deposited material is significantly lower in mudflat and young areas (3.78 ± 0.59% and 3.66 ± 0.79% respectively) versus those of natural and old areas (12.08 ± 2.27% and 6.70 ± 1.30% respectively). This relationship suggests that older restored areas are potentially offering the most potential benefit in terms of carbon sequestration, due to higher rates of deposition from the potential load and higher percentage organic content of those deposits. Furthermore, measurements of sediment accretion rates over the same period show natural and old areas to be the most effective at retaining sediment, with average elevation changes of 6.99 ± 1.64mm and 6.56 ± 0.94mm respectively, in comparison to young areas, 4.44 ± 1.58mm, and mudflats, 1.51 ± 1.23mm. Factors influencing these differences could be attributed to type and density of vegetation present and elevation of each area (or immersion period). However, the data suggests restoration could play an important role, which once established, appears to facilitate efficient sediment deposition from potential sediment load and crucially the effective accumulation of organic rich

SVR-based prediction of carbon emissions from energy consumption in Henan Province

Science.gov (United States)

Gou, Guohua

2018-02-01

This paper analyzes the advantage of support vector regression (SVR) in the prediction of carbon emission and establishes the SVR-based carbon emission prediction model. The model is established using the data of Henan’s carbon emissions and influence factors from the 1991 to 2016 to train and test and then predict the carbon emissions from 2017 to 2021. The results show that: from the perspective of carbon emission from energy consumption, it raised 224.876 million tons of carbon dioxide from 1991 to 2016, and the predicted increment from 2017 to 2021 is 30.5563million tons with an average annual growth rate at 3%. From the perspective of growth rate among the six factors related to carbon emissions it is proved that population urbanization rate per capital GDP and energy consumption per unit of GDP influences the growth rate of carbon emissions less than the proportion of secondary industry and coal consumption ratio of carbon. Finally some suggestions are proposed for the carbon emission reduction of Henan Province.

[Awareness of health co-benefits of carbon emissions reduction in urban residents in Beijing: a cross-sectional survey].

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, J H; Zhang, Y; Wang, J; Chen, H J; Zhang, G B; Liu, X B; Wu, H X; Li, J; Li, J; Liu, Q Y

2017-05-10

Objective: To understand the awareness of the health co-benefits of carbon emission reduction in urban residents in Beijing and the influencing factors, and provide information for policy decision on carbon emission reduction and health education campaigns. Methods: Four communities were selected randomly from Fangshan, Haidian, Huairou and Dongcheng districts of Beijing, respectively. The sample size was estimated by using Kish-Leslie formula for descriptive analysis. 90 participants were recruited from each community. χ (2) test was conducted to examine the associations between socio-demographic variables and individuals' awareness of the health co-benefits of carbon emission reduction. Ordinal logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the factors influencing the awareness about the health co-benefits. Results: In 369 participants surveyed, 12.7 % reported they knew the health co-benefits of carbon emission reduction. The final logistic regression analysis revealed that age ( OR =0.98), attitude to climate warming ( OR =0.72) and air pollution ( OR =1.59), family monthly average income ( OR =1.27), and low carbon lifestyle ( OR =2.36) were important factors influencing their awareness of the health co-benefits of carbon emission reduction. Conclusion: The awareness of the health co-benefits of carbon emissions reduction were influenced by people' socio-demographic characteristics (age and family income), concerns about air pollution and climate warming, and low carbon lifestyle. It is necessary to take these factors into consideration in future development and implementation of carbon emission reduction policies and related health education campaigns.

A Comparison of Factors that Influence the Lyophilization Process

OpenAIRE

Mnerie, Dumitru; Anghel, Gabriela Victoria; Mnerie, Alin Vasile; Cheveresan, Constantin

2007-01-01

The lyophilization (or freeze drying) process for agro-foods products depends on a series of technological factors that are in an inter-dependence with the process performance. This paper presents an expert method and its application. This method characterizes the influence factors of the lyophilization process, after the importance level of some factors in correlation with other factors, is defined. Only the most important factors were considered; influence considerations were made in relati...

Influence of feedstock chemical composition on product formation and characteristics derived from the hydrothermal carbonization of mixed feedstocks.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Xiaowei; Berge, Nicole D

2014-08-01

As the exploration of the carbonization of mixed feedstocks continues, there is a distinct need to understand how feedstock chemical composition and structural complexity influence the composition of generated products. Laboratory experiments were conducted to evaluate the carbonization of pure compounds, mixtures of the pure compounds, and complex feedstocks comprised of the pure compounds (e.g., paper, wood). Results indicate that feedstock properties do influence carbonization product properties. Carbonization product characteristics were predicted using results from the carbonization of the pure compounds and indicate that recovered solids energy contents are more accurately predicted than solid yields and the carbon mass in each phase, while predictions associated with solids surface functional groups are more difficult to predict using this linear approach. To more accurately predict carbonization products, it may be necessary to account for feedstock structure and/or additional feedstock properties. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Net carbon allocation in soybean seedlings as influenced by soil water stress at two soil temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCoy, E.L.; Boersma, L.; Ekasingh, M.

1990-01-01

The influence of water stress at two soil temperatures on allocation of net photoassimilated carbon in soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) was investigated using compartmental analysis. The experimental phase employed classical 14 C labeling methodology with plants equilibrated at soil water potentials of -0.04, -0.25 and -0.50 MPa; and soil temperatures of 25 and 10C. Carbon immobilization in the shoot apex generally followed leaf elongation rates with decreases in both parameters at increasing water stress at both soil temperatures. However, where moderate water stress resulted in dramatic declines in leaf elongation rates, carbon immobilization rates were sharply decreased only at severe water stress levels. Carbon immobilization was decreased in the roots and nodules of the nonwater stressed treatment by the lower soil temperature. This relation was reversed with severe water stress, and carbon immobilization in the roots and nodules was increased at the lower soil temperature. Apparently, the increased demand for growth and/or carbon storage in these tissues with increased water stress overcame the low soil temperature limitations. Both carbon pool sizes and partitioning of carbon to the sink tissues increased with moderate water stress at 25C soil temperature. Increased pool sizes were consistent with whole plant osmotic adjustment at moderate water stress. Increased partitioning to the sinks was consistent with carbon translocation processes being less severely influenced by water stress than is photosynthesis

Factors influencing e-commerce development in Serbia

OpenAIRE

Kalinić, Zoran; Ranković, Vladimir; Kalinić, Ljubina

2016-01-01

In this paper, an overview of current state of e-commerce development in Serbia is presented. Also, some important factors influencing e-commerce diffusion are discussed. The factors are divided into four groups: technical factors, which cover e- commerce telecommunication and logistics infrastructure; legal factors, i.e. necessary laws and regulations on e-commerce; economic factors, and psychological factors and local culture. The study showed very strong correlation between broadband inter...

Influence of Fiber Orientation on Single-Point Cutting Fracture Behavior of Carbon-Fiber/Epoxy Prepreg Sheets

OpenAIRE

Wei, Yingying; An, Qinglong; Cai, Xiaojiang; Chen, Ming; Ming, Weiwei

2015-01-01

The purpose of this article is to investigate the influences of carbon fibers on the fracture mechanism of carbon fibers both in macroscopic view and microscopic view by using single-point flying cutting method. Cutting tools with three different materials were used in this research, namely, PCD (polycrystalline diamond) tool, CVD (chemical vapor deposition) diamond thin film coated carbide tool and uncoated carbide tool. The influence of fiber orientation on the cutting force and fracture to...

Study on the Influence Factors of the Luminous Intensity of the Long Afterglow Luminous Paints

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhao Su

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In order to extend the time afterglow luminous powder, enhancement the brightness of luminous paint, this study explore affect long afterglow energy storage luminous paints brightness of the main factors. Luminous paints were prepared with rare earth aluminate long afterglow luminescent powder, first is luminous powder surface modification, then investigate the influence of light emitting powder content, calcium carbonate, titanium dioxide, nano alumina and other fillers on the luminescent properties of the paints. It was concluded that the water resistance of the luminescent powder is better and the brightness can be improved after the modification of anhydrous alcohol. The addition of nano-alumina can improve the brightness of the system, and can effectively enhance the hardness of the paints. In the paints, the two kinds of components of carbonate and titanium dioxide have little effect on the luminescent brightness of the painting.

Factors that influence beverage choices at meal times

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mueller Loose, Simone; Jaeger, S. R.

2012-01-01

Beverages are consumed at almost every meal occasion, but knowledge about the factors that influence beverage choice is less than for food choice. The aim of this research was to characterize and quantify factors that influence beverage choices at meal times. Insights into what beverages are chosen...... consumers. Participants (n=164) described 8356 meal occasions in terms of foods and beverages consumed, and the contextual characteristics of the occasion. Beverage choice was explored with random-parameter logit regressions to reveal influences linked to food items eaten, context factors and person factors....... Thereby this study contributed to the food choice kaleidoscope research approach by expressing the degree of context dependency in form of odds ratios and according significance levels. The exploration of co-occurrence of beverages with food items suggests that beverage-meal item combinations can be meal...

Intrinsic and extrinsic factors influencing large African herbivore movements

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Venter, J.A.; Prins, H.H.T.; Mashanova, A.; Boer, de W.F.; Slotow, R.

2015-01-01

Understanding environmental as well as anthropogenic factors that influence large herbivore ecological patterns and processes should underpin their conservation and management. We assessed the influence of intrinsic, extrinsic environmental and extrinsic anthropogenic factors on movement behaviour

Influence of Plasma Jet Temperature Profiles in Arc Discharge Methods of Carbon Nanotubes Synthesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grzegorz Raniszewski

2017-02-01

Full Text Available One of the most common methods of carbon nanotubes (CNTs synthesis is application of an electric-arc plasma. However, the final product in the form of cathode deposit is composed of carbon nanotubes and a variety of carbon impurities. An assay of carbon nanotubes produced in arc discharge systems available on the market shows that commercial cathode deposits contain about 10% CNTs. Given that the quality of the final product depends on carbon–plasma jet parameters, it is possible to increase the yield of the synthesis by plasma jet control. Most of the carbon nanotubes are multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs. It was observed that the addition of catalysts significantly changes the plasma composition, effective ionization potential, the arc channel conductance, and in effect temperature of the arc and carbon elements flux. This paper focuses on the influence of metal components on plasma-jet forming containing carbon nanotubes cathode deposit. The plasma jet temperature control system is presented.

Three-dimensional decomposition models for carbon productivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meng, Ming; Niu, Dongxiao

2012-01-01

This paper presents decomposition models for the change in carbon productivity, which is considered a key indicator that reflects the contributions to the control of greenhouse gases. Carbon productivity differential was used to indicate the beginning of decomposition. After integrating the differential equation and designing the Log Mean Divisia Index equations, a three-dimensional absolute decomposition model for carbon productivity was derived. Using this model, the absolute change of carbon productivity was decomposed into a summation of the absolute quantitative influences of each industrial sector, for each influence factor (technological innovation and industrial structure adjustment) in each year. Furthermore, the relative decomposition model was built using a similar process. Finally, these models were applied to demonstrate the decomposition process in China. The decomposition results reveal several important conclusions: (a) technological innovation plays a far more important role than industrial structure adjustment; (b) industry and export trade exhibit great influence; (c) assigning the responsibility for CO 2 emission control to local governments, optimizing the structure of exports, and eliminating backward industrial capacity are highly essential to further increase China's carbon productivity. -- Highlights: ► Using the change of carbon productivity to measure a country's contribution. ► Absolute and relative decomposition models for carbon productivity are built. ► The change is decomposed to the quantitative influence of three-dimension. ► Decomposition results can be used for improving a country's carbon productivity.

Influence of surface properties on the mechanism of H2S removal by alkaline activated carbons.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Rong; Chin, Terence; Ng, Yuen Ling; Duan, Huiqi; Liang, David Tee; Tay, Joo Hwa

2004-01-01

sulfuric acid as the predominant products. Although both carbons are coal-based and of KOH impregnated type, performances of different carbons differ significantly. A correlation is well established to link the reaction extent with various surface properties. In summary, not only the homogeneous alkali impregnation and physical porosity but also the carbon surface chemistry are significant factors influencing the performances of alkaline activated carbons as H2S adsorbents.

Factors influencing workplace health promotion intervention: a qualitative systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Rojatz, Daniela; Merchant, Almas; Nitsch, Martina

2017-10-01

Although workplace health promotion (WHP) has evolved over the last 40 years, systematically collected knowledge on factors influencing the functioning of WHP is scarce. Therefore, a qualitative systematic literature review was carried out to systematically identify and synthesize factors influencing the phases of WHP interventions: needs assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation. Research evidence was identified by searching electronic databases (Scopus, PubMed, Social Sciences Citation Index, ASSIA, ERIC, IBBS and PsycINFO) from 1998 to 2013, as well as by cross-checking reference lists of included peer-reviewed articles. The inclusion criteria were: original empirical research, description of WHP, description of barriers to and/or facilitators of the planning, implementation and/or evaluation of WHP. Finally, 54 full texts were included. From these, influencing factors were extracted and summarized using thematic analysis. The majority of influencing factors referred to the implementation phase, few dealt with planning and/or evaluation and none with needs assessment. The influencing factors were condensed into topics with respect to factors at contextual level (e.g. economic crisis); factors at organizational level (e.g. management support); factors at intervention level (e.g. quality of intervention concept); factors at implementer level (e.g. resources); factors at participant level (e.g. commitment to intervention) and factors referring to methodological and data aspects (e.g. data-collection issues). Factors regarding contextual issues and organizational aspects were identified across three phases. Therefore, future research and practice should consider not only the influencing factors at different levels, but also at different phases of WHP interventions. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The influence of ZnO-SnO2 nanoparticles and activated carbon on the photocatalytic degradation of toluene using continuous flow mode

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hossein Ali Rangkooy

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The present study examined the gas-phase photocatalytic degradation of toluene using ZnO-SnO2 nanocomposite supported on activated carbon in a photocatalytic reactor. Toluene was selected as a model pollutant from volatile organic compounds to determine the pathway of photocatalytic degradation and the factors influencing this degradation. The ZnO-SnO2 nanocomposite was synthesized through co-precipitation method in a ratio of 2:1 and then supported on activated carbon. The immobilization of ZnO-SnO2 nanocomposite on activated carbon was determined by the surface area and scanning electron micrograph technique proposed by Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller. The laboratory findings showed that the highest efficiency was 40% for photocatalytic degradation of toluene. The results also indicated that ZnO-SnO2 nano-oxides immobilization on activated carbon had a synergic effect on photocatalytic degradation of toluene. Use of a hybrid photocatalytic system (ZnO/SnO2 nano coupled oxide and application of absorbent (activated carbon may be efficient and effective technique for refinement of toluene from air flow.

Electrical conductivity of conductive carbon blacks: influence of surface chemistry and topology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pantea, Dana; Darmstadt, Hans; Kaliaguine, Serge; Roy, Christian

2003-01-01

Conductive carbon blacks from different manufacturers were studied in order to obtain some insight into the relation between their electrical conductivity and their surface properties. The surface chemistry was studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and static secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), whereas the topology of the carbon black surface was investigated using low-pressure nitrogen adsorption. All these techniques yield information on the graphitic character of the surface. In general, the electrical conductivity of the conductive blacks increases with the graphitic character of the surface. For low surface area conductive blacks, the electrical conductivity correlates well with the surface chemistry. In the case of the XPS and SIMS data, this correlation is also valid when other types of carbon blacks such as thermal and furnace blacks are included, confirming the determining influence of the carbon black surface chemistry on the electrical conductivity

Factors influencing bone scan quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adams, F.G.; Shirley, A.W.

1983-01-01

A reliable subjective method of assessing bone scan quality is described. A large number of variables which theoretically could influence scan quality were submitted to regression and factor analysis. Obesity, age, sex and abnormality of scan were found to be significant but weak variables. (orig.)

Influence of carbonate ions on the micellization behavior in triblock copolymer solution

CERN Document Server

Thiyagarajan, P

2002-01-01

SANS was used to investigate the micellization behavior of triblock copolymers (F68, F88 and F108) as functions of carbonate ion concentration and temperature. SANS data were fitted to determine the sizes of the core and corona, inter-micelle distance, association number and the volume fraction of the micelles. As the polymer molecular weight increases, the core radius and the radius of gyration (R sub g) of the corona and the inter-micelle distance increase. The carbonate ion concentration and polymer molecular weight have dramatic influence on the temperatures at which the micellization and spherical-to-cylindrical micelle transformation occur. The mechanism by which this phenomenon occurs in these solutions is through a gradual dehydration of polymers with increasing carbonate concentration and/or temperature. (orig.)

Influence of carbon monoxide to the surface layer of uranium metal and its oxides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Xiaoling; Fu Yibei; Xie Renshou; Huang Ruiliang

1996-09-01

The surface structures of uranium metal and triuranium octaoxide (U 3 O 8 ) and the influence of carbon monoxide to the surface layers have been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). After exposure to carbon monoxide, contents of oxygen in the surface oxides of uranium metal and U 3 O 8 are decreased and O/U ratios decrease 7.2%, 8.0% respectively. The investigation indicated the surface layers of uranium metal and its oxides were forbidden to further oxidation in the atmosphere of carbon monoxide. (11 refs., 9 figs., 2 tabs.)

Factors influencing consumer behaviour in market vegetables in Yemen

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tarish H. Al-Gahaifi

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the research is to understand factors influencing consumer behaviour when buying vegetables in Republic of Yemen. Data collection was done by structured questionnaire administered through schools, universities, government offices, and markets from 13 provinces in 5 governorates. Random convenience sampling technique was used. Total sample comprised of 463 completed questionnaires which were used for analysis. The respondents were classified into five categories on the base of their monthly income, age, education, gender, and type of settlement. Authors present the factors that can influence significantly this behaviour, e.g. price, quality, the location of seller, habit, personal relationship between consumer and seller, occasions, discount, sorting, word-mouth, time of purchase, the way of products display, and recommendation of friends and families. From the obtained results, it is obvious that there was high influence on the behaviour of Yemeni consumer when buying vegetables for factors price, occasions, discontent, and time of purchase, while factors habit, display, sorting, and the location of seller suggests medium influence, and the influence was low for word-mouth.

What factors influence British medical students' career intentions?

Science.gov (United States)

Ibrahim, Michael; Fanshawe, Angela; Patel, Vanash; Goswami, Karan; Chilvers, Geoffrey; Ting, Michelle; Pilavakis, Yiannis; Rao, Christopher; Athanasiou, Thanos

2014-12-01

The aim of this study was to identify factors that influence career choice in UK medical students. Students at seven institutions were invited to rate how important various factors were on influencing their career choices and how interested they were in pursuing different specialties. The influence of interpersonal relationship networks on career choice was also evaluated. 641 responses were collected. 44% (283) were male, 16% (105) were graduates and 41% (263) were final-year students. For Dermatology (p = 0.009), Paediatrics (p = 0.000), Radiology (p = 0.000), Emergency Medicine (p = 0.018) and Cardiothoracic Surgery (p = 0.000), there was a clear correlation between completing a clinical attachment and an interest in pursuing the specialty. Perceived characteristics of the speciality, individually and in clusters were considered important by specific subgroups of students, such as those interested in surgery. These students considered prestige (p = 0.0003), role models (p = 0.014), financial rewards after training (p = 0.0196) and technical challenge (p = 0.0011) as important factors. Demographics such as sex and age played a significant role in career choice. Interpersonal relationship networks do not have a significant influence on career intentions. This study shows that the career intentions of British medical students are influenced by their undergraduate experience and by the weight they place on different specialty-related factors.

The influence of carbon and oxygen on the magnetic characteristics of press-less sintered NdFeB magnets

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, M.; Abrahamsen, A. B.; Bahl, C. R. H.; Veluri, B.; Søegaard, A. I.; Bøjsøe, P.; Millot, S.

2017-01-01

The Pressless Process (PLP) was adopted to manufacture NdFeB sintered magnets, where the investigations on carbon and oxygen residues from heptane milling liquid media and graphite crucibles used for sintering were quantified to evaluate the influence on the magnetic characteristics. The carbon and oxygen content in the magnets produced from wet ball milling of strip cast flakes was found to be of the order 104 ppm and 4·104 ppm respectively, which resulted in soft magnetic behavior. However using jet milling the carbon and oxygen concentration were decreased by an order of magnitude resulting in coercivity of up to 829 kA/m. Thus the influence of the carbon from the graphite crucibles is small.

Overview of Low Carbon Logistics Development in China and Foreign Countries

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Dongxiang; Zhang, Xiang

2017-12-01

High energy consumption is a major feature of the logistics industry. Under the current low-carbon development requirements, the low carbon development of logistics is bound to be a new direction, and more scholars will turn their attention to low-carbon logistics. This paper presents a detailed introduction to low-carbon logistics from four aspects: the definition of low-carbon logistics, the influencing factors and Countermeasures of development, and the evaluation of carbon emission efficiency.

Factors negatively influencing knowledge sharing in software development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucas T. Khoza

2017-07-01

Objective: This study seeks to identify factors that negatively influence knowledge sharing in software development in the developing country context. Method: Expert sampling as a subcategory of purposive sampling was employed to extract information, views and opinions from experts in the field of information and communication technology, more specifically from those who are involved in software development projects. Four Johannesburg-based software developing organisations listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE, South Africa, participated in this research study. Quantitative data were collected using an online questionnaire with closed-ended questions. Results: Findings of this research reveal that job security, motivation, time constraints, physiological factors, communication, resistance to change and rewards are core factors negatively influencing knowledge sharing in software developing organisations. Conclusions: Improved understanding of factors negatively influencing knowledge sharing is expected to assist software developing organisations in closing the gap for software development projects failing to meet the triple constraint of time, cost and scope.

The Influence of psychological-sociological factors on self-employment

OpenAIRE

Remeikienė, Rita; Startienė, Gražina; Vasauskaitė, Jovita

2011-01-01

The article deals with the influence of psychological-sociological factors on a self-employed person, which is little explored in business literature. Analysis of scientific literature revealed that the psychological-sociological factors of self-employment can be divided into groups based on certain personal characteristics and individual psychological states, and the influence of psychological-sociological factors of self-employment is threefold: positive, negative, and unclear (both positiv...

Study on the influence of carbon monoxide to the surface oxide layer of uranium metal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Xiaolin; Duan Rongliang; Fu Yibei; Xie Renshou; Zuo Changming; Zhao Chunpei; Chen Hong

1997-01-01

The influence of carbon monoxide to the surface oxide layer of uranium metal has been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and gas chromatography (GC). Carbon monoxide adsorption on the oxide layer resulted in U4f peak shifting to the lower binding energy. The content of oxygen in the oxide is decreased and the atomic ratio (O/U) is decreased by 7.2%. The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere after the surface reaction is increased by 11.0%. The investigation indicates that the surface layer can prevent the further oxidation uranium metal in the atmosphere of carbon monoxide

A survey on critical factors influencing organizational commitment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hamidreza Kheirkhah

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Organizational commitment is an important issue and organization attitude has become an area of study among many researchers in the fields of organizational behavior. In fact, there are many studies on human resource management where the effects of organizational commitment on other issues have been investigated and the purpose of this research is to find critical factors influencing on organizational commitment. Based on an exploration of the literature review and interviews, the proposed study of this paper extracts 24 variables and using factor analysis, we select the most important factors, which are grouped in four categories. The implementation of our factor analysis has revealed Affective commitment, Continuous commitment, Moral commitment and Enduring commitment are the most important factors influencing organizational commitment.

Hierarchical and coupling model of factors influencing vessel traffic flow.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zhao; Liu, Jingxian; Li, Huanhuan; Li, Zongzhi; Tan, Zhirong; Liu, Ryan Wen; Liu, Yi

2017-01-01

Understanding the characteristics of vessel traffic flow is crucial in maintaining navigation safety, efficiency, and overall waterway transportation management. Factors influencing vessel traffic flow possess diverse features such as hierarchy, uncertainty, nonlinearity, complexity, and interdependency. To reveal the impact mechanism of the factors influencing vessel traffic flow, a hierarchical model and a coupling model are proposed in this study based on the interpretative structural modeling method. The hierarchical model explains the hierarchies and relationships of the factors using a graph. The coupling model provides a quantitative method that explores interaction effects of factors using a coupling coefficient. The coupling coefficient is obtained by determining the quantitative indicators of the factors and their weights. Thereafter, the data obtained from Port of Tianjin is used to verify the proposed coupling model. The results show that the hierarchical model of the factors influencing vessel traffic flow can explain the level, structure, and interaction effect of the factors; the coupling model is efficient in analyzing factors influencing traffic volumes. The proposed method can be used for analyzing increases in vessel traffic flow in waterway transportation system.

Identification of an algal carbon fixation-enhancing factor extracted from Paramecium bursaria.

Science.gov (United States)

Kato, Yutaka; Imamura, Nobutaka

2011-01-01

The green ciliate Paramecium bursaria contains several hundred symbiotic Chlorella species. We previously reported that symbiotic algal carbon fixation is enhanced by P. bursaria extracts and that the enhancing factor is a heat-stable, low-molecular-weight, water-soluble compound. To identify the factor, further experiments were carried out. The enhancing activity remained even when organic compounds in the extract were completely combusted at 700 degrees C, suggesting that the factor is an inorganic substance. Measurement of the major cations, K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+, by an electrode and titration of the extract resulted in concentrations of 0.90 mM, 0.55 mM, and 0.21 mM, respectively. To evaluate the effect of these cations, a mixture of the cations at the measured concentrations was prepared, and symbiotic algal carbon fixation was measured in the solution. The results demonstrated that the fixation was enhanced to the same extent as with the P. bursaria extract, and thus this mixture of K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ was concluded to be the carbon fixation-enhancing factor. There was no effect of the cation mixture on free-living C. vulgaris. Comparison of the cation concentrations of nonsymbiotic and symbiotic Paramecium extracts revealed that the concentrations of K+ and Mg2+ in nonsymbiotic Paramecium extracts were too low to enhance symbiotic algal carbon fixation, suggesting that symbiotic P. bursaria provide suitable cation conditions for photosynthesis to its symbiotic Chlorella.

A novel preparation of methyl-β-cyclodextrin from dimethyl carbonate and β-cyclodextrin

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gan, Yongjiang; Zhang, Yimin; Xiao, Chuanhao

2011-01-01

A novel green synthesis process about methyl-β-cyclodextrin has been investigated through the reaction between β-cyclodextrin and dimethyl carbonate by anhydrous potassium carbonate as catalyst in DMF. The influence of experimental factors including the molar ratio of dimethyl carbonate to β-cycl...

Influence of the Testing Gage Length on the Strength, Young's Modulus and Weibull Modulus of Carbon Fibres and Glass Fibres

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luiz Claudio Pardini

2002-10-01

Full Text Available Carbon fibres and glass fibres are reinforcements for advanced composites and the fiber strength is the most influential factor on the strength of the composites. They are essentially brittle and fail with very little reduction in cross section. Composites made with these fibres are characterized by a high strength/density ratio and their properties are intrisically related to their microstructure, i.e., amount and orientation of the fibres, surface treatment, among other factors. Processing parameters have an important role in the fibre mechanical behaviour (strength and modulus. Cracks, voids and impurities in the case of glass fibres and fibrillar misalignments in the case of carbon fibres are created during processing. Such inhomogeneities give rise to an appreciable scatter in properties. The most used statistical tool that deals with this characteristic variability in properties is the Weibull distribution. The present work investigates the influence of the testing gage length on the strength, Young's modulus and Weibull modulus of carbon fibres and glass fibres. The Young's modulus is calculated by two methods: (i ASTM D 3379M, and (ii interaction between testing equipment/specimen The first method resulted in a Young modulus of 183 GPa for carbon fibre, and 76 GPa for glass fibre. The second method gave a Young modulus of 250 GPa for carbon fibre and 50 GPa for glass fibre. These differences revelead differences on how the interaction specimen/testing machine can interfere in the Young modulus calculations. Weibull modulus can be a tool to evaluate the fibre's homogeneity in terms of properties and it is a good quality control parameter during processing. In the range of specimen gage length tested the Weibull modulus for carbon fibre is ~ 3.30 and for glass fibres is ~ 5.65, which indicates that for the batch of fibres tested, the glass fibre is more uniform in properties.

[Factors influencing nurses' organizational citizenship behavior].

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Junhee; Yun, Eunkyung; Han, Sangsook

2009-08-01

This study was conducted to identify the factors that influence nurses' organizational citizenship behavior. A cross-sectional design was used, with a convenience sample of 547 nurses from four university hospitals in Seoul and Gyeonggi province. The data were collected through a questionnaire survey done from September 22 to October 10, 2008. The tools used for this study were scales on organizational citizenship behavior (14 items), self-leadership (14 items), empowerment (10 items), organizational commitment (7 items), job satisfaction (8 items) and transformational.transactional leadership (14 items). Cronbach's alpha and factor analysis were examined to test reliability and construct validity of the scale. The data collected were processed using SPSS Window 15.0 Program for actual numbers and percentages, differences in the dependent variable according to general characteristics, and means, standard deviations, correlation coefficients and multiple regression analysis. The factors influencing nurses' organizational citizenship behavior were identified as self-leadership(beta=.247), empowerment (beta=.233), job satisfaction (beta=.209), organizational commitment (beta=.158), and transactional leadership (beta=.142). Five factors explained 42.0% of nurses' organizational citizenship behavior. The results of this study can be used to develop further management strategies for enhancement of nurses' organizational citizenship behavior.

Carbon source and myc expression influence the antiproliferative actions of metformin.

Science.gov (United States)

Javeshghani, Shiva; Zakikhani, Mahvash; Austin, Shane; Bazile, Miguel; Blouin, Marie-José; Topisirovic, Ivan; St-Pierre, Julie; Pollak, Michael N

2012-12-01

Epidemiologic and experimental data have led to increased interest in possible roles of biguanides in cancer prevention and/or treatment. Prior studies suggest that the primary action of metformin is inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation, resulting in reduced mitochondrial ATP production and activation of AMPK. In vitro, this may lead to AMPK-dependent growth inhibition if AMPK and its effector pathways are intact or to an energetic crisis if these are defective. We now show that the effect of exposure of several transformed cell lines to metformin varies with carbon source: in the presence of glutamine and absence of glucose, a 75% decrease in cellular ATP and an 80% decrease in cell number is typical; in contrast, when glucose is present, metformin exposure leads to increased glycolysis, with only a modest reduction in ATP level and cell number. Overexpression of myc was associated with sensitization to the antiproliferative effects of metformin, consistent with myc involvement in "glutamine addiction". Our results reveal previously unrecognized factors that influence metformin sensitivity and suggest that metformin-induced increase in glycolysis attenuates the antiproliferative effects of the compound.

Factors Influencing Title VII Bilingual Program Institutionalization.

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Gerald R.; And Others

1985-01-01

This study of the primary restraining and driving forces that influence Title VII bilingual education programs found the external environment, the local community, to be the main factor influencing institutionalization and self-renewal. The internal environment--the local school, and the local school's organization or central office, school board,…

A factor analysis to detect factors influencing building national brand

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naser Azad

Full Text Available Developing a national brand is one of the most important issues for development of a brand. In this study, we present factor analysis to detect the most important factors in building a national brand. The proposed study uses factor analysis to extract the most influencing factors and the sample size has been chosen from two major auto makers in Iran called Iran Khodro and Saipa. The questionnaire was designed in Likert scale and distributed among 235 experts. Cronbach alpha is calculated as 84%, which is well above the minimum desirable limit of 0.70. The implementation of factor analysis provides six factors including “cultural image of customers”, “exciting characteristics”, “competitive pricing strategies”, “perception image” and “previous perceptions”.

Factors Influencing Prevention and Control of Malaria among ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

AJRH Managing Editor

investigate factors that influence malaria prevention and control practices among pregnant ... treatment of clinical cases and the promotion of ... influence their decision regarding malaria ..... have the ability to purchase anti-malaria drugs that.

Trend Prediction and Decomposed Driving Factors of Carbon Emissions in Jiangsu Province during 2015–2020

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Decai Tang

2016-10-01

Full Text Available According to the economic and energy consumption statistics in Jiangsu Province, we combined the GM (1, 1 grey model and polynomial regression to forecast carbon emissions. Historical and projected emissions were decomposed using the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI approach to assess the relative contribution of different factors to emission variability. The results showed that carbon emissions will continue to increase in Jiangsu province during 2015–2020 period and cumulative carbon emissions will increase by 39.5487 million tons within the forecast period. The growth of gross domestic product (GDP per capita plays the greatest positive role in driving carbon emission growth. Furthermore, the improvement of energy usage efficiency is the primary factor responsible for reducing carbon emissions. Factors of population, industry structure adjustment and the optimization of fuel mix also help to reduce carbon emissions. Based on the LMDI analysis, we provide some advice for policy-makers in Jiangsu and other provinces in China.

Study of factors affecting a combustion method for determining carbon in lithium hydride

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barringer, R.E.; Thornton, R.E.

1975-09-01

An investigation has been made of the factors affecting a combustion method for the determination of low levels (300 to 15,000 micrograms/gram) of carbon in highly reactive lithium hydride. Optimization of the procedure with available equipment yielded recoveries of 90 percent, with a limit of error (0.95) of +-39 percent relative for aliquants containing 35 to 55 micrograms of carbon (500 to 800 micrograms of carbon per gram of lithium hydride sample). Sample preparation, thermal decomposition of the hydride, final ignition of the carbon, and carbon-measurement steps were studied, and a detailed procedure was developed. (auth)

Study on Carbon Nano composite Counter electrode for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Y.; Zhang, H.; Lin, J.

2012-01-01

Carbon nano composite electrodes were prepared by adding carbon nano tubes (CNTs) into carbon black as counter electrodes of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The morphology and structure of carbon nano composite electrodes were studied by scanning electron microscopy. The influence of CNTs on the electrochemical performance of carbon nano composite electrodes is investigated by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Carbon nano composite electrodes with CNTs exhibit a highly interconnected network structure with high electrical conductivity and good catalytic activity. The influence of different CNTs content in carbon nano composite electrodes on the open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current, and filling factor of DSSCs is also investigated. DSSCs with 10% CNTs content exhibit the best photovoltaic performance in our experiments.

Diurnal Change of Soil Carbon Flux of Binhai New District

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, T. F.; Mao, T. Y.; Ye, W.

2018-05-01

In order to investigate the factors influencing diurnal change of soil carbon flux of Binhai New District. Field observation experiments were carried out by using LC pro-SD photosynthetic apparatus. The diurnal changes of soil carbon flux and its environmental factors such as atmosphere temperature and soil temperature were analysed. The results indicated that soil carbon flux appeared single diurnal pattern. The diurnal average of soil carbon flux ranked from 0.2761 to 2.3367μmo1/m2/s. Soil carbon flux varied significantly among different land use regimes(Pequations (Pquadratic correlations between soil carbon flux and soil temperature (10cm). And soil temperature could account for more than 32.27% of the soil carbon flux changes (P<0.05, R2=0.3227-0.7465).

Factors influencing detail detectability in radiologic imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gurvich, A.M.

1985-01-01

The detectability of various details is estimated quantitatively from the essential technical parameters of the imaging system and additional influencing factors including viewing of the image. The analysis implies the formation of the input radiation distribution (contrast formation, influence of kVp). Noise, image contrast (gamma), modulation transfer function and contrast threshold of the observer are of different influence on details of different size. Thus further optimization of imaging systems and their adaption to specific imaging tasks are facilitated

Factors influencing choice of paediatrics as a career among medical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

None of the male students but 12 of the female students (30%) considered gender distribution to be a factor influencing their career choice (p=0.046). Conclusion. This study indicates that paediatrics is popular among female students and that several factors influence choice of this specialty. Understanding these factors may ...

Modelling the nonlinear behaviour of double walled carbon nanotube based resonator with curvature factors

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Ajay M.; Joshi, Anand Y.

2016-10-01

This paper deals with the nonlinear vibration analysis of a double walled carbon nanotube based mass sensor with curvature factor or waviness, which is doubly clamped at a source and a drain. Nonlinear vibrational behaviour of a double-walled carbon nanotube excited harmonically near its primary resonance is considered. The double walled carbon nanotube is harmonically excited by the addition of an excitation force. The modelling involves stretching of the mid plane and damping as per phenomenon. The equation of motion involves four nonlinear terms for inner and outer tubes of DWCNT due to the curved geometry and the stretching of the central plane due to the boundary conditions. The vibrational behaviour of the double walled carbon nanotube with different surface deviations along its axis is analyzed in the context of the time response, Poincaré maps and Fast Fourier Transformation diagrams. The appearance of instability and chaos in the dynamic response is observed as the curvature factor on double walled carbon nanotube is changed. The phenomenon of Periodic doubling and intermittency are observed as the pathway to chaos. The regions of periodic, sub-harmonic and chaotic behaviour are clearly seen to be dependent on added mass and the curvature factors in the double walled carbon nanotube. Poincaré maps and frequency spectra are used to explicate and to demonstrate the miscellany of the system behaviour. With the increase in the curvature factor system excitations increases and results in an increase of the vibration amplitude with reduction in excitation frequency.

Hierarchical and coupling model of factors influencing vessel traffic flow.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhao Liu

Full Text Available Understanding the characteristics of vessel traffic flow is crucial in maintaining navigation safety, efficiency, and overall waterway transportation management. Factors influencing vessel traffic flow possess diverse features such as hierarchy, uncertainty, nonlinearity, complexity, and interdependency. To reveal the impact mechanism of the factors influencing vessel traffic flow, a hierarchical model and a coupling model are proposed in this study based on the interpretative structural modeling method. The hierarchical model explains the hierarchies and relationships of the factors using a graph. The coupling model provides a quantitative method that explores interaction effects of factors using a coupling coefficient. The coupling coefficient is obtained by determining the quantitative indicators of the factors and their weights. Thereafter, the data obtained from Port of Tianjin is used to verify the proposed coupling model. The results show that the hierarchical model of the factors influencing vessel traffic flow can explain the level, structure, and interaction effect of the factors; the coupling model is efficient in analyzing factors influencing traffic volumes. The proposed method can be used for analyzing increases in vessel traffic flow in waterway transportation system.

Factors influencing cassava - pulp fermentation period for gari ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Factors influencing cassava - pulp fermentation period for gari processing among ... Result of probit model analysis at 5% significance level shows an R value ... Marital status (2.236**) and respondents' cultural influences (1.960**) were ...

Quantitative influence of risk factors on blood glucose level.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Songjing; Luo, Senlin; Pan, Limin; Zhang, Tiemei; Han, Longfei; Zhao, Haixiu

2014-01-01

The aim of this study is to quantitatively analyze the influence of risk factors on the blood glucose level, and to provide theory basis for understanding the characteristics of blood glucose change and confirming the intervention index for type 2 diabetes. The quantitative method is proposed to analyze the influence of risk factors on blood glucose using back propagation (BP) neural network. Ten risk factors are screened first. Then the cohort is divided into nine groups by gender and age. According to the minimum error principle, nine BP models are trained respectively. The quantitative values of the influence of different risk factors on the blood glucose change can be obtained by sensitivity calculation. The experiment results indicate that weight is the leading cause of blood glucose change (0.2449). The second factors are cholesterol, age and triglyceride. The total ratio of these four factors reaches to 77% of the nine screened risk factors. And the sensitivity sequences can provide judgment method for individual intervention. This method can be applied to risk factors quantitative analysis of other diseases and potentially used for clinical practitioners to identify high risk populations for type 2 diabetes as well as other disease.

Factors Influencing Healthcare Service Quality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Mohammad Mosadeghrad

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Background The main purpose of this study was to identify factors that influence healthcare quality in the Iranian context. Methods Exploratory in-depth individual and focus group interviews were conducted with 222 healthcare stakeholders including healthcare providers, managers, policy-makers, and payers to identify factors affecting the quality of healthcare services provided in Iranian healthcare organisations. Results Quality in healthcare is a production of cooperation between the patient and the healthcare provider in a supportive environment. Personal factors of the provider and the patient, and factors pertaining to the healthcare organisation, healthcare system, and the broader environment affect healthcare service quality. Healthcare quality can be improved by supportive visionary leadership, proper planning, education and training, availability of resources, effective management of resources, employees and processes, and collaboration and cooperation among providers. Conclusion This article contributes to healthcare theory and practice by developing a conceptual framework that provides policy-makers and managers a practical understanding of factors that affect healthcare service quality.

Variance of indoor radon concentration: Major influencing factors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yarmoshenko, I., E-mail: ivy@ecko.uran.ru [Institute of Industrial Ecology UB RAS, Sophy Kovalevskoy, 20, Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation); Vasilyev, A.; Malinovsky, G. [Institute of Industrial Ecology UB RAS, Sophy Kovalevskoy, 20, Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation); Bossew, P. [German Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS), Berlin (Germany); Žunić, Z.S. [Institute of Nuclear Sciences “Vinca”, University of Belgrade (Serbia); Onischenko, A.; Zhukovsky, M. [Institute of Industrial Ecology UB RAS, Sophy Kovalevskoy, 20, Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation)

2016-01-15

Variance of radon concentration in dwelling atmosphere is analysed with regard to geogenic and anthropogenic influencing factors. Analysis includes review of 81 national and regional indoor radon surveys with varying sampling pattern, sample size and duration of measurements and detailed consideration of two regional surveys (Sverdlovsk oblast, Russia and Niška Banja, Serbia). The analysis of the geometric standard deviation revealed that main factors influencing the dispersion of indoor radon concentration over the territory are as follows: area of territory, sample size, characteristics of measurements technique, the radon geogenic potential, building construction characteristics and living habits. As shown for Sverdlovsk oblast and Niška Banja town the dispersion as quantified by GSD is reduced by restricting to certain levels of control factors. Application of the developed approach to characterization of the world population radon exposure is discussed. - Highlights: • Influence of lithosphere and anthroposphere on variance of indoor radon is found. • Level-by-level analysis reduces GSD by a factor of 1.9. • Worldwide GSD is underestimated.

Topographic variability influences the carbon sequestration potential of arable soils

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chirinda, Ngoni; Elsgaard, Lars; Thomsen, Ingrid Kaag

2012-01-01

There is presently limited knowledge on the influence of field spatial variability on the carbon (C) sink-source relationships in arable landscapes. This is accompanied by the fact that our understanding of soil profile C dynamics is also limited. This study aimed at investigating how spatial...... results indicated that variability across arable landscapes makes footslope soils both a larger sink of buried soil C and a bigger potential CO2 source than upslope soils....

FACTORS INFLUENCING YIELD SPREADS OF THE MALAYSIAN BONDS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Norliza Ahmad

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Malaysian bond market is developing rapidly but not much is understood in terms of macroeconomic factors that could influence the yield spread of the Ringgit Malaysian denominated bonds. Based on a multifactor model, this paper examines the impact of four macroeconomic factors namely: Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLCI, Industry Production Index (IPI, Consumer Price Index (CPI and interest rates (IR on bond yield spread of the Malaysian Government Securities (MGS and Corporate Bonds (CBs for a period from January 2001 to December 2008. The findings support the expected hypotheses that CPI and IR are the major drivers that influence the changes in MGS yield spreads. However IPI and KLCI have weak and no influence on MGS yield spreads respectively Whilst IR, CPI and IPI have significant influence on the yield spreads of CB1, CB2 and CB3, KLCI has significant influence only on the CB1 yield spread but not on CB2 and CB3 yield spreads.

Influence of the matrix texture on the fracture behavior of 2D carbon/carbon composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Guozhong; Li Hejun; Bai Ruicheng; Wei Jian; Zha, Yanqiang

2008-01-01

The influence of matrix texture on the fracture behavior of 2D carbon/carbon composites infiltrated by isobaric, isothermal CVI technique at ambient pressure was investigated. The flexural strength of the as-obtained samples has been studied using a three-point bending test. After flexural test, the texture of pyrocarbon on the fracture surface and the morphology of the fracture surface were observed by polarized light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The results show that the sample with pure medium-textured pyrocarbon exhibits typical brittle fracture behavior due to no sliding between sub-layers in the medium-textured pyrocarbon layer. However, both the sample with the three-layer structure of medium-textured pyrocarbon, high-textured pyrocarbon and low-textured pyrocarbon, and the sample with the double-layer structure of medium-textured pyrocarbon and high-textured pyrocarbon exhibit remarkable pseudo-plastic fracture behavior, which is caused by the sliding occurred between different textured pyrocarbon layers and between sub-layers in high-textured pyrocarbon layer

Factors influencing US medical students' decision to pursue surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Lauren E; Cooper, Clairice A; Guo, Weidun Alan

2016-06-01

Interest and applications to surgery have steadily decreased over recent years in the United States. The goal of this review is to collect the current literature regarding US medical students' experience in surgery and factors influencing their intention to pursue surgery as a career. We hypothesize that multiple factors influence US medical students' career choice in surgery. Six electronic databases (PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Science, Education Resources Information Center, Embase, and PsycINFO) were searched. The inclusion criteria were studies published after the new century related to factors influencing surgical career choice among US medical students. Factors influencing US medical student surgical career decision-making were recorded. A quality index score was given to each article selected to minimize risk of bias. We identified 38 relevant articles of more than 1000 nonduplicated titles. The factors influencing medical student decision for a surgical career were categorized into five domains: mentorship and role model (n = 12), experience (clerkship n = 9, stereotype n = 4), timing of exposure (n = 9), personal (lifestyle n = 8, gender n = 6, finance n = 3), and others (n = 2). This comprehensive systemic review identifies mentorship, experience in surgery, stereotypes, timing of exposure, and personal factors to be major determinants in medical students' decisions to pursue surgery. These represent areas that can be improved to attract applicants to general surgery residencies. Surgical faculty and residents can have a positive influence on medical students' decisions to pursue surgery as a career. Early introduction to the field of surgery, as well as recruitment strategies during the preclinical and clinical years of medical school can increase students' interest in a surgical career. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A survey on critical factors influencing agricultural insurance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Valipour

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Agricultural business is a very high-risk job and an increase demand for agricultural products from one side and steady increase in production cost and weather changes, on the other side, have motivated many to use insurance for agricultural products. Insurance plays an important role in influencing crop production and insured satisfaction or farmers. The purpose of this research is to find critical components in agricultural insurance. Based on an exploration of the literature review and interviews, the proposed study of this paper extracts 24 variables and using factor analysis, we select the most important factors, which are grouped in seven categories. The implementation of our factor analysis has revealed uncertainty, moderator, market equilibrium, risky environment, empowering factor, education, training, structural hazards and natural ecosystems as the most important factors influencing agricultural industry.

Factors influencing the deposition of hydroxyapatite coating onto hollow glass microspheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiao, Yan; Xiao, Gui-Yong; Xu, Wen-Hua; Zhu, Rui-Fu; Lu, Yu-Peng

2013-01-01

Hydroxyapatite (HA) and HA coated microcarriers for cell culture and delivery have attracted more attention recently, owing to the rapid progress in the field of tissue engineering. In this research, a dense and uniform HA coating with the thickness of about 2 μm was successfully deposited on hollow glass microspheres (HGM) by biomimetic process. The influences of SBF concentration, immersion time, solid/liquid ratio and activation of HGM on the deposition rate and coating characteristics were discussed. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FTIR) analyses revealed that the deposited HA is poorly crystalline. The thickness of HA coating showed almost no increase after immersion in 1.5SBF for more than 15 days with the solid/liquid ratio of 1:150. At the same time, SBF concentration, solid/liquid ratio and activation treatment played vital roles in the formation of HA coating on HGM. This poorly crystallized HA coated HGM could have potential use as microcarrier for cell culture. Highlights: • HA coatings were deposited on hollow glass microspheres by biomimetic process. • The obtained HA coating was poorly crystalline and carbonated. • The influencing factors of deposition rate and coating characteristics were studied. • The thickness of HA coating showed almost no increase after immersion for 15 days

Soil carbon under perennial pastures; benchmarking the influence of pasture age and management

Science.gov (United States)

Orgill, Susan E.; Spoljaric, Nancy; Kelly, Georgina

2015-07-01

This paper reports baseline soil carbon stocks from a field survey of 19 sites; 8 pairs/triplet in the Monaro region of New South Wales. Site comparisons were selected by the Monaro Farming Systems group to demonstrate the influence of land management on soil carbon, and included: nutrient management, liming, pasture age and cropping history. Soil carbon stocks varied with parent material and with land management. The fertilised (phosphorus) native perennial pasture had a greater stock of soil carbon compared with the unfertilised site; 46.8 vs 40.4 Mg.C.ha to 0.50 m. However, the introduced perennial pasture which had been limed had a lower stock of soil carbon compared with the unlimed site; 62.8 vs 66.7 Mg.C.ha to 0.50 m. There was a greater stock of soil carbon under two of the three younger (35 yr old) pastures. Cropped sites did not have lower soil carbon stocks at all sites; however, this survey was conducted after three years of above average annual rainfall and most sites had been cropped for less than three years. At all sites more than 20% of the total carbon stock to 0.50 m was in the 0.30 to 0.50 m soil layer highlighting the importance of considering this soil layer when investigating the implications of land management on soil carbon. Our baseline data indicates that nutrient management may increase soil carbon under perennial pastures and highlights the importance of perennial pastures for soil carbon sequestration regardless of age.

Which factors influence women in the decision to breastfeed?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cândida Canicali Primo

Full Text Available Objective.Identify the factors that influence women in the decision to breastfeed. Methods. Integrative review. Information was gathered from original articles, case studies, theoretical studies, consensus and systematic reviews published between 2007-2013 in Spanish, Portuguese and English and recovered in the databases MEDLINE and LILACS. The descriptors used in this study were: breastfeeding, maternal behavior, risk factors, lactation and newborn. Results. Were included 30 articles, grouped into five categories. Factors influencing the decision of the breastfeeding woman are a convergence of breastfeeding's advantages, benefits and justifications, family, social and professional support, sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of women, personal experience and family tradition and personal choice. Conclusion. The decision to breastfeed by women is influenced by a convergence of factors. It is essential the role of nursing to encourage women in the decision to initiate and maintain breastfeeding her child.

College factors that influence drinking.

Science.gov (United States)

Presley, Cheryl A; Meilman, Philip W; Leichliter, Jami S

2002-03-01

The purpose of this article is to examine the aspects of collegiate environments, rather than student characteristics, that influence drinking. Unfortunately, the existing literature is scant on this topic. A literature review of articles primarily published within the last 10 years, along with some earlier "landmark" studies of collegiate drinking in the United States, was conducted to determine institutional factors that influence the consumption of alcohol. In addition, a demonstration analysis of Core Alcohol and Drug Survey research findings was conducted to further elucidate the issues. Several factors have been shown to relate to drinking: (1) organizational property variables of campuses, including affiliations (historically black institutions, women's institutions), presence of a Greek system, athletics and 2- or 4-year designation; (2) physical and behavioral property variables of campuses, including type of residence, institution size, location and quantity of heavy episodic drinking; and (3) campus community property variables, including pricing and availability and outlet density. Studies, however, tend to look at individual variables one at a time rather than in combination (multivariate analyses). Some new analyses, using Core Alcohol and Drug Survey data sets, are presented as examples of promising approaches to future research. Given the complexities of campus environments, it continues to be a challenge to the field to firmly establish the most compelling institutional and environmental factors relating to high-risk collegiate drinking.

Overview of factors influencing the secondary market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bleistine, P.A.

1982-01-01

The major factor influencing secondary trading for the last few years has been the large contractural commitments built up by consumers for reactor programs which have proven to be unrealistic. The situation has intensified as a result of utilities needing to generate capital through inventory liquidation or reductions. The flexibilities in most contracts are inadequate to match the types of external and/or internal factors faced by the industry. This situation also suggests the need for secondary markets to help the industry adjust to unforeseen difficulties. They are very active markets at this time, but their influence in relation to the long-term method of doing business should not be exaggerated

Factors influencing job satisfaction of oncology nurses over time.

Science.gov (United States)

Cummings, Greta; Olson, Karin; Raymond-Seniuk, Christy; Lo, Eliza; Masaoud, Elmabrok; Bakker, Debra; Fitch, Margaret; Green, Esther; Butler, Lorna; Conlon, Michael

2013-01-01

In this study, we tested a structural equation model to examine work environment factors related to changes in job satisfaction of oncology nurses between 2004 and 2006. Relational leadership and good physician/nurse relationships consistently influenced perceptions of enough RNs to provide quality care, and freedom to make patient care decisions, which, in turn, directly influenced nurses' job satisfaction over time. Supervisor support in resolving conflict and the ability to influence patient care outcomes were significant influences on job satisfaction in 2004, whereas, in 2006, a clear philosophy of nursing had a greater significant influence. Several factors that influence job satisfaction of oncology nurses in Canada have changed over time, which may reflect changes in work environments and work life. These findings suggest opportunities to modify work conditions that could improve nurses' job satisfaction and work life.

INFLUENCE OF ELECTRIC SPARK ON HARDNESS OF CARBON STEEL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. O. Vakulenko

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Purpose. The purpose of work is an estimation of influence of an electric spark treatment on the state of mouldable superficial coverage of carbon steel. Methodology. The steel of fragment of railway wheel rim served as material for research with chemical composition 0.65% С, 0.67% Mn, 0.3% Si, 0.027% P, 0.028% S. Structural researches were conducted with the use of light microscopy and methods of quantitative metallography. The structural state of the probed steel corresponded to the state after hot plastic deformation. The analysis of hardness distribution in the micro volumes of cathode metal was carried out with the use of microhardness tester of type of PMT-3. An electric spark treatment of carbon steel surface was executed with the use of equipment type of EFI-25M. Findings. After electric spark treatment of specimen surface from carbon steel the forming of multi-layered coverage was observed. The analysis of microstructure found out the existence of high-quality distinctions in the internal structure of coverage metal, depending on the probed area. The results obtained in the process are confirmed by the well-known theses, that forming of superficial coverage according to technology of electric spark is determined by the terms of transfer and crystallization of metal. The gradient of structures on the coverage thickness largely depends on development of structural transformation processes similar to the thermal character influence. Originality. As a result of electric spark treatment on the condition of identical metal of anode and cathode, the first formed layer of coverage corresponds to the monophase state according to external signs. In the volume of coverage metal, the appearance of carbide phase particles is accompanied by the decrease of microhardness values. Practical value. Forming of multi-layered superficial coverage during electric spark treatment is accompanied by the origin of structure gradient on a thickness. The effect

Influence of Beaver-Induced Complexity on Storage of Organic Carbon and Sediment in Colorado Mountain Streams

Science.gov (United States)

Laurel, D.; Wohl, E.

2016-12-01

Beaver meadows (complexes of multiple different aged beaver dams and ponds) influence the storage of water, sediment, and nutrients. Although beaver meadows compose only a small fraction of catchment area, they provide a potentially large role in retaining these fluxes in mountain watersheds. Multiple dams and ponds in beaver meadows increase overbank flows leading to an anastomosing stream channel planform, and deposition of fine sediment along with particulate organic carbon. An earlier study estimated a range of cumulative carbon stored in 27 beaver meadows east of the continental divide in Rocky Mountain National Park. Storage ranged from 735,800 to 2.8 x 106 Mg carbon, with the high value estimating storage if all the meadows had active beaver (historic conditions pre-European settlement) and the lower value estimating current conditions where many of the meadows are abandoned. We combined geomorphic surveys, soil depth probing by rebar, and soil cores analyzed for carbon content to investigate the influence of beaver activity, meadow size, and meadow placement within the drainage on catchment-scale fluxes of fine sediment and organic carbon. We found carbon storage in floodplain soils to be highly variable across both active and abandoned meadows; however, active beaver meadows store more carbon on average than abandoned meadows. In addition, active meadows with high levels of beaver activity (multiple colonies) stored greater volumes of fine sediment behind dams and in ponds. These results have implications for the restoration potential of abandoned beaver meadows in mountain environments to store greater volumes of sediment and more organic carbon if beaver are successfully reintroduced.

Measured neutron carbon kerma factors from 14.1 MeV to 18 MeV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deluca, P.M.; Barschall, H.H.; McDonald, J.C.

1985-01-01

For A-150 tissue-equivalent plastic, the total neutron kerma is dominated by the hydrogen kerma. Tissue kerma is inferred with reasonable accuracy by normalization to the kerma factor ratio between tissue and A-150 plastic. Because of the close match in the hydrogen abundance in these materials, the principal uncertainty is due to the kerma factors of carbon and oxygen. We have measured carbon kerma factor values of 0.183+-0.015 10 -8 cGy cm 2 and 0.210+-0.016 10 -8 cGy cm 2 at 14.1-MeV and 15-MeV neutron energy, respectively. A preliminary value of 0.297+-0.03 10 -8 cGy cm 2 has been determined at 17.9 MeV. A recent microscopic cross section measurement of the (n,n'3α) reaction in carbon at 14.1-MeV energy gives a kerma factor of 0.184+-0.019 10 -8 cGy cm 2 in agreement with the present result

Factors influencing warfarin control in Australia and Singapore.

Science.gov (United States)

Bernaitis, Nijole; Ching, Chi Keong; Teo, Siew Chong; Chen, Liping; Badrick, Tony; Davey, Andrew K; Crilly, Julia; Anoopkumar-Dukie, Shailendra

2017-09-01

Warfarin is widely used for patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Variations in warfarin control, as measured by time in therapeutic range (TTR), have been reported across different regions and ethnicities, particularly between Western and Asian countries. However, there is limited data on comparative factors influencing warfarin control in Caucasian and Asian patients. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine warfarin control and potential factors influencing this in patients with NVAF in Australia and Singapore. Retrospective data was collected for patients receiving warfarin for January to June 2014 in Australia and Singapore. TTR was calculated for individuals with mean patient TTR used for analysis. Possible influential factors on TTR were analysed including age, gender, concurrent co-morbidities, and concurrent medication. The mean TTR was significantly higher in Australia (82%) than Singapore (58%). At both sites, chronic kidney disease significantly lowered this TTR. Further factors influencing control were anaemia and ageWarfarin control was significantly higher in Australia compared to Singapore, however chronic kidney disease reduced control at both sites. The different levels of control in these two countries, together with patient factors further reducing control may impact on anticoagulant choice in these countries with better outcomes from warfarin in Australia compared to Singapore. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Surface plasma functionalization influences macrophage behavior on carbon nanowalls

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ion, Raluca [University of Bucharest, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 91-95 Spl. Independentei, 050095 Bucharest (Romania); Vizireanu, Sorin [National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 409 Atomistilor, PO Box MG-36, 077125, Magurele, Bucharest (Romania); Stancu, Claudia Elena [National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 409 Atomistilor, PO Box MG-36, 077125, Magurele, Bucharest (Romania); Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP Greifswald), Felix-Hausdorff-Str. 2, 17489 Greifswald (Germany); Luculescu, Catalin [National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 409 Atomistilor, PO Box MG-36, 077125, Magurele, Bucharest (Romania); Cimpean, Anisoara, E-mail: anisoara.cimpean@bio.unibuc.ro [University of Bucharest, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 91-95 Spl. Independentei, 050095 Bucharest (Romania); Dinescu, Gheorghe [National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 409 Atomistilor, PO Box MG-36, 077125, Magurele, Bucharest (Romania)

2015-03-01

The surfaces of carbon nanowall samples as scaffolds for tissue engineering applications were treated with oxygen or nitrogen plasma to improve their wettability and to functionalize their surfaces with different functional groups. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and water contact angle results illustrated the effective conversion of the carbon nanowall surfaces from hydrophobic to hydrophilic and the incorporation of various amounts of carbon, oxygen and nitrogen functional groups during the treatments. The early inflammatory responses elicited by un-treated and modified carbon nanowall surfaces were investigated by quantifying tumor necrosis factor-alpha and macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha released by attached RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. Scanning electron microscopy and fluorescence studies were employed to investigate the changes in macrophage morphology and adhesive properties, while MTT assay was used to quantify cell proliferation. All samples sustained macrophage adhesion and growth. In addition, nitrogen plasma treatment was more beneficial for cell adhesion in comparison with un-modified carbon nanowall surfaces. Instead, oxygen plasma functionalization led to increased macrophage adhesion and spreading suggesting a more activated phenotype, confirmed by elevated cytokine release. Thus, our findings showed that the chemical surface alterations which occur as a result of plasma treatment, independent of surface wettability, affect macrophage response in vitro. - Highlights: • N{sub 2} and O{sub 2} plasma treatments alter the CNW surface chemistry and wettability. • Cells seeded on CNW scaffolds are viable and metabolically active. • Surface functional groups, independent of surface wettability, affect cell response. • O{sub 2} plasma treatment of CNW leads to a more activated macrophage phenotype.

Experimental study on influence of carbon dioxide on porous structure and mechanical properties of shale rock

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danuta Miedzińska

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Shale rocks are geological formations which can be unconventional gas reservoirs. During their interaction with carbon dioxide, which can be used as a fracturing fluid in shale gas recovery process, many phenomena take place that can influence rock structure and mechanical properties. The research on changes in rock structure under super critical carbon dioxide interaction and their influence of shale properties were presented in the paper. The structural tests were carried out with the use of microscopic techniques with different resolutions of visualization. The uniaxial compression test was applied as a mechanical properties’ assessment experiment. As a result of research, some dependence was observed. The bigger decrease was in porosity after infiltration in lower zooms, the bigger increase in porosity in high zooms and mechanical properties was noticed. Keywords: geomechanics, shale rock, carbon dioxide

The influence of electron discharge and magnetic field on calcium carbonate (CaCO{sub 3}) precipitation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Putro, Triswantoro, E-mail: tris@physics.its.ac.id; Endarko, E-mail: endarko@physics.its.ac.id [Physics Department, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS), Surabaya 60111 (Indonesia)

2016-04-19

The influences of electron discharge and magnetic field on calcium carbonate (CaCO{sub 3}) precipitation in water have been successfully investigated. The study used three pairs of magnetic field 0.1 T whilst the electron discharge was generated from television flyback transformer type BW00607 and stainless steel SUS 304 as an electrode. The water sample with an initial condition of 230 mg/L placed in the reactor with flow rate 375 mL/minutes, result showed that the electron discharge can be reduced contain of calcium carbonate the water sample around 17.39% within 2 hours. Meanwhile for the same long period of treatment and flow rate, around 56.69% from initial condition of 520 mg/L of calcium carbonate in the water sample can be achieved by three pairs of magnetic field 0.1 T. When the combination of three pairs of magnetic field 0.1 T and the electron discharge used for treatment, the result showed that the combination of electron discharge and magnetic field methods can be used to precipitate calcium carbonate in the water sample 300 mg/L around 76.66% for 2 hours of treatment. The study then investigated the influence of the polar position of the magnetic field on calcium carbonate precipitation. Two positions of magnetic field were tested namely the system with alternated polar magnetics and the system without inversion of the polar magnetics. The influence of the polar position showed that the percentage reduction in levels of calcium carbonate in the water sample (360 mg/L) is significant different. Result showed that the system without inversion of the polar magnetics is generally lower than the system with alternated polar magnetics, with reduction level at 30.55 and 57.69%, respectively.

Influences of carbon content and coating carbon thickness on properties of amorphous CoSnO3@C composites as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Fuqiang; Fang, Guoqing; Zhang, Ruixue; Xu, Yanhui; Zheng, Junwei; Li, Decheng

2014-08-01

A series of core-shell carbon coated amorphous CoSnO3 (CoSnO3@C) with different carbon content are synthesized. Effects of carbon content and coating carbon thickness on the physical and electrochemical performances of the samples were studied in detail. The samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), galvanostatic charge-discharge and AC impedance spectroscopy, respectively. The results indicate that controlling the concentration of aqueous glucose solution influences the generation of in-situ carbon layer thickness. The optimal concentration of aqueous glucose solution, carbon content and carbon layer thickness are suggested as 0.25 M, 35.1% and 20 nm, respectively. CoSnO3@C composite prepared under the optimal conditions exhibits excellent cycling performance, whose reversible capacity could reach 491 mA h g-1 after 100 cycles.

Investigation of Imbalanced Activated Carbon Electrode Supercapacitors

OpenAIRE

Tieshi He; Xue Ren; Junping Nie; Jun Ying; Kedi Cai

2015-01-01

Imbalanced supercapacitor was constructed by using various ratio of activated carbon (AC) of positive to negative electrode. The electrochemical behavior of imbalanced supercapacitor was investigated using 1.0 M spiro-(1,1′)-bipyrrolidinium tetrafluoroborate electrolyte in propylene carbonate. The results showed that there are some factors that influenced the imbalanced supercapacitor with different AC ratio of positive to negative electrode, the utilization of AC, electrode potential distrib...

State factor relationships of dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen losses from unpolluted temperate forest watersheds

Science.gov (United States)

Perakis, S.S.; Hedin, L.O.

2007-01-01

We sampled 100 unpolluted, old-growth forested watersheds, divided among 13 separate study areas over 5 years in temperate southern Chile and Argentina, to evaluate relationships among dominant soil-forming state factors and dissolved carbon and nitrogen concentrations in watershed streams. These watersheds provide a unique opportunity to examine broad-scale controls over carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) biogeochemistry in the absence of significant human disturbance from chronic N deposition and land use change. Variations in the ratio dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to nitrogen (DON) in watershed streams differed by underlying soil parent material, with average C:N = 29 for watersheds underlain by volcanic ash and basalt versus C:N = 73 for sedimentary and metamorphic parent materials, consistent with stronger adsorption of low C:N hydrophobic materials by amorphous clays commonly associated with volcanic ash and basalt weathering. Mean annual precipitation was related positively to variations in both DOC (range: 0.2-9.7 mg C/L) and DON (range: 0.008-0.135 mg N/L) across study areas, suggesting that variations in water volume and concentration may act synergistically to influence C and N losses across dry to wet gradients in these forest ecosystems. Dominance of vegetation by broadleaf versus coniferous trees had negligible effects on organic C and N concentrations in comparison to abiotic factors. We conclude that precipitation volume and soil parent material are important controls over chemical losses of dissolved organic C and N from unpolluted temperate forest watersheds. Our results raise the possibility that biotic imprints on watershed C and N losses may be less pronounced in naturally N-poor forests than in areas impacted by land use change and chronic N deposition. Copyright 2007 by the American Geophysical Union.

Clinical factors influencing participation in society after successful kidney transplantation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Mei, S.F.; Groothoff, J.W.; van Sonderen, E.L.P.; van den Heuvel, W.J.A.; de Jong, P.E.; van Son, W.J.

2006-01-01

Background. Little information is available on the degree of actual social functioning after successful kidney transplantation. Moreover, information on factors that influence participation in social activities is scarce. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of clinical factors on

Carbon exchange between ecosystems and atmosphere in the Czech Republic is affected by climate factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marek, Michal V.; Janous, Dalibor; Taufarova, Klara; Havrankova, Katerina; Pavelka, Marian; Kaplan, Veroslav; Markova, Irena

2011-01-01

By comparing five ecosystem types in the Czech Republic over several years, we recorded the highest carbon sequestration potential in an evergreen Norway spruce forest (100%) and an agroecosystem (65%), followed by European beech forest (25%) and a wetland ecosystem (20%). Because of a massive ecosystem respiration, the final carbon gain of the grassland was negative. Climate was shown to be an important factor of carbon uptake by ecosystems: by varying the growing season length (a 22-d longer season in 2005 than in 2007 increased carbon sink by 13%) or by the effect of short- term synoptic situations (e.g. summer hot and dry days reduced net carbon storage by 58% relative to hot and wet days). Carbon uptake is strongly affected by the ontogeny and a production strategy which is demonstrated by the comparison of seasonal course of carbon uptake between coniferous (Norway spruce) and deciduous (European beech) stands. - Highlights: → Highest carbon sequestration potential in evergreen Norway spruce forest (100%) and an agroecosystem (65%), followed by European beech forest (25%) and a wetland ecosystem (20%). → The final carbon gain of the grassland was negative (massive ecosystem respiration). → Climate is important factor of net primary productivity. → Carbon uptake is strongly affected by the ontogeny and a production strategy of ecosystem. - Identification of the apparent differences in the carbon storage by different ecosystem types.

Discrimination factors of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in meerkat feces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shaena Montanari

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Stable isotope analysis of feces can provide a non-invasive method for tracking the dietary habits of nearly any mammalian species. While fecal samples are often collected for macroscopic and genetic study, stable isotope analysis can also be applied to expand the knowledge of species-specific dietary ecology. It is somewhat unclear how digestion changes the isotope ratios of animals’ diets, so more controlled diet studies are needed. To date, most diet-to-feces controlled stable isotope experiments have been performed on herbivores, so in this study I analyzed the carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios in the diet and feces of the meerkat (Suricata suricatta, a small omnivorous mammal. The carbon trophic discrimination factor between diet and feces (Δ13Cfeces is calculated to be 0.1 ± 1.5‰, which is not significantly different from zero, and in turn, not different than the dietary input. On the other hand, the nitrogen trophic discrimination factor (Δ15Nfeces is 1.5 ± 1.1‰, which is significantly different from zero, meaning it is different than the average dietary input. Based on data generated in this experiment and a review of the published literature, carbon isotopes of feces characterize diet, while nitrogen isotope ratios of feces are consistently higher than dietary inputs, meaning a discrimination factor needs to be taken into account. The carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values of feces are an excellent snapshot of diet that can be used in concert with other analytical methods to better understand ecology, diets, and habitat use of mammals.

Factors influencing home care nurse intention to remain employed.

Science.gov (United States)

Tourangeau, Ann; Patterson, Erin; Rowe, Alissa; Saari, Margaret; Thomson, Heather; MacDonald, Geraldine; Cranley, Lisa; Squires, Mae

2014-11-01

To identify factors affecting Canadian home care nurse intention to remain employed (ITR). In developed nations, healthcare continues to shift into community settings. Although considerable research exists on examining nurse ITR in hospitals, similar research related to nurses employed in home care is limited. In the face of a global nursing shortage, it is important to understand the factors influencing nurse ITR across healthcare sectors. A qualitative exploratory descriptive design was used. Focus groups were conducted with home care nurses. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Six categories of influencing factors were identified by home care nurses as affecting ITR: job characteristics; work structures; relationships/communication; work environment; nurse responses to work; and employment conditions. Findings suggest the following factors influence home care nurse ITR: having autonomy; flexible scheduling; reasonable and varied workloads; supportive work relationships; and receiving adequate pay and benefits. Home care nurses did not identify job satisfaction as a single concept influencing ITR. Home care nursing management should support nurse autonomy, allow flexible scheduling, promote reasonable workloads and create opportunities for team building that strengthen supportive relationships among home care nurses and other health team members. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Influence of the Synthesis Method for Pt Catalysts Supported on Highly Mesoporous Carbon Xerogel and Vulcan Carbon Black on the Electro-Oxidation of Methanol

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Cinthia Alegre

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Platinum catalysts supported on carbon xerogel and carbon black (Vulcan were synthesized with the aim of investigating the influence of the characteristics of the support on the electrochemical performance of the catalysts. Three synthesis methods were compared: an impregnation method with two different reducing agents, sodium borohydride and formic acid, and a microemulsion method, in order to study the effect of the synthesis method on the physico-chemical properties of the catalysts. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy were applied. Cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry were used for studying carbon monoxide and methanol oxidation. Catalysts supported on carbon xerogel presented higher catalytic activities towards CO and CH3OH oxidation than catalysts supported on Vulcan. The higher mesoporosity of carbon xerogel was responsible for the favored diffusion of reagents towards catalytic centers.

Forest sector carbon analyses support land management planning and projects: Assessing the influence of anthropogenic and natural factors

Science.gov (United States)

Alexa J. Dugan; Richard Birdsey; Sean P. Healey; Yude Pan; Fangmin Zhang; Gang Mo; Jing Chen; Christopher W. Woodall; Alexander J. Hernandez; Kevin McCullough; James B. McCarter; Crystal L. Raymond; Karen. Dante-Wood

2017-01-01

Management of forest carbon stocks on public lands is critical to maintaining or enhancing carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere. Acknowledging this, an array of federal regulations and policies have emerged that requires US National Forests to report baseline carbon stocks and changes due to disturbance and management and assess how management activities and...

Environmental factors influencing fluctuation of share prices on ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Environmental factors influencing fluctuation of share prices on Nigeria stock exchange market. ... What are these environmental variables that affect the fluctuation of share prices in Nigeria? ... The results show inflation, money supply, total deficits index of industrial production, interest rate and GDP influence stock prices.

Influence of encapsulated electron active molecules of single walled-carbon nanotubes on superstrate-type Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jungwoo [Department of Chemistry, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of); CRD Laboratory, LG Chem. Research Park, Daejeon 305-738 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Wonjoo [Department of Defense Ammunitions, Daeduk College, Daejeon 305-715 (Korea, Republic of); Shrestha, Nabeen K.; Lee, Deok Yeon; Lim, Iseul [Department of Chemistry, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of); Kang, Soon Hyung [Department of Chemistry Education, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757 (Korea, Republic of); Nah, Yoon-Chae [School of Energy, Materials, and Chemical Engineering, Korea University of Technology and Education, Cheonan 330-708 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Soo-Hyoung, E-mail: shlee66@jbnu.ac.kr [School of Semiconductor and Chemical Engineering, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju 561-756 (Korea, Republic of); Yi, Whikun, E-mail: wkyi@hanyang.ac.kr [Department of Chemistry, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of); Han, Sung-Hwan, E-mail: shhan@hanyang.ac.kr [Department of Chemistry, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of)

2014-03-01

Chemical functionalization of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can strongly affect the efficiency of solar cells due to change of three factors viz. electronic energy structures, interfacial resistance, and electrical field. Therefore, it is worthwhile to investigate the influence of these three factors on the solar cells based on the functionalization of various active molecules in CNTs. In the present study, we investigate the influence of the three factors in the efficiency of superstrate-type Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) solar cells [i.e. F-doped SnO{sub 2}/CNTs/CdS/CIGS/Au] by encapsulation of electron withdrawing and donating organic molecules inside CNTs. The CIGS solar cell was characterized using the electronic diagram, electrochemical impendence spectroscopy, reverse field emission currents, and currents–voltages curves. - Highlights: • We investigated the three effects of CNTs in superstrate-type CIGS solar cells. • Chemical functionalization of CNTs strongly affect the efficiency of solar cells. • The electrical field of solar cell was characterized using the reverse FE-currents.

Linking aboveground net primary productivity to soil carbon and dissolved organic carbon in complex terrain

Science.gov (United States)

F.S. Peterson; K. Lajtha

2013-01-01

Factors influencing soil organic matter (SOM) stabilization and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content in complex terrain, where vegetation, climate, and topography vary over the scale of a few meters, are not well understood. We examined the spatial correlations of lidar and geographic information system-derived landscape topography, empirically measured soil...

An investigation on factors influencing on human resources productivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masoumeh Seifi Divkolaii

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Human resources development is one of the most important components of any organization and detecting important factors influencing on human resources management plays essential role on the success of the firms. In this paper, we present an empirical investigation to determine different factors influencing productivity of human resources of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB in province of Mazandaran, Iran. The study uses analytical hierarchy process (AHP to rank 17 important factors and determines that personal characteristics were the most important factors followed by management related factors and environmental factors. In terms of personal characteristics, job satisfaction plays essential role on human resources development. In terms of managerial factors, paying attention on continuous job improvement by receiving appropriate training is the most important factor followed by welfare facilities for employees and using a system of reward/punishment in organization. Finally, in terms of environmental factors, occupational safety is number one priority followed by organizational rules and regulations.

THE INFLUENCE OF CORPORATE SPECIFIC FACTORS UPON FINANCING DECISIONS

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Lacatus Viorel-Dorin

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to analyze the existing theories for the capital structure of a corporation and to determine the factors that influence the financing decisions of Romanian corporations. The gearing ratios vary a lot among Romanian corporations pointing out the fact that the internal specific factors are the ones with a greater impact upon their capital structure, and not the external factors. Our empiric research evaluates the determining factors for the debt ratio (total debt/total assets of some Romanian corporations, focusing on its explanatory variables by including them within simple and multiple econometric models. The panel data indicators computed for the companies in the Cluj area listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange were evaluated with the OLS and FEM techniques.The results have been interpreted, pointing out that company size and asset turnover seem to have a positive influence upon the debt ratio of selected companies, while profitability and liquidity seem to influence the debt ratio of selected companies negatively.

Maturity of hospital information systems: Most important influencing factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Vidal Carvalho, João; Rocha, Álvaro; Abreu, António

2017-07-01

Maturity models facilitate organizational management, including information systems management, with hospital organizations no exception. This article puts forth a study carried out with a group of experts in the field of hospital information systems management with a view to identifying the main influencing factors to be included in an encompassing maturity model for hospital information systems management. This study is based on the results of a literature review, which identified maturity models in the health field and relevant influencing factors. The development of this model is justified to the extent that the available maturity models for the hospital information systems management field reveal multiple limitations, including lack of detail, absence of tools to determine their maturity and lack of characterization for stages of maturity structured by different influencing factors.

Factors for Microbial Carbon Sources in Organic and Mineral Soils from Eastern United States Deciduous Forests

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stitt, Caroline R. [Mills College, Oakland, CA (United States)

2013-09-16

Forest soils represent a large portion of global terrestrial carbon; however, which soil carbon sources are used by soil microbes and respired as carbon dioxide (CO2) is not well known. This study will focus on characterizing microbial carbon sources from organic and mineral soils from four eastern United States deciduous forests using a unique radiocarbon (14C) tracer. Results from the dark incubation of organic and mineral soils are heavily influenced by site characteristics when incubated at optimal microbial activity temperature. Sites with considerable differences in temperature, texture, and location differ in carbon source attribution, indicating that site characteristics play a role in soil respiration.

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE PURCHASE DECISION OF ORGANIC TOFU

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tantry Nugroho

2015-09-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to analyze the factors that influence consumers in making the decision to buy organic tofu. The theory of factors that influence the purchasing behavior developed by Kotler was used as the analytical tool, and these factors include cultural factors, social factors, personal factors, psychological factors and purchasing process. These data were collected through interview techniques and analyzed descriptively using multinomial logistic regression. The characteristics of respondents indicated the consumers who never bought organic tofu are mostly at the age of 26-35 years old and university graduates, do not work, have an expenditure from Rp 1 million to Rp 2.5 million, are highly knowledge, and have the highest scores on the perceptions on sustainable and environmentally friendly organic farming, health benefits, and a more expensive price. There are a number of factors that influence consumers in making purchase decisions of organic tofu including age, education, knowledge and product external factors. The consumers who are potentially interested in purchasing the organic tofu are at the age of 36–50 years old, university graduates, highly knowledgeable in food and organic tofu products, because the higher the education and knowledge, the greater the interest in buying the products, and they approved of the external products such as price, advertising, personal selling and places of selling which are also potentially equal. The managerial implications for the business agents of tofu organic product is that they must be more active in assuring the consumers that these products are good for them by creating a blog, an ad in the local paper, or a pamphlet containing information of the product.Keywords: purchase decision, logistic regression, organic tofu product, purchasing interest

A Review of Factors Influencing Athletes' Food Choices.

Science.gov (United States)

Birkenhead, Karen L; Slater, Gary

2015-11-01

Athletes make food choices on a daily basis that can affect both health and performance. A well planned nutrition strategy that includes the careful timing and selection of appropriate foods and fluids helps to maximize training adaptations and, thus, should be an integral part of the athlete's training programme. Factors that motivate food selection include taste, convenience, nutrition knowledge and beliefs. Food choice is also influenced by physiological, social, psychological and economic factors and varies both within and between individuals and populations. This review highlights the multidimensional nature of food choice and the depth of previous research investigating eating behaviours. Despite numerous studies with general populations, little exploration has been carried out with athletes, yet the energy demands of sport typically require individuals to make more frequent and/or appropriate food choices. While factors that are important to general populations also apply to athletes, it seems likely, given the competitive demands of sport, that performance would be an important factor influencing food choice. It is unclear if athletes place the same degree of importance on these factors or how food choice is influenced by involvement in sport. There is a clear need for further research exploring the food choice motives of athletes, preferably in conjunction with research investigating dietary intake to establish if intent translates into practice.

Factors influencing particulate lipid production in the East Atlantic Ocean

Science.gov (United States)

Gašparović, B.; Frka, S.; Koch, B. P.; Zhu, Z. Y.; Bracher, A.; Lechtenfeld, O. J.; Neogi, S. B.; Lara, R. J.; Kattner, G.

2014-07-01

Extensive analyses of particulate lipids and lipid classes were conducted to gain insight into lipid production and related factors along the biogeochemical provinces of the Eastern Atlantic Ocean. Data are supported by particulate organic carbon (POC), chlorophyll a (Chl a), phaeopigments, Chl a concentrations and carbon content of eukaryotic micro-, nano- and picophytoplankton, including cell abundances for the latter two and for cyanobacteria and prokaryotic heterotrophs. We focused on the productive ocean surface (2 m depth and deep Chl a maximum (DCM). Samples from the deep ocean provided information about the relative reactivity and preservation potential of particular lipid classes. Surface and DCM particulate lipid concentrations (3.5-29.4 μg L-1) were higher than in samples from deep waters (3.2-9.3 μg L-1) where an increased contribution to the POC pool was observed. The highest lipid concentrations were measured in high latitude temperate waters and in the North Atlantic Tropical Gyral Province (13-25°N). Factors responsible for the enhanced lipid synthesis in the eastern Atlantic appeared to be phytoplankton size (micro, nano, pico) and the low nutrient status with microphytoplankton having the most expressed influence in the surface and eukaryotic nano- and picophytoplankton in the DCM layer. Higher lipid to Chl a ratios suggest enhanced lipid biosynthesis in the nutrient poorer regions. The various lipid classes pointed to possible mechanisms of phytoplankton adaptation to the nutritional conditions. Thus, it is likely that adaptation comprises the replacement of membrane phospholipids by non-phosphorus containing glycolipids under low phosphorus conditions. The qualitative and quantitative lipid compositions revealed that phospholipids were the most degradable lipids, and their occurrence decreased with increasing depth. In contrast, wax esters, possibly originating from zooplankton, survived downward transport probably due to the fast sinking

Influence of carbon on the kinetics of He migration and clustering in α-Fe from first principles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ortiz, C. J.; Caturla, M. J.; Fu, C. C.; Willaime, F.

2009-01-01

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been performed to study the interaction of carbon with He-vacancy complexes in α-Fe. Using the DFT predictions, a rate theory model that accounts for the evolution of carbon, helium, and defects created during irradiation has been developed to explore the influence of carbon on the kinetics of He diffusion and clustering after implantation in α-Fe. This DFT-based rate theory model predicts that carbon not only influences vacancy (V) migration but also He desorption, enhancing He mobility in particular for low V/C ratios. The reason for this behavior is mainly the formation of VC and VC 2 complexes, which significantly reduces the mobility of vacancies with respect to pure Fe, inhibiting the formation of higher order clusters, i.e., He n V m , and increasing thus the number of He at substitutional positions at room temperature. Assuming reasonable values of carbon concentration, we successfully reproduce and interpret existing desorption experimental results, where all the energetic parameters for the relevant reactions were obtained from first-principles calculations. In addition, our study provides a detailed explanation of the various He migration mechanisms that prevail under the considered experimental conditions.

Influence of Macroeconomic Factors on Residential Property ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Sultan

exerted by macroeconomic factors on residential property returns in Abuja. The backward .... explanatory power and positive influence of employment and ...... Project. Management In Property Development: the Nigeria experience. Ibadan:.

Factors Influencing Self Employment Media Service Providers ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Factors Influencing Self Employment Media Service Providers among Tertiary ... role stereotype and common business practices on media self employment in ... Sex, Psycho-social Characteristics, self Employment, Providing Media Services.

Effect of activated carbon and electrolyte on properties of supercapacitor

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2007-01-01

Effect of activated carbon and electrolyte on electrochemical properties of organic supercapacitor was investigated. The results show that specific surface area and mesoporosity of activated carbon influence specific capacitance. If specific surface area is larger and mesoporosity is higher, the specific capacitance will become bigger. Specific surface area influences resistance of carbon electrode and consequently influences power property and pore size distribution. If specific surface area is smaller and mesoporosity is higher, the power property will become better. Ash influences leakage current and electrochemical cycling stability. If ash content is lower, the performance will become better. The properties of supercapacitor highly depend on the electrolyte. The compatibility of electrolyte and activated carbon is a determining factor of supercapacitor's working voltage. LiPF6/(EC+EMC+DMC) is inappropriate for double layer capacitor. MeEt3NPF4/PC has higher specific capacitance than EtnNPFn/PC because methyl's electronegativity value is lower than ethyl and MeEt3N+ has more positive charges and stronger polarizability than Et4N+ when an ethyl is substituted by methyl.

[Decomposition model of energy-related carbon emissions in tertiary industry for China].

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Yuan-Qing; Shi, Jun

2012-07-01

Tertiary industry has been developed in recent years. And it is very important to find the factors influenced the energy-related carbon emissions in tertiary industry. A decomposition model of energy-related carbon emissions for China is set up by adopting logarithmic mean weight Divisia method based on the identity of carbon emissions. The model is adopted to analyze the influence of energy structure, energy efficiency, tertiary industry structure and economic output to energy-related carbon emissions in China from 2000 to 2009. Results show that the contribution rate of economic output and energy structure to energy-related carbon emissions increases year by year. Either is the contribution rate of energy efficiency or the tertiary industry restraining to energy-related carbon emissions. However, the restrain effect is weakening.

Factors influencing societal response of nanotechnology : an expert stakeholder analysis

OpenAIRE

Gupta, N.; Fischer, A.R.H.; Lans, van der, I.A.; Frewer, L.J.

2012-01-01

Nanotechnology can be described as an emerging technology and, as has been the case with other emerging technologies such as genetic modification, different socio-psychological factors will potentially influence societal responses to its development and application. These factors will play an important role in how nanotechnology is developed and commercialised. This article aims to identify expert opinion on factors influencing societal response to applications of nanotechnology. Structured i...

Factors influencing societal response of nanotechnology: an expert stakeholder analysis

OpenAIRE

Gupta, Nidhi; Fischer, Arnout R. H.; van der Lans, Ivo A.; Frewer, Lynn J.

2012-01-01

Nanotechnology can be described as an emerging technology and, as has been the case with other emerging technologies such as genetic modification, different socio-psychological factors will potentially influence societal responses to its development and application. These factors will play an important role in how nanotechnology is developed and commercialised. This article aims to identify expert opinion on factors influencing societal response to applications of nanotechnology. Structured i...

Evaluation of cellular influences caused by calcium carbonate nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Horie, Masanori; Nishio, Keiko; Kato, Haruhisa; Endoh, Shigehisa; Fujita, Katsuhide; Nakamura, Ayako; Kinugasa, Shinichi; Hagihara, Yoshihisa; Yoshida, Yasukazu; Iwahashi, Hitoshi

2014-03-05

The cellular effects of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) nanoparticles were evaluated. Three kinds of CaCO₃ nanoparticles were employed in our examinations. One of the types of CaCO₃ nanoparticles was highly soluble. And solubility of another type of CaCO₃ nanoparticle was lower. A stable CaCO₃ nanoparticle medium dispersion was prepared and applied to human lung carcinoma A549 cells and human keratinocyte HaCaT cells. Then, mitochondrial activity, cell membrane damage, colony formation ability, DNA injury, induction of oxidative stress, and apoptosis were evaluated. Although the influences of CaCO₃ nanoparticles on mitochondrial activity and cell membrane damage were small, "soluble" CaCO₃ nanoparticles exerted some cellular influences. Soluble CaCO₃ nanoparticles also induced a cell morphological change. Colony formation was inhibited by CaCO₃ nanoparticle exposure. In particular, soluble CaCO₃ nanoparticles completely inhibited colony formation. The influence on intracellular the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level was small. Soluble CaCO₃ nanoparticles caused an increase in C/EBP-homologous protein (CHOP) expression and the activation of caspase-3. Moreover, CaCO₃ exposure increased intracellular the Ca²⁺ level and activated calpain. These results suggest that cellular the influences of CaCO₃ nanoparticles are mainly caused by intracellular calcium release and subsequently disrupt the effect of calcium signaling. In conclusion, there is possibility that soluble CaCO₃ nanoparticles induce cellular influences such as a cell morphological change. Cellular influence of CaCO₃ nanoparticles is caused by intracellular calcium release. If inhaled CaCO₃ nanoparticles have the potential to influence cellular events. However, the effect might be not severe because calcium is omnipresent element in cell. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors Influencing Choice of Inguinal Hernia Repair Technique

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study sought to highlight factors that may influence ... Experienced peers play a major role in training on the various repair ... Reasons influencing choice of repair technique include training ... (after appendectomy) accounting for 10 to 15% of all surgical ..... in medical school [as undergraduate students or as residents].

Measured neutron carbon kerma factors from 14.1 MeV to 18 MeV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deluca, P.M. Jr.; Barschall, H.H.; Haight, R.C.; McDonald, J.C.

1984-01-01

For A-150 tissue-equivalent plastic, the total neutron kerma is dominated by the hydrogen kerma. Tissue kerma is inferred with reasonable accuracy by normalization to the kerma factor ratio between tissue and A-150 plastic. Because of the close match in the hydrogen abundance in these materials, the principal uncertainty is due to the kerma factors of carbon and oxygen. We have measured carbon kerma factor values of 0.183 +- 0.015 10 -8 cGy cm 2 and 0.210 +- 0.16 10 -8 cGy cm 2 at 14.1-MeV and 15-MeV neutron energy, respectively. A preliminary value of 0.297 +- 0.03 10 -8 cGy cm 2 has been determined at 17.9 MeV. A recent microscopic cross section measurement of the (n,n'3α) reaction in carbon at 14.1-MeV energy gives a kerma factor of 0.184 +- 0.019 10 8 cGy cm 2 in agreement with the present result. 9 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs

Soil sealing degree as factor influencing urban soil contamination with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mendyk Łukasz

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The objective of the study was to determine role of soil sealing degree as the factor influencing soil contamination with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs. The study area included four sampling sites located within the administrative boundaries of the Toruń city, Poland. Sampling procedure involved preparing soil pits representing three examples of soil sealing at each site: non-sealed soil as a control one (I and two degrees of soil sealing: semi-pervious surface (II and totally impervious surface (III. Together with basic properties defined with standard procedures (particle size distribution, pH, LOI, content of carbonates content of selected PAHs was determined by dichloromethane extraction using gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (GC-MS. Obtained results show that urban soils in the city of Toruń are contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Soil sealing degree has a strong influence on the soil contamination with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Totally sealed soils are better preserved from atmospheric pollution including PAHs. Combustion of grass/wood/coal was the main source of determined PAHs content in examined soils.

Factors Influencing Information and Communication Technology ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Information and communication technology (ICT) is a veritable tool for sustainable agricultural development in Nigeria. This paper analyzed the factors that influenced ICT use by women research scientists in the Universities of Agriculture in Nigeria. Simple random sampling technique was used to select 40 respondents per ...

Factors Influencing Part-time Faculty Engagement With Online Nursing Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Reneau, Margaret; Wallace, Cara; Claywell, Lora; Price, Jill; Burdi, Melissa; Trybulski, Joanne

2018-03-28

This research investigated factors that influenced the engagement of part-time faculty teaching in online nursing programs with their institutions. Of the 257 part-time faculty surveyed, the most significant factor was being supported in decisions regarding student issues, followed by institutional commitment to quality online education. Compensation was moderately influential; a negative factor was requiring too frequent meetings. Understanding factors that influence the engagement of part-time faculty teaching in online nursing programs can help leaders of online programs attract and retain experienced, highly skilled faculty.

Influences of observation method, season, soil depth, land use and management practice on soil dissolvable organic carbon concentrations: A meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Siqi; Zheng, Xunhua; Liu, Chunyan; Yao, Zhisheng; Zhang, Wei; Han, Shenghui

2018-08-01

Quantifications of soil dissolvable organic carbon concentrations, together with other relevant variables, are needed to understand the carbon biogeochemistry of terrestrial ecosystems. Soil dissolvable organic carbon can generally be grouped into two incomparable categories. One is soil extractable organic carbon (EOC), which is measured by extracting with an aqueous extractant (distilled water or a salt solution). The other is soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC), which is measured by sampling soil water using tension-free lysimeters or tension samplers. The influences of observation methods, natural factors and management practices on the measured concentrations, which ranged from 2.5-3970 (mean: 69) mg kg -1 of EOC and 0.4-200 (mean: 12) mg L -1 of DOC, were investigated through a meta-analysis. The observation methods (e.g., extractant, extractant-to-soil ratio and pre-treatment) had significant effects on EOC concentrations. The most significant divergence (approximately 109%) occurred especially at the extractant of potassium sulfate (K 2 SO 4 ) solutions compared to distilled water. As EOC concentrations were significantly different (approximately 47%) between non-cultivated and cultivated soils, they were more suitable than DOC concentrations for assessing the influence of land use on soil dissolvable organic carbon levels. While season did not significantly affect EOC concentrations, DOC concentrations showed significant differences (approximately 50%) in summer and autumn compared to spring. For management practices, applications of crop residues and nitrogen fertilizers showed positive effects (approximately 23% to 91%) on soil EOC concentrations, while tillage displayed negative effects (approximately -17%), compared to no straw, no nitrogen fertilizer and no tillage. Compared to no nitrogen, applications of synthetic nitrogen also appeared to significantly enhance DOC concentrations (approximately 32%). However, further studies are needed in the future

Influence of Temperature and Carbon Dioxide on Fermentation of Cabernet Sauvignon Must

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan Mavri

2003-01-01

Full Text Available In the process of wine fermentation temperature and the amount of carbon dioxide present represent parameters that can be easily monitored and controlled. The influence of variation of the process temperature and the fluxes of additional inlet gaseous carbon dioxide in Saccharomyces bayanus fermentation of Cabernet Sauvignon grape must on the accumulation of biomass and production of metabolites was studied. All experiments with temperature and redox potential control on-line were performed in a 10-litre laboratory stirred tank reactor. Metabolites of Saccharomyces bayanus fermentation comprising higher alcohols (1-propanol, 2-butanol, isoamyl alcohol, as well as reducing sugars, were measured off-line by gas and high pressure liquid chromatography.

FACTORS INFLUENCING BRAND EQUITY OF BALI AS A TOURISM DESTINATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I Ketut Surya Diarta

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Globally, competition among tourism destinations is more stringent in getting foreign tourists, including Bali. One effort to win the competition is increasing destination brand equity through maintaining its influencing factors and gaining tourist positive behavior toward destination. This effort, in long run, will increase and stabilize destination revenue and sustainability. This research aims to analyze factors influencing brand equity of Bali as a tourism destination. This research was conducted in Bali’s five major tourism objects. The 240 foreign tourists were chosen as respondents through convenience sampling technique. Data were analyzed using factor analysis. The results showed that factors that significantly influenced Bali brand equity were: symbolic and experiential benefit factor, direct and indirect destinations attributes, destination reliability and tangibility, assurance and empathy, brand destinations recognition and recall, destinations common psychological attributes, destination common functional attributes, unique functional attributes, behavioral loyalty, destination awareness, and attitudinal loyalty. Given the fluctuative nature of brand equity, Bali needs a consistent effort to maintain or to enhance brand equity of Bali as a tourism destination. Maintaining the dominant factors that influence the strength of brand equity can be used as a basis to develop destination branding strategy to expand market segment,  choose the right target market, and anchoring destination position in world market competition.

Factors That Influence the Practice of Elective Induction of Labor

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Jennifer; Low, Lisa Kane

2012-01-01

Elective induction of labor has been linked to increased rates of prematurity and rising rates of cesarean birth. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate current trends in induction of labor scholarship focusing on evidence-based factors that influence the practice of elective induction. A key word search was conducted to identify studies on the practice of elective induction of labor. Analysis of the findings included clustering and identification of recurrent themes among the articles with 3 categories being identified. Under each category, the words/phrases were further clustered until a construct could be named. A total of 49 articles met inclusion criteria: 7 patient, 6 maternity care provider, and 4 organization factors emerged. Only 4 of the articles identified were evidence based. Patient factors were divided into preferences/convenience, communication, fear, pressure/influence, trust, external influences, and technology. Provider factors were then divided into practice preferences/convenience, lack of information, financial incentives, fear, patient desire/demand, and technology. Organization factors were divided into lack of enforcement/accountability, hospital culture, scheduling of staff, and market share issues. Currently, there is limited data-based information focused on factors that influence elective induction of labor. Despite patient and provider convenience/preferences being cited in the literature, the evidence does not support this practice. PMID:22843006

Influence of fire frequency on carbon consumption in Alaskan blackspruce forests

Science.gov (United States)

Hoy, E.; Kasischke, E. S.

2014-12-01

Increasing temperatures and drier conditions within the boreal forests of Alaska have resulted in increases in burned area and fire frequency, which alter carbon storage and emissions. In particular, analyses of satellite remote sensing data showed that >20% of the area impacted by fires in interior Alaska occurred in areas that had previously burned since 1950 (e.g., short to intermediate interval fires). Field studies showed that in immature black spruce forests ~ 35 to 55 years old organic layers experienced deep burning regardless of topographic position or seasonality of burning, factors that control depth of burning in mature black spruce forests. Here, refinements were made to a carbon consumption model to account for variations in fuel loads and fraction of carbon consumed associated with fire frequency based on quantifying burned area in recently burned sites using satellite imagery. An immature black spruce (Picea mariana) fuel type (including stands of ~0-50 years) was developed which contains new ground-layer carbon consumption values in order to more accurately account for differences between various age classes of black spruce forest. Both versions of the model were used to assess carbon consumption during 100 fire events (over 4.4 x 10^6 ha of burned area) from two recent ultra-large fire years (2004 and 2005). Using the improved model to better attribute fuel type and consumption resulted in higher ground-layer carbon consumption (4.9% in 2004 and 6.8% in 2005) than previously estimated. These adjustments in ground-layer burning resulted in total carbon consumption within 2004 and 2005 of 63.5 and 42.0 Tg of carbon, respectively. Results from this research could be incorporated into larger scale modeling efforts to better assess changes in the climate-fire-vegetation dynamics in interior Alaskan boreal forests, and to understand the impacts of these changes on carbon consumption and emissions.

Influence of the Mg-content on ESR-signals in synthetic calcium carbonate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barabas, M.; Bach, A.; Mudelsee, M.; Mangini, A.

1989-01-01

Carbonate crystals doped with various concentrations of Mg 2+ -ions have been grown by a gel-diffusion method. An increase of the Mg/Ca-ratio to more than about 1 caused a phase change in the crystal lattice from calcite to aragonite. The properties of the ESR-signals of the synthetic carbonates were studied and compared with natural marine carbonates. The following results were derived: (a) In the presence of Mg 2+ -ions the synthetic carbonates display the same ESR-signals as natural calcites of marine origin with similar properties (thermal stability, radiation sensitivity). (b) The saturation value of the signal at g=2.0006 in synthetic calcites was found to be strongly related with the Mg-content in the crystals. (c) The signal at g=2.0036 (axial symmetry) which is present in calcite was not influenced by the Mg-concentration. Its saturation value decreases when the crystal phase changed from calcite to aragonite and in complement the signal at g=2.0031 appeared. (d) The signals at g=2.0057 and g=2.0031 are most probably not of organic origin. (author)

Ecosystem service trade-offs and their influencing factors: A case study in the Loess Plateau of China.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Qiang; Zhao, Wenwu; Fu, Bojie; Ding, Jingyi; Wang, Shuai

2017-12-31

Soil erosion control (SEC), carbon sequestration (CAS), and soil moisture (SMO) strongly interact in the semi-arid Loess Plateau. Since SMO has supportive effects on SEC and CAS, it can be considered as ecosystem service (ES), and there is an immediate need to coordinate the relationships among these ecosystem services (ESs) to promote the sustainability of vegetation recovery. In this study, we quantified the ESs, ES trade-offs, and the environmental factors in 151 sample plots in the Ansai watershed, and we used a redundancy analysis (RDA) to clarify the effects of environmental factors on these ESs and their trade-offs. The results were as follows: (1) the general trend in the SEC of vegetation types was Robinia pseudoacacia (CH)>native grass (NG)>small arbor (ST)>Hippophae rhamnoides (SJ)>artificial grass (AG)>Caragana korshinskii (NT)>apple orchard (GY)>crop (CP); the CAS trend was CH>SJ>NT>AG>CP>ST>GY>NG; and the SMO trend was CP>NG>GY>AG>SJ>ST>CH>NT. (2) For SEC-SMO trade-offs, the influence of vegetation type, altitude, silt and sand composition was dominant. The arrangement of NG, AG, and SJ could decrease the extent of the trade-offs. (3) For CAS-SMO trade-offs, vegetation coverage and types were the dominant factors, but the effects were not complex. The extent of these trade-offs was lowest for NT, and that for SJ was the second lowest. (4) Considering the relationships among the three ESs, SJ was the most appropriate afforestation plant. Combing the vegetation types, slope position, slope gradient, and soil properties could regulate these ES relationships. The dominant factors influencing ES trade-offs varied among the different soil layers, so we must consider the corresponding influencing factors to regulate ESs. Moreover, manual management measures were also important for coordinating the ES relationships. Our research provides a better understanding of the mechanisms influencing the relationships among ESs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All

Factors Influencing Tacit Knowledge in Construction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jawahar Nesan

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Increased complexity of the construction business and consequentuse of new management concepts and technologies ledconstruction organisations to focus more on the transfer of explicitknowledge. However, it is the tacit knowledge that determinesthe construction companies’ competitiveness in a business thatis driven by turbulent market conditions and customers’ everincreasingdemands. This paper highlights the importance of tacitknowledge sharing in construction, explores the challenges andopportunities to efficiently share tacit knowledge, and based on theliterature review identifies some critical factors that influence tacitknowledge in construction. It is argued that employees’ knowledgesharing (learning behaviours are influenced by work practices thatare borne by respective organisational behaviours. Organisational,cultural, and project characteristics that facilitate knowledgesharing among construction employees are explored and thepractices that influence the construction employee behaviour insharing tacit knowledge are highlighted.

The influence of carbon and oxygen on the magnetic characteristics of press-less sintered NdFeB magnets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Xia, Manlong; Abrahamsen, Asger Bech; Bahl, Christian

2017-01-01

The Pressless Process (PLP) was adopted to manufacture NdFeB sintered magnets, where the investigations on carbon and oxygen residues from heptane milling liquid media and graphite crucibles used for sintering were quantified to evaluate the influence on the magnetic characteristics. The carbon...

Multilevel factors influencing preterm birth in an urban setting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saba W. Masho

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Racial disparity in preterm is a major problem in the US. Although significant strides have been made in identifying some of the risk factors, the complexities between community and individual factors are not understood. This study examines the influence of individual and community level factors affecting preterm birth among Black and White women in an urban setting. A 10-year live birth registry dataset from a mid-sized, racially diverse city was analyzed (N = 30,591. Data were geocoded and merged with block group level Census data. Five hierarchical models were examined using PROC GLIMMIX. Education, illicit drug use, pregnancy complications, previous preterm birth, paternal presence, inadequate and adequate plus prenatal care, and poverty were associated with preterm births in both Blacks and Whites. In Black women, increasing maternal age, maternal smoking, and a previous infant death were significant predictors of preterm births, which was not the case for White women. Residing in medium or high poverty neighborhoods resulted in 19% and 28% higher odds, respectively, of preterm birth for Black women. In addition to individual level factors, neighborhood poverty is an important risk factor influencing preterm birth. It is essential to engage multisectoral agencies in addressing factors influencing preterm birth.

Factors influencing purchase intention towards consumer-to-consumer e-commerce

OpenAIRE

Muhammad Dachyar; Liska Banjarnahor

2017-01-01

Purpose: This study explores factors that influence consumer’s purchase intention at three consumer-to-consumer (C2C) e-commerce companies in Indonesia. Design/methodology: 5 Expert opinions are used to determine the indicators of each factor and the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) method is used to analyze the empirical data of 400 respondents for each company. Findings: It is found different significant factors that influence customer’s purchase intention in each compa...

Organic Matter Quality and its Influence on Carbon Turnover and Stabilization in Northern Peatlands

Science.gov (United States)

Turetsky, M. R.; Wieder, R. K.

2002-12-01

Peatlands cover 3-5 % of the world's ice-free land area, but store about 33 % of global terrestrial soil carbon. Peat accumulation in northern regions generally is controlled by slow decomposition, which may be limited by cold temperatures and water-logging. Poor organic matter quality also may limit decay, and microbial activity in peatlands likely is regulated by the availability of labile carbon and/or nutrients. Conversely, carbon in recalcitrant soil structures may be chemically protected from microbial decay, particularly in peatlands where carbon can be buried in anaerobic soils. Soil organic matter quality is controlled by plant litter chemical composition and the susceptibility of organic compounds to decomposition through time. There are a number of techniques available for characterizing organic quality, ranging from chemical proximate or elemental analysis to more qualitative methods such as nuclear magenetic resonance, pyrolysis/mass spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. We generally have relied on proximate analysis for quantitative determination of several organic fractions (i.e., water-soluble carbohydrates, soluble nonpolars, water-soluble phenolics, holocellulose, and acid insoluble material). Our approaches to studying organic matter quality in relation to C turnover in peatlands include 1) 14C labelling of peatland vegetation along a latitudinal gradient in North America, allowing us to follow the fate of 14C tracer in belowground organic fractions under varying climates, 2) litter bag studies focusing on the role of individual moss species in litter quality and organic matter decomposition, and 3) laboratory incubations of peat to explore relationships between organic matter quality and decay. These studies suggest that proximate organic fractions vary in lability, but that turnover of organic matter is influenced both by plant species and climate. Across boreal peatlands, measures of soil recalcitrance such as acid

Socio-Economic Factors Influencing Entrepreneurship Among ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Socio-Economic Factors Influencing Entrepreneurship Among Women In Fishing Communities In Ondo State, Nigeria. ... The study found that overall entrepreneurial rating of the study group is low, essential input can not be easily gotten in the area, the respondents has large household size thereby had a large dependents ...

Factors Influencing Donor Partnership Effectiveness | IDRC ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

2010-11-03

Nov 3, 2010 ... A two-dimensional tool probing eight factors that influence partnership performance was developed, and used in conjunction with a Partnering Process Model, to guide the preparation of the case studies. The incorporation of the temporality dimension is quite novel and adds to the understanding and ...

Community Factors Influencing Birth Spacing among Married ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

AJRH Managing Editor

level factors on birth spacing behaviour in Uganda and Zimbabwe, to ... environments as potential influences on birth spacing ..... health: multivariable cross-country analysis, MACRO ... Equity monitoring for social marketing: Use of wealth.

Factors Influencing Adoption of Cocoa Technologies Disseminated ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Factors Influencing Adoption of Cocoa Technologies Disseminated by Olam Organisation in ... Journal of Agricultural Research and Development ... level, household size, no of farm family assisting on the farm, management system adopted, ...

Habitat factors influencing the distribution of Cymbopogon validus in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Habitat factors influencing the distribution of Cymbopogon validus in Mkambati Game Reserve, Transkei. ... disturbance; game reserve; grassland; grasslands; habitat conditions; habitat factors; mkambati game ... AJOL African Journals Online.

Factors that influence household and individual clothing expenditure ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

S Blignaut

Contributing factors are the growth of low-priced apparel ... determine which factors influence household and individual ... explicitly deals with this concept. .... The income elasticity for clothing for the two-parent ..... Nelson (1989) found that mothers with less than a .... fashion consciousness and style preferences should.

Factors influencing internal color of cooked meats.

Science.gov (United States)

Suman, Surendranath P; Nair, Mahesh N; Joseph, Poulson; Hunt, Melvin C

2016-10-01

This manuscript overviews the pertinent research on internal color of uncured cooked meats, biochemical processes involved in meat cookery, and fundamental mechanisms governing myoglobin thermal stability. Heat-induced denaturation of myoglobin, responsible for the characteristic dull-brown color of cooked meats, is influenced by a multitude of endogenous (i.e., pH, muscle source, species, redox state) and exogenous (i.e., packaging, ingredients, storage) factors. The interactions between these factors critically influence the internal cooked color and can confuse the consumers, who often perceive cooked color to be a reliable indicator for doneness and safety. While certain phenomena in cooked meat color are cosmetic in nature, others can mislead consumers and result in foodborne illnesses. Research in meat color suggests that processing technologies and cooking practices in industry as well as households influence the internal cooked color. Additionally, the guidelines of many international public health and regulatory authorities recommend using meat thermometers to determine safe cooking endpoint temperature and to ensure product safety. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identifying key factors for mobilising under-utilised low carbon land resources : A case study on Kalimantan

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Goh, Chun Sheng; Junginger, Martin; Potter, Lesley; Faaij, André; Wicke, Birka

2018-01-01

Mobilising under-utilised low carbon (ULC) land for future agricultural expansion helps minimising further carbon stock loss. This study examined the regency cases in Kalimantan, a carbon loss hotspot, to understand the key factors for mobilising ULC land via narrative interviews with a range of

Carbon steel protection in G.S. (Girlder sulfide) plants. CITROSOLV process influence. Pt. 6

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lires, O.A.; Burkart, A.L.; Delfino, C.A.; Rojo, E.A.

1988-01-01

In order to protect carbon steel towers and piping of Girlder sulfide (G.S.) experimental heavy water plants against corrosion produced by the action of aqueous solutions of hydrogen sulfides, a method, previously published, was developed. Carbon steel, exposed to saturated aqueous solutions of hydrogen sulfide, forms iron sulfide scales. In oxygen free solutions evolution of corrosion follows the sequence: mackinawite → cubic ferrous sulfide → troilite → pyrrotite → pyrite. Scales formed by pyrrotite-pyrite or pyrite are the most protective layers (these are obtained at 130 deg C, 2 MPa, for periods of 14 days). CITROSOLV Process (Pfizer) is used to descaling and passivating stainless steel plant's components. This process must be used in mixed (carbon steel - stainless steel) circuits and may cause the formation of magnetite scales over the carbon steel. The influence of magnetite in the pyrrotite-pyrite scales formation is studied in this work. (Author) [es

Physical and chemical study of the influence of oxidation on the structure of carbon black; Etude physico-chimique de l'influence de l'oxydation sur la structure du noir de carbone

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hueber, Francois

1961-06-26

This research thesis reports the study of the influence of an oxidising attack on carbon black particles by using chemical, physical and electrochemical methods to highlight the oxidation process. The carbon black particle is a spherical set essentially made of amorphous and crystalline carbon. It appears that the oxidising attack mainly occurs against the amorphous parts which surround the crystallites. If the attack is strong enough, crystallites are freed and the particle collapses. This process has been observed by using electronic microscopy, X rays, the BET nitrogen absorption method, and infra-reds. Chemical analysis revealed the presence of carboxyl, hydroxyl and quinone functional groups on the oxidised particle surface. These groups have been dosed by different methods (methylation, calcium acetate dosing, polarography and potassium borohydride reduction) [French] Dans la presente etude nous nous sommes occupes de l'influence de l'attaque oxydante sur les particules de noir de carbone. Pour ce faire, nous avons mis en oeuvre des methodes chimiques, physiques et electrochimiques et nous avons ainsi pu mettre en evidence le processus de l'attaque oxydante. La particule de noir de carbone est un ensemble spherique constitue essentiellement de carbone engage dans des domaines amorphes et dans des domaines cristallins. L'attaque oxydante se fait surtout aux depens des parties amorphes qui entourent les cristallites. Si l'attaque est suffisamment poussee, les cristallites sont liberes ce qui se traduit par l'effondrement de la particule. C'est la conjugaison de la microscopie electronique, des rayons X, de la methode d'absorption d'azote B.E.T. et des infra-rouge qui ont permis d'etablir ce schema de l'attaque oxydante. Sur le plan des analyses chimiques, nous avons confirme la presence de fonctions carboxyles, hydroxyles et quinones a la surface de la particule de noir de carbone oxyde et avons pu les doser. Une des methodes de dosage quantitative des

Key factors of low carbon development strategy for sustainable transport

Science.gov (United States)

Thaveewatanaseth, K.; Limjirakan, S.

2018-02-01

Cities become more vulnerable to climate change impacts causing by urbanization, economic growth, increasing of energy consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. People who live in the cities have already been affected from the impacts in terms of socioeconomic and environmental aspects. Sustainable transport plays the key role in CO2 mitigation and contributes positive impacts on sustainable development for the cities. Several studies in megacities both in developed and developing countries support that mass transit system is an important transportation mode in CO2 mitigation and sustainable transport development. This paper aims to study key factors of low carbon development strategy for sustainable transport. The Bangkok Mass Rapid Transit System (MRT) located in Bangkok was the study area. Data collection was using semi-structured in-depth interview protocol with thirty respondents consisting of six groups i.e. governmental agencies, the MRT operators, consulting companies, international organizations, non-profit organizations, and experts. The research findings highlighted the major factors and supplemental elements composing of institution and technical capacity, institutional framework, policy setting and process, and plan of implementation that would support more effective strategic process for low carbon development strategy (LCDS) for sustainable transport. The study would highly recommend on readiness of institution and technical capacities, stakeholder mapping, high-level decision- makers participation, and a clear direction of the governmental policies that are strongly needed in achieving the sustainable transport.

Influences of sodium carbonate on physicochemical properties of lansoprazole in designed multiple coating pellets.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Wei; Yang, Min; Fan, Jun Hong; Feng, Cai Xia; Zhang, Su Juan; Wang, Jin Xu; Guan, Pei Pei; Wu, Wei

2010-09-01

Lansoprazole (LSP), a proton-pump inhibitor, belongs to class II drug. It is especially instable to heat, light, and acidic media, indicating that fabrication of a formulation stabilizing the drug is difficult. The addition of alkaline stabilizer is the most powerful method to protect the drug in solid formulations under detrimental environment. The purpose of the study was to characterize the designed multiple coating pellets of LSP containing an alkaline stabilizer (sodium carbonate) and assess the effect of the stabilizer on the physicochemical properties of the drug. The coated pellets were prepared by layer-layer film coating with a fluid-bed coater. In vitro release and acid-resistance studies were carried out in simulated gastric fluid and simulated intestinal fluid, respectively. Furthermore, the moisture-uptake test was performed to evaluate the influence of sodium carbonate on the drug stability. The results indicate that the drug exists in the amorphous state or small (nanometer size) particles without crystallization even after storage at 40°C/75% for 5 months. The addition of sodium carbonate to the pellet protects the drug from degradation in simulated gastric fluid in a dose-dependent manner. The moisture absorbed into the pellets has a detrimental effect on the drug stability. The extent of drug degradation is directly correlated with the content of moisture absorption. In conclusion, these results suggest that the presence of sodium carbonate influence the physicochemical properties of LSP, and the designed multiple coating pellets enhance the drug stability.

How costly are carbon offsets : a meta-analysis of forest carbon sinks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Kooten, G.C.; Eagle, A.J.; Manley, J.; Smolak, T.M.

2004-01-01

Carbon terrestrial sinks are one of the many proposed mitigation responses to climate change. Carbon sinks are considered to be a low-cost alternative to fuel switching and reduced fossil fuel consumption for reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions. This study examined the costs of sequestering carbon in terrestrial ecosystems via forestry activities. A meta-regression analysis was used to determine which factors influence the costs of carbon sequestration via forest activities. Important concerns about how the Kyoto Protocol may be implemented were also addressed. The meta-regression analysis was used to examine 981 estimates from 55 studies on the cost of creating carbon offsets using forestry. Baseline cost estimates are US$46.62 to 260.29 per tC. Tree planting and agroforestry increases costs by more than 200 per cent. Costs are lowest when post-harvest storage of carbon in wood products is considered, or when biomass is substituted for fossil fuels in energy production. The meta-analysis also considered land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) policies that increase the carbon sink functions of terrestrial ecosystems. The main motive for using sinks in the accounting process is that they avoid the use of expensive controls for the emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. refs., tabs

Complex terrain influences ecosystem carbon responses to temperature and precipitation

Science.gov (United States)

Reyes, W. M.; Epstein, H. E.; Li, X.; McGlynn, B. L.; Riveros-Iregui, D. A.; Emanuel, R. E.

2017-08-01

Terrestrial ecosystem responses to temperature and precipitation have major implications for the global carbon cycle. Case studies demonstrate that complex terrain, which accounts for more than 50% of Earth's land surface, can affect ecological processes associated with land-atmosphere carbon fluxes. However, no studies have addressed the role of complex terrain in mediating ecophysiological responses of land-atmosphere carbon fluxes to climate variables. We synthesized data from AmeriFlux towers and found that for sites in complex terrain, responses of ecosystem CO2 fluxes to temperature and precipitation are organized according to terrain slope and drainage area, variables associated with water and energy availability. Specifically, we found that for tower sites in complex terrain, mean topographic slope and drainage area surrounding the tower explained between 51% and 78% of site-to-site variation in the response of CO2 fluxes to temperature and precipitation depending on the time scale. We found no such organization among sites in flat terrain, even though their flux responses exhibited similar ranges. These results challenge prevailing conceptual framework in terrestrial ecosystem modeling that assumes that CO2 fluxes derive from vertical soil-plant-climate interactions. We conclude that the terrain in which ecosystems are situated can also have important influences on CO2 responses to temperature and precipitation. This work has implications for about 14% of the total land area of the conterminous U.S. This area is considered topographically complex and contributes to approximately 15% of gross ecosystem carbon production in the conterminous U.S.

Factors Affecting Dissolution Resistance of AC Anodizing Al in Sodium Carbonate Solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abou-Krisha, M.

2001-01-01

Studies were performed to determine the effect of different factors on the properties and so the dissolution resistance of the anodic film of Al. Conductance and thermometric measurements were applied to evaluate the dissolution rate. The effect of applied AC voltage concentration of sodium carbonate solution, the anodization time and the temperature of sodium carbonate solutions show a parallel increase in the dissolution resistance of studied Al in hydrochloride acid. The results show that films formed by sodium carbonate solution were of porous type and have pronounced high resistance. Scanning electron microscope and x-ray diffraction further examined the films. The anodic and cathodic behavior and the effect of the scanning rate on the polarization of Al in sodium carbonate solution were studied. The regression analysis was applied to all results. (Author)

Factors influencing selection of office furniture by corporations and universities

Science.gov (United States)

R. Bruce Anderson

1976-01-01

Evaluation of the factors that influence the selection of office furniture by large corporations and universities shows that quality, appearance, and purchase price have the most important influence on the purchase decision. The intended use of the furniture and the appearance of the furniture were the key factors in the purchase of wooden furniture.

The influence of "host release factor" on carbon release by zooxanthellae isolated from fed and starved Aiptasia pallida (Verrill).

Science.gov (United States)

Davy, S K; Cook, C B

2001-06-01

Symbiotic dinoflagellates (zooxanthellae) typically respond to extracts of host tissue with enhanced release of short-term photosynthetic products. We examined this "host release factor" (HRF) response using freshly isolated zooxanthellae of differing nutritional status. The nutritional status was manipulated by either feeding or starving the sea anemone Aiptasia pallida (Verrill). The release of fixed carbon from isolated zooxanthellae was measured using 14C in 30 min experiments. Zooxanthellae in filtered seawater alone released approximately 5% of photosynthate irrespective of host feeding history. When we used a 10-kDa ultrafiltrate of A. pallida host tissue as a source of HRF, approximately 14% of photosynthate was released to the medium. This increased to over 25% for zooxanthellae from anemones starved for 29 days or more. The cell-specific photosynthetic rate declined with starvation in these filtrate experiments, but the decline was offset by the increased percentage release. Indeed, the total amount of released photosynthate remained unchanged, or even increased, as zooxanthellae became more nutrient deficient. Similar trends were also observed when zooxanthellae from A. pallida were incubated in a 3-kDa ultrafiltrate of the coral Montastraea annularis, suggesting that HRF in the different filtrates operated in a similar manner. Our results support the suggestion that HRF diverts surplus carbon away from storage compounds to translocated compounds such as glycerol.

Cerebrospinal Fluid Pressure: Revisiting Factors Influencing Optic Nerve Head Biomechanics

Science.gov (United States)

Hua, Yi; Voorhees, Andrew P.; Sigal, Ian A.

2018-01-01

Purpose To model the sensitivity of the optic nerve head (ONH) biomechanical environment to acute variations in IOP, cerebrospinal fluid pressure (CSFP), and central retinal artery blood pressure (BP). Methods We extended a previously published numerical model of the ONH to include 24 factors representing tissue anatomy and mechanical properties, all three pressures, and constraints on the optic nerve (CON). A total of 8340 models were studied to predict factor influences on 98 responses in a two-step process: a fractional factorial screening analysis to identify the 16 most influential factors, followed by a response surface methodology to predict factor effects in detail. Results The six most influential factors were, in order: IOP, CON, moduli of the sclera, lamina cribrosa (LC) and dura, and CSFP. IOP and CSFP affected different aspects of ONH biomechanics. The strongest influence of CSFP, more than twice that of IOP, was on the rotation of the peripapillary sclera. CSFP had similar influence on LC stretch and compression to moduli of sclera and LC. On some ONHs, CSFP caused large retrolamina deformations and subarachnoid expansion. CON had a strong influence on LC displacement. BP overall influence was 633 times smaller than that of IOP. Conclusions Models predict that IOP and CSFP are the top and sixth most influential factors on ONH biomechanics. Different IOP and CSFP effects suggest that translaminar pressure difference may not be a good parameter to predict biomechanics-related glaucomatous neuropathy. CON may drastically affect the responses relating to gross ONH geometry and should be determined experimentally. PMID:29332130

Factors That Influence Technology Integration in the Classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Montgomery, Maureen C.

2017-01-01

Education is one area where the use of technology has had great impact on student learning. The integration of technology in teaching and learning can significantly influence the outcome of education in the classroom. However, there are a myriad of factors that influence technology integration in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to…

Factors influencing the, selection of state office furniture

Science.gov (United States)

R. Bruce Anderson; R. Bruce Anderson

1973-01-01

Evaluation of the factors influencing the selection of office furniture by nine state governments shows that quality and purchase price have the most important influence on the purchase decision. The intended use of the furniture and the purchasing regulations of the states were key f8CbrS in the use of wood furniture.

Relative importance of natural and anthropogenic factors influencing karst rocky desertification

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Erqi; Zhang, Hongqi

2017-04-01

As the most severe ecological issue in southwest China, karst rocky desertification (KRD) has both threatened and constrained regional sustainable development. Comprehensively understanding the relationship between the evolution of KRD and relevant driving data would provide more information to combat KRD in such complex karst environments. Past studies have been limited in quantifying the relative importance of driving factors influencing fine-scale KRD evolution, and have also lacked insight into their interactive impacts. To address these issues, we have used geographical information system techniques and a geographical detector model to explore the spatial consistency of driving factors and their interactions in relation to the evolution of KRD. Changshun County in China was selected as a representative area for the study. Nine relevant driving factors, including both natural and anthropogenic factors, were studied in regard to their relationships with KRD transformation between 2000 and 2010. Our results demonstrate the relative importance of driving data in influencing the improvement and deterioration of KRD. Lithology, soil type and road influence are identified as the leading factors. Interestingly, to our study at least, there is no significant difference between the impacts of natural and anthropogenic factors influencing KRD improvement, and even natural factors have a higher impact on KRD deterioration. Factors were found to enhance the influence of each other for KRD transformation. In particular, the results show a non-linearly enhanced effect between driving factors, which significantly aggravates KRD. New information found in our study helps to effectively control and restore areas afflicted by KRD.

Influence of environmental factors on spectral characteristics of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in Inner Mongolia Plateau, China

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Z. D.; Song, K. S.; Zhao, Y.; Du, J.; Ma, J. H.

2016-02-01

Spectral characteristics of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) were examined in conjunction with environmental factors in the waters of rivers and terminal lakes within the Hulun Buir plateau, northeast China. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorous (TP) were significantly higher in terminal lakes than rivers waters (p CDOM absorption in river waters was significantly lower than terminal lakes. Analysis of the ratio of absorption at 250 to 365 nm (E250 : 365), specific ultraviolet (UV) absorbance (SUVA254), and the spectral slope ratio (Sr) indicated that CDOM in river waters had higher aromaticity, molecular weight, and vascular plant contribution than in terminal lakes. Furthermore, results showed that DOC concentration, CDOM light absorption, and the proportion of autochthonous sources of CDOM in plateau waters were all higher than in other freshwater rivers reported in the literature. The strong evapoconcentration, intense ultraviolet irradiance, and landscape features of the Hulun Buir plateau may be responsible for the above phenomenon. Redundancy analysis (RDA) indicated that the environmental variables total suspended matter (TSM), TN, and electrical conductivity (EC) had a strong correlation with light absorption characteristics, followed by total dissolved solid (TDS) and chlorophyll a. In most sampling locations, CDOM was the dominant non-water light-absorbing substance. Light absorption by non-algal particles often exceeded that by phytoplankton in the plateau waters. Study of these optical-physicochemical correlations is helpful in the evaluation of the potential influence of water quality factors on non-water light absorption in cold plateau water environments. The construction of a correlation between DOC concentration and water quality factors may help contribute to regional estimates of carbon sources and fate for catchment carbon budget assessments.

Influence of shielding gas composition on weld profile in pulsed Nd:YAG laser welding of low carbon steel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M Jokar

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Weld area and weld depth/width ratio can be considered to be of the most important geometrical factors in pulsed laser welding. The effects of carbon dioxide and oxygen additions to the argon shielding gas on the weld properties in pulsed laser welding of low carbon steel is investigated. Presence of carbon dioxide and oxygen up to 10 and 15 percent respectively decreases the weld geometrical factors. But, at higher levels of additions, the weld geometrical factors will increase. It is observed that the plasma plume temperature decreases from 6000K to 5500K with the addition of 15% carbon dioxide but increases to 7700K with 25% carbon dioxide addition. Increase in laser absorption coefficient, laser energy absorption, formation of oxide layer on the work-piece surface, exothermic reactions and their competitive effects can be considered as the competing phenomena involved in such a behavior in the weld profile

Lithium carbonate tablets. Preparation techniques influence over active ingredient liberation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bueno, J.H.F.; Oliveira, A.G. de; Toledo Salgado, P.E. de

1989-01-01

Lithium carbonate tablets, prepared using wet and dry granulation, were assessed in vitro so as to determine the active ingredient dissolution. In this study, standardized formulations were used and developed with usual adjuvants (lactose - maize starch). Parallel to the dissolution testing. The influence of the preparation process over some physical characteristics (hardness, friability and disintegration) was also analysed. Although a better performance was observed of tables prepared using dry granulation, the authors concluded that the wet process is more suitable in preparing tables with the mentioned drug. (author)

Influence of environmental factors on spectral characteristic of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in Inner Mongolia Plateau, China

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Z. D.; Song, K. S.; Zhao, Y.; Du, J.; Ma, J. H.

2015-06-01

Spectral characteristics of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) were examined in conjunction with environmental factors in the waters of 22 rivers and 26 terminal waters in Hulun Buir plateau, northeast China. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorous (TP) were significantly higher in terminal waters than rivers waters (p CDOM absorption in river waters was significantly lower than terminal waters (p CDOM in river waters had higher aromaticity, molecular weight, and vascular plant contribution than in terminal waters. Furthermore, results showed that DOC concentration, CDOM light absorption, and the proportion of autochthonous sources of CDOM in plateau waters were all higher than in other freshwater rivers reported in the literature. The strong evapoconcentration, intense ultraviolet irradiance and landscape features of Hulun Buir plateau may be responsible for the above phenomenon. Redundancy analysis (RDA) indicated that the environmental variables TSM, TN, and EC had a strong correlation with light absorption characteristics, followed by TDS and chlorophyll a. In most sampling locations, CDOM was the dominant non-water light-absorbing substance. Light absorption by non-algal particles often exceeded that by phytoplankton in the plateau waters. Study of these optical-physicochemical correlations is helpful in the evaluation of the potential influence of water quality factors on non-water light absorption in cold plateau water environments. And the study on organic carbon in plateau lakes had a vital contribution to global carbon balance estimation.

Habitat characteristics provide insights of carbon storage in seagrass meadows

KAUST Repository

Mazarrasa, Inés

2018-02-17

Seagrass meadows provide multiple ecosystem services, yet they are among the most threatened ecosystems on earth. Because of their role as carbon sinks, protection and restoration of seagrass meadows contribute to climate change mitigation. Blue Carbon strategies aim to enhance CO2 sequestration and avoid greenhouse gasses emissions through the management of coastal vegetated ecosystems, including seagrass meadows. The implementation of Blue Carbon strategies requires a good understanding of the habitat characteristics that influence Corg sequestration. Here, we review the existing knowledge on Blue Carbon research in seagrass meadows to identify the key habitat characteristics that influence Corg sequestration in seagrass meadows, those factors that threaten this function and those with unclear effects. We demonstrate that not all seagrass habitats have the same potential, identify research priorities and describe the implications of the results found for the implementation and development of efficient Blue Carbon strategies based on seagrass meadows.

Assessment of Factors Influencing Beneficiary Participation in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ISSN 0794-5698. Assessment of Factors Influencing Beneficiary Participation in Fadama II Project ... project implementation (80%) in the stages of project development. Women .... the project as they appeared to have more family burden to ...

Carbonate Channel-Levee Systems Influenced by Mass-Transport Deposition, Browse Basin, Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Dunlap, D.; Janson, X.; Sanchez-Phelps, C.; Covault, J. A.

2017-12-01

Submarine channels are primary conduits for clastic sediment transport to deep-water basins, thereby controlling the location of marine depocenters and sediment bypass. The evolution and depositional character of submarine channels have broad implications to sediment dispersal, sediment quality, and hydrocarbon exploration potential. Siliciclastic channel systems have been extensively studied in modern environments, seismic and outcrop; however, carbonate channel-levee deposits have only recently been explored. Here we utilize newly released high-resolution (90 Hz) seismic-reflection data from the Australian Browse Basin to document the influence of mass-transport complex (MTC) deposition on the stratigraphic architecture of carbonate channel-levee systems. The 2014 vintage seismic survey is 2500 km2 and hosts numerous large Miocene-age carbonate channel-levee complexes basinward of the shelf edge. Regional horizons and individual channel forms were mapped. Channels range from 200-300 m wide and are bounded by high-relief levee-overbank wedges (>100 ms TWTT). These channels extend across the survey area >70 km. The leveed-channels were sourced from middle and late Miocene slope gullies linked to platform carbonates. Slope-attached and locally derived MTC's are evident throughout the Miocene section likely related to periods of basin inversion and shelf-edge gully incision. We interpret that regionally extensive (>1000 km2) slope-attached MTC's can shut down a channel-levee system and trigger the initiation of a new system, whereas more locally derived (wasting and turbidity currents, which informs depositional models of carbonate slope systems and calls for re-evaluation of the controls on stratigraphic patterns in mixed siliciclastic-carbonate deep-water basins.

Psychosocial factors for influencing healthy aging in adults in Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, KyungHun; Lee, YunJung; Gu, JaSung; Oh, Hee; Han, JongHee; Kim, KwuyBun

2015-03-07

Healthy aging includes physical, psychological, social, and spiritual well-being in later years. The purpose of this study is to identify the psychosocial factors influencing healthy aging and examining their socio-demographic characteristics. Perceived health status, depression, self-esteem, self-achievement, ego-integrity, participation in leisure activities, and loneliness were identified as influential factors in healthy aging. 171 Korean adults aged between 45 and 77 years-old participated in the study. Self-reporting questionnaires were used, followed by descriptive statistics and multiple regressions as inferential statistical analyses. There were significant differences between participants' general characteristics: age, education, religion, housing, hobby, and economic status. The factors related to healthy aging had positive correlation with perceived health status, self-esteem, self-achievements, and leisure activities, and negative correlation with depression and loneliness. The factors influencing healthy aging were depression, leisure activities, perceived health status, ego integrity, and self-achievements. These factors were able to explain 51.9%. According to the results, depression is the factor with the greatest influence on healthy aging. Perceived health status, ego integrity, self-achievement, self-esteem, participation of leisure activities were also influential on healthy aging as beneficial factors.

A brief review of salient factors influencing adult eating behaviour.

Science.gov (United States)

Emilien, Christine; Hollis, James H

2017-12-01

A better understanding of the factors that influence eating behaviour is of importance as our food choices are associated with the risk of developing chronic diseases such as obesity, CVD, type 2 diabetes or some forms of cancer. In addition, accumulating evidence suggests that the industrial food production system is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emission and may be unsustainable. Therefore, our food choices may also contribute to climate change. By identifying the factors that influence eating behaviour new interventions may be developed, at the individual or population level, to modify eating behaviour and contribute to society's health and environmental goals. Research indicates that eating behaviour is dictated by a complex interaction between physiology, environment, psychology, culture, socio-economics and genetics that is not fully understood. While a growing body of research has identified how several single factors influence eating behaviour, a better understanding of how these factors interact is required to facilitate the developing new models of eating behaviour. Due to the diversity of influences on eating behaviour this would probably necessitate a greater focus on multi-disciplinary research. In the present review, the influence of several salient physiological and environmental factors (largely related to food characteristics) on meal initiation, satiation (meal size) and satiety (inter-meal interval) are briefly discussed. Due to the large literature this review is not exhaustive but illustrates the complexity of eating behaviour. The present review will also highlight several limitations that apply to eating behaviour research.

Alternative Administrative Certification: Socializing Factors Influencing Program Choice

Science.gov (United States)

Bickmore, Dana L.; Bickmore, Steven T.; Raines, Sarah

2013-01-01

This study used an organizational socialization lens to examine factors influencing participants' decision to pursue the principalship and choice to engage in an alternate administration certification program. Through an analysis of participant focus groups and interviews, factors emerged from the codes that were compared with dimensions of…

Influence Factors of the Economic Development Level Across European Countries

OpenAIRE

Diana Ioana POPA

2016-01-01

The economic development level of a country refers to the measure of the progress in an economy that could be measured, especially through GDP or GDP per capita. The level of these indicators can be influenced by many factors as a large scale, from social and economical to environmental and government policies factors. The paper aims to investigate some of these influence factors of the economic development level, represented in this case by GDP per capita, across European countries in the...

Applying life-cycle assessment to low carbon fuel standards-How allocation choices influence carbon intensity for renewable transportation fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaufman, Andrew S.; Meier, Paul J.; Sinistore, Julie C.; Reinemann, Douglas J.

2010-01-01

The Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 requires life-cycle assessment (LCA) for quantifying greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) from expanded U.S. biofuel production. To qualify under the Renewable Fuel Standard, cellulosic ethanol and new corn ethanol must demonstrate 60% and 20% lower emissions than petroleum fuels, respectively. A combined corn-grain and corn-stover ethanol system could potentially satisfy a major portion of renewable fuel production goals. This work examines multiple LCA allocation procedures for a hypothetical system producing ethanol from both corn grain and corn stover. Allocation choice is known to strongly influence GHG emission results for corn-ethanol. Stover-derived ethanol production further complicates allocation practices because additional products result from the same corn production system. This study measures the carbon intensity of ethanol fuels against EISA limits using multiple allocation approaches. Allocation decisions are shown to be paramount. Under varying approaches, carbon intensity for corn ethanol was 36-79% that of gasoline, while carbon intensity for stover-derived ethanol was -10% to 44% that of gasoline. Producing corn-stover ethanol dramatically reduced carbon intensity for corn-grain ethanol, because substantially more ethanol is produced with only minor increases in emissions. Regulatory considerations for applying LCA are discussed.

LITERATURE REVIEW ON FACTORS INFLUENCING MILK PURCHASE BEHAVIOUR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Klaudia Kurajdova

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In today’s highly informed, competitive and saturated market, a key to success of any business depends on knowing consumer and his consumption patterns and recognizing and understanding factors influencing his decision-making for the purpose of developing an attractive offer of products, supporting services, communication means and other marketing tools that would fit like a glue to customer’s needs. Study of consumer behaviour belongs to a group of very wide and strong subjects of marketing attention and its examination requires ongoing approach. Milk, as one category of dairy products, belongs to the group of basic daily-consumed products characterized by relatively high purchase frequency. On the other hand, its production and consumption is experiencing certain negative trend in Slovakia what inevitably calls for a scientific attention and examination in order to reverse this unfavourable development having a negative impact on the milk companies in Slovakia. Therefore, we focus our attention on studying various factors influencing consumers when purchasing this specific product. Our research in this stage resulted in the compilation of literature review on factors influencing consumers when purchasing milk and determination of boundaries and guidelines for our future research activity

How modifiable factors influence parental decision-making about organ donation.

Science.gov (United States)

Luberda, Kamila; Cleaver, Karen

2017-11-07

A global shortage of organs from children and adults available for transplantation is compounded by the failure of next of kin to consent for organs to be donated after death. Non-modifiable and modifiable factors influence decision-making in this area. Modifiable factors are of interest when examining families' decision-making about the donation of organs from their deceased child. A scoping review was undertaken to determine how modifiable factors influence parental decision-making about organ donation. Thematic analysis identified two themes: interactions with healthcare professionals and pre-disposition to organ donation. Satisfaction with experiences of hospital care, the information provided and the way it was communicated, as well as interactions pertaining to emotional support were all found to be modifiable factors that influenced decision making. Likewise, a predisposition to organ donation and knowing the deceased's wishes were associated with the consent decision. Nurses working in critical care environments need to be able to support parents during this difficult time. This article aims to raise awareness of modifiable factors that influence parental decision-making, highlighting their relevance for children's nursing practice. ©2017 RCN Publishing Company Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be copied, transmitted or recorded in any way, in whole or part, without prior permission of the publishers.

Emergency department crowding: factors influencing flow.

Science.gov (United States)

Arkun, Alp; Briggs, William M; Patel, Sweha; Datillo, Paris A; Bove, Joseph; Birkhahn, Robert H

2010-02-01

THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THOSE FACTORS, BOTH INTRINSIC AND EXTRINSIC TO THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT (ED) THAT INFLUENCE TWO SPECIFIC COMPONENTS OF THROUGHPUT: "door-to-doctor" time and dwell time. We used a prospective observational study design to determine the variables that played a significant role in determining ED flow. All adult patients seen or waiting to be seen in the ED were observed at 8pm (Monday-Friday) during a three-month period. Variables measured included daily ED volume, patient acuity, staffing, ED occupancy, daily admissions, ED boarder volume, hospital volume, and intensive care unit volume. Both log-rank tests and time-to-wait (survival) proportional-hazard regression models were fitted to determine which variables were most significant in predicting "door-to-doctor" and dwell times, with full account of the censoring for some patients. We captured 1,543 patients during our study period, representing 27% of total daily volume. The ED operated at an average of 85% capacity (61-102%) with an average of 27% boarding. Median "door-to-doctor" time was 1.8 hours, with the biggest influence being triage category, day of the week, and ED occupancy. Median dwell time was 5.5 hours with similar variable influences. The largest contributors to decreased patient flow through the ED at our institution were triage category, ED occupancy, and day of the week. Although the statistically significant factors influencing patient throughput at our institution involve problems with inflow, an increase in ED occupancy could be due to substantial outflow obstruction and may indicate the necessity for increased capacity both within the ED and hospital.

Factors influencing thermal tolerances of individual organisms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hutchison, V.H.

1976-01-01

The diversity of experimental methods and terminology employed by investigators to measure the effects of high temperatures on individual organisms, plus the often overlooked complexities of the holocoenotic environment, has often led to disconcerting conclusions. A plea is made for standardization of testing methods and for a wider appreciation of factors that may alter thermal tolerances. The influence of elevated temperature is grouped into three categories, lethal effects, controlling effects, and directive effects, all of which should be considered in assessing the impact of thermal effluent on organisms. In addition, the terminology (acclimation, acclimatization, adaptation, habituation, lethal temperature, critical thermal maximum, etc.) needs standardized definitions. The important factors influencing thermal effects on organisms include photoperiod, seasonal and daily cycles, geographic variation, diet, sex, breeding condition, age, life-cycle stage, salinity, chemicals, body water content and partitioning, oxygen supply, pH, innate and learned behavior, history of thermal exposure, sublethal exposure to limiting factors, and experimental methods. Examples of most of these are given to illustrate the role of temperature in the holocoenotic environmental complex of individual organisms

Influence of spatially dependent, modeled soil carbon emission factors on life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions of corn and cellulosic ethanol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qin, Zhangcai [Energy Systems Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Avenue Argonne IL 60439 USA; Dunn, Jennifer B. [Energy Systems Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Avenue Argonne IL 60439 USA; Kwon, Hoyoung [Environment and Production Technology Division, International Food Policy Research Institute, 2033 K St. NW Washington DC 20006 USA; Mueller, Steffen [Energy Resources Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1309 South Halsted Street Chicago IL 60607 USA; Wander, Michelle M. [Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1102 South Goodwin Avenue Urbana IL 61801 USA

2016-03-03

Converting land to biofuel feedstock production incurs changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) that can influence biofuel life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Estimates of these land use change (LUC) and life-cycle GHG emissions affect biofuels’ attractiveness and eligibility under a number of renewable fuel policies in the U.S. and abroad. Modeling was used to refine the spatial resolution and depth-extent of domestic estimates of SOC change for land (cropland, cropland pasture, grasslands, and forests) conversion scenarios to biofuel crops (corn, corn stover, switchgrass, Miscanthus, poplar, and willow). In most regions, conversions from cropland and cropland pasture to biofuel crops led to neutral or small levels of SOC sequestration, while conversion of grassland and forest generally caused net SOC loss. Results of SOC change were incorporated into the Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation (GREET) model to assess their influence on life-cycle GHG emissions for the biofuels considered. Total LUC GHG emissions (g CO2eq MJ-1) were 2.1–9.3 for corn, -0.7 for corn stover, -3.4–12.9 for switchgrass, and -20.1–-6.2 for Miscanthus; these varied with SOC modeling assumptions applied. Extending soil depth from 30 to 100cm affected spatially-explicit SOC change and overall LUC GHG emissions; however the influence on LUC GHG emissions estimates were less significant in corn and corn stover than cellulosic feedstocks. Total life-cycle GHG emissions (g CO2eq MJ-1, 100cm) were estimated to be 59–66 for corn ethanol, 14 for stover ethanol, 18-26 for switchgrass ethanol, and -0.6–-7 for Miscanthus ethanol.

Factors influencing the pattern of malnutrition among acutely ill ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Factors influencing the pattern of malnutrition among acutely ill children presenting in ... height/length) measurements and z-scores calculated for the individual nutritional ... The factors associated with malnutrition included early introduction of ...

Preconcentration of silver as silver xanthate on activated carbon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramadevi, P.; Naidu, U.V.; Naidu, G.R.K.

1988-01-01

Silver from aqueous solution was preconcentrated by adsorption on activated carbon as silver xanthate. Factors influencing the adsorption of silver were studied. Optimum conditions for the preconcentration of silver were established. (author) 9 refs.; 3 tabs

Vertical distribution of soil saturated hydraulic conductivity and its influencing factors in a small karst catchment in Southwest China.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Tonggang; Chen, Hongsong; Zhang, Wei; Nie, Yunpeng; Wang, Kelin

2015-03-01

Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) is one of the most important soil hydraulic parameters influencing hydrological processes. This paper aims to investigate the vertical distribution of Ks and to analyze its influencing factors in a small karst catchment in Southwest China. Ks was measured in 23 soil profiles for six soil horizons using a constant head method. These profiles were chosen in different topographical locations (upslope, downslope, and depression) and different land-use types (forestland, shrubland, shrub-grassland, and farmland). The influencing factors of Ks, including rock fragment content (RC), bulk density (BD), capillary porosity (CP), non-capillary porosity (NCP), and soil organic carbon (SOC), were analyzed by partial correlation analysis. The mean Ks value was higher in the entire profile in the upslope and downslope, but lower value, acting as a water-resisting layer, was found in the 10-20 cm soil depth in the depression. Higher mean Ks values were found in the soil profiles in the forestland, shrubland, and shrub-grassland, but lower in the farmland. These results indicated that saturation-excess runoff could occur primarily in the hillslopes but infiltration-excess runoff in the depression. Compared with other land-use types, surface runoff is more likely to occur in the farmlands. RC had higher correlation coefficients with Ks in all categories concerned except in the forestland and farmland with little or no rock fragments, indicating that RC was the dominant influencing factor of Ks. These results suggested that the vertical distributions of Ks and RC should be considered for hydrological modeling in karst areas.

Factors Influencing the Adoption of Minimally Invasive Surgery ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Cost is a major concern for delivery of minimally invasive surgical technologies due to the nature of resources required. It is unclear whether factors extrinsic to technology availability impact on this uptake. Objectives: To establish the influence of institutional, patient and surgeon-related factors in the adoption of ...

De-agglomeration and homogenisation of nanoparticles in coal tar pitch-based carbon materials

Science.gov (United States)

Gubernat, Maciej; Tomala, Janusz; Frohs, Wilhelm; Fraczek-Szczypta, Aneta; Blazewicz, Stanislaw

2016-03-01

The aim of the work was to characterise coal tar pitch (CTP) modified with selected nanoparticles as a binder precursor for the manufacture of synthetic carbon materials. Different factors influencing the preliminary preparative steps in the preparation of homogenous nanoparticle/CTP composition were studied. Graphene flakes, carbon black and nano-sized silicon carbide were used to modify CTP. Prior to introducing them into liquid CTP, nanoparticles were subjected to sonication. Various dispersants were used to prepare the suspensions, i.e. water, ethanol, dimethylformamide (DMF) and N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP).The results showed that proper dispersant selection is one of the most important factors influencing the de-agglomeration process of nanoparticles. DMF and NMP were found to be effective dispersants for the preparation of homogenous nanoparticle-containing suspensions. The presence of SiC and carbon black nanoparticles in the liquid pitch during heat treatment up to 2000 °C leads to the inhibition of crystallite growth in carbon residue.

De-agglomeration and homogenisation of nanoparticles in coal tar pitch-based carbon materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gubernat, Maciej [AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Materials Science and Ceramics (Poland); Tomala, Janusz [SGL Carbon Polska S.A. (Poland); Frohs, Wilhelm [SGL CARBON GmbH (Germany); Fraczek-Szczypta, Aneta; Blazewicz, Stanislaw, E-mail: blazew@agh.edu.pl [AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Materials Science and Ceramics (Poland)

2016-03-15

The aim of the work was to characterise coal tar pitch (CTP) modified with selected nanoparticles as a binder precursor for the manufacture of synthetic carbon materials. Different factors influencing the preliminary preparative steps in the preparation of homogenous nanoparticle/CTP composition were studied. Graphene flakes, carbon black and nano-sized silicon carbide were used to modify CTP. Prior to introducing them into liquid CTP, nanoparticles were subjected to sonication. Various dispersants were used to prepare the suspensions, i.e. water, ethanol, dimethylformamide (DMF) and N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP).The results showed that proper dispersant selection is one of the most important factors influencing the de-agglomeration process of nanoparticles. DMF and NMP were found to be effective dispersants for the preparation of homogenous nanoparticle-containing suspensions. The presence of SiC and carbon black nanoparticles in the liquid pitch during heat treatment up to 2000 °C leads to the inhibition of crystallite growth in carbon residue.

Factors Influencing Indonesian Internet Users Intention on Buying Books Online

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beatrik Messah

2003-09-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this research is to discover and analyse factors influencing Indonesian internet users intention on buying books online. Certain factors will be investigated are demographic, features, convenience, web design, and security. This research used questionaires to obtain data from the respondents. After the data collected, SPSS software is used to process the data with using Chi-Square test. The result found that features, convenience, and security factors of online bookstores and level of education, income, and occupation of the Indonesian Internet Users influence the people intention on buying books online. In the other hand, web design of the online bookstores and the age of the Indonesian internet users have no influence on their intention on buying books online.

The influence of different nitrogen and carbon sources on mycotoxin production in Alternaria alternata.

Science.gov (United States)

Brzonkalik, Katrin; Herrling, Tanja; Syldatk, Christoph; Neumann, Anke

2011-05-27

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of different carbon and nitrogen sources on the production of the mycotoxins alternariol (AOH), alternariol monomethyl ether (AME) and tenuazonic acid (TA) by Alternaria alternata at 28°C using a semi-synthetic medium (modified Czapek-Dox broth) supplemented with nitrogen and carbon sources. Additionally the effect of shaken and static cultivation on mycotoxin production was tested. Initial experiments showed a clear dependency between nitrogen depletion and mycotoxin production. To assess whether nitrogen limitation in general or the type of nitrogen source triggers the production, various nitrogen sources including several ammonium/nitrate salts and amino acids were tested. In static culture the production of AOH/AME can be enhanced greatly with phenylalanine whereas some nitrogen sources seem to inhibit the AOH/AME production completely. TA was not significantly affected by the choice of nitrogen source. In shaken culture the overall production of all mycotoxins was lower compared to static cultivation. Furthermore tests with a wide variety of carbon sources including monosaccharides, disaccharides, complex saccharides such as starch as well as glycerol and acetate were performed. In shaken culture AOH was produced when glucose, fructose, sucrose, acetate or mixtures of glucose/sucrose and glucose/acetate were used as carbon sources. AME production was not detected. The use of sodium acetate resulted in the highest AOH production. In static culture AOH production was also stimulated by acetate and the amount is comparable to shaken conditions. Under static conditions production of AOH was lower except when cultivated with acetate. In static cultivation 9 of 14 tested carbon sources induced mycotoxin production compared to 4 in shaken culture. This is the first study which analyses the influence of carbon and nitrogen sources in a semi-synthetic medium and assesses the effects of culture conditions on

Factors influencing eating attitudes in secondary-school girls in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Family, especially maternal, factors play a role in determining eating attitudes. Peer and media (television) factors are not significantly influential. The findings provide preliminary data on factors that influence eating attrtudes in a group at risk for the development of eating disorders. The findings have implications for the ...

Iranian nurses self-perception -- factors influencing nursing image.

Science.gov (United States)

Varaei, Shokoh; Vaismoradi, Mojtaba; Jasper, Melanie; Faghihzadeh, Soghrat

2012-05-01

The purpose of this study was to describe the perspectives of Iranian nurses regarding factors influencing nursing image. Nursing image is closely tied to the nurse's role and identity, influencing clinical performance, job satisfaction and quality of care. Images of nursing and nurses are closely linked to the cultural context in which nursing is practised, hence, this study explores how Iranian nurses perceive the factors that influence their own image. A descriptive study using a survey design was conducted with 220 baccalaureate qualified nurses working in four teaching hospitals in an urban area of Iran. A Nursing Image Questionnaire was used and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. In the domains of 'characteristics required for entry to work', 'social role characteristics of nursing' and 'prestige, economic and social status, and self image' the nurses had negative images. 'Reward' and 'opportunity for creativity and originality' were factors that least influenced choosing nursing as a career. The presence of a nurse in the family and working in the hospital had the greatest impact on the establishment of nurses' nursing image. Improving the nursing profession's prestige and social position as well as providing the opportunity for creativity and originality in nursing practice will change the self-image of Iranian nurses, facilitating effective and lasting changes in nursing's image. Nurse managers are well-placed to influence nurses' perceptions of nursing's image. Given the finding that thinking about leaving a job positively correlates with holding a negative nursing image, nurse managers need to consider how they can work effectively with their staff to enhance morale and nurses' experience of their job. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

The carbon footprint of Greek households (1995–2012)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Markaki, M.; Belegri-Roboli, A.; Sarafidis, U.; Mirasgedis, S.

2017-01-01

The goal of this paper is twofold: i) to investigate the carbon footprint of Greek households throughout the period 1995–2012, in order to identify the main socio-economic factors that affect GHG emissions, and ii) to evaluate the effectiveness of the implemented policies to tackle climate change. In this, a consumption-based emissions inventory approach is applied. The analysis is based on an environmentally-extended input-output model including direct CO_2 emissions from households, indirect CO_2 emissions from electricity consumption and indirect CO_2 emissions from energy used in the production of goods and services purchased by households, domestic or imported. Statistical analysis and appropriate regression models were developed in order to identify the main factors influencing the carbon footprint of Greek households. The results indicate that the observed trends during the period 1995–2008 can be attributed to the effect of high economic growth. This trend is partially counterbalanced by favorable weather conditions and the implementation of greenhouse mitigation policies and measures mainly in the supply side. Since 2008 the shrinking household income is the dominant driver. In addition, the effectiveness of energy conservation policies and measures in place is rather low, while the effect of imports is limited. - Highlights: • The factors influencing the carbon footprint of Greek households have been analyzed. • The analysis is based on consumption-based GHG inventories. • High economic growth resulted in carbon footprint increases during 1995–2008. • Carbon footprint reduction after 2008 is attributed to shrinking of household income. • Mitigation measures in power and manufacturing sectors reduced carbon footprint.

E-commerce factors influencing consumers‘ online shopping decision

OpenAIRE

Baubonienė, Živilė; Gulevičiūtė, Gintarė

2015-01-01

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to look at the factors driving online shopping and to develop an understanding of the factors influencing the online shopping by the consumers. This is done by exploring the factors that encourage consumers to shop online through analysis of such advantages as security, fast delivery, comparable price, convenience, cheaper prices and a wider choice. At the same time, the research project reveals the factors that are discouraging for consumers and the ben...

Factors influencing job satisfaction and organizational commitment.

Science.gov (United States)

Watson, Liana M

2008-01-01

To assess the relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors influencing job satisfaction and the perspective of frontline medical imaging staff in acute care health care facilities in the United States. The sample consisted of 359 registered radiologic technologists who were working as staff technologists in acute care health care facilities in the United States. The results of the study suggest that satisfaction with intrinsic and extrinsic motivators influences overall satisfaction with the work environment and job and commitment to the employer.

Measuring the Total-Factor Carbon Emission Performance of Industrial Land Use in China Based on the Global Directional Distance Function and Non-Radial Luenberger Productivity Index

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei Wang

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Industry is a major contributor to carbon emissions in China, and industrial land is an important input to industrial production. Therefore, a detailed analysis of the carbon emission performance of industrial land use is necessary for making reasonable carbon reduction policies that promote the sustainable use of industrial land. This paper aims to analyze the dynamic changes in the total-factor carbon emission performance of industrial land use (TCPIL in China by applying a global directional distance function (DDF and non-radial Luenberger productivity index. The empirical results show that the eastern region enjoys better TCPIL than the central and western regions, but the regional gaps in TCPIL are narrowing. The growth in NLCPILs (non-radial Luenberger carbon emission performance of industrial land use in the eastern and central regions is mainly driven by technological progress, whereas efficiency improvements contribute more to the growth of NLCPIL in the western region. The provinces in the eastern region have the most innovative and environmentally-friendly production technologies. The results of the analysis of the influencing factors show implications for improving the NLCPIL, including more investment in industrial research and development (R&D, the implementation of carbon emission reduction policies, reduction in the use of fossil energy, especially coal, in the process of industrial production, actively learning about foreign advanced technology, properly solving the problem of surplus labor in industry and the expansion of industrial development.

Electron density as the main parameter influencing the formation of fullerenes in a carbon plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Churilov, G.N.; Bulina, N.V.; Novikov, P.V.; Lopatin, V.A.; Vnukova, N.G.; Bachilo, S.M.; Tsyboulski, D.; Weisman, R.B.

2002-01-01

Thermodynamic estimates are presented for the formation of spheroidal and flat carbon clusters from reactant species of different charges. Charge is shown to strongly influence the geometry and stability of flat clusters. Changes in the charge of flat clusters can promote both their folding to spheroidal structures and their dissociation. It is concluded that the fluctuations of electron concentration in carbon plasma can result in the accumulation of fullerene clusters and the dissociation of flat clusters. Computer simulations of fullerene C 60 formation from carbon clusters having different charges are carried out using the program HyperChem 5 to calculate the optimal geometry of molecules and their molecular dynamics at different temperatures [ru

What Factors Influence Knowledge Sharing in Organizations?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Razmerita, Liana; Kirchner, Kathrin; Nielsen, Pia

2016-01-01

factors drive employees’ participation and what factors hamper their participation in enterprise social media. Design/methodology/approach: Based on a literature review, a unified research model is derived integrating demographic, individual, organizational and technological factors that influence......Purpose: Enterprise social media platforms provide new ways of sharing knowledge and communicating within organizations to benefit from the social capital and valuable knowledge that employees have. Drawing on social dilemma and self-determination theory, the aim of the study is to understand what...... knowledge sharing framework helps to understand what factors impact engagement on social media. Furthermore the article suggests different types of interventions to overcome the social dilemma of knowledge sharing. Originality/value: The study contributes to an understanding of factors leading...

Phenol removal onto novel activated carbons made from lignocellulosic precursors: influence of surface properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Nabais, J M Valente; Gomes, J A; Suhas; Carrott, P J M; Laginhas, C; Roman, S

2009-08-15

The adsorption of phenol from dilute aqueous solutions onto new activated carbons (AC) was studied. The novel activated carbon was produced from lignocellulosic (LC) precursors of rapeseed and kenaf. Samples oxidised with nitric acid in liquid phase were also studied. The results have shown the significant potential of rapeseed and kenaf for the activated carbon production. The activated carbons produced by carbon dioxide activation were mainly microporous with BET apparent surface area up to 1350 m(2)g(-1) and pore volume 0.5 cm(3)g(-1). The effects of concentration (0.1-2 mM) and pH (3-13) were studied. The phenol adsorption isotherms at 25 degrees C followed the Freundlich model with maximum adsorption capacities of approximately 80 and 50 mg g(-1) for the pristine and oxidised activated carbons, respectively. The influence of pH on the adsorption has two trends for pH below and above 10. It was possible to conclude that when phenol is predominantly in the molecular form the most probable mechanism is based on the pi-pi dispersion interaction between the phenol aromatic ring and the delocalised pi electrons present in the activated carbon aromatic structure. When phenolate is the major component the electrostatic repulsion that occurs at high pH values is the most important aspect of the adsorption mechanism.

Phenol removal onto novel activated carbons made from lignocellulosic precursors: Influence of surface properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valente Nabais, J.M.; Gomes, J.A.; Suhas; Carrott, P.J.M.; Laginhas, C.; Roman, S.

2009-01-01

The adsorption of phenol from dilute aqueous solutions onto new activated carbons (AC) was studied. The novel activated carbon was produced from lignocellulosic (LC) precursors of rapeseed and kenaf. Samples oxidised with nitric acid in liquid phase were also studied. The results have shown the significant potential of rapeseed and kenaf for the activated carbon production. The activated carbons produced by carbon dioxide activation were mainly microporous with BET apparent surface area up to 1350 m 2 g -1 and pore volume 0.5 cm 3 g -1 . The effects of concentration (0.1-2 mM) and pH (3-13) were studied. The phenol adsorption isotherms at 25 deg. C followed the Freundlich model with maximum adsorption capacities of approximately 80 and 50 mg g -1 for the pristine and oxidised activated carbons, respectively. The influence of pH on the adsorption has two trends for pH below and above 10. It was possible to conclude that when phenol is predominantly in the molecular form the most probable mechanism is based on the π-π dispersion interaction between the phenol aromatic ring and the delocalised π electrons present in the activated carbon aromatic structure. When phenolate is the major component the electrostatic repulsion that occurs at high pH values is the most important aspect of the adsorption mechanism.

Factors influencing laser cutting of wood

Science.gov (United States)

V.G. Barnekov; C.W. McMillin; H.A. Huber

1986-01-01

Factors influencing the ability of lasers to cut wood may be generally classified into these three areas: 1) characteristics of the laser beam; 2) equipment and processing variables; and 3) properties of the workpiece. Effects of beam power, mode, polarization, and stability are discussed as are aspects of optics, location of focal point, feed speed, gas-jet assist...

Review on Factors Influencing Physician Guideline Adherence in Cardiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoorn, C J G M; Crijns, H J G M; Dierick-van Daele, A T M; Dekker, L R C

2018-04-09

Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in Western countries. Physician adherence to guidelines is often suboptimal, resulting in impaired patient outcome and prognosis. Multiple studies have been conducted to evaluate patterns and the influencing factors of patient adherence, but little is known about factors influencing physician guideline adherence. This review aims to identify factors influencing physician guideline adherence relevant to cardiology and to provide insights and suggestions for future improvement. Physician adherence was measured as adherence to standard local medical practice and applicable guidelines. Female gender and older age had a negative effect on physician guideline adherence. In addition, independent of the type of heart disease, physicians without cardiologic specialization were linked to physician noncompliance. Also, guideline adherence in primary care centers was at a lower level compared to secondary or tertiary care centers. The importance of guideline adherence increases as patients age, and complex diseases and comorbidity arise. Appropriate resources and interventions, taking important factors for nonadherence in account, are necessary to improve guideline adoption and adherence in every level of the chain. This in turn should improve patient outcome.

Factors influencing women\\'s decisions to purchase specific children ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Factors influencing women\\'s decisions to purchase specific children\\'s ... they had selected a children's multi-nutrient supplement with the intention of buying it. ... Price, performance and brand loyalty, affect and normative factors were most ...

Librarians' Perspectives on the Factors Influencing Research Data Management Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Faniel, Ixchel M.; Connaway, Lynn Silipigni

2018-01-01

This qualitative research study examines librarians' research data management (RDM) experiences, specifically the factors that influence their ability to support researchers' needs. Findings from interviews with 36 academic library professionals in the United States identify 5 factors of influence: (1) technical resources; (2) human resources; (3)…

Factors influencing societal response of nanotechnology: an expert stakeholder analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, Nidhi; Fischer, Arnout R. H.; Lans, Ivo A. van der; Frewer, Lynn J.

2012-01-01

Nanotechnology can be described as an emerging technology and, as has been the case with other emerging technologies such as genetic modification, different socio-psychological factors will potentially influence societal responses to its development and application. These factors will play an important role in how nanotechnology is developed and commercialised. This article aims to identify expert opinion on factors influencing societal response to applications of nanotechnology. Structured interviews with experts on nanotechnology from North West Europe were conducted using repertory grid methodology in conjunction with generalized Procrustes analysis to examine the psychological constructs underlying societal uptake of 15 key applications of nanotechnology drawn from different areas (e.g. medicine, agriculture and environment, chemical, food, military, sports, and cosmetics). Based on expert judgement, the main factors influencing societal response to different applications of nanotechnology will be the extent to which applications are perceived to be beneficial, useful, and necessary, and how 'real' and physically close to the end-user these applications are perceived to be by the public.

Factors influencing societal response of nanotechnology: an expert stakeholder analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Nidhi; Fischer, Arnout R. H.; van der Lans, Ivo A.; Frewer, Lynn J.

2012-05-01

Nanotechnology can be described as an emerging technology and, as has been the case with other emerging technologies such as genetic modification, different socio-psychological factors will potentially influence societal responses to its development and application. These factors will play an important role in how nanotechnology is developed and commercialised. This article aims to identify expert opinion on factors influencing societal response to applications of nanotechnology. Structured interviews with experts on nanotechnology from North West Europe were conducted using repertory grid methodology in conjunction with generalized Procrustes analysis to examine the psychological constructs underlying societal uptake of 15 key applications of nanotechnology drawn from different areas (e.g. medicine, agriculture and environment, chemical, food, military, sports, and cosmetics). Based on expert judgement, the main factors influencing societal response to different applications of nanotechnology will be the extent to which applications are perceived to be beneficial, useful, and necessary, and how 'real' and physically close to the end-user these applications are perceived to be by the public.

Carbon Sources Influence Fumonisin Production in Fusarium proliferatum.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Taotao; Gong, Liang; Jiang, Guoxiang; Wang, Yong; Gupta, Vijai Kumar; Qu, Hongxia; Duan, Xuewu; Wang, Jiasheng; Jiang, Yueming

2017-10-01

Fusarium proliferatum is a worldwide fungal pathogen that produces fumonisins which are harmful to animal and human health. However, environmental factors affecting fumonisin biosynthesis in F. proliferatum are not well understood. Based on our preliminary results, in this study, we investigated the effect of sucrose or mannose as the sole carbon source on fumonisin B (FB) production by F. proliferatum and studied their underlying mechanisms via proteome and gene expression analysis. Our results showed that mannose, used as the sole carbon source, significantly blocked fumonisin B 1 and B 2 production by F. proliferatum as compared with the use of sucrose. Fifty-seven differentially expressed proteins were successfully identified. The downregulated proteins in the mannose-cultured strain were mainly involved in carbon metabolism, response to stress, and methionine metabolism, as compared with the sucrose-cultured strain. Moreover, quantitative real-time PCR analysis indicated that expression of several key genes involved in FB biosynthetic pathway and in transcription regulation were significantly downregulated in the mannose-cultured F. proliferatum, whereas expression of histone deacetylation-related genes were significantly upregulated. These results suggested that the blockage of FB biosynthesis by mannose was associated with the decreases in conversion of acetyl-CoA to polyketide, methionine biosynthesis, and NADPH regeneration. More importantly, milder oxidative stress, downregulated expression of genes involved in biosynthetic pathway and transcription regulation, and upregulated expression of genes with histone deacetylation possibly were responsible for the blockage of FB biosynthesis in F. proliferatum. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Habitat characteristics provide insights of carbon storage in seagrass meadows.

Science.gov (United States)

Mazarrasa, Inés; Samper-Villarreal, Jimena; Serrano, Oscar; Lavery, Paul S; Lovelock, Catherine E; Marbà, Núria; Duarte, Carlos M; Cortés, Jorge

2018-02-16

Seagrass meadows provide multiple ecosystem services, yet they are among the most threatened ecosystems on earth. Because of their role as carbon sinks, protection and restoration of seagrass meadows contribute to climate change mitigation. Blue Carbon strategies aim to enhance CO 2 sequestration and avoid greenhouse gasses emissions through the management of coastal vegetated ecosystems, including seagrass meadows. The implementation of Blue Carbon strategies requires a good understanding of the habitat characteristics that influence C org sequestration. Here, we review the existing knowledge on Blue Carbon research in seagrass meadows to identify the key habitat characteristics that influence C org sequestration in seagrass meadows, those factors that threaten this function and those with unclear effects. We demonstrate that not all seagrass habitats have the same potential, identify research priorities and describe the implications of the results found for the implementation and development of efficient Blue Carbon strategies based on seagrass meadows. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Emergency Department Crowding: Factors Influencing Flow

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arkun, Alp

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate those factors, both intrinsic and extrinsic to the emergency department (ED that influence two specific components of throughput: “door-to-doctor” time and dwell time.Methods: We used a prospective observational study design to determine the variables that played a significant role in determining ED flow. All adult patients seen or waiting to be seen in the ED were observed at 8pm (Monday-Friday during a three-month period. Variables measured included daily ED volume, patient acuity, staffing, ED occupancy, daily admissions, ED boarder volume, hospital volume, and intensive care unit volume. Both log-rank tests and time-to-wait (survival proportional-hazard regression models were fitted to determine which variables were most significant in predicting “door-to-doctor” and dwell times, with full account of the censoring for some patients.Results: We captured 1,543 patients during our study period, representing 27% of total daily volume. The ED operated at an average of 85% capacity (61-102% with an average of 27% boarding. Median “door-to-doctor” time was 1.8 hours, with the biggest influence being triage category, day of the week, and ED occupancy. Median dwell time was 5.5 hours with similar variable influences.Conclusion: The largest contributors to decreased patient flow through the ED at our institution were triage category, ED occupancy, and day of the week. Although the statistically significant factors influencing patient throughput at our institution involve problems with inflow, an increase in ED occupancy could be due to substantial outflow obstruction and may indicate the necessity for increased capacity both within the ED and hospital. [West J Emerg Med. 2010; 11(1:10-15

Modeling carbon emissions from urban traffic system using mobile monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Daniel Jian; Zhang, Ying; Xue, Rui; Zhang, Yi

2017-12-01

Comprehensive analyses of urban traffic carbon emissions are critical in achieving low-carbon transportation. This paper started from the architecture design of a carbon emission mobile monitoring system using multiple sets of equipment and collected the corresponding data about traffic flow, meteorological conditions, vehicular carbon emissions and driving characteristics on typical roads in Shanghai and Wuxi, Jiangsu province. Based on these data, the emission model MOVES was calibrated and used with various sensitivity and correlation evaluation indices to analyze the traffic carbon emissions at microscopic, mesoscopic and macroscopic levels, respectively. The major factors that influence urban traffic carbon emissions were investigated, so that emission factors of CO, CO 2 and HC were calculated by taking representative passenger cars as a case study. As a result, the urban traffic carbon emissions were assessed quantitatively, and the total amounts of CO, CO 2 and HC emission from passenger cars in Shanghai were estimated as 76.95kt, 8271.91kt, and 2.13kt, respectively. Arterial roads were found as the primary line source, accounting for 50.49% carbon emissions. In additional to the overall major factors identified, the mobile monitoring system and carbon emission quantification method proposed in this study are of rather guiding significance for the further urban low-carbon transportation development. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Diagnostics of the Factors Influencing the Export Activity of an Enterprise

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Skrynkovskyy Ruslan M.

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The modern practice of doing business proves that a successful entrance of any enterprise to external (international markets depends on the level of its readiness for carrying out foreign economic activity. Under such circumstances, the process of targeted analysis and assessment of factors influencing the export activity of the enterprise is relevant, expedient and important. The aim of the article is the formation and development of theoretical and methodological bases for diagnosing factors influencing the export activity of an enterprise on the basis of theory and practice in the field of management and administration. It is found that the diagnostics should be understood as the process of identification, analysis and evaluation of influence (functional, dysfunctional of the factors (circumstances, conditions, etc. on the export activity of an enterprise in order to identify and solve problems (current, possible ones in the sphere of supply and implementation of specific actions (steps related to its entrance to external (international markets. It is determined that the key business indicators of the system for diagnosing the factors influencing the export activity of an enterprise are indicators reflecting the influence of the main factors on its export activity: level of fulfillment of obligations in terms of cost; level of conclusion of “expensive contracts”; share of renewed business contracts in the total number of contracts; level of satisfaction of claims; level of delivery variability. The prospect for further research in this scientific direction is developing a system of partial diagnostic goals of the integrated system of goals for conducting economic diagnostics of enterprises taking into account the diagnostics of factors influencing the export activity of an enterprise as a partial diagnostic goal.

Factors Influencing Medical Students' Choice of Specialty

OpenAIRE

Chang, Pei-Yeh; Hung, Chih-Young; Wang, Kuei-lng; Huang, Yuan-Huei; Chang, King-Jen

2006-01-01

Medical school graduates are the source of a country's physicians. Determining how the graduates of these schools select their areas of specialization is the key to achieving a balanced distribution of doctors among all specialties. The purposes of this study were to determine the factors that influence medical students' choice of medical specialty, and to derive the relative weight of each factor. Methods: We constructed a two-tiered analytic hierarchy process (AHP) model which was repres...

Computer Self-Efficacy and Factors Influencing E-Learning Effectiveness

Science.gov (United States)

Chien, Tien-Chen

2012-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the influences of system and instructor factors on e-learning effectiveness under the interactions of computer self-efficacy. In this study, the factors of the e-learning system are functionality, interaction, and response. The factors of the e-learning instructor are attitude, technical skills,…

Factors influencing woodlands of southwestern North Dakota

Science.gov (United States)

Michele M. Girard; Harold Goetz; Ardell J. Bjugstad

1987-01-01

Literature pertaining to woodlands of southwestern North Dakota is reviewed. Woodland species composition and distribution, and factors influencing woodland ecosystems such as climate, logging, fire, and grazing are described. Potential management and improvement techniques using vegetation and livestock manipulation have been suggested.

Factors that influence advertising design ideation | Usman ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Factors that influence advertising design ideation. ... PROMOTING ACCESS TO AFRICAN RESEARCH ... inevitably, more than ever before, on advertisement to take products to the doorsteps of potential consumers. Consequently, local and global corporations employ all manner of advertising media to achieve their end.

ICT Interventions for Girls: Factors Influencing ICT Career Intentions

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Elena Gorbacheva

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Intervention programs aimed at promoting study and work opportunities in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT field to schoolgirls have been encouraged to combat a decline in the interest among girls to study ICT at school. The goal of our study is to investigate the influence of such interventions on schoolgirls’ intentions to choose a career in the ICT field by analysing comprehensive survey data (n = 3577, collected during four interventions in Australia, using the Partial Least Squares method. Our study is also aimed at identifying other factors influencing ICT career intentions. We found that the attitude towards interventions has an indirect influence on ICT career intentions by affecting interest in ICT. Our results also challenge several existing theoretical studies by showing that factors that had previously been suggested as influencers were found to have little or no impact in this study, these being same-sex education and computer usage.

Factors influencing the intention to watch online video advertising.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Joonghwa; Lee, Mira

2011-10-01

This study examines the factors influencing consumer intention to watch online video ads, by applying the theory of reasoned action. The attitude toward watching online video ads, the subjective norm, and prior frequency of watching online video ads positively influence the intention to watch online video ads. Further, beliefs held about entertainment and information outcomes from watching online video ads and subjective norm influence attitude toward watching these ads.

Factors affecting the precipitation of pure calcium carbonate during the direct aqueous carbonation of flue gas desulfurization gypsum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, Kyungsun; Jang, Young-Nam; Kim, Wonbaek; Lee, Myung Gyu; Shin, Dongbok; Bang, Jun-Hwan; Jeon, Chi Wan; Chae, Soo Chun

2014-01-01

The mineral carbonation of FGD (flue gas desulfurization) gypsum was carried out through CO 2 sorption into ammonia solution containing FGD gypsum. High-purity calcium carbonate was precipitated from DCC (dissolved calcium carbonate) solution which was extracted during the induction period. The factors affecting the preparation of pure calcium carbonate were examined under the following conditions: CO 2 flow rate (1–3 L/min), ammonia content (4–12%), and S/L (solid-to-liquid) ratio (5–300 g/L). X-Ray diffraction study revealed that the PCC (precipitated calcium carbonate) was round-shaped vaterite. The induction time for PCC decreased as the CO 2 flow rate increased. The maximum formation efficiency for pure PCC was seen to increase linearly with the ammonia content. The formation efficiency for pure PCC was the highest (90%) for S/L ratio of 5 g/L but it decreased as S/L ratio increased. On the other hand, S/L ratio didn't affect the maximum solubility limit of DCC. It is believed that the pure PCC would add an economic value to the FGD gypsum carbonation for industrial CO 2 sequestration. - Highlights: • Pure and white CaCO 3 was synthesized using induction period during direct carbonation of FGD gypsum. • Its formation efficiency was increased with ammonia content but decreased with solid-to-liquid ratio. • This method is expected to extend to other industrial CO 2 sequestration for the enhanced economic value of precipitated CaCO 3

The influence of oxygen and carbon dioxide on diving behaviour of tufted ducks, Aythya fuligula.

Science.gov (United States)

Halsey, Lewis; Reed, Jane Z; Woakes, Anthony; Butler, Patrick

2003-01-01

While optimal diving models focus on the diver's oxygen (O(2)) stores as the predominant factor influencing diving behaviour, many vertebrate species surface from a dive before these stores are exhausted and may commence another dive well after their O(2) stores have been resaturated. This study investigates the influence of hypoxia and also hypercapnia on the dive cycle of tufted ducks, Aythya fuligula, in terms of surface duration and dive duration. The birds were trained to surface into a respirometer box after each dive to a feeding tray so that rates of O(2) uptake (VO2) and carbon dioxide output (VCO2) at the surface could be measured. Although Vco2 initially lagged behind Vo2, both respiratory gas stores were close to full adjustment after the average surface duration, indicating that they probably had a similar degree of influence on surface duration. Chemoreceptors, which are known to influence diving behaviour, detect changes in O(2) and CO(2) partial pressures in the arterial blood. Thus, the need to restore blood gas levels appears to be a strong stimulus to continue ventilation. Mean surface duration coincided with peak instantaneous respiratory exchange ratio due to predive anticipatory hyperventilation causing hypocapnia. For comparison, the relationship between surface duration and O(2) uptake in reanalysed data for two grey seals indicated that one animal tended to dive well after fully restocking its O(2) stores, while the other dived at the point of full restocking. More CO(2) is exchanged than O(2) in tufted ducks during the last few breaths before the first dive of a bout, serving to reduce CO(2) stores and suggesting that hypercapnia rather than hypoxia is more often the limiting factor on asphyxia tolerance during dives. Indeed, according to calculations of O(2) stores and O(2) consumption rates over modal diving durations, a lack of O(2) does not seem to be associated with the termination of a dive in tufted ducks. However, factors other

Individual and Interactive Influences of Anthropogenic and Ecological Factors on Forest PM2.5 Concentrations at an Urban Scale

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Guoliang Yun

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Integration of Landsat images and multisource data using spatial statistical analysis and geographical detector models can reveal the individual and interactive influences of anthropogenic activities and ecological factors on concentrations of atmospheric particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5. This approach has been used in many studies to estimate biomass and forest disturbance patterns and to monitor carbon sinks. However, the approach has rarely been used to comprehensively analyze the individual and interactive influences of anthropogenic factors (e.g., population density, impervious surface percentage and ecological factors (e.g., canopy density, stand age, and elevation on PM2.5 concentrations. To do this, we used Landsat-8 images and meteorological data to retrieve quantitative data on the concentrations of particulates (PM2.5, then integrated a forest management planning inventory (FMPI, population density distribution data, meteorological data, and topographic data in a Geographic Information System database, and applied a spatial statistical analysis model to identify aggregated areas (hot spots and cold spots of particulates in the urban area of Jinjiang city, China. A geographical detector model was used to analyze the individual and interactive influences of anthropogenic and ecological factors on PM2.5 concentrations. We found that particulate concentration hot spots are mainly distributed in urban centers and suburbs, while cold spots are mainly distributed in the suburbs and exurban region. Elevation was the dominant individual factor affecting PM2.5 concentrations, followed by dominant tree species and meteorological factors. A combination of human activities (e.g., population density, impervious surface percentage and multiple ecological factors caused the dominant interactive effects, resulting in increased PM2.5 concentrations. Our study suggests that human activities and multiple ecological factors

Influence of hydrothermal carbonization and treatment by microwave on morphology of carbonaceous materials obtained from lignin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliveira, I.B.; Barin, G.B.; Barreto, L.S.; Santos, M.C.G.

2014-01-01

The conversion of biomass into carbon materials with special morphologies via hydrothermal carbonization presents itself as a potential route for the use of renewable precursors in obtaining carbonaceous structures. In the present study the influence of the hydrothermal carbonization (250 ° C / 4 h) followed by microwave treatment (1-2-4 hours at 25 and 40 mL) in morphology and structure of lignin. The samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The plaque morphology of lignin was preserved during the hydrothermal process. However, when treated by microwave can be observed partial dissolution of lignin leading to the formation of microspheres on the surface. XRD presence of an amorphous halo 2θ = 23 ° attributed to the (002) network of the amorphous carbon was observed. (author)

Factors Influencing Professional Help-Seeking for Suicidality.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Jin; Batterham, Philip J; Calear, Alison L; Randall, Rebecca

2018-05-01

Evidence suggests that the majority of people with suicidality do not seek help. Little systematic evaluation of factors influencing professional help-seeking has been done. To systematically evaluate the factors that influence professional help-seeking for suicidality. Published quantitative and qualitative studies in Medline and PsycInfo databases were reviewed following PRISMA. In all, 55 relevant studies were identified. Of these, 15 studies examined professional help-seeking intentions for perceived suicidal ideation, among people with or without suicidality; 21 studies examined professional help-seeking behavior among people with suicidality; and 19 studies examined suicidal decedents' health services use. Several potential important barriers were identified including high self-reliance, lack of perceived need for treatment, and stigmatizing attitudes toward suicide, toward mental health issues, and toward seeking professional treatment. The presence of suicidality and mental health issues was found to generally decrease help-seeking intentions for perceived suicidal ideation while facilitating actual service use. Social support and informal support from family and friends also played an important role in professional help-seeking. Although the majority of the included studies were of sound quality, some of the factors identified in the review were assessed in relatively few studies, and most of the included studies were conducted in industrialized countries. Further quantitative and qualitative studies examining the potential important factors in broader community samples, especially in developing countries, are needed.

The influence of carbon exchange of a large lake on regional tracer-transport inversions: results from Lake Superior

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasys, Victoria N; Desai, Ankur R; McKinley, Galen A; Bennington, Val; Michalak, Anna M; Andrews, Arlyn E

2011-01-01

Large lakes may constitute a significant component of regional surface-atmosphere fluxes, but few efforts have been made to quantify these fluxes. Tracer-transport inverse models that infer the CO 2 flux from the atmospheric concentration typically assume that the influence from large lakes is negligible. CO 2 observations from a tall tower in Wisconsin segregated by wind direction suggested a CO 2 signature from Lake Superior. To further investigate this difference, source-receptor influence functions derived using a mesoscale transport model were applied and results revealed that air masses sampled by the tower have a transit time over the lake, primarily in winter when the total lake influence on the tower can exceed 20% of the total influence of the regional domain. When the influence functions were convolved with air-lake fluxes estimated from a physical-biogeochemical lake model, the overall total contribution of lake fluxes to the tall tower CO 2 were mostly negligible, but potentially detectable in certain periods of fall and winter when lake carbon exchange can be strong and land carbon efflux weak. These findings suggest that large oligotrophic lakes would not significantly influence inverse models that incorporate tall tower CO 2 .

Factors influencing condom use among Nigerian undergraduates: A ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Factors influencing condom use among Nigerian undergraduates: A mixed method study. ... PROMOTING ACCESS TO AFRICAN RESEARCH ... group discussions) and quantitative (cross-sectional survey) methods were utilised for this study.

Relationships between carbon fluxes and environmental factors in a drip-irrigated, film-mulched cotton field in arid region

OpenAIRE

Li, Xiaoyu; Liu, Lijuan; Yang, Huijin; Li, Yan

2018-01-01

Environmental factors and human activities play important roles in carbon fixation and emissions generated from croplands. Eddy covariance measurements in a drip-irrigated, film-mulched cotton field were used to analyze the relationships between carbon fluxes and environmental factors in Wulanwusu, northern Xinjiang, an arid region of Northwest China. Our results showed that the cumulative net carbon flux (NEE) was -304.8 g C m-2 (a strong sink) over the whole cotton growing season in 2012, w...

Factors influencing insulin secretion from encapsulated islets

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Haan, BJ; Faas, MM; de Vos, P

2003-01-01

Adequate regulation of glucose levels by a microencapsulated pancreatic islet graft requires a minute-to-minute regulation of blood glucose. To design such a transplant, it is mandatory to have sufficient insight in factors influencing the kinetics of insulin secretion by encapsulated islets. The

A real-time assessment of factors influencing medication events.

Science.gov (United States)

Dollarhide, Adrian W; Rutledge, Thomas; Weinger, Matthew B; Fisher, Erin Stucky; Jain, Sonia; Wolfson, Tanya; Dresselhaus, Timothy R

2014-01-01

Reducing medical error is critical to improving the safety and quality of healthcare. Physician stress, fatigue, and excessive workload are performance-shaping factors (PSFs) that may influence medical events (actual administration errors and near misses), but direct relationships between these factors and patient safety have not been clearly defined. This study assessed the real-time influence of emotional stress, workload, and sleep deprivation on self-reported medication events by physicians in academic hospitals. During an 18-month study period, 185 physician participants working at four university-affiliated teaching hospitals reported medication events using a confidential reporting application on handheld computers. Emotional stress scores, perceived workload, patient case volume, clinical experience, total sleep, and demographic variables were also captured via the handheld computers. Medication event reports (n = 11) were then correlated with these demographic and PSFs. Medication events were associated with 36.1% higher perceived workload (p sleep (p = .10). These results confirm the effect of factors influencing medication events, and support attention to both provider and hospital environmental characteristics for improving patient safety. © 2013 National Association for Healthcare Quality.

Factors influencing the vulnerability of women to the risk of HIV ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Factors influencing the vulnerability of women to the risk of HIV-infection in rural villages in North West Province, South Africa. ... Gender and Behaviour ... This particular study found that there are a number of personal, proximal and distal factors that influence the vulnerability of women to HIV-infection in rural villages in ...

Factors Influencing the Yemeni Customers’ Intention to Adopt Takaful Products

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Abdelghani Echchabi

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to examine the Yemeni customers’ intention to adopt Takaful products, and to explore the potential factors that influence their decision. This study applies SEM and one sample t-test to analyse the collected data. The results indicate that among the factors included in this study, only compatibility positively and significantly affects the adoption intention. This is the first study that addresses the adoption of Takaful products in Yemen and the factors that influence it. Furthermore, this study extends the Innovations Diffusion Theory (IDT by applying it to a different setting.

An empirical survey on factors influencing on packaging dairy products

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Naser Azad

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Packaging plays an essential role on supplying different materials such as dairy products. The first thing people may look into when they purchase dairy products such as milk, cheese, etc. is associated with the packaging characteristics. This paper attempts to find important factors influencing on packaging dairy products. The study uses factor analysis to detect important factors based on a questionnaire consists of 28 questions in Likert scale, which is distributed among 200 regular employees of Pegah dairy producer. Cronbach alpha, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling adequacy and Bartlett's test of Sphericity approximation Chi-Square are 0.81, 0.679 and 844.475, respectively and they are within acceptable limit. The study has determined five factors including infrastructure, awareness, design and communication as important factors influencing consumers.

Pakistani medical students' specialty preference and the influencing factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Rehman, Anis; Rehman, Tariq; Shaikh, Muhammad Ateeb; Yasmin, Haleema; Asif, Ammara; Kafil, Hina

2011-07-01

To elucidate the specialty preferences of Pakistani medical students and the factors which influence medical students to make the decision regarding which specialty to pursue. Both basic sciences and clinical students from four medical colleges of Pakistan, i.e., Dow Medical College, Sindh Medical College, Liaquat National Medical College and Muhammad Medical College, were included in the cross-sectional survey during the period of July 2008 to Jan' 2009. After ethical acceptance, data was collected using convenient sampling technique. The questionnaire covered the following demographic details: 13 common specialties and 15 influencing factors. Questionnaires included in the analysis were 771. Most students gave preference to surgery and its associated sub-specialties (50.3%) followed by internal medicine (26.8%), paediatrics (23.2%), dermatology (16.7%), gynaecology and obstetrics (16.7%), psychiatry (13.1%), radiology (10.8%), ENT (8.8%), anaesthesiology (8.7%), administrative medicine (8.6%), orthopaedics (8.2%), ophthalmology (7.5%), and laboratory medicine (6.1%). The highly considered factors (regarding specialties) chosen by 70% of the medical students were: applicable to respective personalities of the individuals, prestige and respect, international opportunities, and time commitment. Surgical-skills, job availability, financial rating, academic performance, and a role model were moderately influencing factors. Hospital environment, parents, general practice, peer-pressure and personal health were the least influential. This trend suggests competition in surgery and its sub-specialties along with internal medicine, paediatrics, dermatology, gynaecology and obstetrics. Specialty suited to personality, time commitment, prestige/respect and international opportunity, influenced more than 70% of the students.

Factors influencing perceptions of domestic energy information: Content, source and process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simcock, Neil; MacGregor, Sherilyn; Catney, Philip; Dobson, Andrew; Ormerod, Mark; Robinson, Zoe; Ross, Simon; Royston, Sarah; Marie Hall, Sarah

2014-01-01

Reducing household energy consumption is an essential element of the UK Government's carbon reduction strategy. Whilst increased knowledge alone will not necessarily lead to tangible actions on the part of consumers, knowledge of various kinds is, we argue, still important if domestic energy usage is to be reduced. In an attempt to ‘educate’ the public, governments have typically resorted to ‘mass information’ campaigns that have been considered largely unsuccessful. Yet understanding what alternative forms of learning could be cultivated has been limited by the dearth of research that explores whether and why people consider information about energy and energy saving to be useful. By exploring this, we can move towards an understanding of how knowledge about energy saving can be better shared and communicated, enabling more meaningful learning to take place. Drawing on in-depth qualitative data with fifty-five participants, this paper highlights a range of factors that affect perceptions of energy information. It argues that these factors are not discrete, but are interlinked. A fundamentally different model of knowledge exchange is needed for more effective learning about energy saving to occur. A number of implications for policy are proposed in our conclusions. - Highlights: • A range of factors influence perceptions of energy information. These factors are interlinked. • Energy information perceived as more relevant when it could be ‘anchored’ to everyday frames of understanding. • Both qualified ‘experts’ and peers with personal experience valued as potential information sources. • ‘One-way’ information communication perceived negatively. Two-way information exchange built trust and a sense of control. • Participants’ active information assessment very different to the passive consumer assumed by knowledge-deficit model

Inverted edge effects on carbon stocks in human-dominated landscapes

Science.gov (United States)

Romitelli, I.; Keller, M.; Vieira, S. A.; Metzger, J. P.; Reverberi Tambosi, L.

2017-12-01

Although the importance of tropical forests to regulate greenhouse gases is well documented, little is known about what factors affect the ability of these forests to store carbon in human-dominated landscapes. Among those factors, the landscape structure, particularly the amount of forest cover, the type of matrix and edge effects, can have important roles. We tested how carbon stock is influenced by a combination of factors of landscape composition (pasture and forest cover), landscape configuration (edge effect) and relief factors (slope, elevation and aspect). To test those relationships, we performed a robust carbon stock estimation with inventory and LiDAR data in human-dominated landscapes from the Brazilian Atlantic forest region. The study area showed carbon stock mean 45.49 ± 9.34 Mg ha-1. The interaction between forest cover, edge effect and slope was the best combination explanatory of carbon stock. We observed an inverted edge effect pattern where carbon stock is higher close to the edges of the studied secondary forests. This inverted edge effect observed contradicts the usual pattern reported in the literature for mature forests. We suppose this pattern is related with a positive effect that edge conditions can have stimulating forest regeneration, but the underlying processes to explain the observed pattern should still be tested. Those results suggest that Carbon stocks in human-dominated and fragmented landscapes can be highly affected by the landscape structure, and particularly that edges conditions can favor carbon sequestration in regenerating tropical forests.

Factors influencing training transfer in nursing profession: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Fang; Bai, Yangjing; Bai, Yangjuan; Ma, Weiguang; Yang, Xiangyu; Li, Jiping

2018-03-20

There is a growing recognition that training is not translated into performance and the 'transfer problem' exists in organization training today. Although factors contributing to training transfer have been identified in business and industry, the factors influencing training transfer in nursing profession remain less clear. A qualitative descriptive study was undertaken in two tertiary referral hospitals in China from February 2013 to September 2013. Purposeful sampling of 24 nursing staffs were interviewed about the factors influencing training transfer. Seven themes evolved from the analysis, categorized in 4 main domains, which described the factors influencing training transfer in nursing profession in trainee characteristics, training design, work environment and profession domain. The trainee characteristics domain included attitude and ability. The training design domain included training content and instruction method. The work environment domain included supports as facilitators and opposition as hindrance. The theme pertaining to the profession domain was professional development. Health care managers need to understand the factors influencing training transfer for maximizing the benefits of training. The right beliefs and values about training, the rigorous employee selection for training, the relevance of training content, training instructions facilitating learning and transfer, supports from peer, supervisors and the organization, organizational culture such as change, sharing, learning and support, and professional development are key to successful training transfer. Furthermore, managers should be aware of the opposition from co-workers and find ways to prevent it.

Factors influencing antibiotic prescribing in long-term care facilities: a qualitative in-depth study.

Science.gov (United States)

van Buul, Laura W; van der Steen, Jenny T; Doncker, Sarah M M M; Achterberg, Wilco P; Schellevis, François G; Veenhuizen, Ruth B; Hertogh, Cees M P M

2014-12-16

Insight into factors that influence antibiotic prescribing is crucial when developing interventions aimed at a more rational use of antibiotics. We examined factors that influence antibiotic prescribing in long-term care facilities, and present a conceptual model that integrates these factors. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with physicians (n = 13) and nursing staff (n = 13) in five nursing homes and two residential care homes in the central-west region of the Netherlands. An iterative analysis was applied to interviews with physicians to identify and categorize factors that influence antibiotic prescribing, and to integrate these into a conceptual model. This conceptual model was triangulated with the perspectives of nursing staff. The analysis resulted in the identification of six categories of factors that can influence the antibiotic prescribing decision: the clinical situation, advance care plans, utilization of diagnostic resources, physicians' perceived risks, influence of others, and influence of the environment. Each category comprises several factors that may influence the decision to prescribe or not prescribe antibiotics directly (e.g. pressure of patients' family leading to antibiotic prescribing) or indirectly via influence on other factors (e.g. unfamiliarity with patients resulting in a higher physician perceived risk of non-treatment, in turn resulting in a higher tendency to prescribe antibiotics). Our interview study shows that several non-rational factors may affect antibiotic prescribing decision making in long-term care facilities, suggesting opportunities to reduce inappropriate antibiotic use. We developed a conceptual model that integrates the identified categories of influencing factors and shows the relationships between those categories. This model may be used as a practical tool in long-term care facilities to identify local factors potentially leading to inappropriate prescribing, and to subsequently

Factors influencing the adoption of mobile financial services in the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Factors influencing the adoption of mobile financial services in the unbanked population. ... Inkanyiso: Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences ... the influences of the adoption behaviour at different level of market maturity and points of time.

Genetic and environmental factors influencing the Placental Growth Factor (PGF variation in two populations.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rossella Sorice

Full Text Available Placental Growth Factor (PGF is a key molecule in angiogenesis. Several studies have revealed an important role of PGF primarily in pathological conditions (e.g.: ischaemia, tumour formation, cardiovascular diseases and inflammatory processes suggesting its use as a potential therapeutic agent. However, to date, no information is available regarding the genetics of PGF variability. Furthermore, even though the effect of environmental factors (e.g.: cigarette smoking on angiogenesis has been explored, no data on the influence of these factors on PGF levels have been reported so far. Here we have first investigated PGF variability in two cohorts focusing on non-genetic risk factors: a study sample from two isolated villages in the Cilento region, South Italy (N=871 and a replication sample from the general Danish population (N=1,812. A significant difference in PGF mean levels was found between the two cohorts. However, in both samples, we observed a strong correlation of PGF levels with ageing and sex, men displaying PGF levels significantly higher than women. Interestingly, smoking was also found to influence the trait in the two populations, although differently. We have then focused on genetic risk factors. The association between five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs located in the PGF gene and the plasma levels of the protein was investigated. Two polymorphisms (rs11850328 and rs2268614 were associated with the PGF plasma levels in the Cilento sample and these associations were strongly replicated in the Danish sample. These results, for the first time, support the hypothesis of the presence of genetic and environmental factors influencing PGF plasma variability.